Mesihi (Messiah) of Prishtina, known in

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...

as Priştinali Mesihi, was one of the best known Ottoman poets of the late 15th and early 16th centuries during the

Bayezid II Bayezid II ( ota, بايزيد ثانى, Bāyezīd-i s̱ānī, 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512, Turkish: ''II. Bayezid'') was the eldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, ...

era and is regarded as one of the earliest

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

poets.

Life and work

He was born in

Prishtina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...

, then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, possibly around 1470. He was an Albanian born Isa. He moved to

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

at an early age and lived there until his death around 1512. Mesihi became a ''softa'', a

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

or ''

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

'' student, and soon distinguished himself as a calligrapher. He was able to gain the support of the

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

Khadim Ali Pasha, and became his '' diwan'' secretary, who had had plenty of reasons to be annoyed with Mesihi. Mesihi is mentioned as undisciplined, running after a pleasure-oriented life, and conscienceless toward his official duties. The vizier, of Albanian descent himself, is quoted to have called him "street-Arab" or "street boy" (Ottoman: Sheher Oglani). Nevertheless, Mesihi held his position until Khadim Pasha died in 1511 during the Şahkulu Rebellion. Mesihi composed a deeply felt elegy on Vizier's death. He tried to get the protection of other high rank officials. According to Ashik Çelebi, he did not succeed in getting protection from

Yunus Pasha Yunus Pasha (Ottoman Turkish: يونس پاشا ) (died September 13, 1517) was an Ottoman statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire for eight months in 1517, serving from January 30 until his death on September 13. Biography Yunus ...

or Nishandji Tadji-zade Dja'fer Çelebi, and also failed in his attempts to get patronage from

Selim I Selim I ( ota, سليم الأول; tr, I. Selim; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute ( tr, links=no, Yavuz Sultan Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite last ...

. According to the French scholar Victor L. Ménage, he was in service of Yunnus Pasha, which seems to be more reliable. Mesihi's place in the Ottoman ''diwan'' poetry is that of a highly gifted and original poet. His language is relatively plain and clear, his manner devoid of affectation. A touch of Rumelian dialect here and there is of particular interest. Mesihi's not-especially voluminous ''diwan'' has not been printed. Several critical studies on his work exist. His ''Murabba' -i bahâr'' (Ode to Spring) was translated and published by the Orientalist

Sir William Jones Sir William Jones (28 September 1746 – 27 April 1794) was a British philologist, a puisne judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal, and a scholar of ancient India. He is particularly known for his proposition of th ...

, and remained for a long time the best known Turkish poem in Europe. His ''Shehr-engiz'' became popular and he had many followers in this poetic genre. He is regarded as "the third great Ottoman poet and the greatest lyric poet before

Bâkî Bâḳî (باقى) was the pen name (Ottoman Turkish: مخلص ''mahlas'') of the Ottoman Turkish poet Mahmud Abdülbâkî (محمود عبدالباقى) . Considered one of the greatest contributors to Turkish literature and Azerbaijani lit ...

References

{{Authority control Divan poets from the Ottoman Empire Writers from Pristina 15th-century poets from the Ottoman Empire 1470 births Calligraphers from the Ottoman Empire 15th-century Albanian people 16th-century Albanian people Albanians from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century poets from the Ottoman Empire Male poets from the Ottoman Empire 15th-century artists from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century artists from the Ottoman Empire