Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi

Abstract

Mu‘ammā is a genre born in Arabic literature, shaped in Persian literature, and passed into Turkish literature. Although some examples of prose exist, it is usually written in verse. Mu‘ammā is a type of puzzle poem or enigma. The mu‘ammās classified under the science of beyān are typically given a name as a clue in the title or on the margin, and it is expected to find out how the “name” was reached from the mu‘ammā, which is mainly written in a single couplet. Those who construct a mu‘ammā are called mu‘ammā-gūy, and those who solve it are called mu‘ammā-kushā. Mu‘ammās are solved by some techniques called Ǿamel. Mu‘ammā often utilizes complex metaphors, allegorical language, and wordplay to create an enigmatic atmosphere. They require careful interpretation and imaginative thinking to unravel the intended message.
Luġaz is a genre that is tried to find the hidden word by describing the characteristics of an entity. Luġaz was born in Arabic literature and was not very popular in Persian literature. It was first encountered in the 15th century in Turkish literature, and most examples were seen in the 18th century. Lugaz starts with stereotypical expressions such as “What is it? I saw a strange object… etc.” and ends with formulaic words such as “Thousands of well done to those who find it, those who are knowledgeable know this, and connoisseurs of perfection…etc”. The purpose of a luġaz is to provoke curiosity and engage the audience in solving the puzzle or understanding the meaning behind the ambiguous verse. Luġaz also employs metaphors, allegory, and figurative language to create a sense of intrigue and challenge the reader’s intellectual capacity.
Since the poet, whose names we come across with alternative names such as Nezim Frakulla and İbrahim Nezimi, considers himself as from Berat and is more suitable for Turkish naming, we have assumed that is appropriate to include it in our study with the name Nezim Berati. His exact date of birth is unknown, which is claimed between 1680 and 1685. The poet, who spent most of his life in Berat, completed his higher education in Istanbul and returned to his hometown. He died in Istanbul in 1760 while he was in prison, without knowing for what reason. His father’s name is Muhtar. There is a date poem for his mother’s death, from which it is learned that she died in 1735/1736. Nezim Berati, who is one of the essential and first representatives of Albanian literature with Arabic letters, has a Turkish and a Persian divan, as well as an Albanian divan and a dictionary written in verse, which is the first considered Albanian-Turkish dictionary. The first complete Albanian divan with Arabic letters and the first Albanian-Turkish dictionary, written in verse, belong to him. He has an important place in history and Albanian literature.
There are four mu‘ammā in the poet’s Turkish divan. In the first two mu‘ammā, a solution has been reached by using Ǿamels of teshbih, tasmiya, and terāduf. In the third mu‘ammā, ta’līf-i ittisālī, ishtirāk, tasmiya, and terāduf were used, while in the last mu‘ammā, intikād, and terāduf took place as Ǿamel. Nezim Berati wrote his mu‘ammā poems by choosing specific names. The poet, whose love for the Prophet (PBUH) and the Ahl al-Bayt was at a high level, first wrote a mu‘ammā to the names Ahmed and then Huseyn, wrote a mu‘ammā for Ismail Pasha Velabishti, whom he loved and respected. He was a tutelar for Nezim and finally built an enigma for his very own name, Ibrahim.
There are six luġaz in Nezim Berati’s Turkish Divan. The first one was written for the Sun. The second one is for a hazelnut; others are coffee, poetry, oorie (pearl oyster), and hamām (Turkish bath). Nezim’s hometown, Berat, was famous for its coffee houses, poets, and public baths. Like most of the poets of classical Turkish literature, we can observe that Nezim also reflects the cultural characteristics of his hometown in his poems.