Orhan Veli Kanik
(1914, Istanbul - November 14, 1950, Istanbul)

His poems in English

ALL OF A SUDDEN," Everything happened all of a sudden. / All of a sudden daylight beat down on the earth;"

AS DEATH APPROACHES," Toward the coming on of evening, in winter time, / At the wondow of a sick man's bedroom-"

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FINE DAYS," These fine days have been my ruin. / On this kind of day I resigned / My job in ``Pious Foundations.''"

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FOR THIS COUNTRY

FREE," We live free / Air is free, clouds are free / Valleys and hills are free"

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I AM LISTENING TO ISTANBUL," I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed; / At first there blows a gentle breeze"

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IF ONLY I COULD SET SAIL," How pleasant, oh dear God, how pleasant / To journey on the blue sea"

SADNESS," I might have got angry / With those I love"

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TAIL SONG," We can't come together, our ways are different / You're a butcher's cat, I'm an alley cat "

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REPLY (From the butcher's cat to the alley cat) ," You speak of hunger / That means you're communist"

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TAMERLANE'S PRICE," One day, Tamerlane and Hodja together take a trip / To a bath where they start washing as soon as they strip."

THERE MUST BE SOMETHING," Is the sea as beautiful as this every day? / Does the sky look like this all the time?"

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TWEEZERS