THE OTHER SIDE OF SATIRE IN BAGHDADLI RUHİ: ÇARH AND DEHR / BAĞDATLI RÛHÎ’DE HİCVİN BAŞKA BİR YÜZÜ: ÇARH VE DEHR

The connection of poet to a locality and society is incontrovertible. The complaint, obloquy, compliment, and religious attitude verbalized by the writer, should be apprehended within this sociological surrounding, in other words immaterial collectivity of that era. Like other people, artists bear witness to their age; but at the same time, they want to form it. A sixteenth century poet Baghdadli Ruhi's real name is Osman and his only known work is his divan. Ruhi has passed away in 1605 (or 1606), Damascus. In Turkish classical literature, Baghdadli Ruhi is known as one of prominent authors writing moralistic and satiric poets for community. Additionally, his outspokenness is emphasized. If art is wholly mimetic, it is impossible. Like that the art based on just praise is impossible. In other saying, literary authoring cannot be entirely independent from satire. In this context, the terkib-i bend of Bahgdadli Ruhi, in which he has obviously satirized the society and social relations, gained so much reputation and so many nazire has been written for it. By staying out of this poem, I try out revealing another side of his satiric poems with reference to çarh and dehr. The term çarh used in phrases and by rooting in a negative worldview with those words: Çarh-ı denî, Çarh-ı felek, Felek-i süfle, Felek-i süfle-perver (dishonorable, despicable, mean çarh or felek). The term dehr also appears like the other, negative: Güvensiz dehr (insecure dehr), Elem-i dehr (vital concern), Dehr-i dûn (despicable dehr), Dehr-i dil-rubâ (enticer dehr), Fani dehr (ephemeral dehr). I've seen the term çarh or the other words used as an alternative to it, like sipihr, cihân etc., as physical, social, and cultural conditions comprising the process of life, in short universe. Likewise, the term dehr/rûzgâr has been seen as the poet's individual process, self-story, life fluency. My main point is being able to denote both self and social criticism made through these terms.