I am now hungry

Translation Compilation
February 2017

Işık Barış Fidaner

yersizseyler.wordpress.com

LaTeX codes of the book still under CC Attribution-

NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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Contents

Turkish Kettle Logic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Legend of The Fallow Deer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

O wheel why do you wail

Yunus Emre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mürselekian women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

O poet I have a word for you

Yunus Emre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Austerity is in the head

Yunus Emre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Fish mouth
Halim Şefik Güzelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Foreign door
Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Over the earth

Grup Yorum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Come to the mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Come it’s time let us go to our people

Karacoğlan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Letter Revolution
Nekropsi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Examination
Ağrı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Shooting Star
Ağrı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Little Fancy
Sakareller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Umbrella
Sakareller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Indicators
Sakareller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Orbit
Sakareller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Traces
Sakareller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Chest
Sakareller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Little Things
Bülent Ortaçgil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Will you play with me

Bülent Ortaçgil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Little girl
Nazım Hikmet Ran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

4
I will run elsewhere
Yeni Türkü . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

5
 Turkish Kettle Logic

The Cauldron That Died (A Nasreddin Hoca Joke)

Nasreddin Hodja,1 having need for a large cooking container, borrowed his
neighbor’s copper cauldron, then returned it in a timely manner.

“What is this?” asked his neighbor upon examining the returned cauldron.
“There is a small pot inside my cauldron.”

“Oh,” responded the Hodja. “While it was in my care your cauldron gave
birth to a little one. Because you are the owner of the mother cauldron, it
is only right that you should keep its baby. And in any event, it would not
be right to separate the child from its mother at such a young age.”

The neighbor, thinking that the Hodja had gone quite mad, did not argue.
Whatever had caused the crazy man to come up with this explanation, the
neighbor had a nice little pot, and it had cost him nothing.

Some time later the Hodja asked to borrow the cauldron again.

“Why not?” thought the neighbor to himself. “Perhaps there will be another
little pot inside when he returns it.”

But this time the Hodja did not return the cauldron. After many days had
passed, the neighbor went to the Hodja and asked for the return of the
borrowed cauldron.

“My dear friend,” replied the Hodja. “I have bad news. Your cauldron has
died, and is now in her grave.”

“What are you saying?” shouted the neighbor. A cauldron does not live,
and it cannot die. Return it to me at once!”

“One moment!” answered the Hodja. “This is the same cauldron that but
1 t.n. Turkish students still call their professors "hodja"

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a short time ago gave birth to a child, a child that is still in your possession.
If a cauldron can give birth to a child, then it also can die.”

And the neighbor never again saw his cauldron.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettle_logic

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 The Legend of The Fallow Deer

So I went after a deer for hunting

Oh alas alas
The deer pulled me to her mountain
Oh alas alas to her mountain

When I went the rocks were in snow

Oh alas alas
The wind blew and they’ve melted now
Oh alas alas they’ve melted now

For this hunt now I have much regrets

Oh alas alas
Go ahead brothers leave me at the rocks
Oh alas alas leave me at the rocks

Wither on the stone these white wrists

Oh alas alas
Go ahead hunters leave me at the rocks
Oh alas alas leave me at the rocks

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I left my lasso hanging on the rock
Oh alas alas
I left my stuff jammed in the chest
I left my fiancee hurt at home

Oh alas alas I left her hurt at home

(Alageyik Destanı)

t.n.

Moğollar plays and sings this anonymous folk song. Their name means
“Mongolians”.

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 O wheel why do you wail

Yunus Emre

O wheel why do you wail?

I have trouble and I wail
I fell in love with god
For that reason I wail

I’m called the troubled wheel

My waters flow and squeal
This seems to be god’s will
I have trouble and I wail

They found me on a mountain

They broke my arms and wings
They deemed me worthy of a wheel
I have trouble and I wail

My beam cut from the mountain

All my systems thrown to disarray
I am a poet, I never get tired
I have trouble and I wail

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I pull the water from the low
I climb and pour it up above
Look at what I suffer now
I have trouble and I wail

Yunus coming people don’t smile

People don’t attain their desire
No one remains in this transit
I have trouble and I wail

(Dolap Niçin İnilersin)

t.n.

Yunus is the poet’s name. It means “Dolphin”. Ruhi Su is the singer’s

name. It means “Spiritual Water”.

This is how a water wheel looks like.

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 Mürselekian women

We Mürselekian
Mürselekian women
Through every night we
Tobacco we line up
Our suffering on a rope we
Line up darkness
Darkness above..

Uproot we uproot
Through every day we
Every night we
Burn coal we
Burn darkness we
Burn darkness above..

Our trees are frightened

Frightened of the night
We are not above..

Come now my dear

My love my dear
Friend my dear

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We Mürselekian
Mürselekian women
We do live too
Live too above..
Go be a bride we
Set up houses
Houses above..

Burns Ali Yüce

Burns he hears
Hears above..
Burns Ali Yüce burns..

(Mürselekli kadınlar)

t.n.

Was my mother’s favourite Ruhi Su song. Translated in August 2013.

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 O poet I have a word for you

Yunus Emre

O poet I have a word for you, what is this throne placed above?
It’s an unfathomable wisdom, this throne is placed above the heap.

O wise I have a word for you, what is this heap placed above?
It’s an unfathomable wisdom, this heap is placed above the sheet.

O monk I have a word for you, what is this sheet placed above?
It’s an unfathomable wisdom, this sheet is placed above the skies.

O wise I have a word for you, what are these skies placed above?
It’s an unfathomable wisdom, these skies are placed above the ox.

O monk I have a word for you, what is the ox placed above?

It’s an unfathomable wisdom, the ox is placed above the fish.

O poet I have a word for you, what is the fish placed above?
It’s an unfathomable wisdom, the fish is placed above the water.

O poet I have a word for you, what is then the water placed above?
It’s an unfathomable wisdom, the water is placed above the wind.

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Its face towards Qormusta, its tail thrown on the padlock,
The yellow ox that carries the earth is 114000 years old.

Ka’bah on its back, its mouth opened to Qormusta,

Its tail thrown to its belly, the west and the east over its head.

It never diverts its eyes, the earth would vanish if it shook off,
It suffers much from a little fly flying over its head.

Its skin thicker than mountains, creatures can’t drain its grease,
It has an intense strength, as if it was fourteen years old.

It’s an earthquake when it shakes, its horns are an uproar,

It has twelve feet, each of them at one of the corners.

Poet Yunus tells it, how pleasant has the wealthy created,
I wish I could yoke it, it has the wisdom in its work.

(Aşık sana bir sözüm var)

t.n.

Qormusta is a god of Mongolian shamanism, identical to the Turkish god

Hürmüz. Its name means “it doesn’t see” or “blind” in Turkish: görmez.
According to Wikipedia: “It is an evil and impure spirit and son of Kayra. It
was also described as a black entity living in the Underworld. This spirit is
associated with ancestral spirits and follows a man throughout his lifetime,
recording all of his deeds.” (article on Kormos)

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 Austerity is in the head

Yunus Emre

Austerity is in the head, not in the crown

Heating is in the fire, not in the cooking sheet
If you are washing a believer’s heart
What you do does not serve the god

If you seek the god, look at your heart

He is not in Jerusalem, in Mecca, at the pilgrimage
Accept the mature words of Yunus
It happens quickly, it shan’t be late too

(Dervişlik baştadır)

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 Fish mouth

Halim Şefik Güzelson

This story of a swordfish

Could as well be unwritten
Yet the stream to take us to new waters have stopped
We were going after mackerel
I was also in the school

In my back a spear wound

Happy I was all the same
Somehow stuck in my ear
Voices saying “there’s a net”

Mermaid fallen in my thought

I have played out
To put traps on one another is within means of tuna
I am cross with the net before long
Even a child would pull me to the boat
If I were not this heavy
Love of life that makes me run like this
This a way that a way all along the course

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You fish, aren’t you some sea sheep
My sword has cut the darkness of the deep
I’ve left the waters in sea sparkles
You have what have you in frosty nights
In my back a spear wound

Take and bring me to a boat with the purple band

Sorrow in my eyes big
Sad is my sword
Sell me, sell me
Drink vodka

(Balık ağzı)

t.n.

Translated in August 2013.

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 Foreign door

Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil

Rises the moon afull

Blows the wind agentle
Smirks the foreign door agrin
Foreign door is the door to slavery
Man becomes aslave! Man becomes aslave!

Rises the moon acrescent

Rises the day arevolt
Collapses down the foreign door agrin
Foreign door is the door to slavery
Man becomes afree! Man becomes afree!

(El Kapıları)

t.n.

Translated in August 2013.

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 Over the earth

Grup Yorum version of the anonymous folk song.

Yorum means interpretation.

The pole erected over the earth

When no labor’s lost, does the heart ache
Ali love, Ali love
Does the heart ache
Who founded this order, let us too know
Speak my dear speak
Let the souls listen

Adam sows the crop on the earth

The crop hides its root underground
Ali love, Ali love
Hides its root
Comb out and see, the black and the white
Speak my dear speak
Let the souls listen

They put the cornerstone on the cooker

Let the god repair the realities
Ali love, Ali love
The realities

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One day, they shall ache your head
Speak my dear speak
Let the souls listen

Oh love love, love friend friend

Help shah, shah friend

My Pir Sultan Abdal, fardh and sunna

Never be grateful to those who don’t come to reason
Everyone desires to have a paradise on earth
Speak my dear speak
Let the souls listen

Friend

(Dünyanın üzerinde)

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 Come to the mountains

Grup Yorum song version of Gevheri poem

In case something happens to you, my dear

To the mountains, come to the mountains
They’ll hide and won’t reveal you, my dear
To the mountains, come to the mountains

Since my soul has fallen in love, my dear

It’s been boiling in a fire of love
Pansies over the green mountains, my dear
To the mountains, come to the mountains

Gevheri I’ve become notorious, my dear

I’ve gotten stuck in foreign lands
I shall never give in to foreign hands, my dear
To the mountains, come to the mountains

(Dağlara gel dağlara)

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 Come it’s time let us go to our people

Karacoğlan

The noble mountains’ snow has melt

Now it’s flood let us go to our people
Our land covered in tulips and hyacinths
Come it’s time let us go to our people

The best of beauty has the whimsy

Mad heart madly in love with beauty
Even a black bush of our people
Now it’s rose let us go to our people

Karacoğlan says it comes in summers

O beauty, who gave you this whimsy?
The bitter words of your mom and dad
Now it’s honey let us go to our people

(Gel oldu gidelim bizim ellere)

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 Letter Revolution

Nekropsi

If a cow bought from a fire worshipper

Doesn’t let its new owner milk it
The new owner may masquerade as a fire worshipper
— Well said god bless you professor!

What’s going on, what does it mean?

Do explain!

The coming revolution was

Being popularized bit by bit

It’ll gradually turn into

A language, thought revolution
Letter revolution

Professors!
The cow is the contemporary civilization!

Liberating the young brains

From the effects of a
Bankrupt, outdated
Uncivilized thought

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The bad one goes
The good one comes

It’s rich with vowels:

AEOÖUÜIİ

It’s the unbelievable taking place

Those low voices even

The deaf king of Egypt hears
Do listen to another voice

(Harf Devrimi)

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 Examination

Ağrı

When I first saw you

Blood marched to my brain
My heartbeat quickened
I was too much naive

I have to examine you

When you came beside me

When you held my hand
When you first kissed me
I’d no money in my pocket

I have to examine you

But as time passed by

I think you were too banal
Now I got away from you
Found someone else anyway

I have to examine you

http://www.sakareller.net/insan/baris/inceleme2.mp3
October 23rd 1999, Evrensel Kültür Merkezi, İzmir

Ağrı is our music band from İzmir Science High School. Ağrı means ache.

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 Shooting Star

Ağrı

Suddenly an autumn day

Leaves yesterday to the past
Wears out in remembering

Emerges pretty nightingale

A rose blooms laughing
My heart shrinks in chill

Shooting star don’t shoot away

Wait for me
Shooting star don’t shoot away
Wait for me

If there’s some breeze

Even if unrecognized
Still trembles me

Stand up and look at the sky

Perhaps you’ll encounter it one night
For quite a short time

Shooting star don’t shoot away

Wait for me
Shooting star don’t shoot away
Wait for me

(Kayan Yıldız)

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 Little Fancy

Sakareller

It was just a little fancy

A casual innocent dream

It was just a little fancy

A casual innocent dream

Now dismiss those reveries

Turn and look at the mirror first

Now dismiss those reveries

Turn and look at the mirror first

(Küçük Düş)

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 Umbrella

Sakareller

You haven’t even come with me under an umbrella

I don’t think it would change if you also had an umbrella
I don’t think it would

You haven’t even come with me under an umbrella

I don’t think it would change if you also had an umbrella
I don’t think it would

(Şemsiye)

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 Indicators

Sakareller

Since I was born it’s as if I’m here and this place’s like this and I’m this
My eyes are always on the indicators, my hands are always on the keys

Since I’ve become with a conscience immature I wonder if I’m not boiled
My eyes are always on the indicators, my hands are always on the keys

I would like to meet with you but this is a very important job
My eyes are always on the indicators, my hands are always on the keys

Since I was dead it’s as if nothing has changed in this place

My eyes are always on the indicators, my hands are always on the keys

(İbreler)

t.n.

“Indicators” was thematically inspired by the “Calutron Girls” who worked

in Manhattan Project where they (unknowingly) contributed to the making
of the atomic bombs.

It was also used as a jingle on Hayat [Life] TV:

https://yersizseyler.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/bilinen-son
-iyi-yapilandirmayi-hep-bir-tik-daha-iyiye/

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 Orbit

Sakareller

Gathered in an indecisive way

We dispersed as we accumulate
Our pathway does not end
We no longer have an end

In this great cycle

As thousands of particles
We are fed up but unable to stop
Conveyed from one bin to another

(Yörünge)

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 Traces

Sakareller

I found something in silence

It has no name, it is not called
It wanders every nook and canny
Seeming unaware of its existence

Traces are there, traces everywhere

I don’t know it itself is where
It stays, it’s tracing there

Don’t try, it won’t understand you

Say whatever comes to your mind

Traces are there, traces everywhere

I don’t know it itself is where
It stays, it’s tracing there

Traces are there, traces everywhere

I don’t know it itself is where
It stays, it’s tracing there

It stays, it’s waiting there

(İzler)

t.n.

The English translation of the lyrics of a 2009 song that we had rehearsed
with Sakareller but never performed for an audience. It was a bit too folksy.
Uğur had been threading it with human noise but then he left.

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 Chest

Sakareller

Is walking slowly into the darkness

Is carrying an old rotten chest on his or her 2 back

Spirit was left locked in the chest, its key lost

Spirit was left locked in the chest, its key lost

Flames shining in the distance faded one by one

Behind faces unseen turned away one by one

Spirit was left locked in the chest, its key lost

Spirit was left locked in the chest, its key lost

(Sandık)

http://sakareller.net/ses/sakareller-sandik.mp3

http://sakareller.net/#diskografi

2 http://theconversation.com/music-to-die-for-how-genre-affects

-popular-musicians-life-expectancy-36660

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 Little Things

Bülent Ortaçgil

It’s all little things that wear us out

Little things that shy us away
It’s all little things, little things that pit us against
Little things that reconcile us
Little things, all are littlest things
That orient, that please, that preoccupy us
It’s all short moments, blisses
It’s a hallucination to imagine it to be long
It’s all short moments that we decide
And then that we ruminate as to why for days
Short moments, all are shortest moments
That orient, that please, that preoccupy us
All great dreams, all great dreams that we pursue
And then that we get lost as to where we are
All great dreams that I cannot hold in my hand
That I have never seen, never went through
Great dreams, all are littlest things
That orient, that please, that preoccupy us
It’s all little things that make us fight
Little things that make us agree
It’s all little things that I love you
Little things that I hurt you
Little things, all are smallest things
That orient, that please, that preoccupy us

(Küçük Şeyler)

t.n. It’s also a hallucination to imagine it to belong.

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 Will you play with me

Bülent Ortaçgil

If I were water, if I were fire

If I were the sun in the sky
If I wouldn’t talk, be a rock
Would you still play with me

If I were in silence, be a flaw

If I were the curse in one’s mouth
If I were born as a captive
Would you still play with me

If I wouldn’t be counted, be how many

If I were the power in the soil
If I were a guilt like a dummy
Would you still play with me

Will you play with me

Will you play with me

(Benimle oynar mısın)

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 Little girl

Nazım Hikmet Ran, 1956

I am the one knocking the doors

One by one knocking the doors
I am not seen to your eyes
Dead are not seen to your eyes

Since dying in Hiroshima

Has almost been ten years
I am a seven year old girl
Dead children do not grow

My hair caught fire at first

My eyes got burned away
Soon I was a handful of ash
My ash dispersed in the air

I have for myself from you

I have nothing that I want
Can not she even eat candy
This child burnt like paper

I am knocking on your door

Aunt, uncle, give a signature
Let the children not be killed
Let them be able to eat candy

(Kız çocuğu)

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 I will run elsewhere

Band: Yeni Türkü, Poet: Yaşar Miraç

I will run elsewhere

To the land of the blue

To the sea of the sorry

Walking through the pier

Suddenly without question

What is left behind?

I will run elsewhere

To that land forlorn

To where without return

The first bridge that joins

Ceaselessly indifferent
To exhaust the sorrows

I will go elsewhere
To that hill unveiled

To that village on the path

With tears, with a dry fountain

Breaking up with my solitude

Breaking up with my eternity

37
I will run elsewhere
To exhaust elsewhere

(Gurbete Kaçacağım)

38