Mihri Hatun
Encyclopedia
Also known as Lady Mihri and Mihri Khatun (? - 1506 AD) (مهری خاتون) was a female Ottoman
poet
. She was the daughter of a kadi (an Ottoman judge) and according to sources she spent most of her life in and near Amasya
, in Anatolia
. (Havlioglu, 2). Documentation places her as a member of the literary circle of Prince Ahmed, the son of Sultan Bayezid II. (Lewis, 207).
The myth that has grown up around her states that she “fell in love many times but insists that all these loves were chaste and innocent, and that she led a life of unremitting virtue.” (Lewis, 207) Lewis notes that though described as both “beautiful and ardent, she remained unmarried.” (Lewis, 207)
, writing in such forms as the Gazel
, as well as the recipient of a deep literary education. (Havlioglu, 2) Modern critics, such as Bernard Lewis describe her style as “retaining remarkable freshness and simplicity.” (Lewis, 207)
One of her more popular lines goes as follows: “ At one glance/ I love you/ With a thousand hearts ... Let the zealots think/ Loving is sinful/ Never mind/ Let me burn in the hellfire/ Of that sin.” (Halman, 35)
Another is: “My heart burns in flames of sorrow/ Sparks and smoke rise turning to the sky/ Within Me the heart has taken fire like a candle/ My body, whirling, is a lighthouse illuminated by your image.” (Damrosch, 786)
Halman, Talât Sait and Jayne L. Warner. Nightingales & pleasure gardens: Turkish love poems. Syracuse University Press (2005) ISBN 0815608357.
Havlioglu, Didem. Poetic Voice En/Gendered: Mihri Hatun’s Resistance to ‘Femininity'. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Sohbet-i Osmani Series (2010).
Lewis, Bernard. Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew Poems. Princeton University Press; Ltr ptg edition. (2001). ISBN 0691089280
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. She was the daughter of a kadi (an Ottoman judge) and according to sources she spent most of her life in and near Amasya
Amasya
- History :Its location in this steep valley makes the city a mountain stronghold, easy to defend, and thus Amasya has had a long and prominent history.-Antiquity:...
, in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. (Havlioglu, 2). Documentation places her as a member of the literary circle of Prince Ahmed, the son of Sultan Bayezid II. (Lewis, 207).
The myth that has grown up around her states that she “fell in love many times but insists that all these loves were chaste and innocent, and that she led a life of unremitting virtue.” (Lewis, 207) Lewis notes that though described as both “beautiful and ardent, she remained unmarried.” (Lewis, 207)
Poetry
Lady Mihri's poems reveal an artist grounded in both Persian LiteraturePersian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
, writing in such forms as the Gazel
Gazel
Gazel is a form of Turkish music that has almost died out. While in other parts of the Central Asian world, gazel is synonymous with ghazal, in Turkey it denotes an improvised form of solo singing that is sometimes accompanied by the ney, ud, or tanbur...
, as well as the recipient of a deep literary education. (Havlioglu, 2) Modern critics, such as Bernard Lewis describe her style as “retaining remarkable freshness and simplicity.” (Lewis, 207)
One of her more popular lines goes as follows: “ At one glance/ I love you/ With a thousand hearts ... Let the zealots think/ Loving is sinful/ Never mind/ Let me burn in the hellfire/ Of that sin.” (Halman, 35)
Another is: “My heart burns in flames of sorrow/ Sparks and smoke rise turning to the sky/ Within Me the heart has taken fire like a candle/ My body, whirling, is a lighthouse illuminated by your image.” (Damrosch, 786)
Sources
Damrosch and April Alliston. The Longman Anthology of World Literature: The 17th and 18th Centuries, the 19th Century, and the 20th Century: V. II (D, E, F) Longman, Inc. ISBN 0321202376Halman, Talât Sait and Jayne L. Warner. Nightingales & pleasure gardens: Turkish love poems. Syracuse University Press (2005) ISBN 0815608357.
Havlioglu, Didem. Poetic Voice En/Gendered: Mihri Hatun’s Resistance to ‘Femininity'. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Sohbet-i Osmani Series (2010).
Lewis, Bernard. Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew Poems. Princeton University Press; Ltr ptg edition. (2001). ISBN 0691089280