FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Simgelerde Yüzler Bir isik üstünde gelir Gelir o Isirsin Seversin yeri gögü Uyanmis tutsaklar çagrisina dek. Dolar da Dolar da yüregine tohumlarin davranisi Uzarsin Bir anidan bir gelecege gövermiscene. Gelir de bir uykusuza su Gelir bir orman uyanik yellerden. Gider hele Yildizlarin Gider hele göllerin yalnizligi Kalirsiniz Yaptiklarinizla yüz yüze, çirilçiplak. Almistiniz Vurmustunuz Ovalar basak çogalimiyla doluydu, Derelerde vardi bilinmez anilarin gücü Agaçlarin yemisleri sizin agirliginizdaydi, Çalmistiniz Öldürmüstünüz çünkü. Bir sorgu günü degil anlamak günü Gözleriniz açilsa Maviden Açik kalsa agziniz kandan simdi Sizi bagislamaz yeralti otlari bile Almaz yilan uykulari bile düslerinizi sizin Siz dikeysiniz, siz hamsiniz. Simdi ne siz varsiniz, ne o, ne oteki, Yaban yesili ev yesilini kovmustur. Yine issiz Yeryüzü gökyüzü, Yine issiz Ölüler unutulmus gider Ölülerin ardindan bir köpek gider. Kopmuscasina sen simdi Karanligin, yoklugun ardinda sen Bitersin yerden göge; Upuzun Egri uzun Dar uzun. Gider o Gider Gider bir isik üstünde.

Faces on Symbols He comes on a beam of light. He comes. Sparkling, You love the earth and the sky All the way to the plea of the awakened slaves. The urge of the seeds fills your heart. You stand taller From a memory to the future in a lunge of green. Water comes to a sleepless man. A forest comes from the wakeful winds. The solitude Of the stars And the lakes goes away. You are left alone, Face to face with all you have done, starknaked. You had seized And struck. Meadows were full of multiplying spikes. Brooks ran with the power of your memories, And the fruit of the trees had your gravity Because you had stolen And killed. The day of understanding, not judgement day --, If your eyes were open From the blue, Or your mouth slit open with blood now, Not even the weeds in the ground would forgive you Nor the sleep of snakes seize your dreams. You are angular And raw. Now there is neither you nor he nor the other. Savage green drove out the home green. Desolate again Are earth and sky. Desolate again, Dead men go forgotten, And a dog goes after the dead men. As if you are severed now, You, beyond darkness and absence, You rise from the earth to the sky ... Stretching long, Tilting long, Narrow long, He goes, Goes, He goes on a beam of light. Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (d. 1273) is one of the greatest mystic poets of the Islamic world and founder of the popular Mevlevi dervish movement.