Mehterhane-i Hakani Marşı - 20th Century Turkish Military Music
"Mehterhane-i Hakani Marşı" (Imperial Mehter Band March) is a march composed by İsmail Hakkı Bey and lyrics written by Ferik Ahmed Muhtar Pasha. The Mehterhane-i Hakani (Imperial Mehter Band) was a military band that was revived in the 20th century. It was established in 1914 by Ferik Ahmed Muhtar Pasha and was affiliated with the Military Museum of the Ottoman Empire.
The Janissary Corps, including the Mehter band, was abolished in 1826 as part of the broader Ottoman military reforms known as the Auspicious Incident (Vaka-i Hayriye). Sultan Mahmud II initiated these reforms to modernize and strengthen the Ottoman military, as the Janissaries had become an unruly and conservative force resisting change.
The Mehter band was reestablished in 1914 as the Mehterhane-i Hakani, which was the Royal Mehter Band attached to the Military Museum (Müze-i Asker-i Osmani). The most well-known Mehter marches were composed during this period.
İsmail Hakkı Bey, also known as İsmail Hakkı Aksoy and with the title Muallim (teacher), (b. 1865, Istanbul - d. December 30, 1927, Istanbul) was a Turkish composer and music educator. İsmail Hakkı Bey was born in 1865 in the Balat district of Istanbul, as the son of Reşid Efendi, an official of the "İdare-i Hususiye" (Special Administration). After completing elementary school, İsmail Hakkı started working as an apprentice in a weaving workshop. His recitation of the call to prayer in the mosques near his neighbourhood and workplace drew the attention of a palace muezzin. With the help of this person, İsmail Hakkı entered Muzikayı Hümayun at a young age and received music lessons from Suyolcuzade Latif Ağa and the orchestra conductor Zati Bey. Between 1902 and 1905, while teaching music at Darülirfan School on Belediye Street in Kadıköy, he also served as the chief cashier at the Ministry of Finance. After the Second Constitutional Era, he was among the founders of the Ottoman Music Society (Dârülmûsikî-i Osmanî). He became the second director of this society after Hafız Aşir Efendi. Due to differences of opinion, he parted ways with the Ottoman Music Society. In March 1909, he established the Ottoman Music Society on Fevziye Kıraathanesi in Şehzadebaşı.
Turkish Lyrics
Gafil ne bilir neşve-i pür şevk-i vegayı?
Meydan-ı celadetteki envar-ı sefayı.
Meydan-ı gaza aşk ile tekbirler alınca,
Titretti yine ruy-i zemin arş-ı semayı.
Allah yoluna cenk edelim, şan alalım şan.
Kur'anda zafer vaadediyor Hazret-i Yezdan.
Farz eyledi Hallak-u cihan harb-i cihadı.
Hep cenk ile yükselmede ecdadımın adı.
Dünyaları feth eyleyen ecdadımız elhak,
Adil idi hıfz eyler idi hakkı ibadı.
Allah yoluna cenk edelim, şan alalım şan.
Kur'anda zafer vaadediyor Hazret-i Yezdan.
English Translation
What does the heedless know of the joy of passion?
The lights of pleasure in the field of battle.
When the takbirs are recited with love in the battlefield,
It shakes the earth and the heavens once again.
Let us fight for the sake of Allah, let us gain glory.
The Quran promises victory from the Almighty.
The Creator of the universe made jihad obligatory.
My ancestors' name rose with every battle.
Our ancestors who conquered worlds,
Were just and protected the rights of the servants of God.
Let us fight for the sake of Allah, let us gain glory.
The Quran promises victory from the Almighty.