FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Deniz Feneri Uzanmýþ koca burun açýk denize doðru, Lacivert ve gri gecenin deðerinde. Karanlýkla baþlar bir dünya sevgisi, Deniz feneri parlar, Talihe aldýrmadan kayalar üzerinde. Bulutlar birleþir alaca düzlüklerde, Çöker uzak limanlardan bir sis. Bir sýkýntý baþlar karanlýðýnda kaderin, Bildirir, yanýnca yanýnca, Ömrün neresindesiniz, aþkýn neresindesiniz? Yüreðin mi daralýyor, yýldýz ýþýðýnda, Býrak anýlar gitsin biraz daha geri. Ruhu götürmeden vakit yürüyebilir, Düþün nasýl durmuþ sabýrla yüzlerce yýl, Hep bu benekte bu deniz feneri. Bak deniz savaþlarýna, yaþlý korsanlara, Uçan dalgalara, uyuyan rüzgara bakmýþ, Bir tek göz kadar kara ve mavi, Enginle boþ, Kýsmetsiz balýkçýlara bakmýþ. Saçlarýnda tuz kokan, ölü kokan bir serinlik, Yüzünde bir fýrtýna tadý. Durursun yorgun, umutsuz, Birden bir daha yanýp söner, sevinçle titrersin, Bir þey, belki de yaþaman uzadý. Yaþlýdýr dullarýn ölçülmez özleminde, Güçlüdür kocaman geceleri taþýr. Delidir, konuþmaz, uyumaz, Sonrasýzlýðýn iyiliðini bekler, kötü günlerden, Akýllýdýr. Sarhoþ gemilerimiz sallanýr sallanýr, Gömülmüþ kasýrgalarýn uykusuyla belli, Kayalar mezarlara benzer enginlerden, Duyulur sudan göðe kadar, "Ölüsü kandilli." Vakit yok olur, zamandan boþalýr varlýk, Düþmez burçlardan haber. Bir uðursuzlukla aðýr ve yorgun, Bütün insanlar bitti sanýrsýnýz, Deniz feneri gülümser.

Beacon Jutting far into the high seas, the promontory, Cherished as the lazulite and silver light, smoulders. A terrestrial love starts in the dark While the beacon shines Despite destiny on the boulders. Clouds fuse in crepuscule dimensions. From distant harbours fogs descend, And sadness stirs in the darkness of fate. Blazing and blinking, the beacon inquires: Where in life do you stand, where in love do you stand? If the heart cringes in the starlight, Memories might recede and recoil. Time may tread on without the soul's cargo As the beacon has stood for ages With patience on this same soil. It witnessed sea battles and ancient pirates, Caught the wind asleep and the waves in flight, As blue and black as a single eye, And vacant as the vast seas. Ill-fated fishermen struggled in its sight. In your hair a cool air smells of salt and death. On your face a cyclone's flavours linger. You stand weary and forlorn. Suddenly flickering, quivering with joy, Something, perhaps life, is now longer. Dolourous as widows' indomitable desires, Upon its prowess the gargantuan night lies. Insane, taciturn and awake, It craves from disaster the charity of end-all. It is wise. Our drunken vessels roll and sway. The sleep of buried hurricanes is stirred. Rocks stretch far like pelagic graves. From the sea to heaven The sailor's curse is heard. Time vanishes and life abandons time. From the galaxies descend no bulletins. Heavy and tired with an ill omen, When all men are thought to have ceased, The beacon grins.