Abstract
“Lilium” and Its Traces in Classical Turkish Poetry
Lilium (zanbac) is an elegant flower with nice fragrance
that gained symbolic meanings in ancient civilizations,
mythology and religious myths. In time, it symbolized
innocence, chastity and purity. White lilium also known as
the Madonna lilium is identified with Virgin Marry, too.
In religious icon and paintings, lilium is mentioned as a
“dynasty flower” in the West countries. In the meantime,
lilium had a special place in Turkish gardens with its tall
stem and pure white flowers. Due to its aesthetic image, it
is a source of inspiration to the poets of the Classical
Turkish literature that observes nature down to its tiniest
details. As a corollary, this paper browses the Dîvân of
many poets who wrote poems in different centuries, so as
to track the use of lilium in Classical Turkish poetry. In the
couplets identified, it is seen that the lilium is compared to
the nose and fingers of the lover. But this depiction or
analogy is not persistently seen since a nose or fingers are
not attractive for a lover all the time. Lilium, opening up
other image doors to the poets with its aesthetic outlook, is
also the highlight in a Turkish flower garden, thanks to its
long stem and yellow seeds in the center. Analogies are
drawn between this flower and objects such as bâzûbend,
candle, mecmua, column etc. Lilium, associated with the
miracle of “kef-i beyzâ” by Prophet Moses is commonly
elaborated in the Dîvân of the poets of the 16th century, in
this regard. In a nutshell, since it was not identified with
strong attractive beauty features of a lover as much as a
rose, a narcissus or a hyacinth etc. and tulip gained
popularity in the 18th century, lilium could not gain a
place anymore in Dîvân, in the following centuries.
Keywords
zanbac, lilium, fleur de lis, Classical Turkish literature.