Malaye Jaziri
Encyclopedia
Malaye Jaziri (1570-1640) was a Kurdish
writer, poet and mystic
.
He was born in Jazira (Cizre
), the capital of Bohtan principality. Here the first school of classical Kurdish poetry in the Kurmanji
dialect was established. Malaye Jaziri was the leading representative of this school and, one can add, a fine representative of classical oriental poetry as a whole. His ties to this tradition are expressed through the strong sufi elements and through the concept of love in his poetry. In his universe there are no clear borderlines between human and divine love. Thus the reader is often lead to ask whether it was the love of God or the beautiful Selma (said to have been the daughter or the sister of the prince of Jazira which brought fire to the poet's heart). Apart from these traditional oriental elements, Jaziri's poetry is also deeply rooted in romantic patriotism, and the poems he wrote in tribute to the Kurdish princes differ from the poetry written at the courts of the mighty kings in the region. Kurdistan's name appears frequently and is always connected with great pride. Jaziri's main literary work is the collection of his poems called, "Dîwanî Melay Cizîrî".
(collection of poems) is the only literary work attributed to Malaye Jaziri. The poetry of Malaye Jaziri ranks among the most popular of literary works in Kurdistan. It is comparable to the epic of "Mam and Zin" by Ahmad Khani. Jaziri's diwan has always been one of the main subjects in the traditional education system. In addition, he belonged to the Naqshbandi
sufi order of one of the most widespread orders throughout the Muslim world. But first and foremost the aesthetic and spiritual values in his poetry have made it a lasting work. The diwan was first printed in Berlin in 1904 by Martin Hartmann. There are to date seven editions of his diwan. One of the most reliable was published by Zivingi. His edition comprises 120 poems and 3 ruba'is, in alphabetical order according to the final letters of the rhymes, regardless of the form. Another edition that provides a reasonable basis for researchers was published by the late Kurdish poet Hejar
. This edition contains 117 poems, ghazal and qasida, and 3 rubais.
Jaziri was greatly inspired by the classical Persian
poets, Hafez
, Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi and Jami
, whom he considered masters. His spiritual affiliation with the Naqshbandi order of Sufism is also distinctly present in his work.
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
writer, poet and mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
.
He was born in Jazira (Cizre
Cizre
Cizre is a town and district of Şırnak Province in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, located at the border to Syria, just to the north-west of the Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi tripoint....
), the capital of Bohtan principality. Here the first school of classical Kurdish poetry in the Kurmanji
Kurmanji
Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish is the most commonly spoken dialect of the Kurdish language.- Scripts and books :...
dialect was established. Malaye Jaziri was the leading representative of this school and, one can add, a fine representative of classical oriental poetry as a whole. His ties to this tradition are expressed through the strong sufi elements and through the concept of love in his poetry. In his universe there are no clear borderlines between human and divine love. Thus the reader is often lead to ask whether it was the love of God or the beautiful Selma (said to have been the daughter or the sister of the prince of Jazira which brought fire to the poet's heart). Apart from these traditional oriental elements, Jaziri's poetry is also deeply rooted in romantic patriotism, and the poems he wrote in tribute to the Kurdish princes differ from the poetry written at the courts of the mighty kings in the region. Kurdistan's name appears frequently and is always connected with great pride. Jaziri's main literary work is the collection of his poems called, "Dîwanî Melay Cizîrî".
Background
His name was Ahmad, but usually he is referred to as Shekh Ahmad-e Jaziri or Mala-ye Jaziri. His father's name was Mala Muhammad, according to some sources, Shekh Muhammad. It is not known where he was born, but it is assumed that his family belonged to the Bukhti, or Bohti tribe that dwelled in the region of Jazira. The pen names often used by Jaziri in his poems are Mala and Male (or Malaye). The latter is the colloquial form indicating izafa construction for masculine nouns in the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish.Works
His diwanDiwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
(collection of poems) is the only literary work attributed to Malaye Jaziri. The poetry of Malaye Jaziri ranks among the most popular of literary works in Kurdistan. It is comparable to the epic of "Mam and Zin" by Ahmad Khani. Jaziri's diwan has always been one of the main subjects in the traditional education system. In addition, he belonged to the Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
sufi order of one of the most widespread orders throughout the Muslim world. But first and foremost the aesthetic and spiritual values in his poetry have made it a lasting work. The diwan was first printed in Berlin in 1904 by Martin Hartmann. There are to date seven editions of his diwan. One of the most reliable was published by Zivingi. His edition comprises 120 poems and 3 ruba'is, in alphabetical order according to the final letters of the rhymes, regardless of the form. Another edition that provides a reasonable basis for researchers was published by the late Kurdish poet Hejar
Hejar
Abdurrahman Sharafkandi or Hazhar or Hajar, , was a renowned Kurdish writer, poet, linguist, and translator, from Iran.He was also the brother of the late Kurdish politician Dr. Sadeq Sharafkandi . Dr...
. This edition contains 117 poems, ghazal and qasida, and 3 rubais.
Jaziri was greatly inspired by the classical Persian
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
poets, Hafez
Hafez
Khwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
, Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi and Jami
Jami
Nur ad-Dīn Abd ar-Rahmān Jāmī also known as DJāmī, Mawlanā Nūr al-Dīn 'Abd al-Rahmān or Abd-Al-Rahmān Nur-Al-Din Muhammad Dashti who is commonly known as Jami , is known for his achievements as a scholar, mystic, writer, composer of numerous lyrics and idylls, historian, and one of the greatest...
, whom he considered masters. His spiritual affiliation with the Naqshbandi order of Sufism is also distinctly present in his work.