Poet of Classical
Ottoman Poetry (b. 1572, Hasankale / Erzurum - d. 27 January 1635, İstanbul).
His real name was Ömer. He learned Arabic and Persian and he received a good
education. His friend, the poet Gelibolulu Ali, gave him the nickname “Nef'î”(Utilitarian).
In İstanbul, to where he had come after Ahmed I. took the throne (1603), he
worked as clerk. He made himself known
with the poems he presented to the Sultan and the notables of the time. Being
protected by Murad IV, he was appointed as trustee of Muradiye in Edirne, then
as tax accountant in İstanbul. Murat II,
who read his book of collected satires called Sihâm-ı Kaza (Arrows of Destiny),
asked him to promise not to write satires again. Not keeping his word cost him his life. Due
to his satire about Vizier Bayram Paşa, he was strangled in the palace wood and
thrown into the sea by the Paşa.
Nef'î who is
regarded as the best eulogy and satire poet, reached a peak in the area of
satire with his strong technique, powerful harmony and sincere and bold
words. With the eulogies that he
presented to Ahmed I, Osman II and Murad IV and the statesman of the time in
which he used descriptive language and fitting words he became very successful.
Those who read his descriptions of war felt as if they were hearing the sound
of explosions and the clink of swords. In his descriptions of spring, he made
his readers feel the liveliness and activity of the season.
WORKS:
Türkçe Divan (Turkish Divan*, 1836-1853), Farsça Divan (Persian Divan*, Turkish Translation by Prof. Dr. Ali Nihad Tarlan, 1945), Siham-ı Kaza (Arrows of Destiny, his satires by Saffet Sıtkı, 1943).
REFERENCE: Âgah Sırrı Levend / Edebiyat Tarihi Dersleri (1939), Abdülkadir Karahan / Nef’i Divanından Seçmeler (1971) - Nef’i (1954, gen. bas. 1986), M. Fahrettin Kırzıoğlu / Şair Ömer Nef’î’nin Sekiz Arka Atası (Türk Dili, Eylül 1961), Fahir İz / Eski Türk Edebiyatında Nazım (1966-67), Bursalı Mehmed Tahir / Osmanlı Müellifleri I (1972), Nihat Sami Banarlı / Resimli Türk Edebiyatı Tarihi (c. 2, 1987), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) – Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Ahmet Kabaklı / Türk Edebiyatı II (2002), M. Zeki Kurnuç / Erzurum ve Türk Mûsikisi (2005), Ali Nihat Tarlan / Nef’i’nin Farsça Divanı, TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi (C. 32, s. 523-525).