Hafız Post

Composer, poet, calligraphist (B. 1630, D. 1694, Istanbul). His real name was Mehmed Çelebi, and he also signed his works as Hakir Hafız. There are several rumors as to why he was given the nickname “Post”. Some say that he was given this nickname because his body was too hairy, and some say that he was called Post because he used to carry his fur (post) around everywhere. He memorized Koran and became a hafiz at a young age. He was raised by the famous poet Nailî, from whom he took lessons on literature. He also took calligraphy lessons from Tophaneli Mahmud Efendi calligraphy and music lessons from Kasımpaşalı Osman Efendi.

In no time, he became famous as a poet, calligraphy, tambour player, and especially as a composer. He composed Turkish poems, starting from Mevlâna his Excellency, and his works spread out to the whole of Islam world. He composed almost in any form of Turkish music, including classical songs and folk songs. However, only eight or ten of his thousand pieces could reach today. Near the end of his life, he joined the Divanı Ali teachers and was appointed as an officer in Birun Kağıt Emaneti. He raised many students, including the famous composer Itrî. One of the two composition journals that Hafız Post prepared himself is kept in the Topkapı Palace Museum.

MAIN WORKS:

Gelse o şuh meclise nâz ü tegafül eylese (rast, yürük semai), Biz âlûde-i sâgar-ı bâdeyiz (rehavi, yürük semai), Ha­fız Post Mecmuası (a collection of lyrics).

REFERENCE: İbrahim Alaeddin Gövsa / Türk Meşhurları (1946), Vural Sözer / Müzik ve Müzisyenler Ansiklopedisi (s.167, 1964), Büyük Larousse (c. 8, s. 4930, 1986), Avni Anıl / Anılar ve Belgelerle Musikimiz (1981), Mehmet Nazmi Özalp / Türk Musikisi Tarihi (1986), Ana Britannica (c. 10, s. 261, 1987), Yılmaz Öztuna / Büyük Türk Musikisi Ansiklopedisi (1990), Ahmet Şahin Ak / Türk Musikisi Tarihi (2002), İhsan Işık / Ünlü Sanatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 5, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Fomous People (2013), Hafız Post (musikiklavuzu.net, erişim: 22 Aralık 2015), Hafız Post (islamansiklopedisi.info, erişim: 22 Aralık 2015), Hafız Post (turksanatmuzigi.org, erişim: 22 Aralık 2015).