FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems

Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Bir Memet Daha Topraktan mi çikti yari toprak bir yaratik, Gökten mi indi yari gök bir kartal. Bir Memet daha var oldu o sira, Tepenin dorugunda kalpagi al. Bir Memet oldugu besbelli, Saçlari basakta, gözleri çiçekte. Elleri ayaklari öylesin kocaman, Yüzü alti Memet'in yüzüne öylesin benzemekte. Vardi üç adimda masalcana, Agzi duman tüten makineliye, dev. Kabzeyi kavrar kavramaz basti tetige Fiskirdi namludan sonsuz bir alev. Allah Allah, sasti bütün daglar, bütün gök, Sasti dost düsman. Bu kimdir, bu kaçinci Memet'tir, Ölülerde dirilerde dondu kan. Görsen efsane, görmesen efsane, Duysan efsane. Uzak midir bayraktan düsen, Yakin midir ne? Bir parilti bir parilti tarihten, Tanrica dik. Yurdun ulusun kutsal gücü, Bu yedinci Memet, Memetcik.

One More Unknown Hero Did a half-earth creature jut out of the ground? Did a half-sky eagle swoop down at a snap? One more unknown hero came to life On the hill's crest, with a crimson cap. Clearly another unknown soldier, His hair in spikes, his eyes in the flower's throes ... His hands and feet were enormous. His face was the face of six other fallen heroes. A giant, a living legend, he took three steps And seized the machine-gun with its smouldering spout. Grasping the butt, he pulled the trigger, And an endless flame gushed out. God Almighty, mountains and skies stood in awe, Our friends and foes. Who is this, which doomed hero? The blood of the dead and the living froze. He is a legend if you see him or not, A legend, you hear. Is what falls off the flag Far or near? Upright like God, Out of history, a deathless glow ... The sacred might of the land and the nation, The seventh Memet, the seventh unknown hero.