Süleyman Fehim Efendi (1789–1846) was a teacher and poet of

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

Biography

Of Turkish origin, he flourished in the first half of the 19th century. Information regarding his youth and education remains unknown. He was initially a servant and student of the scholar Ismail Farrukh Efendi. Under him, Suleyman Fehim matured and became very adept in

. He then served as a civil servant in Constantinople (now

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

) at the royal court and the royal mint, as well as in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

(''

Rumelia Rumelia (; ; ) was a historical region in Southeastern Europe that was administered by the Ottoman Empire, roughly corresponding to the Balkans. In its wider sense, it was used to refer to all Ottoman possessions and Vassal state, vassals in E ...

''). He soon however decided to retire and dedicate his life to studying and writing, and teaching Persian occasionally. Upon his return to Constantinople, he taught Persian to a variety of students, including

Ahmed Cevdet Pasha Ahmed Cevdet Pasha or Jevdet Pasha in English (22 March 1822 – 25 May 1895) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman scholar, intellectual, bureaucrat, administrator, and historian who was a prominent figure in the Tanzimat reforms of the Ottoman Empir ...

and Fatin Efendi. Fehim wrote a small ''

divan A divan or diwan (, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan''). Etymology The word, recorded in English since 1586, meaning "Oriental cou ...

'' consisting of poems inspired by the "

Indian style Sitting is a basic action and resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the bony ischial tuberosities with the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal surface such as a chair seat, instead of by the low ...

" (''Sabk-e Hendi'' in Persian, or ''Sebk-i Hindi'' in Turkish) of Persian poetry. It was published in 1846 in Constantinople. He also wrote the ''Sefinet al-Shu'ara'', which combines an abridged and loose translation of Dawlatshah Samarqandi's ''Tadhkirat al-shu'ara'', as well as portions of Jami's ''Nahafat al-ons'', Sam Mirza's ''Tadhkera'' as well as

Ali-Shir Nava'i 'Ali-Shir Nava'i (9 February 1441 – 3 January 1501), also known as Nizām-al-Din ʿAli-Shir Herawī ( Chagatai: نظام الدین علی شیر نوایی, ) was a Timurid poet, writer, statesman, linguist, Hanafi Maturidi mystic and ...

's ''Majales al-nafa'es''. Suleyman Fehim's ''Sefinet al-Shu'ara'' only comprises four classes and an appendix, in contrast to Dawlatshah's original seven classes. In addition, Suleyman Fehim's work "is somewhat careless in the order of presentation of the poets". It was authored at the beginning of

Mahmud II Mahmud II (, ; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. Often described as the "Peter the Great of Turkey", Mahmud instituted extensive administrative, military, and fiscal reforms ...

's reign (1808–1839), and he dedicated it to the Ottoman statesman Halet Efendi. The work was published in Constantinople in 1843. He is known to have translated the first segment of the Persian ''divan'' of Saib Tabrizi.

References

{{reflist 1789 births 1846 deaths 19th-century writers from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century educators from the Ottoman Empire Translators from Persian Turks from the Ottoman Empire Translators to Turkish