FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Öldürdüðümüz Geceyle parlayan gözleri vardý, Cesurdu, cesurdu ziyade. Nasýl ki çekti bizi, Ýstifade. Karanlýk maðaranýn kapýsýnda durduk, Geçerken býraktýk taþý. Sustu büyük baðýrmasýnda, Gecelerin ve ormanlarýn sýrdaþý. Artýk bizim gibi deðil, Su içmez, kýmýldamaz. Uyanýklýðý hiç yok, Uykusu az. Öyle garip ve öyle sade, Süsler yapacaðýz süslerinden. Tüyleri gibi aydýnlýk, Ve bir þey görmeyen. Hazýr, etrafýn düþmanlýðýnda, Zaferin bitmez tükenmez yemeði. Aklýmýzýn, korkumuzun, ellerimizin, Beraber yiyeceði !

The Prey we Killed It had eyes glaring in the night And courage, vast courage. Yet we were enticed By advantage. We halted at the mouth of the dark cave And left the rock as we passed by. Close to the secrets of nights and forests, It broke into silence from its hue and cry. It no longer resembles us, Drinks no water, moves not a whit, It is never wakeful, Sleeps a tiny bit. So strange and so plain -- From its ornaments we shall fashion our own As shiny as its soft hair And blind as stone. It is ready, in the enmity of girding space -- Victory's inexhaustible meat, Which our minds and fears and hands together Shall eat.