Mihri Hatun – searchable text

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Gazel dedicated to Müʾeyyedzade Abdurrahman Çelebi

Geldi çün garrâ gazeller bize ol cânândan
‘İsa-veş erdi nefes ben mürde-cisme cândan
Oldı şîrîn laʽlinüñ Ferhâdı dil-âşüftesi
Geçiser cân u cihândan geçmeyiser ândan
Firkatüñden kâmetüm halka itmişem hâtem gibi
Başuma seng-i melâmet almışam mercândan
Ruhlaruñ gül-zârına erdükce cânâ bâd-ı subh
‘Âlemi hoş-bû tutar ol sünbül ü reyhândan
Göreli kûyuñda cânum sen güzeller şâhını
Kalmadı Rıdvâna meylüm geçmişem gilmândan
Şüphesiz nâ-dân ü ebter cîlf ü bî-idrâktür
Ehl-i şiʽr içre seni yeg görmeyen Selmândan
Sen yalandan Hâtemî ‘âşık geçersin Mihrîye
Sümme vallâhî seni Mihrî yeg sever oğlandan

As brilliant lyrics reached us from that beloved
Jesus-like, a breath of life reached my dead body
Your sweet lip’s Ferhat became crazy at heart for it
He would give up life and this world, but never give it up
Parted from you, I bent my body like a signet
I was hit on the head by a stone of reproach made of coral
When the morning breeze comes to the rose-bed of your cheek, beloved
The whole world smells sweetly of hyacinth and sweet herbs
My dear, since I saw you, o lord of beauties, in your street
I have had no desire for Paradise and have given up beautiful boys
He is ignorant, vastly clownish and clueless
Who does not consider you superior to Selman-ı Saveci
Oh Hatemī, you falsely passed as a lover to Mihrī
But, by God, she loves you better than any boy.

Source

Didem Havlioğlu (2017), Mihri Hatun: Performance, Gender-bending and Subversion in Ottoman Intellectual History(Syracuse). Translation by © Didem Havlioğlu.

Hâtime-i risâle

Hamdüllilah ʽavn idüp Rabbüʼl-enâm
Bu tazarrûʽ-nâmeyi kıldum temâm

Hamdülillah var iken ʽaklum bilüm
Bu ilâhîyâtı nazm itti dilüm

Hamdüllilah kî ecel virdi amân
Bu tazarrûʽ-nâmeyi kıldum beyân

Tâ okuyanlara nefʽ olmag içün
Dükelinler cürmi refʽ olmag içün

Söyledüm geldikçe elden her ki var
Kılmadum tatvîl kıldum ihtisâr

Rahmet ol sâhib kemâlüñ cânına
K’okuyıp tañʽ itmeye noksânına

Setride eksiklügin her ki var
İtmeye cühhâle ʽaybuñ âşikâr

İşidüp taʽñ itmeye her bî- haber
Mihrînüñ kalbine gelmeye keder

Çünki nâkıs ʽakl olur dirler nisâ
Her sözüñ magrûr tutmakdur revâ

Lîk Mihrî dâʽinüñ zannı budur
Bu sözi der ol ki kâmîl usludur

Bir müennes yegdurur kim ehl ola
Biñ müzekkerden ki ol nâ-ehl ola

Bir müennes yeg ki zihnî pâk ola
Biñ müzekkerden ki bî-idrâk ola

İmdi iy ehl-i saʽâdet müslimîn
Budurur sizden temennâmuz hemîn

Okudukça bu kitâbı siz ʽaziz
Mihrînüñ cânına rahmet diyesiz

Her kim okırsa dilerüm andan recâ
Kim dirig itmeye Mihrîden duʽâ

Hayr ile yâd idesüz sizden diler
Zîra kulı kul duʽâsı yarlıgar

Hayr ile her kim ki yâd eyler anı
Dü-cihânda çekmesün mihnet cânı

Okuyanı yâ Rab it yanuñda hâs
Dinleyeni kıl günâhından halâs

Nazm iden bî- çâreye kıl rahmeti
Vakt-i âhirde vir aña nusreti

Kıl anuñ şeytândan imânuñ emîn
Cümle İslâm ehli ile yâ Muʽîn

The Last Word

Praise God, aided by the Lord of Humankind
I brought this humble missive to an end

Praise God, while I still had my wits and wisdom
My tongue versified these divine canticles

Praise God, for He mercifully put off my end
And I put this humble missive into words

So that it be of use to those who read it
That it remove the sins of those who hear it

I expressed whatever was in my power to say
I did not stretch it out but kept it brief

God’s mercy upon the soul of that excellent one
That he may read it and not decry its deficiencies

May he veil whatever lacks it may contain
May he not make the ignorant aware of its faults

Let every ignoramus hear it and not cast blame
That no sorrow befall the heart of Mihri

Since they say women lack reason
All their words should be excused

But your well-wisher Mihri’s notion is that
He who is perfectly wise, has this to say

A capable woman is much better than
A thousand incapable men

A clear-headed woman is much better than
A thousand muddle-headed men

Now, o fortunate Muslim nation
This is exactly our wish for you

As you, dear ones, read this book
Pray for mercy unto Mihri’s soul

Who ever reads it, I beg a boon from them,
That they not withold a prayer from Mihri

She begs that you remember her for goodness
For a believer’s prayer brings forgiveness of sins

May everyone who remembers her for goodness
Suffer no torment of soul in both worlds

O Lord, may those who read it be special in your sight
May those who listen to it be forgiven their sins

Show mercy to the helpless one who put it in verse
Grant her your aid in the latter days

Keep her faith safe from Satan
And so with all Islam, O Perfect Helper

Source

Mehmet Arslan (ed.) (2018), Mihrî Hâtun Dîvânı (Ankara, T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı). Translated by © Walter Andrews and Didem Havlioğlu.