THE SONG OF ISTANBUL

In Istanbul, on the Bosphorus,
I am poor Orhan Veli;
I am the son of Veli
With indescribable sadness.
I am sitting by the shore of Rumeli,
I am sitting and  singing a song:

``The marble hills of Istanbul,
Landing on my head, oh, landing are the sea gulls;
Hot, homesick tears fill
My eyes,
My Eda,
Full or airs, my Karma,
		       the fountain salt
Of all my tears.

In the middle of Istanbul movie houses,
My mother won't hear of my exile;
Others kiss
And tell
And make love,
               but what's that to me?
My lover,
My fever,
	 oh, my bubonic river.''

In Istanbul, on the Bosphorus,
I am the stranger Orhan Veli,
The son of Veli
With indescribable sadness.




Orhan Veli
Translated by Murat Nemet-Nejat, 1989