Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Metre: mef‘ūlü fā‘ilātü mefā‘īlü fā‘ilün

Tevḳī‘-i zer-nişān getürüp ‘āleme hilāl
Aḥkām-ı ṣavm-ı derd-i revān virmedi mecāl
Devlet-serā-yı ‘ayşa kelīd urmış idi ṣavm
Miftāḥ-ı zer getürdi hilāl açdı fī’l-ḥāl
Her dīde māh-ı nev gözedürse ‘aceb midür
Maḥbūb-ı kec-küleh gibi ‘arż itdi çün cemāl
Oldı işāret-i meh-i nev lā-büd ey göñül
Sāḳī [vü] cīm-i zülf ile cām-ı ṣabūḥa dāl
Deryā-yı ḳulzüm-i felegüñ zevraḳın görüp
Ṣaldı gemiyi baḥr-i meye rind-i bī-melāl
Gūyā ki ‘aks-i şeh-per-i ṭāvūs-ı ḳudsdür
Dün gice sebze-zār-ı felekde olan ḫayāl
‘Īd ayı dās-ı zerle biçüp ṣavm ḥāṣılın
Ḫalḳa żiyāfet itdügi götürdi ber-kemāl
Levḥ-i felekde düşeli bu nīm dāyire
Oldı muḥīṭ-i ‘ayş feraḥ-baḫş-ı māh u sāl
Görüp hilāli dil didi burc üzre düşdi ṣan
‘Aks-i kenār-ı miġfer-i zerrīn-i kūtvāl
Ṭıfl-ı şeh-i felekdür o kim ṭoġar āl-ı çarḫ
Bunca tena‘‘um anuñ içündür zihī ‘ıyāl
Şemşīr-i zer-nişān da disem vechi var aña
Ḳaṭ‘ itdi şekk-i ‘īd idenüñ sözin itdi lāl
Bir ṭıfl-ı yek-şebedür o kim ṭoġduġı gibi
Seyr ider āsmānı yürür çekmez infi‘āl
Māhīçedür ki geldi felek baḥri yüzine
Ẓāhirdür ol ‘alāmete k’ey dil nedür me’āl
‘Īd-i viṣāl-i pādşeh-i dehre dāldür
Şaḫṣ-ı zamāne dün gice fāl açdı geldi dāl
Şeh-zāde-pādşāh-ı cihān ḫān-ı Aḥmedüñ
Na‘l-i semendi ‘aksidür ol görinen hilāl
Ṣūretde nūr-ı Aḥmede maẓhar-cemāldür
Sīretde Murtażā gibidür nice pūr-ı Zāl
Ey kevkeb-i şeref ḳapuña her ‘aleṣ-ṣabāḥ
Yüz süre gelmemek şeh-i encüm ne iḥtimāl
Ḫādim olalı muḳbil işigüñde māh-ı nev
Oldı laḳab’mübārek ü adı anuñ hilāl
Her kişi görmek ister anuñ şekl-i ḫūbını
Na‘l-i süm-i semendüñi idinmegin mis̱āl
Sen şāha çekdi ablaḳ-ı gerdūn pīş-keş
Devr-i zamāne kim aña tamġa urur hilāl
Sancaḳ mı virdiler meh-i ‘īde ḳapuñda kim
Gökde ser-i ‘alem görinür şöyle bī-mis̱āl
Düzdi kemānçe Zühre ki bezmüñe yetişüp
Geh raḳṣ urup döne geh ide çenge intiḳāl
Görüp felekde atuñ izi ‘aks-i ṣadrını
Cāy-ı meh-i nev oldı anuñçün ṣaf-ı ni‘āl
Serhengzādeler gibi geldükçe ḫıdmete
Altunladup gelür ser-i çevgān zihī ḥıṣāl
Tīġuñ ḳılıcın urduġıçün şöyle āftāb
Virdi bu ḳudreti aña bes Ḥayy-ı lā-yezāl
Reşk itmeseydi şemse-i dergāhuña müdām
Māh-ı tamāma irmez idi böyle iḫtilāl
Ḫulḳuñ cihānı nükhet-i ḫūbıyla ṭutdı çün
Reşk ile ḫūn anuñçün olur nāfe-i ġazāl
Derya-yı ıżṭırāba ṣalup feyż-i himmetüñ
Dest-i seḫā vü cūduñ ider k’anı pāy-māl
Gird-i cihānı degzinüben döndügi felek
Görmek dilerse mis̱lüñi bu fikrdür muḥāl
Maḥbūb-ı dehre perçem-i nīzeñ ki zülfdür
Ẓıll-i hümā-yı çetrüñ olupdur yüzinde ḫāl
Gerd-i rehüñ cevāhirini rūşenān-ı çarḫ
Bād-ı ṣabādan alup idinürler iktiḥāl
‘Ālemde oldı şöyle bu vech ile ser-firāz
Kūh-ı veḳār-ı ḥilmüñe öykünmegin cibāl
Yüz ḳarasını ḥāṣıl ider ‘acz ile ḳalem
Cūduñ ḥisābı içre hezār itse ḳīl ü ḳāl
Tīġuñ yetişdügi budur aña ki ṣu virür
Nīzeñ zemīn-i sīne-i a‘dādadur nihāl
Sen şāha düşmen olana dirlik ḥarām olur
Ḥaḳḳā budur ki salṭanatuñ siḥr ider ḥelāl
Pervāz-ı ‘ālem ideli şāh-bāz-ı himmetüñ
Murġ-ı dil-i ‘adū bes olupdur şikeste-bāl
Çün evvel āḫir oldı murāduñ du‘ā Münīr
Yüz der-geh-i Ḫudāya ṭutup eyle ibtihāl
Añulduġınca ṣavm u ṣalāt irdügince ‘īd
Olduḳca vaḳt ü sā‘at ü irdükçe māh u sāl
Ḳadr ü berāt idüp giceñi her günüñi ‘īd
Ḳılsun ziyāde devlet ü ‘ömrüñi Ẕü’l-celāl

In English

1. The crescent brought the world a gold-inscribed decree and left no further room for the rules of fasting or for the soul's distress. ("Tevḳī‘", in its dictionary sense, is the sovereign's signature or tughra at the head of a decree; the thin, curved crescent is likened to this golden signature.)

2. Fasting had locked the palace where pleasure holds sway; the crescent brought a golden key and opened the door at once. (The curved crescent is likened to a key.)

3. Is it any wonder that every eye watches for the new moon, since it has shown its beauty like a beloved wearing his cap tilted to one side? (The Vatican manuscript has "hilāl" in place of "cemāl".)

4. O heart, the sign of the new moon has shown beyond doubt that the cupbearer and the curl of hair, bent like the letter "jim", point to the cup of morning wine. ("Dāl" means "pointing to, indicating", and it is also the name of the Arabic letter "dal", curved like a crescent; "cīm" is another curved letter. The word "vü" in the line is Ersoy's emendation on grounds of metre and sense.)

5. Seeing the skiff on the boundless sea of the sky, the carefree reveller launched his ship onto the sea of wine. (The crescent is likened to a skiff. "Ḳulzüm", in its dictionary sense, is the name of the Red Sea and is also used for any vast sea.)

6. The image that appeared last night in the green meadow of the heavens was as if it were the reflection of the great wing feather of the holy peacock. (The sky is likened to a green meadow and the crescent to a peacock's feather.)

7. The festival moon reaped the harvest of the fast with a golden sickle and took upon itself, in full perfection, the feasting of the people. (The crescent is likened to a sickle. "Kemāl" means both perfection and the moon's full phase.)

8. Since this half circle fell upon the tablet of the sky, it has become an ocean of pleasure that gladdens month and year. ("Muḥīṭ", in its dictionary sense, means both ocean and the circumference of a circle, and so matches "dāyire", circle.)

9. Seeing the crescent, the heart said: it is as though the reflection of the rim of the castle commander's golden helmet had fallen upon the tower. ("Burc" means both the tower of a fortress and a sign of the zodiac.)

10. It is the child of the king of the sky, born of the line of the turning heavens; all this bounty is for its sake, what a fine household. (The "king of the sky" is the sun; since the moon takes its light from the sun, it is counted as its child. "‘Iyāl", in its dictionary sense, is the household a person is bound to support.)

11. If I called it a gold-inlaid sword, there would be reason in that, for it cut off the doubt of anyone who questioned the festival and struck his tongue dumb. (Once the crescent is sighted, the coming of the festival is certain. The Vienna manuscript has "dāl" in place of "lāl".)

12. It is a one-night-old infant which, as soon as it is born, travels the sky and walks, and feels no shame at it. (A one-night-old infant walking is a marvel; the crescent moves across the sky on the night of its birth. The Istanbul University manuscript has "bürür" in place of "yürür".)

13. It is a little fish that has risen to the surface of the sea of the sky; O heart, if you ask what this sign means, it is plain to see. ("Māhīçe", little fish, echoes "māh", moon.)

14. It is a sign of the festival of union with the king of the age; last night the person of the age opened an augury and the letter "dal" came up. ("Dāl" again carries two senses: indicating, and the letter "dal" that resembles the crescent.)

15. That crescent which appears is the reflection of the horseshoe of the steed of Ahmed Khan, prince and king of the world.

16. In appearance he is a beauty in which the light of Ahmed, that is, of the Prophet, is made manifest; in character he is like Murtaza, that is, Ali, and like many a son of Zal. ("Pūr-ı Zāl", in its dictionary sense, is the son of Zal, that is, Rustam, the hero of the Persian epics. The Vatican manuscript spells "nice" as "niçe".)

17. O star of honour, how could the king of the stars, the sun, fail to come every morning to rub his face upon your door? (The Istanbul University manuscript has "felek" in place of "şeref".)

18. Since the new moon became a servant at your auspicious threshold, its title has been "blessed" and its name "crescent".

19. Everyone wishes to see its lovely form, because it has taken as its model the shoe on your horse's hoof.

20. The piebald horse of the heavens was led to you, the king, as a gift; the turning of time stamps it with the crescent brand. ("Ablaḳ", in its dictionary sense, is a black-and-white piebald horse; the succession of night and day is likened to such a horse. The crescent is thought of as the brand stamped on the horse's flank. The Istanbul University manuscript lacks the word "çekdi".)

21. Did they grant the festival moon a banner at your door, that the finial at the head of the banner appears so peerless in the sky?

22. Venus has tuned her kemançe (bowed fiddle) so that, arriving at your gathering, she may now whirl in dance and now turn to the harp. (Venus, Zühre, is regarded in classical poetry as the musician of the heavens; the crescent is likened to her fiddle. In the Vatican manuscript this is couplet 19.)

23. Seeing the print of your horse in the sky as the reflection of the seat of honour in your assembly, the new moon chose the place where shoes are left as its own station. ("Ṣadr" is the seat of honour in an assembly; "ṣaf-ı ni‘āl" is the lowest place, by the door, where shoes are taken off. "Ni‘āl", in its dictionary sense, means both shoes and horseshoes, and the crescent resembles a horseshoe. The Istanbul University manuscript has "itüñ", "of your dog", in place of "atuñ".)

24. Whenever the new moon comes to service like the sons of the sergeants, it arrives having gilded the head of a polo stick; what a fine disposition. (The hooked polo stick is likened to the crescent. The Vatican manuscript has "ḫayāl" in place of "ḫıṣāl", dispositions.)

25. Because the sun strikes with the sword on behalf of your sword in this way, the Ever-Living, the Eternal, gave it this power. (The sun's rays are likened to a sword; the phrase "striking the sword of your sword" rests on this comparison.)

26. Had the full moon not constantly envied the sunburst ornament of your court, it would not suffer such decline and waning. ("Şemse", in its dictionary sense, is a round ornament shaped like the sun. The moon's monthly waning is attributed to its envy of the ornament at the prince's door.)

27. Because your character has filled the world with its sweet fragrance, the musk pod of the gazelle turns to blood out of envy. (In classical poetry musk is spoken of as a scent formed from blood in the pod at the gazelle's navel.)

28. The abundance of your high resolve has cast the sea into turmoil; your generous hand and your bounty trample it underfoot. (The sea is associated with generosity; the prince's generosity surpasses it.)

29. Should the sky, which has travelled round the world and come back, wish to see your equal, that thought is impossible.

30. The tassel of your spear is the curling lock of the beloved of the age; the huma shadow of your parasol has become a beauty spot on its face. ("Çetr" is the parasol carried over a ruler's head. The "hümā", in its dictionary sense, is the legendary bird whose shadow was believed to make sovereign whomever it fell upon.)

31. The bright stars of the sky take the jewels of the dust of your road from the morning breeze and use them as kohl for their eyes.

32. The mountains have risen so high in the world because they imitate the mountain of your dignity and gentleness.

33. Though the pen should utter a thousand words in reckoning your generosity, all it gains from its helplessness is a blackened face. (The pen's nib, darkened with ink, is read as a "black face", a sign of shame.)

34. The reason your sword reaches it is that it waters it, for your spear is a sapling in the soil of your enemies' breasts. (The sword's being "tempered", literally "given water", is linked to the watering of a sapling.)

35. For anyone who is an enemy to you, the king, livelihood becomes forbidden; truly, your sovereignty makes even sorcery lawful. ("Dirlik", in its dictionary sense, means both life and the income granted as a fief, a timar. "Siḥr-i ḥelāl", lawful magic, is an idiom for eloquent speech; "ḥarām" and "ḥelāl" form an antithesis.)

36. Since the royal falcon of your resolve took flight over the world, the bird of the enemy's heart has had a broken wing.

37. Münîr, since prayer is the beginning and the end of your wish, turn your face to the court of God and implore Him.

38. As long as the fast is remembered, the prayer performed and the festival comes round; as long as there are times and hours, and months and years come round,

39. May God, Lord of Majesty, make your nights the Night of Power and the Night of Absolution and every day of yours a festival, and may He increase your fortune and your life.

Literary and Historical Commentary

Structure of the Poem

The poem is a Turkish kaside (qasida) of thirty-nine couplets and is numbered Kaside 28 in the edition. The kaside is a long verse form in which every couplet carries the same rhyme, usually written in praise of a ruler or a dignitary. The metre is "mef‘ûlü fâ‘ilâtü mefâ‘îlü fâ‘ilün". There is no redif (refrain word); the rhyme rests on the letter "l" following a long "ā" (hilāl, mecāl, fī'l-ḥāl, cemāl …). Ersoy says that this type, with a long vowel before the rhyme letter, is the rhyme Münîrî uses most often, and he counts this kaside among his examples. The poem is found in all three manuscripts of the divan: the Vatican (VT 55b), Vienna (VY 44a) and Istanbul University (Ü 15a) copies. The heading in the edition, "Der-medḥ-i Sulṭān Aḥmed ṭāle beḳāhu", means "In praise of Sultan Ahmed, may his life be long"; in the Istanbul University manuscript the heading is simply "Ve lehū".

The first fourteen couplets of the kaside describe the festival crescent. The crescent appears at the end of Ramadan, ends the fast and announces the festival; the poet therefore likens it to a golden key that unlocks the palace of fasting (2), a golden sickle that reaps the harvest of the fast (7) and a sword that cuts off doubt about the festival (11). In couplet 14 the description is tied to the patron with the phrase "the festival of union with the king of the age", and in couplet 15 the prince is named. After these transitional couplets comes the panegyric proper, which runs to couplet 36. Couplet 37 carries the pen name (mahlas) "Münīr"; couplets 38-39 close the poem with a prayer that lists the fast, the ritual prayer, the festival, and the Night of Power and the Night of Absolution. That the poem was presented on the occasion of the festival is evident from the text itself; kasides of this kind are called "ıydiyye", which in its dictionary sense means a festival kaside.

Meaning and Figures of Speech

The real strength of the kaside lies in the chain of comparisons built for the crescent. The new moon is seen as the tughra of a decree, a key, a beloved with his cap tilted, a skiff, a peacock's feather, a sickle, the rim of a helmet, a sword, a one-night-old infant, a little fish, a horseshoe, the finial of a banner, Venus's fiddle and the hooked end of a polo stick. Most of these rest on the thin, curved and shining shape of the crescent; some are tied to the moon's movement across the sky or to its rebirth every month. In couplet 12 a newborn infant walking on its first night is read as the crescent travelling across the sky on the night of its birth. In couplet 26 the waning of the moon is explained by its envy of the sun-shaped ornament at the prince's door; this is the figure called hüsn-i talil, the invention of a fanciful cause.

Münîrî's fondness for plays on letters and words shows in this kaside as well. The word "dāl" is used in couplets 4 and 14 both in the sense of "indicating" and as the name of the letter that resembles the crescent; in couplet 14 the letter "dal" coming up when the age opens an augury is taken as a sign of union with the prince. In couplet 13 the word "māhīçe", little fish, echoes "māh", moon. In couplet 8 "muḥīṭ", meaning both ocean and the circumference of a circle, is linked to "nīm dāyire", half circle. In couplet 23 "ni‘āl" means both shoes and horseshoes; as the new moon withdraws to the shoe place, the lowest spot in the assembly, it keeps the shape of a horseshoe. "Ṣadr", the seat of honour, and "ṣaf-ı ni‘āl", the shoe place, form an antithesis.

In the panegyric the prince is placed above the heavenly bodies. The crescent is the reflection of his horse's shoe (15), the sun rubs its face on his door every morning (17), Venus tunes her instrument for his assembly (22). That the prince bears the name Ahmed, one of the names of the Prophet, is put to use in couplet 16: in appearance he is where "nūr-ı Aḥmed", the light of the Prophet, is made manifest, and in character he resembles Ali and Rustam. Images of the sword, the spear, the falcon and the huma (30, 34, 36) stress valour and sovereignty; couplet 35 brings together "ḥarām" and "ḥelāl" and the idiom "siḥr-i ḥelāl".

Ersoy notes that the influence of Ahmed Paşa and Atâyî is prominent in Münîrî's Turkish kasides, and among the poems written as nazire (response poems) to Ahmed Paşa he lists "the poem rhyming in -āl" in the metre "mef‘ûlü fâ‘ilâtü mefâ‘îlü fâ‘ilün". There are two kasides in the divan with this metre and rhyme: Kaside 1 and this kaside. Since Ersoy does not say which one he means, it cannot be stated with certainty that this kaside is a response to Ahmed Paşa.

Historical Context

The addressee of the kaside is clear from the heading and from the phrase "Şeh-zāde-pādşāh-ı cihān ḫān-ı Aḥmed" in couplet 15: the patron is Prince Ahmed, son of Bayezid II. Ersoy says that seven of the twenty-nine kasides in the divan were written for Prince Ahmed; in the edition the kasides numbered 22 to 28 carry headings in his name, and this kaside is the last of the series. Münîrî attended Prince Ahmed's assembly while the prince was governor of Amasya, and according to Hüsameddin, as Ersoy reports, he also served for a time as his chancellor (nişancı). The poem appears to have been presented on the occasion of a Ramadan festival, but there is no information in the heading, in the text or in the sources about which year's festival it was.

Bibliography

Online sources