Or 7707

This volume contains the poems of Kırimi Zekeriya Efendi, whose mahlas was Nigah. This poet is not mentioned by Von Hammer or by Fatin, but the numerous chronograms ranging in date from between 1207 AH (1792-93 CE) and 1215 AH (1800-01 CE) with the colophones of the two items at the beginning (dated 1212 AH/1797-98 CE) give an indication of the dates when he lived.

On ff 3r-5r there is a terciibent by the poet, followed (ff 5r-7r) by a commentary on the şahadet copied at Tophane, İstanbul by the author, who records the names of all the most prominent people of the time, beginning with the Sultan, Selim III, followed by several high officials.

Nigah seems to have workied in the Customs Office at Mihaliç (Karacabey, Turkey) judging by a poem (f 55v) in which he complains about the state of affairs there. Another poem (f 56v) entitled Hasb-i hal der İskele-yi Mihaliç is a similar complaint about the situation there.

The Divan is divided into gazeller followed by kasideler and terciibentler (ff 44v-55r) and shorter poems, including chronograms, some of which have a strong personal touch (f 57v contains one on the death of Galip).

The manuscript is an autograph written at various dates between 1207 AH (1792-93 CE) and 1215 AH (1800-01 CE). Some of the poems towards the end of the volume have been copied in a different hand.