I. Parlatir , Gy. Hazai , B. Kellner-Heinkele (comp.): Catalogue of the Turkish Manuscripts in the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Catalogue - II. Literature
Yusuf u Züleyha is a well-known mesnevi by the 15 t h c. poet HAMDULLAH HAMDÎ (d. 908/1503) (Title: lb). Title and name of the writer appear on lb as follows: (_£-ljİİ J ft ft • ° 1 ft I I (ftY mil <ix I İ'. IJJ EâllftjJ HAMDULLAH HAMDÎ was born in Göynük as grandson of Akşemseddin. Some information on his life is given in the chapter Sebeb-i te '///(reasons for writing) of his Yusuf u Züleyha. He was müderris at the Medresse of Sultan Mehmed in Bursa. HAMDULLAH HAMDÎ was attached to the taste and sense of literature prevalent in his century; he was particularly influenced by MOLLA CAMI (d. 898/1492). Besides Yusuf u Züleyha, the poet also became famous for his gazel s. HAMDULLAH HAMDÎ wrote the first hamse in Anatolia. His Hamse contains the following works: 1. Yusuf u Ziileyha, 2. Leylâ vü Mecnun , 3. Tuhfetü 'l-uşşak, 4. Kıyafet-nanıe, 5. Ahmediye. The sources for HAMDULLAH HAMDÎ'S well-known Yusuf u Züleyha mesnevi are the Torah and the Quran. The story, which belongs to the most treated religious materials in literatures of the Orient, is based on the legends of the prophets and the lives of the Prophet Jacob and his son, Joseph. The first version in Turkish literature goes back to the poet ALI (13 t h c.). Later, ŞEYYADHAMZA (13 l h c.), SULÍ FAKÍH (14 t h c.) and ERZURUMLU DARÍR (14"' c.) composed their versions of Yusuf u Züleyha, leaning on the work by ALİ. HAMDULLAH HAMDÎ , who presented his Yusuf u Züleyha to Sultan Bayezid II (1481-1512). Not receiving any favour, he took the Sultan's praisings out and instead inserted a new chapter with lamentations about the times, in which he complains about the ignorance towards arts and the artists. According to the sources HAMDULLAH HAMDİ'S version of the story was regarded as the most beautiful in Anatolia. The existence of about 104 copies in libraries in Turkey and twenty-five in other collections, it shows the popularity of the work. The poet gives the date of composing as follows (215a): JLLA ^ JFTF T ( Y O ÍJ > JJ J-ÜL JILÜ I ^LıJ »UJUJ JJ-UÂJLA "DJJ1 JE < N On the notice page/flyleaf ( zahriye ) of this manuscript, which was completed in 897/1491-1492 (215a), the title and the name of the author are given, as well as the stamp of the LHAS and chronograms ( tarih s) in fonu of beyit? are to be found. Literature: BOMBACI 292; 57X2.207; İA 5 /1 .183; OM 2.135; TDEA 4.82; • M. N. ONUR, Hamdullah Hamdi, Yusuf u Züleyha. İnceleme, metin. (AÜ 1978. Dok.t); N. ONUR, Yusuf u Züleyha, Hamdi. Ankara 1991. (AY); Z. 161
