Poet and anthologist (b. ?, Edirne – d.
1548). He went to Manisa together with the Şehzade Mahmut (the Sultan’s son) to whom he was
clerk of court (1504). After Mahmut’s death, Sehi Bey returned to İstanbul with
the poet Necati, who was the chief of chancery of the Şehzade, and worked as the clerk of the Imperial
Council in various posts. He died during his last appointment as a trustee of
Edirne Madrasah (Muslim Theology School).
As a Divan*
poet of his era, Sehi Bey of Edirne was renowned for his anthology called Heşt
Behişt (Eight Paradises), which he started to write in 1538. The reason why
such importance is given to this anthology is that it gives detailed
information about more than two hundred poets from the 14th century
and with its style of writing and meticulousness is the first of its kind in
Anatolia. In this plainly written anthology, Sehi Bey didn’t included every
poet but only those he chose and cataloged them not alphabetically but by their
professions and duties. He used the
style of Ali Şir Nevai. In his anthology, a poem is described as pure
inspiration. He emphasizes the difference between poetry and divine inspiration
and he evaluates poetry as God’s blessing. While he was preparing his
anthology, he was much influenced by the anthologies of Cami, Ali Şir Nevai and
Emir Devletşah.
