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Bâḳî (باقى) was thepen name (Ottoman Turkish: مخلصmahlas) of theOttomanTurkish poet Mahmud Abdülbâkî (محمود عبدالباقى)(1526 – 1600). Considered one of the greatest contributors toTurkish literature. Bâkî came to be known asSultânüş-şuarâ (سلطان الشعرا), or "Sultan of poets".
Bâkî was born to a poor family inConstantinople, his father being amuezzin at theFatih Mosque. Originally, his family apprenticed him to a harness-maker, but he would often skip work to attend classes at a nearbymedrese, orIslamic school. Because of this, his family eventually allowed him to formally attend school. Bâkî was a good student, and he attended the lectures of many of the famous lecturers of the time. It was during his school years that his interest in and talent for poetry began to take shape, helped largely by the established poetZâtî (ذاتی)(1471–1548). After completing school, he worked for some time as a teacher, but later, as his poetic fame began to grow, he was granted a number of different positions—generally as akadı (ﻗﺎضی), or Islamic judge—in the Ottomanbureaucracy. Bâkî died in Istanbul in the year 1600.
Bâkî was always very close to theOttoman palace, particularly during the reign ofSüleymân I, with whom he had good relations. During the subsequent reigns ofSelim II andMurad III, he remained close to the palace and to state affairs, and received a great deal of attention and interest both from the public and the palace.
| Turkish literature |
|---|
| By category |
| Epic tradition |
| Folk tradition |
| Ottoman era |
| Republican era |
Bâkî lived during theheight of the Ottoman Empire, and this affected his poetry greatly. Love, the joy of living, and nature are the primary subjects of his poems. Although almost noSufi influence is found in his poetry—as it is in many other Ottoman-era poets—his concept of love as revealed in his poetry was not entirely divorced from theSufi concept thereof.
One of his most celebrated works is hisMersiye-i Hazret-i Süleymân Hân (مرثیه ﺣﻀﺮت سليمان خان; "Elegy for His Excellency Süleymân Khan"), among the most famed ofelegiac works in Turkish literature.
