A Story of Old Anatolian Turkish: Ayniddīn’s Dāsitān-ı Hatun Mesnevi [06 Mil Yz A 3881/6

Abstract

Dastān-ı Hatun Masnavī is a significant ḥikāya written in verse, which is a part of Turkish literature from the Islamic period. The story revolves around a poor and devout woman who resides in Mecca, left to raise her son after her husband’s passing. One day, during a fit of anger, the child hurls bread at his mother, inadvertently causing her right eye to go blind. The woman harbors resentment towards her son for an extended period, but towards the end of the story, he is spared from a potentially fatal punishment through the intercession of Hasan and Hüseyin. A miraculous event unfolds when the Prophet Muhammad adorns his turban—the child is miraculously restored to full health. Furthermore, when the Prophet tenderly wipes the woman’s face, she regains her previous well-being. This tale underscores the paramount importance of a parent’s toil and devotion, as well as the boundless love and compassion of a mother. It conveys its moral lesson by showcasing a miracle attributed to the Prophet, making it a religious and didactic masnavi. The composition consists of 135 couplets and is composed in simple, fluid, and easily comprehensible Turkish. In this scholarly examination, the transcription, intralingual translation, and indexing of Dastān-ı Hatun Masnavī, housed in the manuscript collection of the Ankara National Library under the reference number 06 Mil Yz A 3881/6, are meticulously carried out. The story is scrutinized from both literary and linguistic perspectives to shed light on its intricate features.