Abstract
GHAZALS WITH THE REFRAIN “ONCE UPON A TIME” IN DIVAN POETRY
The phrase “bir varmış bir yokmuş”, a common opening formula in fairy tales, was also used in Classical Turkish Literature. The earliest identified couplet featuring this expression belongs to the 17th-century poet Feridî. From the 18th century, examples include two ghazals with the refrain “bir var imiş bir yoğ imiş”, written by Tokatlı Kânî and Fahrî-i Celvetî, as well as couplets by Edirneli Kâmî and Ebubekir Sami Pasha. This study examines the purpose of this opening formula in Divan poetry and its connection to folk philosophy. It highlights how themes such as praising the beloved’s beauty, criticizing fate, emphasizing the transience of life, and critiquing ascetics were expressed in a storytelling style reminiscent of fairy tales. The formula was also used to depict extraordinary or paradoxical situations, blurring the line between reality and fantasy. The study demonstrates how Divan poetry aesthetics, folkloric elements, and folk philosophy were intertwined. Additionally, Kâmî constructed a lugaz (riddle poem) using this formula. Poems with this refrain continued to be composed in the 19th century.
Keywords
Opening formulas, bir varmış bir yokmuş, Divan literature, folklore, fairy tales.