Doğduğu andan itibaren ölüm gerçeğiyle karşı karşıya olan insanoğlu, bu büyük acıyla başa çıkabilmek için duygularını yüzyıllardır söze dökmektedir. Türk edebiyatında sagu, ağıt ve mersiye formlarında görülen bu şiirler, farklı adlarla anılsa da özünde kaybedilene duyulan özlem dile getirilmektedir. Türk edebiyatında genellikle terkib-i bend ve terci-i bend nazım şekilleriyle yazılan mersiyelerde; feleğe sitem, yas, övgü ve dua bölümleri çoğunlukla iç içe geçmiş hâldedir. Lirik şiirler olan mersiyeler, aile bireyleri için yazıldığında duygusallık ve samimiyet daha da artmıştır. Klasik Türk edebiyatının son demlerine şiirleriyle olduğu kadar renkli kişiliğiyle de değer katan Leylâ Hanım (ö. H. 1264/ M. 1848) ailesinden üç erkeği toprağa vermiş ve onların ardından duyduğu kederi yazdığı mersiyelerle dile getirmiştir. Leylâ Hanım, babası için iki, erkek kardeşi ve dayısı Keçecizâde İzzet Molla için birer mersiye yazmıştır. Babasına mersiye formunda bir de gazel yazan Leylâ Hanım'ın acısı sel olup taşmıştır. Babasından sonra ailede genç yaşta bir vefat daha yaşanmış, erkek kardeşinin ardından Leylâ Hanım feleğe sitemlerini haykırmıştır. Edebî hayatında önemli bir yeri olan dayısı Keçecizade İzzet Molla'nın sürgünde ölümü ona daha çok dokunmuş, ölümüne hem tarih düşürmüş hem de ardından bir mersiye yazmıştır. Yaşadığı bu kayıplar ruhunda derin yaralar açmış; şair, maddi ve manevi yoksunluklarla başa çıkmaya çalışırken edebiyata daha çok sığınmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Leylâ Hanım'ın babası, kardeşi ve dayısı için yazdığı mersiyeler içerik ve üslup açısından incelenirken mersiye türüne ve şairin hayatına daha yakından bakılacaktır

Human beings facing the reality of death from the very moment of birth tend to verbalize their senses so as to overcome this torment. Even though called by different names, the poetry seen in the forms of “sagu”, “dirge” and “elegy” in Turkish Literature essentially refers to the longing for the loss and remembering him with his good traits. Mourning poems in which human beings seek a remedy for the great despair of being helpless against death mean, in a way, that pain verbalizes and takes an aesthetic dimension. When written for family members, these poems known as “elegy” in classical Turkish poetry concretize more and senses emotionalize. The reason of the loss has been seen as the wheel of fortune and all rising has headed towards it. However, the poets who have been aware of the inevitability of death, wish for mercy for those who died with faith and patience for the rest. For the style of verse, terkib-i bend and terci-i bend are usually used and in these elegies, the sections of reproach to fate, praise, mourning and pray all blend together -because of intense emotion of poet- rather than written in series. Leylâ Hanım (d. H.1264/AD 1848), who enriched the last moments of Classical Turkish literature with her colorful character as well as her poems, tried to -somewhat- relieve the grief caused by the loss of three men from her family by writing elegies. According to sources, Leylâ Hanım is the daughter of Moralızâde Hâmid Efendi from Sudur. Educated by her uncle Keçecizâde İzzet Molla, Leylâ Hanım was among the renowed poets of the day. One information given about her is that the poet, who experienced a short marriage, left the wedding house on the night of marriage by detesting her husband’s rudeness. Then she devoted herself to poetry. In the sources, Leylâ Hanım, who had a rearranged Dîvân, was introduced as a quick-witted and clever person with the ability of saying improvised poetry. Moreover, it was emphasized that especially her invocations, and elegies were very beautiful and impressive in Kâmûsu’l-A’lam and Osmanlı Müellifleri. Mevlevi Leylâ Hanım passed away in H. 1264 and was buried in Galata Mevlevihâne. Leylâ Hanım wrote two elegies for her father and one for her brother and her uncle, Keçecizâde İzzet Molla. Furthermore, one elegy that she wrote for her father in the form of gazel (lyric poem) and the date of death of her uncle take place in Dîvân. The first elegy in which a more unpreferable verse form, murabba (quadrate) verse form, is used is composed of 9 strophes (bend). The verse, “El-firâk âh el firâk âh elfirâk” (farewell!), which is repeated at the end of each strophe not only creates coherence in the poem but also has the readers feel the sorrow and the greatness of suffering. The above-mentioned verse in the elegy is like a highly emotional lamentation as well as being a harmony device. In her elegy, Leylâ Hanım expresses the unbearableness of the grief from death and reproaches to fate as usual. Afterwards, the poet attempts to find realistic reasons for his father’s death and expresses her sorrow over the death of Mollacıkzâde Râif Efendi. Praising them for their knowledge and honesty, Leylâ Hanım describes his father at the point of death and says that her father whose final glance wounded her ruined feelings passed away easily like the water flows through the soil. The poet who also continues to describe her grief in the final strophe ends the elegy by saying that she was weighed down by grievance and sorrow at such an early age and only Allah could help her wounded heart. The second elegy that Leylâ Hanım has written for her father is in the form of terkib-i bend and composed of 5 strophes within 5 couplets each. In this elegy, the poet who verbalises her sadness and reproaches to fate, as well wants the sky to share her lament while telling her suffering. Seeing that her father has left her in trouble and pain, she wishes the moon not to appear and to hide behind the dark clouds forever. While writing elegies, the poets occasionally mention of certain special names and benefit from their power of connotation. Prophet Yûsuf (Joseph) and Yakûb (Jacob) are among these commonly mentioned names in elegies. In III. strophe of elegy, Leylâ Hanım likens her father to Yûsuf and the rest to Yakûp. Wishing her father to be close to heaven with the love of Haydar (Ali), the poet desires for both herself and her family the patience of Eyyûp (Job) until judgment day. In the last strophe where Leylâ Hanım writes about her being left an orphan, she says that her father passed to the side of Allah and became fellow with Sıddîk (Abu Bakr), for this reason she can no longer see the universe as fate has taken away the light of her eyes. Leylâ Hanım refers to “grief of losing father” in her 7-strophe gazel named “Gazel-i Sûz-nâk”. The loss of the father was followed by another, the death of her brother, which brought along the reproach of Leylâ Hanım to fate. Written in the style of terkib-i bend, this elegy is composed of four strophes. In the first strophe, the poet indicates that “a cruel twist of fate” has left another emotional scar on her when she has not even found a remedy for her suffering, yet. What is deduced from this statement is that Leylâ Hanım lost her brother soon after the death of her father. During her description of the greatness of her pain, which causes people and fairies burst into flames, she asks whether this lament has affected the fate or not. Leylâ Hanım, who states that everybody has wept over his brother who is assumed to die at a young age, has no idea how her mother whom the death of her son tore apart more than anybody will put up with the pain. She prays to Allah for patience and wishes that Hasan and Husayn intercede on his behalf. In addition, she wishes Mevlânâ to guide his brother who was also a Mevlevi like her. She concludes the elegy by giving an important hint related to her family, which is that the name “Morevî-zâde” came to an end in the world with the death of his brother. It is indicated in the sources that Leylâ Hanım was educated by her uncle Keçecizâde İzzet Molla, the well known poet of the time. In some verses, she has stated that she regards him as her master. Leylâ Hanım felt very sorry for the death of Keçecizâde İzzet Molla in Sivas where he was on exile since she loved him, respected his art and followed his footsteps in terms of literature. After dating this incident, Leylâ Hanım writes an elegy on behalf of his uncle. The elegy beginning with her complaint about fate is formed by 7 strophes. Leylâ Hanım asks how the fate was able to sacrifice İzzet Molla whom she characterized as “re’îs-i şâʿirân” (master of poets). That he died on the exile increases the agony more. She wishes him to come together with Hasan hereafter. In the final verse, the date of death of İzzet Molla is given. The elegy that was written by Leylâ Hanım for her uncle, İzzet Molla, is in the form of terkib-i bend and composed of five strophes. In the elegy which begins with reproach to fate, Leylâ Hanım praises İzzet Molla; features his poesy and knowledge; and compares him with prominent poets of Persian literature such as Sâib, Şevket and Tûsî. In the elegy in which the information that İzzet Molla died in Sivas is included, it is prayed for Mevlânâ whose Islamic monastery he served, to intercede on his behalf. Leylâ Hanım, who was among the women poets of final period of Classical Turkish Literature, lost three men from her family and tried to relieve her agony upon their death by writing elegies. These losses left deep emotional scars on her soul and caused her to seek refuge in literature while struggling with deprivation materially and spiritually. In this study, the elegies that Leylâ Hanım wrote for her father, brother and uncle have been analyzed in terms of content and style. It was also determined that Leylâ Hanım continued to mourn with the help of literature and was one of the lyric poets of Classical Turkish literature.