It's the exact season when tulips bloom, I passed one evening from Sa'dabad1, With Nedim's2 divan3 under my arm. Don't ask what's left of that life? Neither the wine that soothes the pain, Nor the joy... Sa'dabad is ruined. It's not Sa'dabad, it's Kağıthane4 now; Where the gypsy reads fortunes; The tulip era is now just a legend. What about Nedim? What happened to those days? The sweetness of your many verses Doesn't tell where your grave lies.
Translated by: Mehmet Barın Erturan
Click for the original text
- Sâ’dâbad: During the Tulip Era in Istanbul, under the reign of Sultan Ahmed III (1703-1730) and Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1717-1730), the Sâdâbâd entertainments were held in the Kağıthane district near Alibeyköy. These festivities, which took place around the Sâdâbâd Palace, featured various activities such as boat rides, feasts, and performances, attracting notable figures from Istanbul society. The period was marked by extravagant celebrations, often continuing until dawn on moonlit nights. However, opposition to these festivities grew over time, culminating in the Patrona Halil Rebellion, leading to the downfall of Damat Ibrahim Pasha and Sultan Ahmed III, and the destruction of the Sâdâbâd Palace and its surroundings in 1730. One of the notable works associated with this era is a song by the poet Nedim, which captures the spirit of the Sâdâbâd entertainments (pronounced as SA as in “salsa”; DA as in Russian word for “yes”; BAD as “but” with a “-d” as the last sound.) ↩︎
- Nedim: Ahmed Effendi, commonly referred to by his pen name Nedîm (Ottoman Turkish: نديم; c. 1681 – 1730), was a prominent Ottoman lyric poet of the Tulip Period. He was renowned for his poetry, which often bordered on the decadent and licentious, yet maintained a classical structure. He was particularly noted for his incorporation of folk poetic forms such as türkü and şarkı into the courtly tradition. (pronounced as NE as in nemesis; DİM as “dim lights”) ↩︎
- Divan: It refers to anthological collections where classical poets compile their works. These collections, known as “divans,” “divançes,” or “hamses,” feature the organized works of poets who initially wrote freely but later structured their compositions. Divans, divançes, and hamses are named after their respective authors, such as “Nedîm Divanı” or “Fuzulî Divanı.” ↩︎
- Kağıthane is the district in Istanbul in which Sa’dabad was located. As pointed out in the poem. It has lost its charm and many of the artifacts of that era. ↩︎