Or 15870

This volume contains a selection of classical Ottoman song lyrics compiled and arranged according to the accompanying melody and rhythm. It was copied for the library of Sultan Selim III (ruled 1203-1222 AH/1789-1807 CE), and is headed with his tuğra on two folios. Selim was a great patron of music and himself played a number of instruments. His interest in music was unmatched by any other Sultan before or after him. A note on 1r states the title and mentions the compiler as Fethullah eş-Şirvani (died 891 AH/1486 CE). However, the work brings together the work of poets and composers (bestekârlar) who were born and lived long after eş-Şirvani’s passing.

The text begins with an ilahi of Yunus Emre (died around 720 AH/1320 CE), likely composed by Çalakzade Mustafa Efendi (died 1171 AH/1757 CE): ‘Âlemler nura gark oldu Muhammed doğduğu gece * Mümin münafık fark oldu Muhammed doğduğu gece.’ It is in the makam of Rast, though there is no heading stating this as in later sections. Also featuring in this section (beginning on 5r) is an ilahi of Abdurrahman Refi‘a Efendi (died 1132 AH/1720 CE), composed in Rast by Ahmed Vefki Efendi (died 1161 AH/1748 CE): ‘Bu şeb hurşid-i evreng-i risalet geldi dünyaya.’ Subsequent sections feature composers active in the period up to and including the reign of Selim III. Some compositions include dates in their headings, such as a composition on 18v with a date of 1167 AH/1753-4 CE.

The sections of the work, organised from one makam to the next (seemingly except for the final two sections), are as follows:

Fasl-ı Çargâh, 9v; Fasl-ı Buselik, 11v; Fasl-ı Hüseynî, 14v; Fasl-ı Hisar, 20v; Fasl-ı Muhayyer, 22v; Fasl-ı Muhayyerbûselik, 27v; Fasl-ı Zirefgend, 28v; Fasl-ı gazâl (?), 30v; Fasl-ı Dilkeş, 32v; Fasl-ı Sünbüle, 33v; Fasl-ı Acembûselik, 35v; Fasl-ı Nevâ-uşşâk, 36v; Fasl-ı Hicaz, 38v; Fasl-ı Zirgüle, 40v; Fasl-ı Şehnaz, 41r; Fasl-ı Araban, 46v; Fasl-ı Segah, 47v; Fasl-ı ?, 54v; Fasl-ı Bestekâr, 54v; Fasl-ı Bestenigar, 55v; Fasl-ı Irak, 58v; Fasl-ı Sultan Irak, 63v; Fasl-ı Hüzzam, 64v; Fasl-ı ?, 66v; Fasl-ı Tuhfet ?, 74v; Fasl-ı râhatu'l-ervâh, 75v; Fasl-ı Pençgah, 77v; Fasl-ı Isfahan, 80v; Fasl-ı Mâhur, 86v; Fasl-ı Neva, 91v; Fasl-ı Uşşak, 100v; Fasl-ı Bayati, 108v; Fasl-ı Nevrûz-ı Acem, 118v; Fasl-ı Acem, 119v; Fasl-ı Acemaşiran, 123v; Fasl-ı Nevrûz, 124v; Fasl-ı Aşiran, 126v; Fasl-ı Arazbar, 127v; Fasl-ı Dügah, 129v; Fasl-ı Saba, 131v; Fasl-ı Ferahnak, 140v; Fasl-ı Suzidil, 141v; Fasl-ı Şevk-u tarâb, 142v; Naat-ı Resul (91), 147v; Mersiyetu’s-Süeda, 149v; (Ends on 152r).

The poets featured in the work include Yunus Emre, Nakşi, Nâzım, Kenzi, Sümbüli, Hüdai, Nahifi, Adli, Fenni (?), Nuri, Seyyid Nizam, Haliki, Ahmed, Sezai, Mısri, Yunus Emre, Fażlī, Sinān, Niyazi, Vahyi, Seyyid Nizam oğlu, Mahvi, Şeyh Cemal, Derviş Osman, Şemsî, Eşref, Eşrefzade Sırri, Kutbi, Muhibbi, Abdülhay, Şems-i Tebrizi (attributed poem, in Arabic) (25v), Fena’i, Fehmi (26r), Hilmi, Fahri, Hidayet, Süleyman, Himmet, Şüküri, ‘İzzi, Eşrefoğlu Rumi, Kuloğlu, Seyyid Seyfi, Hakkı, Cemal-ı Halveti, Sehvi, Fasih, Zâkiri, Azizi, Merkez, Talip, Hâşimi, Şeyh İlyas, Gafuri, Zekâi, Meftuni, Murad, Nasuh, Cahidi, Molla, Gafuri, Habibi, Seyyid Rıza, Le’ali, Saîd, Yahya, Manevi, Ruşeni, İzzet, Nureddin, ‘Abdi (?), Abdüşşükûr, Nesimi, Muhtari (?), Seyyid Mehmed Hulusi, Gülşeni, ‘Atufi, Es[?] (111v), ‘Itri, Mehmed, Selim, Vehbi, Akşemseddin, Seyyid Abdulsamet, Ahmet, Üftade, Derviş Abdullah, Fethi, Nazif, Necip, Bayrami, [?] (140v), İsmail, Visali, Bağdadi, Kaygusuz, Recai, Ali, Abdürrahim, Faizi (?), Hatayı, Biçare, Seyfullah, Naili, Fu‘adi, Hakiri, Nazmi, Hüdai, Cami, Selami, Azbi, Arif. Subsequent additions to the text can be found on ff 153r-154r, and include verses by Mehmed Akif, Nabi, ‘Andelib, İzzet Molla, and Fatih Sultan Mehmed.

This copy dates to the reign of Sultan Selim III (1203-1222 AH/1789-1807 CE).