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Neyzen Tevfik (March 24, 1879 – January 28, 1953) was a Turkish poet, satirist, and ney player (which is what Neyzen means in Turkish). He was born in Bodrum on March 24, 1879, and died in Istanbul on January 28, 1953. His name is occasionally cited incorrectly as Neyzen Teyfik.
Biography
He learned Persian as a young man, and became a Mevlevi in İzmir. He
then moved to Istanbul and continued his Mevlevi practice in Galata and
Kasımpaşa. In 1902 he became a Bektashi dervish.
His interest in poetry influenced him into meeting with Mehmet Akif
Ersoy. He also visited Egypt for sometime between 1908 and 1913.
Neyzen Tevfik's fame in the popular Turkish culture is mainly due to
his virtuosity with the ney. Moreover, he was also a heavy drinker
while practicing a form of Islam, which was very problematic due to the
ban on drinking in Islam. He therefore is also a symbol of a clash
between the orthodox Islamic doctrine, and the Bektashi order that he
was in, as illustrated in the following translation of his writing:
"The disbeliever's book has neither beginning nor end. A few pages from
its middle is all we ever grasp. For religion's sake and fear of
blasphemy we endure woe. Reason cannot perceive where righteousness may
go.”
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