Translation of Ahmed Hamdî-i Şirvânî's Makâmât-ı Harîrî (Volume 1) (Analysis-text)

The literary genre of "Makâma" a form of prose originating in Arabic literature, emerged in the 4th century AH (10th century CE) through the exceptional intellect and literary skill of Bedîüzzaman Hemedânî. While Hemedânî established the foundational structure and distinctive characteristics of the genre, it was Harîrî who adorned, enriched, and elevated it to a well-established literary form, leaving a lasting legacy. His Makâmât-ı Harîrî became an enduring masterpiece, with its influence resonating for nearly a millennium across world literature. The work has been translated into numerous languages, extensively commented upon, and studied both in the East and the West. Makâmât was taught in madrasahs from the early Ottoman period and began to be translated into Turkish in the 16th century. One of the most important of these translations is the work called "Tercüme-i Makâmât-ı Harîrî", which was translated by Ahmed Hamdî-i Şirvânî, one of the important scholars and bureaucrats of the reigns of Sultan Abdülaziz and Abdülhamid II, with the encouragement of the state (Ministry of Education). Although Şirvânî according to the information obtained through the research has given 27 translations and copyrights in many branches of science, one of his most important works is the Makâmât Translation, which earned him the title of "Mütercim-i Makâmât". It is the translation of all 50 Makâma of the original Arabic source work. The translator created a translation in the "Veysî/Nergisî Style" with the effort to convey the literary quality of the work in the source text as it is. The work consists of two volumes. The first volume comprises the translation of 26 Mâkâmât and constitutes the subject of our study. In this study, an academic understanding of the text has been aimed by transcribing the translation and analyzing the content of the Mâkâmât, the translator's commentary method, literary devices, idioms and proverbs, quotations and allusions, as well as other elements. Research and examinations indicate that this translation was highly appreciated and well received at the time it was produced. According to our findings, Hamdî Bey was a pioneer in this field by translating all 50 Mâkâmât with state sponsorship, marking a significant milestone in the domain of translation studies.