FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

"Çakýrýn Destaný" ndan - Vuzuh, el ve ayak halinde onu rahatsýz ediyordu. Karar vermiþim, öleceðim, Büyük sular arasýnda, korkusuz. Nur ile, uzak yazýlar ile, Bir muska gibi boynumda kalacak, Bu husus. Senelerce evvel, tohumlarýn mavi zamanýndan evvel, Karar vermiþim, gece kuþlarýnýn müsaadesinde, Etrafýma boþ ve büyük kadehler dizeceðim. Ve seyredeceðim onlarý sultanlar gibi; Kurumuþ ölülerin içmek hevesinde. Havadan hafif ve bazý kadýnlardan daha eski, Çýrýlçýplak doðduðumuza dair; Cihan boyunca, þehirlerle, daðlarla devam eden, Vaktin nebatlarla sallanan güzelliði, Bir yadigarlýk ki bilinir. Aklýn zina olduðu yerde, Taþlar, odunlar gibi yavaþ. Tarihin beyaz ve aydýnlýk havasýndan, Karar vermiþim, öleceðim, Büyük hayvan iskeletleriyle sýrdaþ.

Extract from "The Epic of Cakir" - Clarity, in the form of hands and feet, made him uneasy. I decided I shall die In the midst of mighty rivers, without fear. In the light and with remote inscriptions, The fact will hang and stay around my neck Like an amulet with a prayer. Years ago, before the blue age of the seeds, I decided, with the consent of the birds of night, I shall surround myself with big empty beakers, And with the thirst of dried up corpses, Like a sultan I shall stare at them in delight. Lighter than air, more ancient than some women, The truth of our starknaked birth... Perpetual in cities and hills the world over Time's beauty sways with the flora, A remembrance cherished for its worth. Slowly, like rocks and logs Within the mind's adultery, From the white and bright sky of history, I decided I shall die And share with animal skeletons life's mystery.