FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Af Akþamý Af buyruðuyla açýlmýþtý hapishane kapýsý Taþýyordu koca burunlar týraþlý esneler kara çeneler Dizleri eðri omuzlarý çarpýlmýþ sýrtlar çýkýk dökülüyordu Vakitlere kapanmýþ büyük karanlýklardan Taþýyordu vay dökülüyordu vay Yýrtýk pis bitli çirkin Sokaðý dolduruyordu terli can uðultusu Geçiriyordu avucunu þaþkýnlýkla saçýndan saçýndan 9 yýl yatmýþ Kolunda anasý kucaðýnda yavrusu Doldurmuþtu kapýnýn önünü kalabalýk Kimi ta dað köylerinden koþmuþ Kimi ta denizlerden Bir özlem sarmýþ baðrý ölümden yüce Sevgiyle arýyorlar parçalarýný Heybelerinde ekmek destilerinde su Bir türlü inanamýyordu sokaklara sokaklara 20 yýl yatmýþ Gönüllere sýðmaz olmuþ kavuþmak duygusu Öyle sarýlýr ki geçmiþe Erir göðsü göðsünde tutuklunun Piþmanlýk kavaklar tarlalar davarlar için Piþmanlýk gemilere düðünlere ýrmaklara Piþmanlýk beþiklerden kaðnýlardan sessiz Yerce gökçe deðil insan dolusu Çýlgýnca kucaklýyordu hepimizi hepimizi 5 buçuk yýl yatmýþ Taþar içerde kalanlarýn sorusu Çubuk demirler arkasýndan maviliðe Hem esenliðe ermiþ hem yaþlý yelcek Bir yurt türküsü yeniler karanlýðý Zaman yeðnik deðildir yeðniktir Dön de gör ananý belleyecek Boþ koðuþlar kurmuþ pusu Sönük gözü aydýnlýkla büyüyordu büyüyordu 8 yýl yatmýþ Çýkýnlarda gecenin binlerce gecenin uyunmamýþ uykusu Bir yorgunluk çökünce yürünmüþ yeryüzünden Kalabalýkta daðýlýr birer ikiþer özgür Doðuya batýya kuzeye güneye özgür Yüreklerinde bir çýð Yaþamak sevinci vay Yaþamak korkusu Ýnmeli yaný sýçrýyordu havaya havaya 17 yýl yatmýþ

The Night of the Amnesty Prison gates swung open with the amnesty decree. Out poured big noses, shaven necks, black chins, Knees bent, shoulders deformed, backs wrenched; they rushed Out of huge darknesses closed to time. Huddled together they came, Tattered, filthy, lice-covered, ugly. The street resounded with their sweltering spree. In amazement his palm flitted through his hair again and again. He had served nine years. His mother in his arms, his child giving him hugs -- The crowd seethed in front of the prison gate. Some had rushed all the way from mountain villages, Some from the seas, Their hearts clutched by a longing greater than death. With love they looked for their very own, Bread in their saddlebags, water in their jugs. He couldn't believe the sight of all those streets. He had served seventeen years. The frenzied urge that the heart exudes, Clung to the past with such ardour, She melted away on the convict's chest. Remorse for fields and poplars and cattle, Remorse for ships and weddings and rivers, Remorse for cradles and ox-carts in silence, Not by heaven and earth but in multitudes... He embraced all of us like a madman. He had served five and a half years. The question of those left in jail invades the blue. From behind the iron bars, Both happy and mourning like the wind, A song of the native land renews the dark. Time is not light, yet it is. The empty wards are lying in ambush. If you ever go back, they will torture you. In the light his burnt-out eye grew and grew. He had served eight years. In bundles, the half sleep of a night or a thousand nights Walks away from the earth when fatigue takes hold. Out of the crowd they dispersed in ones and twos, free, To the east and west, to the north and south, free, An avalanche in their hearts -- Life's joys -- Life's frights. His stricken side bobbed and throbbed. He had served seventeen years.