FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Âsû Suçu büyüktü Âsû'nun göklerecek Taþ atmýþtý güneþe doðru Bilinmeyen türküsünde Bilinmeyen çaðýndan Açtý uykusuzdu sayrýydý Dolmuþtu þeytanlarýn soluðu derisine Kötü bir ýþýk Ve mavilikte duruþu çarpýk aðaçlarýn Sövmüþ Tanrýsýna sövmüþ Âsû Âsû Yakýlacak yakýlacak Âsû Âsû Doymuþlar bir ilk zaman içinde Ki sürer sýcaklýðý karýn karýn Kartalla doymuþlar yýlanla doymuþlar Doymuþlar yellerle yýldýzla yalazla Var olmanýn yeðnikliði alna çizilmiþ Kötü ruhlar uyusun türlü boyalar içre Ve ta masallara uzanýr Dudaklarýn kýzýl süsleri Aðaç, davullarýn seslerinden Âsû Âsû Yeþiller allar sarýlar Âsû Âsû Halay çeker korku Uzak kuþaklarýn açýsýna karýþýk Yontulmuþ taþlarda susar Güçsüz yumuþaklýðý etin Büyünün kara kanýný üfler boynuzlara Toprakta kök Açýk bir esrikliktir apaçýk bir uykudan Ve avýn kurtuluþu iþte Kiþinin gücü Tanrýnýn büyüklüðüne Âsû Âsû Yankýlanýr daðdan daða insandan insana Âsû Âsû Devrilmiþ gözleri ak Patlamýþ ürküden göðsü Bütün oba ateþ bütün oba ölüm Bütün oba çýrýlçýplak Açlýðý uykusuzluðu sayrýlýðý tükenmez ama Düþer elleri Yaþamasý parlamaz ama Âsû'nun Ölüsü parlar Aydýnlýk yitiverir yeryüzü yalnýzlýðýndan Âsû Âsû Seni senin karanlýðýn sever ancak Âsû Âsû

Asu The guilt of Asu loomed huge as the sky. Asu had hurled a rock at the sun With his unknown song Out of the unknown age. He was hungry, sleepless and sick. Under his skin the breath of devils lurked Like wicked lights And writhing trees standing in blue. He profaned his god -- Asu, Asu. Burn on the pyre, burn, Asu, Asu. So surfeited were they in a primordial age That warmth endured from belly to belly. They were eagle-stuffed and serpent-stuffed, Wind-stuffed, star-stuffed, flame-stuffed. The levity of life is indelible destiny. May the demons slumber hue by hue, And scarlet ornaments on lips Sprawl toward parables. From the beat of the wooden drums -- Asu, Asu. Green and red and yellow -- Asu, Asu. The dance of terror Mingles with the agony of bygone races, And the impotent softness of the flesh Keeps still on chiselled stones. The root in the ground Blows into horns sorcery's black blood, A naked trace out of the barest sleep, The escape of the prey. Man's might to God's grandeur -- Asu, Asu. Echoes from hill to hill, from man to man -- Asu, Asu. Their eyes roll all white. Breasts burst with fright. The whole clan is fire, the whole clan is death, The whole clan is starknaked. Endlessly hungry, sleepless and sick, His hands drop. Asu's life has never glittered But his corpse does. All light is lost for the earth's solitude -- Asu, Asu. Your own darkness loves you alone, Asu, Asu.