by Fuzuli

The son of a clerical family, Muhammad ibn Sulayman (d. 1556) was born in Iraq c. 1480, probably near the Shi`ite holy city of Karbala. His pen name, Fuzuli, aptly describes his literary career. A Turkish derivation of the Arabic fuduli, the term fuzuli paradoxically denotes either “presumption” or “virtue.” Fuzuli hoped to grow wealthy and win renown through his poetry, but he was never appointed to the lucrative position of court poet, despite his “countless invocations” and eulogies to “rulers . . . begging for help and favors” (Bombaci in Fuzuli, p. 13). He followed the well-trodden path of medieval intellectuals—bureaucrats, who sought artistic achievement along with the comforts of patronage. However, in the end, Fuzuli’s efforts earned him only a modest pension. Although he pandered to his clients’ tastes, Fuzuli maintained the highest of artistic standards, and one can discern a sophisticated perspective...