FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA
Seçme Siirler * Selected Poems
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Translated by Talat Sait Halman

Ýnönüler

                              -- Savunan yurt.

     Susamýþ, analara, oðullara, kýzlara kardeþim,
     Su,
     Susamýþ vakte.

     Durmaz biz dursak bile vatanda,
     Otlarýn kurusu,
     Ekinlerin yaþý hiç.

     Kurmuþ mu diyorsun ölümümüz,
     Daha büyük bir ölüme pusu,
     Kelime-i þahadetlerle yükselen daðlarda?

     Ahaca birikmiþ yüzlerce yýl,
     Arzusu
     Bu toprakta yaþayan þeylerin.


The Inonu Battles

             - The land in defense.

     Brother, the land thirsts for mothers, sons and daughters.
     Dire,
     Water thirsts for time.

     Even if we flinch in this land of ours,
     Dry grass will aspire,
     And wet crops will dart forward.

     Do you say death set a trap for a bigger death
     On the mountains which rise higher
     With the pledge of our faith?

     Look, they have joined hands
     In desire,
     All the things that lived here for centuries.


"Ýnönüler" is from SELECTED POEMS OF FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAGLARCA, translated by Talat Sait Halman, © 1969 by University of Pittsburgh Press.
Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.
All rights reserved.