DEAR İSTANBUL
Like they melted my soul and frost it in a cast;
And placed it on land as İstanbul.
Is something fumes in me, air, color, affection, climate;
Is my darling that went beyond time and space.
Its flowers are golden stars, Its water is shiny;
Moon and Sun are two İstanbulian from immemorial times.
Sea and soil, achieves a meet only in it
And dreams achieves an example in it, in it.
İstanbul, my precious one;
My country, ah my country…
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
History’s eyes there, holes on bulwarks;
Redwood, shapely redwood, curtain to afterlife…
Curveted on cloud, the greyish horse dating from Fatih (Sultan Mehmed II);
Domes made of diamonds, maybe 1 billion carat…
Minaret through skies is index finger:
Same meaning in every decoration; We will die, no way?..
Death is more alive than life, mercy more dominant than sin;
While Beyoğlu* stomps, cries Karacaahmet*…
Find that meaning, ah find!
Only find in İstanbul!
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Bosphorus is a silver brazier, boils the coolness;
In Çamlıca*, lies on floor, the deepness of skies.
Playful waters are guests of the ground floor of waterfront;
Chrestfallen about new world, old ambassador in Picture.
Everynight fire breaks out from windows in Üsküdar*.
Haunted hardwood mansion, big as a city…
Some sound, i don’t know if its like tambour or its like lute
Causes “Kâtibim”* groan in rooms that have a bay window…
Its woman is like sharp knife,
Warm as fresh blood.
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Time makes a gergef* on seven hills!
Seven colours, countless appearances from seven sound…
Eyüp* is orphan, Kadıköy* is decorated, Moda* snippy,
Wind in the Island, is cause of flying skirts.
Everytime in Fortresses in break of day, arrows darts from bows
Screams still come from Topkapı Palace.
No lover exists as mother, no land as İstanbul;
Not only laughing one, even the crying one is fortunate…
Its night smells hyacinth flower
Its Turkish senses nightingale
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, 1963
* Karacaahmet: A historical neighbourhood in Istanbul, known for the 700-year-old historic cemetery
* Kâtibim (My Clerk): A Turkish folk song, in which Üsküdar District is mentioned, and also known as “Üsküdar’a Gider İken” (On the Way to Üsküdar).
* Gergef: A tool that girls use while decorating clothes, fabrics with colourful fibers, with needle
* Beyoğlu, Üsküdar, Eyüp, Kadıköy, Çamlıca, Moda: The names of four districts and two neighbourhoods of Istanbul
CANIM İSTANBUL
Ruhumu eritip de kalıpta dondurmuşlar;
Onu İstanbul diye toprağa kondurmuşlar.
İçimde tüten bir şey; hava, renk, edâ, iklim;
O benim, zaman, mekân aşıp geçmiş sevgilim.
Çiçeği altın yaldız, suyu telli pulludur;
Ay ve güneş ezelden iki İstanbulludur.
Denizle toprak, yalnız onda ermiş visale
Ve kavuşmuş rüyalar, onda, onda misale.
İstanbul benim canım;
Vatanım da vatanım…
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Tarihin gözleri var, surlarda delik delik;
Servi, endamlı servi, ahirete perdelik…
Bulutta şaha kalkmış Fatih’ten kalma kır at;
Pırlantadan kubbeler, belki bir milyar kırat…
Şahadet parmağıdır göğe doğru minare;
Her nakışta o mâna: Öleceğiz ne çare?
Hayattan canlı ölüm, günahtan baskın rahmet;
Beyoğlu tepinirken ağlar Karacaahmet…
O mânayı bul da bul!
İlle İstanbul’da bul!
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Boğaz gümüş bir mangal, kaynatır serinliği;
Çamlıca’da yerdedir göklerin derinliği.
Oynak sular yalının alt katına misafir;
Yeni dünyadan mahzun, resimde eski sefir.
Her akşam camlarında yangın çıkan Üsküdar.
Perili ahşap konak, koca bir şehir kadar…
Bir ses, bilemem tanbur gibi mi, ud gibi mi?
Cumbalı odalarda inletir “Kâtibim”i…
Kadını keskin bıçak,
Taze kan gibi sıcak.
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Yedi tepe üstünde zaman bir gergef işler!
Yedi renk, yedi sesten sayısız belirişler…
Eyüp öksüz, Kadıköy süslü, Moda kurumlu,
Adada rüzgâr, uçan eteklerden sorumlu.
Her şafak Hisarlarda oklar çıkar yayından
Hâlâ çığlıklar gelir Topkapı Sarayından.
Ana gibi yâr olmaz, İstanbul gibi diyar;
Güleni şöyle dursun, ağlayanı bahtiyar…
Gecesi sümbül kokan
Türkçesi bülbül kokan,
İstanbul,
İstanbul…
Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, 1963
