Or 16393

This volume contains a book of tales in prose adapted from a Persian original by Seyyid Ahmed ibn-i Hasan Bali, whose mahlas was ‘Sıdki.’ He was born in Istanbul, and had a military background. The translation is dedicated to Şehzade Alemşah (died 908 AH/1502-3 CE), son of Sultan Bayezid II (ruled 886-918 AH/1481-1512 CE), and can thus be dated to the late ninth-early tenth century AH/late fifteenth century-early sixteenth century CE. Little else is known of Sıdki, beyond him being active in this period. His translation holds an important place in the storytelling tradition of Old Anatolian Turkish.

The work employs the çerçeve hikaye/öykü (‘frame story/narrative’) technique, wherein a story or several stories are told within the introductory or main narrative. The stories take place over nine days, with one bab per day, and two stories within each bab (eighteen in total). The introductory narrative commences with Shah Sammah, a wise and just ruler searching for a concubine possessing inner and outer beauty. His vizier suggests that he kidnap Ucube and Mahcube, two beautiful, intelligent, enslaved girls in the harem of Aziz, the ruler of Egypt. The short stories revolve around these two characters; the first story in each chapter is told by Ucube, and the second by Mahcube. Each short story can also be read independently. Although Sıdki generally remained faithful to the original, he opted not to translate the final chapter.

The stories are allegorical in nature. Characters possessing the qualities of justice, honesty, generosity, valour, and dignity meet a happy end, while the reverse is true for evil and villainous characters. Sıdki occasionally quotes religious and poetic verse, and the stories are grounded in character-types and events commonly encountered in daily life. Both features enhance the work’s didactic character. This notion is reinforced by Sıdki’s final words at the conclusion of the work (see below). For more, see Malgaca, ‘Sıdki'nin Hikaye-i Ucube.'

The present volume contains some lacunae (missing folios). The bablar are outlined on ff 10v-11r. There is a change of hand on f 26r, from a tidy vocalised nesih to a slightly less tidy, unvocalised nesih. The contents of the work are as follows:

• Begins (1v): Besmele Hamd-i bi-hadd ol huda-yı zü’l-celal-i berkemale ki vücud-ı ademi ki eşref-i cemi-i mevcudattir mirat-ı mükevvenat kıldı…
• (ff 1v-3v) Introduction
• (ff 3v-10v) Ağaz-ı Dasitan
• (ff 10v-18r) El-babü’l-evvel fi sıfati’l-ma‘dıleti ve’l-insaf
• (ff 18r-25r) El-babü’s-sani fi sıfati’l-hilmi ve’l-vakar
• (ff 25r-30v) El-babü’s-salis fi ikamati’s-siyaseti ba‘de’t-teftiş
• (ff 30v-36r) El-babü’r-rabi‘ fi medhi’ş-şeca‘ati ve’r-reculiyyet
• (ff 36r-41v) El-babü’l-hamis fi beyani’s-semahati ve’s-sahavet
• (ff 41v-45r) El-babü’s-sadis fi medhi’s-sıka ve’l-emanet
• (ff 45r-50v) El-babü’s-sabi‘ fi men‘i’r-reşk ve’l-hased
• (ff 50v-58v) El-babü’s-samin fi kitmani’s-sırrı ‘ani’n-nisvet
• (ff 58v-65r) El-babü’t-tasi‘ fi’t-tecannubi ‘an sohbeti’l-eşrar
• Ends (65r): ve bu hikayet-i şerifleri ve temsilat-ı acayipleri onun için getirdim ki bu hikayeti okuyan ve dinleyen bundan nasihat alıp ahlak-ı hasene ile muttasıf olmağa kast edip ve ahlak-ı zemimeden ziyade içtinap üzere olalar. Hak Teâlâ ol kimseyi sıfat-i haseneile mevsuf eyleye ki bu kitabı okudukta müellifini ve kâtibini dua-i hayriyle yad eyleye …

Other contents of this volume include a recipe on f 65v of a medicinal remedy given by a Dervish to Niğdeli Şeyh Sinan. 65v also carries what appears to be handwriting practice. 1r has the note: ‘Hikaye-i Ucube vü Mahcube garip menakıbıdır malum ola.’

The work is undated, but was likely copied around the 11th century AH/17th century CE.