AN OTTOMAN SUCCESSOR TO ALISHER NAVOI IN DIDACTIC WISDOM LITERATURE

Abstract

This article presents a comparative and typological analysis of Alisher Navoi’s “Nazm ul-javahir” and the Ottoman poet Abdullatif Latifi’s “Nazmi javahir.” The main objective of the study is to identify the ideological and artistic features of these works, which were created on the basis of the collection of aphorisms “Nasr ul-la’ali” attributed to Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib, as well as to reveal their similarities and differences.

Particular attention is paid to the circumstances of the works’ creation, their sources, compositional structure, poetic form, and artistic style. The study also examines the poetic interpretation of Hazrat Ali’s sayings, their moral-didactic essence, and expressive devices.

The findings demonstrate that Alisher Navoi aims at a more comprehensive coverage of the aphorisms, elaborating them in the form of musarra’ rubai, whereas Abdullatif Latifi prefers a selective translation approach, emphasizing brevity and clarity through the use of masnavi couplets. In both works, the key themes include Islamic ethics, knowledge, justice, patience, and human perfection.

The comparative analysis reveals that Navoi’s literary tradition had a significant influence on Ottoman Turkish literature, clearly reflected in Latifi’s work. At the same time, both texts transcend the boundaries of translation and represent independent artistic interpretations. The results of the study contribute to understanding the development of the tradition of versifying aphoristic wisdom in Turkic literature.