A Reflection of Social and Cultural Life of the Ottomans in Holiday Qasida Poems

Abstract

Qasida poems originated in pre-Islamic Arab literature, and were introduced to Ottoman Turkish literature through the Persian literature. Qasidas are poems written with a specific intention, the poet wrote in praise of a nobleman as a sign of petition, asking for an employment or some other form of assistance in return. The term that will be elaborated detailly in this paper is nasib or teşbîb, the opening of qasida which consists of fifteen to twenty beits. The importance of this part, aside to it’s aesthetic side, is that qasida poems were named after it. Eid qasidas, îdiyye, were written in honor of Eid congratulations dedicated to the Sultan, important noblemen, or other officials. Since people think of Eid as a synonym of happiness and good mood, Ottoman poets used various ways to write holiday qasidas, often using different metaphors and allusions, praising not just the Eid, but also the person to whom the poem is dedicated. In this paper, alongside of beits of some Ottoman poets and attempt to illustrate social and cultural life with their qasidas, customs related to celebrating the Eid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period after the withdrawal of the Ottomans from this region, will be also presented for comparison.