JVightingales & 'Pleasure 9ardens Middle East Literature in Translation Michael Beard and Adnan Haydar, Series Editors Other titles in the Middle East Literature in Translation series A Child from the Village Sayyid Qutb; John Calvert and William Shepard, ed. and trans. The Committee Sonallah Ibrahim; Mary St. Germain and Charlene Constable, trans. A Cup ofSin: Selected Poems Simin Behbahani; Farzaneh Milani and Kaveh Safa, trans. Granada Radwa Ash our; William Granara, trans. In Search of Wal id Masoud: A Novel Jabra Ibrahim Jabra; Roger Allen and Adnan Haydar, trans. The Night ofthe First Billion Ghada Samman; Nancy N. Roberts, trans. Sleeping in the Forest: Stories and Poems Sait Faik; Talat S. Halman, ed.; Jayne L. Warner, assoc. ed. Three Tales of Love and Death Out el Kouloub A Time Between Ashes and Roses Adonis; Shawkut M. Toorawa, ed. and trans. Women Without Men: A Novella Shahrnush Parsipur; Kamran Talattof and Jocelyn Sharlet, trans. Zanouba: A Novel Out el Kouloub; Nayra Atiya, trans. JVigfitingales & 'Pleasure gardens Turkish Love Poems Editor and Translator Talat S. Halman Associate Editor Jayne L. Warner SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PRESS English translations copyright © 2005 by Syracuse University Press Syracuse,New York 13244–5290 All Rights Reserved First Edition 2005 12 13 14 15 16 6 5 4 3 2 ∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. For a listing of books published and distributed by Syracuse University Press, visit our website at SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu. ISBN: 978-0-8156-0835-6 Half-title Page: design from sixteenth-century Iznik tile from the mausoleum of Hürrem, the wife of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, Istanbul, 1558. Part One, Premodern Love Poems: “Rhodian” period (second half of the sixteenth century) Iznik pottery flower motif. Dawn of Love: semi-stylized flower motif from a tile in the sixteenth-century Ramazan Efendi Mosque, Istanbul. Legends of Love: semi-stylized tulip motif from the Harem at Topkapı Palace, Istanbul. Whirling Ecstasy: “Rhodian” period Iznik pottery flower motif. Love’s Paradise: “Rhodian” period Iznik pottery flower motif. Love Is All: “Rhodian” period Iznik pottery flower motif. Sovereign Love: stylized rosebud from a tile in the sixteenth-century Ramazan Efendi Mosque, Istanbul. Many-Splendored Songs: “Rhodian” period Iznik pottery flower motif. Part Two, Love Poems from the Turkish Republic: detail of scroll on the lid of an Iznik bowl of the “Rhodian” period. The above illustrations are reprinted from Azade Akar,Authentic Turkish Designs (New York: Dover, 1992); Azade Akar, Treasury of Turkish Designs (New York: Dover, 1988); and Inci A. Birol and Çiçek Derman, Türk Tezyînî San’atlarında Motifler / Motifs in Turkish Decorative Arts (Istanbul: Kubbealtı Iktisâdî İşletmesi, 1995). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nightingales and pleasure gardens : Turkish love poems / editor and translator Talat S.Halman ; associate editor Jayne L.Warner. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0–8156–0835–7 (alk. paper) 1. Love poetry, Turkish—Translations into English. 2. Turkish poetry—Translations into English. I.Halman, Talât Sait. II.Warner, Jayne L. PL235.N54 2005 894'.351008'03543—dc22 2005012389 Manufactured in the United States of America Contents Preface xi Note on Turkish Spelling xv PART oNE I 'Premodern Love 'Poems DAw N o F Lo v E: Earliest Turkish Love Poems My darling, best of all APRiN t;:OR TiGiN 5 Say just one word to me, make one promise ANONYMOUS 6 LEGENDS OF LOVE: EpicsandTalesofLove Come here, my love, the crown of my home CHIEFTAIN, from TheBookofDedeKorkut 9 Come to me here WIFE OF CHIEFTAIN, from TheBookofDedeKorkut 9 WHIRLING ECSTASY: Rumi'sMysticalLove This is such a day: the sun is dazzling twice as before MEVLANA CELALEDDiN RUM! 13 Listen to the reed-flute telling its tales MEVLANA CELALEDDiN RUMi 14 Come, come, you will never find a friend like me MEVLANA CELALEDDiN RUMi 15 At one time when life was real MEVLANA CELALEDD!N RUM! 16 So long as I am alive, love enlivens each day MEVLANA CELALEDDiN RUMi 17 When I have you, the passions of love make me stay awake MEVLANA CELALEDDiN RUMi 18 Love is the water of eternal life, cures every woe MEVLANA CELALEDD!N RUMi 19 LOVE'S PARADISE: Yunus Emre's Divine and Human Love Yourlovehaswrestedmeawayfromme YUNUS EMRE 23 Hearmeout,mydearfriends YUNUS EMRE 24 Dear Friend, let me plunge into the sea oflove YUNUS EMRE 25 Go and let it be known to all lovers YUN US EMRE 26 Burning, burning, I drift and tread YUNUS EMRE 27 Nowhearthis,lovers,myfriends YUNUS EMRE 28 Love is minister to us, our flock is the inmost soul YUNUS EMRE 29 My Lord granted me such a heart YUNUS EMRE 30 Iloveyoubeyondthedepthsofmyownsoul YUNUS EMRE 31 LOVE IS ALL: ClassicalLyricsoftheOttomanEmpire Atone glance MIHRI HATUN 35 I reap no gains but trouble at your place when I come near Fu z u LI 36 Song NEDIM 37 Mydarlingwiththerosyface ~EYH GALIB 38 Drink all you want in the rose-garden LEYLA HAN IM 39 Get on with the festivities LEYLA HAN IM 40 TellMeAgain NiGAR HANIM 41 Vl Contents SOVEREIGN LOVE: Sultan Poets No end to this separation, no limit to this cruel pain SULTAN SOLEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT 45 My very own queen, my everything SULTAN SOLEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT 46 Till the day I die, I shall never leave her beauty's sun SULTAN SOLEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT 48 Coy like a lovebird, she flirts with hundreds SULTAN SEL1M III 49 MANY-SPLENDORED SONGS: Wandering Folk Poets With its tender flakes, snow flutters about KARACAOGLAN 53 In the plain stands a plum tree ANONYMOUS 54 At daybreak I dropped in on a beauty ANONYMOUS 55 Mysoulyearnsforyou ANONYMOUS 56 PART TWO I ,Love rroems from tfie 'Turkish 'Republic Tryst y AHY A KEMAL BEY A TL! 59 [untitled] NAZIM H1KMET 60 [untitled] NAZIM H1KMET 61 ThreeStorksRestaurant NAZIMHiKMET 62 [untitled] NAZIM HiKMET 63 I Shut My Eyes Tight NAZ IM HiKMET 64 MyLady'sEyesAreHazel NAZIM H1KMET 65 PoemsofNinetoTenP.M. NAZIM HiKMET 66 Prison to Prison NAZIM HiKMET 68 Poems from Prison NAZ IM HI KMET 22 September 1945 69 23 September 1945 70 5 October 1945 71 Contents vu From Letters to Taranta Babu NA z IM H l KM ET 72 Now's the Time for Love SAtT FAtK 75 MyLittleWoman ASAP HALET <;ELEBi 77 Maria! ASAF HALET C,:ELEBI 78 Maria II As AF HA LET <;EL EB i 79 Oblivion AH MET MUHiP DIR AN AS 80 Love Poem z i YA o s MAN s AB A 82 BlackMulberries BEDRt RAHMl EYUBOGLU 83 You Will Come to Me CE LAL SI LAY 84 From:PoemsoftheMediterranean FAZIL HOSNO DAGLARCA 85 Beauty and Mind FAZ IL HOSNO DAGLARCA 88 Beyond FAZIL HOSNO DAGLARCA 88 WhenIArrive FAZIL HOSNO DAGLARCA 88 Is FAZIL HOSNO DAGLARCA 89 Shadow FAZIL HOSNO DAGLARCA 89 Day Within a Day FAZ IL HOSNO DAGLARCA 89 Leaf FAZIL HOSNO DAGLARCA 90 People Will Talk ORHAN VELl KANIK 91 Did I Fall in Love? ORHAN VELl KANIK 92 ToMyWife OKTAY RIFAT 93 From: Horses Before Troy MELlH CEVDET AN DAY 94 SecretLove BEH<;ET NECATlGtL 95 On Bald Mountain A. KADiR 96 LostLove CAHiT KOLEBl 97 Once Upon a Time CAHiT KOLEBi 98 Poem lLHAN BERK 99 Love iLHAN BERK 100 Never Did I See Such Loves Nor Such Separations iLHAN BERK 101 Vlll Contents Sonnet iLHAN BERK 102 Women ILHAN BERK 103 From:TheHistoryofaFace 1LHAN BERK 104 I Woke, This Meant a Love in the World iLHAN BERK 105 LovePoem SABAHATTIN KUDRET AKSAL 106 Giiler's Hours of Love NECATi CU MALI 107 Smoke upon Smoke MEHMET SALiHo(;ru 108 Lavinia OZDEMiR ASAF 109 The Letter HRiHA AKTAN 110 Pia ATTILA iLHAN 111 ComeSoFarasYouCanFeel GULTEKiN SAMANOGLU 112 Your Love Never Left AHMED ARIF 113 Eyes EDiP CANSEVER 114 The Sea, the Memory, and the Woman SEYFETT!N BA~CILLAR 115 To an Immortal Solitude Where We Now Pitch Our Stately Tent TAHS!N SARAC,: 116 Love Tomorrow TALAT s. HALMAN 117 Yellow Blight CEMAL SDREYA 118 AButtCastintheSea CEMAL SOREYA 119 KissMe,ThenGiveBirthtoMe CEMAL SDREYA 120 The 8:10 Ferry C:EMAL SU REY A 121 Rose CEMAL SOREY A 122 Weekly Agenda of Love M. SA Mi A~AR 123 First SEZAi KARAKO<;: 124 The Hobbyhorse SEZA i KARAKO<;: 125 NottheFearofShivering GULTEN AKIN 127 now CENG!Z BEKTA~ 128 For Many Years... KE MAL OZER 129 Contents IX windy windows HILMI YAVUZ 130 Empty Streets ÖZDEMIR INCE 131 Am I the Only One AYDINHATIPO§LU 132 Tigerish CAHIT ZARIFO§LU 134 Like a Stranger MELISA GÜRPINAR 135 All Over Again ATAOL BEHRAMO§LU 136 Ailing SENNUR SEZER 138 Link MEHMET YARDIMCI 139 I Love You So AHMET ADA 140 Love and the Forest GÜLSELI INAL 141 Unknown Love ADNAN ÖZER 142 Biographical Notes 147 About the Editors 157 Acknowledgments 159 x Contents 'Preface THE p LEAS URES AND PA IN s Of LOVE have dominated Turkish poetry for a millennium and a half. The earliest Turkish poet (Aprin c;:or Tigin, sixth cen­ tury A.D.) appealed to "Gods oflight" to grant him and his "gentle darling the bliss of joining [their] lives forever" so that they could "live and laugh together." In later centuries, nomads, minstrels, mystics, court poets, sultans, bards of the countryside, and modern poets celebrated love as paradise, and often lamented its ordeals as well as its occasional absence. Significantly Anatolia, along with other territories that constituted the later Ottoman Empire, was the motherland of many celebrated myths and leg­ ends of love. In this terra firma of mythology, through no less than ten millen­ nia, mother goddesses, love goddesses, and fertility goddesses flourished, the cults of Apollo and Dionysus grew, Zeus had his romantic escapades.