For the literature itself, read:
J. W. Redhouse, "History, System, etc., of Turkish Poetry."
E. J. W. Gibb, "Ottoman Poems" (London, 1882).
E. J. W. Gibb, "History of Ottoman Poetry" (London, 1902).
Chas. Wells, "Turkish Chrestomathy" (London, 1891).
Allan Ramsay, "Tales from Turkey" (London, 1914).
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Abu Muslim had been the chief means of transferring the Caliphate from the Omeyyads to the family of Abbas.
[2] "Father of a villain": a play upon the name Abu Muslim.
[3] Al Mahdi, i.e., "the rightly directed."