born с 1495, Karbalāʾ
died 1556, Karbalāʾ
Turkish poet.
Considered the greatest figure in classical Turkish literature, he composed poems with equal facility and elegance in Turkish, Persian, and Arabic. His works transcended the highly formalized Islamic literary aesthetic and influenced many poets up to the 19th century. His most famous poems include his rendition of the Muslim classic Leylâ ve Mecnun , a celebrated allegory depicting the attraction of the human spirit for divine beauty. His two poetry anthologies, one in Azerbaijani Turkish and one in Persian, contain his most lyrical verses.