The Continuation of the Predecessor Tradition in Sheikh Galib’s Divan

Şeyh Galib’in Divanında Edebî Seleflik Geleneğinin Sürdürülmesi

Abstract

This study explores the deep-rooted literary and philosophical connections between Sheikh Galib and his prominent predecessors, particularly Fuzuli and Nizami Ganjavi. The research highlights how Sheikh Galib, within his divan and especially in his celebrated mesnevi Husn u Ashk (Beauty and Love), not only reveres his literary forerunners but also internalizes and reinterprets their poetic and mystical ideologies. Fuzuli's concept of divine love and symbolic interpretation of sorrow and longing deeply influence Galib's own Sufi worldview. The study also discusses how Galib uses allegorical characters, such as "Suhan (Word)", to reflect the sacredness of poetic speech and its transformative power. Galib, like Fuzuli, views poetry as a divine gift that transcends worldly existence, emphasizing the supremacy of meaning over form.

Furthermore, the paper reveals Galib's admiration for Nizami's poetic authority, especially his treatment of love as a path to metaphysical Truth. By preserving the predecessor tradition, Galib makes a significant contribution to the continuation and renewal of classical Ottoman-Turkish Sufi poetry. His references to symbolic motifs, literary heritage, and Mevlevi values mark him as a conscious inheritor and innovator of the tradition. Through comparative analysis, this article underscores Galib's poetic philosophy, rooted in reverence, originality, and a mystic vision that binds him to his predecessors while affirming his unique voice.

Keywords: Sheikh Galib, Fuzuli, Nizami Ganjavi, Husn u Ashk, Divine love, Sufi poetry, Poetic tradition, Allegory, Literary heritage