The Use of Sufi Symbols in the Dīvān of Shaykh al-Islām Yaḥyā: The Example of the Sāqī-nāme

Abstract

One of the most significant works of the seventeenth-century poet Shaykh al-Islām Yaḥyā (d. 1053/1644), whose literary taste reflects the characteristics of his period, is his Dīvān. The Sāqī-nāme included in the Dīvān is written in the mathnawī verse form and consists of seventy-seven couplets. Unlike other sāqī-nāmes, it is not divided into sections. The poet approaches his Sāqī-nāme as the language of the Sufi journey (seyr u sulūk) and begins the poem by inviting a person intoxicated with the wine of bazm-i alast to the tavern. He then describes the cup, the door of the tavern, and the lamp, followed by a detailed account of the qualities of the wine. Verses addressing the cupbearer (sāqī) appear in the interludes of the poem. At the conclusion of the work, the poet mentions his pen name and recommends that the poem be recited with enthusiasm and melody in social gatherings. The symbols developed by Sufis have functioned as a means of expression for seyr u sulūk, which may be described as a kind of “journey of secrets.” Sufism has conveyed its spiritual worldview through poetry by means of these symbols and, at times, through technical terminology. The symbols examined in this study are associated with core Sufi concepts such as divine love, seyr u sulūk, the spiritual guide, the tekke (dervish lodge), and spiritual training. In the Sāqī-nāme, the word “wine” appears twice, while terms such as mey, peymāne, jām, and bāde, which evoke similar meanings constitute the semantic backbone of the work. These words appear twenty-nine times in total. References to love occur three times; mey-kede and tavern appear five times; and the word sāqī (cupbearer) appears fourteen times. Although these concepts carry intertwined meanings, they have been classified under the headings of “wine,” “cupbearer,” and “tavern” based on conceptual proximity and semantic integrity. This classification is grounded in the fact that these symbols form coherent units of meaning within themselves. Such an approach constitutes the principal criterion for analyzing the mystical meanings that the poet attributes to these concepts. It has frequently been stated that Shaykh al-Islām Yaḥyā generally did not include religious or mystical themes in his Dīvān, and his contributions to mystical poetry have been examined in only a limited number of academic studies. This study makes a significant contribution by demonstrating how the poet interprets Sufi symbols in the Sāqī-nāme and by elucidating his poetic vision, which is likewise reflected throughout his Dīvān. Indeed, the fact that the Sufi symbols identified in the Sāqī-nāme form a conceptual unity with the general poetic approach of the Dīvān necessitates a reassessment of the widespread view that the poet did not engage with religious or Sufi themes. Moreover, the Sāqī-nāme emerges as a noteworthy text for evaluating both the literary taste of the seventeenth century and the Sufi-centered poetic tradition within the aesthetic framework of the period. The numerical density and conceptual coherence of the symbols employed throughout the text reveal a structure that is particularly conducive to thematic analysis. Consequently, the present work transcends a mere depiction of wine, cupbearers, and taverns, transforming instead into a symbolic language deeply rooted in the Sufi tradition.

Keywords: Sufism, Dīvān Literature, Symbol (Remiz), Shaykh al-Islām Yaḥyā, Sāqī-nāme.

Highlights

• This study is one of the limited numbers of scholarly works addressing Sufism in relation to Shaykh al-Islām Yaḥyā.
• The study presents insights into Shaykh al-Islām Yaḥyā’s Sufi perspective and mystical orientation
• The symbolic imagery employed within the tradition of Dīvān literature is shown to convey profound Sufi meanings
• The principal clusters of symbols in the Sāqī-nāme (such as wine, the cupbearer, and the tavern) are systematically associated with corresponding Sufi terminology
• The symbols featured in the Sāqī-nāme are not merely conventional elements of Dīvān literature; rather, they form a coherent semantic framework that reflects the poet’s Sufi inclination and spiritual discipline