Or 16391 (2)

This part (109v-186r) of Or 16391 contains the İksir-i devlet of the renowned Ottoman writer and poet Nergisi Mehmed Efendi (died 1044 AH/1635 CE). He was perhaps the most distinguished writer of ornate Ottoman prose (inşa).

Nergisi was born in Sarajevo between the years 988-994 AH/1580-1586 CE. He began his education in the city of his birth and continued in Istanbul, receiving his mülazemet from his teacher and patron Kafzade Feyzullah Efendi (died 1020 AH/1611 CE). He went on to serve as a kadı in various posts, mainly in Rumelia and especially in Bosnia. He was kadı of Banja Luka in 1038 AH/1628 CE, during which time he composed the Vasfu’l-kamil (Or 16120). He was appointed by Murad IV as vak‘anüvis for the Revan campaign in 1044 AH/1634-5 CE. However, due to a fall from his horse near Gebze, he died soon after, on 9 Şevval 1044 AH/28 March 1635 CE.

The İksir-i devlet, also known as İksir-i Saadet, is a translation and adaptation, in mixed Ottoman prose and verse, of part of al-Ghazālī’s (died 505 AH/1111 CE) Kimiyāʾ al-saʿāda, a Persian treatise on spiritual life, law, and ethics. Specifically, Nergisi translated the second rükün on the muamelat (transactions and social duties). This Ottoman adaptation was highly popular, and was printed both as part of Nergisi's Hamse as well as independently.

Begins:

Pute-’i tab-dade-i mütehayyilede güdahte-i tabiş-i feyz-i Rabbani olan ecza-yı kimya-yı ma‘ani inbak-ı hame-i gevher-rizden kalib-i sahayife taktir olundukça evvela iksir-i Hamt

Ends:

Bir maslahatın itmamında bi dest ü pa olanlar paymerdi-i hüddam ile ve hücum-ı husumda dest ü giriban olmagla ol diraz-destan-i nirumend ikdam-i tamm ederler Ve’s-selam

The colophon on f 186r states that the work was copied by ‘İdi el-Halebi in 1064 AH/1653 CE.