In Translation | Ezginin Günlüğü - 1980 - Sigaramın Dumanı

Sigaramın dumanına sarsam saklasam seni
If only I could roll you up in my cigarette and keep you
Sigaramın dumanına sarsam saklasam seni
Gitme gitme gittiğin yollardan dönülmez geri
Don't go, don't go, there's no coming back from the road you're on
Gitme gitme el olursun sevgilim incitir beni
Don't go, don't go, when you're a stranger, my love, it will hurt me
Yokluğuna ah yol yol olsa uzasa unutmam seni
No matter how long away your absence lasts, I won't forget you
Yokluğuna ah yol yol olsa uzasa unutmam seni

Gitme gitme gittğin yollardan dönülmez geri
Gitme gitme el olursun sevgilim incitir beni
Akşam vakti sardı yine hüzünler
At evening-time, the sadness enveloped me again
Kalbim yangın yeri gel kurtar beni senden
My heart is a disaster, come and save me from you
Akşam vakti dolaştım sokaklarda
At evening-time, I wandered in the streets
Yırtık bir afiş seni gördüm duvarda
I saw you on the wall on a torn placard 

Sigaramın dumanına sarsam saklasam seni
Yokluğuna ah yol yol olsa uzasa unutmam seni
Gitme gitme gittiğin yollardan dönülmez geri
Gitme gitme el olursun sevdiğim incitir beni
Gitme gitme gittiğin yollardan dönülmez geri
Gitme gitme el olursun sevdiğim incitir beni

Let Me Be Your Hiccup

Kellen Waits (Image Source: Chris Gratien)

Lesson 17 | -ken While

Esmeray circa 1970s (Source: uludağsözlük)

In English, we combine independent clauses using conjunctions such as "and" or conjunctive adverbs such as "while". Turkish, as we've already seen in a few songs, does possess such conjunctions such as "ve (and)". But the more common way of joining sentences is using grammatical endings. In Lesson 13, we learned about -erek, which means while. In the last lesson, we learned an adverbial form that performs a similar function in words like "seve seve" and "bile bile". Here we have two means of expressing a similar meaning through the endings of -ken and -ince.

The singer in this lesson is Esmeray. She was another of the iconic singers of the 1970s period that has featured so regularly in our lessons this far. She was also one of the most recognizable pop culture figures of the Afro-Turk community, people spread throughout Turkey most of whom trace their descent to the legacy of the Ottoman slave trade.

The song, "Unutama Beni (Don't Be Able to Forget Me)", is one of her first singles released on 45 during the 1970s and one of the most famous. After she passed away in 2002, one ekşisözlük reader endearingly joked that she was "a nice woman" but "someone who is still greatly respected even though the number of victims driven to suicide by her song 'Unutama Beni' is at least 10 times that of [Murat] Kekilli" and therefore "the one who pushed me to deep thoughts on the subject of society's hypocrisy." In other words, "Unatama Beni", unforgettable as it may be, is one of those many classic love songs that veers dangerously towards self-destructive and psychopathic obsession. But in a good way, right?

In this lesson, I'd like to highlight a few grammar points, some of which we will deal with later at greater length. The first is the ending -ken, which comes from the word "iken" and can be added to the end of any verb to convey the meaning of "while/when". In the last verse of this song, -ken is added to the end of a number of -ir verbs (see Lesson 14). She says:

Sevişirken, öpüşürken
Yapayalnız dolaşırken
Unutmaya çalışırken
Unutama beni

You can find the translation below or figure out the meaning on your own using the vocab list, but what I want to highlight here is that although the subject of the verbs "sevişirken" and "çalışırken" and the like is "you" or "sen", there is no verbal pronoun ending on these verbs. We only understand the person of the subject from the imperative verb at the end of the sentence: "unutama" or "don't be able to forget."

In another verse, we have a similar function represented by the -ince, which means "while", "as", "when", or "by". It appears in the following line:

Ayrılığın acısını kalbinde duyunca unutma beni.

As you can see, -ince is added directly to the stem of the verb "duymak" meaning "to feel" or "to hear", also without an affix marking person. The -ince ending will be covered at greater length in Lesson 29.

This song also features two notable examples of a rare prefix in the Turkish language. One of the more unique features of Turkish is this intensifier prefixes that makes adjective more of whatever they are. In the song we have two words "kapkaranlık" and "yapayalnız" that bear this prefix. They are formed from the words "karanlık (darkness)" and "yalnız (lonely)". They carry the intensifiers "kap-" and "yapa" respectively. These are formed in imitation of the first syllable but don't have an exact pattern (you'll have to memorize them using this list). But the meanings they create are "pitch-darkness" and "all-alone". Note that both of these intensifier adjectives create meanings that we have special idiomatic ways of saying in English. This is true in many but not all cases of the intensifier adjective. For example, it's hard to find the perfect way of translating "bomboş" from "boş (empty)" or "besbelli" from "belli (clear)".

There are a few other interesting grammar points that will be good to memorize for now using this song and explore more deeply in subsequent lessons. For example, the verb "olayım" or "let me be" utilizes the -eyim ending covered in Lesson 19. Likewise, we'll learn about the grammatical difference between "unutma" and "unutama" in Lesson 25.

Vocabulary



öpüşmek - to make out, to kiss each other
çalışmak - to work
dolaşmak - to wander, to walk around

boğaz - throat
hıçkırık - hiccup, sob
göz yaşı - tear
gölge - shadow, shade
adım - step
soluk - breath, break
ad - name
karanlık - darkness
kapkaranlık - pitch-darkness
yalnız - alone
yapayalnız - all alone

Esmeray - Unutama Beni

Boğazında düğümlenen hıçkırık olayım
May I be the sob that gets caught in your throat 

Here we can see the meaning of "hıçkırık" or "hiccup" is the kind of hiccup you make when crying and sobbing.

Unutma beni, unutama beni
Do not forget me, don't be able to forget me
Gözünden damlayamayan göz yaşın olayım
May I be your tear that cannot drop from your eye
Unutma beni, unutama beni
Do not forget me, don't be able to forget me

Gölgen gibi adım adım
Like your shadow, step by step
Her solukta benim adım
My name in every breath 

"Ad-ım" or "my name" cleverly rhymes with the word "adım" meaning step.

Ben nasıl ki unutmadım
Like I didn't forget you
Sen de unutma beni, unutama beni
You don't forget me either, don't be able to forget me

Bitmek bilmez kapkaranlık geceler boyunca
Throughout the pitch dark nights that don't know how to end
Unutma beni, unutama beni
Do not forget me, don't be able to forget me
Ayrılığın acısını kalbinde duyunca
While you feel the pain of separation in your heart
Unutma beni, unutama beni
Do not forget me, don't be able to forget me

Sevişirken, öpüşürken
When you make love, when you kiss (someone)
Yapayalnız dolaşırken
When you wander all alone
Unutmaya çalışırken
When you try to forget
Unutama beni, unutama beni
Don't be able to forget me, don't be able to forget me

We won't be leaving these sappy old songs anytime soon. Before moving onto Lesson 18: Come Back in September, try to learn the vocabulary for this lesson using the exercise below.

I'm Jealous

İnci Çayırlı 45 (Source: Gitti Gidiyor)

Lesson 1 | Bonus Listening

In English, jealousy is a state. In Turkish, it is an action. The verb "kıskanmak", which means "to be jealous" reveals that jealousy is not just something we feel but something we can do.

Although this song is performed by a woman, İnci Çayırlı, it seems to be sung from the vantage point of a man about a woman. The composer is Hulki Saner.

Vocabulary

yaşamak - to live
kıskanmak - to be jealous
bakmak - to look
sarmak - to wrap around, to envelop, to embrace, to hold

incecik - slender, little
bel - waist
pırıl pırıl - sparkling, glistening

İnce Çayırlı - Kıskanıyorum

Sen gideli derdimle yapa yalnız yaşıyorum
Since you left, I'm living all alone with my pain
Nerdesin kimlesin diye kıskanıyorum
I'm jealous, saying "where are you, who are you with?"

Kara kara kara gözler ona buna bakıyor mu
Are those dark dark eyes looking at other (guys)?
O incecik beli şimdi başka biri sarıyor mu
Is another holding that slender waist now?
Pırıl pırıl pırıl saçlar yine dalgalanıyor mu
Is that glistening hair waving again
Yumuk yumuk güzel eller başka bir el tanıyor mu
Do those soft soft pretty hands know another hand?

Kıskanıyorum, kıskanıyorum
I'm jealous, I'm jealous
Derdime dalıp ben yanıyorum
I'm suffering, immersed in my sorrow

Kara kara kara gözler ona buna bakıyor mu
O incecik beli şimdi başka biri sarıyor mu
Pırıl pırıl pırıl saçlar yine dalgalanıyor mu
Yumuk yumuk güzel eller başka bir el tanıyor mu


Aşk acısı kalbimi kor gibi yakacak mı
Is the pain of love going to burn my heart like an ember?
Gözyaşım durmadan hep böyle akacak mı
Will my tears always flow ceaselessly like this?

Kara kara kara gözler ona buna bakıyor mu
O incecik beli şimdi başka biri sarıyor mu
Pırıl pırıl pırıl saçlar yine dalgalanıyor mu
Yumuk yumuk güzel eller başka bir el tanıyor mu

Kıskanıyorum, kıskanıyorum
Derdime dalıp ben yanıyorum

In Translation | Diyar Pala - Pompalamasyon

Diyar Pala in the video for his 2010 single "Pompalamasyon"

This song will probably become a lesson in our series on colloquial Turkish at a later date. The singer, Diyar Pala, was born in London, where he became active in the performing arts. An accomplished traveler, his oeuvre could be most generously described as a playful experiment in cultural synthesis. He adapts the motifs of pop music and a hip-hop/RnB aesthetic to a Turkish-language context, creating compositions that are as inimitable as they are unforgettable.

The song's title reflects Diyar Pala's mischievous proclivity for linguistic wordplay. The term "Pompalamasyon", a portmanteau of sorts that conveys the image of repeated mechanical pumping, serves as the rhythmic centerpiece in an exquisite display of bravado, exuberance, and dare we say tenderness. Pala likens himself to a machine, an automaton guided by an inexhaustible drive for piston-like repetition. But if there is a hint of desperation in his words, there is no shortage of revelry, as he derives great satisfaction from the fulfillment of his one true function: to pump.

I was unable to ascertain the name of the woman who performs with Diyar Pala in this song, just as I (and the rest of the internet it would seem) was unable to transcribe the entirety of her contribution due to the inventive language she employs in her verse at the end of the song. If any of our readers are privy to either of these pieces of information, assistance would be appreciated.

Pompalamasyon, bu benim misyon
Pumpamating, that's my mission
Afrodizyak istemez doğuştan hazır füzyon
Doesn't take an aphrodisiac, it's born ready fusion
Woowoowoowoo baby yoo bu gece gelip benim ol
Woah woah woah oh baby yo, come be mine tonight

Sabah uyandım bir an şaşırdım
I woke up in the morning and was confused for a moment
Burası neresi
Where is this?
Ben burayı tanımadım
I don't recognize this place
Kollarımda bir kadın, şişt, acaba neydi adın?
There's a woman in my arms, psst "what was your name?"
Ne zaman geldik kafa güzeldi dün gece ben bayıldım
"When did we come back last night? I was drunk and I passed out"
Hemen ayıldım çevreme bakındım
I immediately came to and looked around me
Ortalık dağınık pantolonu bulamadım
The area was messy and I couldn't find my pants
Kıza sordum pantolonum nerde
I asked the girl "Where are my pants?"
Dedi boş ver benimki de yerde
She said, "nevermind, mine are on the floor too"
Kıza bakınca canım yine onu çekti
When I looked at the girl, I got hungry for her again
Seksi bakışlarıyla verdi bana yetki
She gave me authorization with her sexy glances
Pompalamasyon gece gündüz
Pumpamating day and night
Eridi bitti kollarımda hatun oldu dümdüz
She melted and finished in my arms, the lady was flattened
Ben makineyim bu da benim işim
[Robot voice] I'm a machine [] and this is my function
Canın acırsa senin için yavaşlayabilirim
If you're hurting I can ease it for you
Sağım solum belli olmaz seni sevebilirim
I'm all over the place (meaning unpredictable), I could love you
Belki de yanında uzun süre kalabilirim
And perhaps I could stay with you for a longtime

Pompalamasyon bu benim misyon
Afrodizyak istemez doğuştan hazır füzyon
Woowoowoo baby yoo bu gece gelip benim ol (x2)

Çok güzelsin çok şekersin
You're so pretty, you're so sweet
Ama fazla bağlanırsan kafayı çizersin
But if you get too attached, you'll go crazy
Gel deme gelemem bekleme sevemem
Don't say come, I can't come, don't wait, I can't love
Elleme veremem kalbimi
Don't touch, I can't give you my heart
Sana ben kaç kere söyledim bu iş böyledir
How many times have I said this is how it is
Oyunun kuralı bu biri gider biri gelir
That's the rule of the game, one goes, another comes
Çevremde çok kız var pompalamazsam ağlarlar
There are a lot of girls around me, if I don't pump, they'll cry
Sırasını beklesin herkes size özel çok zamanım var
Everyone can wait their turn, I have a lot of time just for each of you
Nereye kadar vurkaç ve saklan
How long will you hit and run and hide
Uslanırsın adam akıllı bi kız bulsan
You'll behave yourself once you find the right girl
O gün gelene dek bu eğlenceden bıkmam
Until that day comes, I'll never tire of this fun
Eylemlerim devam eder evlenmeden durmam
My actions will continue, I won't stop until I get married
Bir melek var içimde, saklı gizli bekleyen
There's an angel in me, hidden, secretly waiting
Sevgilisiyle iyi bir yerde mutlu günler isteyen
One that wants to have happy days in a nice place with the one he loves
Şeytan var içinde azgın bir biçimde
There's a devil in you, in a wild state
Önüne çekici kız çıkınca gidip çöker üstüne
When an attractive girl comes before him, he goes and pounces on her

I Can't Get Drunk

Lesson 25 | Listening Practice
-emiyor

This song features a number of verbs using the -ememek constructions with the present tense -iyor ending, creating the meaning of "cannot" for a number of verbs. As we noticed in Lesson 25, what separates these verbs from the -emez aorist ending is that while the latter refers to a general inability, these -emiyor verbs refer to a present state of inability to do something one is normally able to do.

In this song, Zeki Müren laments that for some reason, he just cannot drink tonight the way he usually does. Follow along with the lyrics and pay attention to the various iterations of -ememek, which are underlined.

Zeki Müren - Elveda Meyhaneci (Farewell Barkeep)

Elveda meyhaneci artık kalamıyorum
Farewell, my barkeep, I can't stay anymore
Bir başkayım bu akşam / sarhoş olamıyorum
I'm not myself tonight / I can't get drunk

Aynı kadeh aynı mey bir tat alamıyorum
The same glass, the same wine, I can't enjoy it right now
Allahım bu nasıl şey? / sarhoş olamıyorum
Oh God, what is this? I can't get drunk
Aynı kadeh aynı mey bir tat alamıyorum
Bilmem ki bu nasıl şey / sarhoş olamıyorum
I don't know what kind of thing this is / I can't get drunk

Ne gökte ne yerdeyim / bir garip seferdeyim
I'm not on the ground, I'm not in this sky / I'm on a strange journey
Aşık mıyım? Ben neyim? Sarhoş olamıyorum
Am I in love? What am I? I can't get drunk
Ne gökte ne yerdeyim / bir garip seferdeyim
Aşık mıyım? Ben neyim? Sarhoş olamıyorum

Aynı kadeh aynı mey bir tat alamıyorum
Allahım bu nasıl şey sarhoş olamıyorum
Aynı kadeh aynı mey bir tat alamıyorum
Bilmem ki bu nasıl şey? / sarhoş olamıyorum
Sarhoş olamıyorum
Sarhoş olamıyorum
Sarhoş olamıyorum

In Translation | Neşe Karaböcek - Kabahatım Büyüktür

O gönül kuşu gibi
Like a heart-bird
Kalbimde yuva kurdu
He made his nest in my heart
Acı dilim kurusun
Curse my harsh words (literally "bitter tongue")
Dilim onu uçurdu
They made him fly away

Ah
Kabahatim büyüktür
I've made a big mistake
Ay eller ne yaptım
Oh what have I done?
Ben onu üzdüm
I hurt him
Kimselere inanmam / bir ona inanırdım
I can believe no one / if anyone, I would have believed him

Acı yaşlar dökülür
Bitter tears fall
Titreyen vücuduma
On my trembling body
Bekleyen bakışlarım
My waiting glances
Takıldı kaldı yolda (kaldı yol ayrımında)
Are stuck on the road

Ah
Kabahatim büyüktür
Ay eller ne yaptım
Ben onu üzdüm
Kimselere inanmam
Bir ona inanırdım

Ben yarime kızmışım
It seems I've angered my beloved
Gururunu kırmışım
It seems I broke his pride
Kuru laftan ne çıkar
What use are empty promises?
Sözüm gönlümden değil
My word is not from the heart

Ah
Kabahatim büyüktür
Ay eller ne yaptım
Ben onu üzdüm
Kimselere inanmam
Bir ona inanırdım

Lyrics Source: http://www.akormerkezi.com/nese-karabocek-kabahatim-buyuktur-sarki-sozu_sarki-frjjtn.html

In Translation | Zeki Müren - Şimdi Uzaklardasın

Şimdi uzaklardasın
Now you're far away
Gönül hicranla doldu
My heart has filled with pain
Şimdi uzaklardasın / gönül hicranla doldu

Hiç ayrılamam derken / kavuşmak hayal oldu
While thinking that I could never part / reuniting became nothing more than a dream
Hiç ayrılamam derken / kavuşmak hayal oldu

Sevda bahçelerinin çiçekleri hep soldu, çiçekleri hep soldu
The flowers of the gardens of love have all wilted, the flowers have all wilted
Hiç ayrılamam derken / kavuşmak hayal oldu
Hiç ayrılamam derken / kavuşmak hayal oldu

In Translation | MFÖ - Bodrum Bodrum

Nasıl anlatsam,nerden başlasam, mmmm.....
How can I explain? Where do I begin?
Bodrum Bodrum, Bodrum Bodrum

Duygu, biraz duygu
Feeling, a little feeling
Bütün isteğim buydu
That was all I wanted
Biraz deniz, biraz uyku
A little sea, a little sleep
Bütün isteğim buydu
That was all I wanted
Bodrum Bodrum, Bodrum Bodrum

Nasıl anlatsam,nerden başlasam
How can I explain? Where do I begin?
Kaç kişiydik o zaman bak
How many of us were there then?
Kaç kişi kaldı şimdi
Look how many have remained
Bodrum Bodrum

Bir zamanlar aşık olmuştum
Once I had fallen in love
Ama şimdi ismi neydi unuttum
But now I've forgetten her name
Bodrum Bodrum, Bodrum Bodrum

Duygu, biraz duygu
Bütün isteğim buydu
Biraz deniz, biraz uyku
Bütün isteğim buydu
Bodrum Bodrum, Bodrum Bodrum

Bir zamanlar aşık olmuştum
Ama şimdi ismi neydi unuttum
Bodrum Bodrum, Bodrum Bodrum

Nasıl anlatsam,nerden başlasam
Kaç kişiydik o zaman bak,
Kaç kişi kaldı şimdi
Bodrum Bodrum

Lyrics Source: http://www.nomorelyrics.net/tr/sozleri/8119-Bodrum_Bodrum-sozleri.html

In Translation | Ferdi Tayfur - Olsan İçmez Miydin?

Vocabulary

yıllarca - for years
peşinden koşmak - to chase after
vefa - fidelity, faithfulness
yerimde - in my place, in my shoes
bahar - spring
çıkmaz bir sokak - a dead end
benzemek - to resemble




Yıllarca koştum hep aşkın peşinden 
For years I chased, always after love
Kimse anlamadı gönül derdimden 
Nobody understood the pain of my heart
Bir vefa görmedim sevdiklerimden 
Not once did I find fidelity from the ones I loved
Olsan içmez miydin benim yerimde?
If you were me in my shoes, wouldn't you drink?

Baharim solmadan eskidi ömrüm 
Before my spring has faded, my life was old
Çıkmaz bir sokağa benzedi gönlüm, 
My heart resembled a dead-end street
Leylasi olmayan mecnuna döndüm 
I turned into a Mecnun without a Leyla
Olsan içmez miydin benim yerimde?
If you were me in my shoes, wouldn't you drink?

Bulamadım beni candan seveni 
I couldn't find someone who truly loves me
Zamansız yitirdim hayat selini 
I lost the flood of life at an untimely moment
Yaşarken canımda gördüm eceli 
While living I saw the end in my soul
Olsan içmez miydin benim yerimde?
If you were me in my shoes, wouldn't you drink?

In Translation | Melike Demirağ - Merhaba (Hello)

Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba yeni doğan güneş
Hello, hello, hello, newly rising sun
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba neşeli insanlar
Hello, hello, hello, joyful people
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba emekleyen kardeş
Hello, hello, hello, my struggling friend
Hayat her gün yeni baştan başlar
Life begins anew everyday

Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba yere düşen tohum
Hello, hello, hello, seed falling on the ground
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba filizlenen toprak
Hello, hello, hello, sprouting soil
Bu sabah tepeden tırnağa umutla doluyum
This morning I'm filled with hope from head to toe
Tohumlar elbet çatlayacak
The seeds will surely split (and grow)

Bak işte güneş var
Look, it's sunny
İşte su, toprak
There's water, earth
Bir ufak tohumdan
From one little seed
Yüz bin meyve çıkacak
100,000 fruits will emerge

Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba masmavi gökyüzü
Hello, hello, hello, bright blue sky
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba sevip sevilenler
Hello, hello, hello, to you who love and are loved
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba çiçek açan ağaç
Hello, hello, hello, flowering tree
Meyveyi toplayan eller
And hands that collect the fruit

Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba yeni doğan güneş
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba çalışan insanlar
Merhaba, merhaba, merhaba yeni doğan kardeş
Hayat her gün yeni baştan başlar

In Translation | Kibariye - Alıştık Artık

Karadır bahtım gün olur biz de güleriz
My fortune is black, but one day we'll laugh too
Yaşanan bu acıları biz sileriz
We'll erase this pain we've experienced
Her birimiz yoğun dertli dua ederiz
Each of us will pray with heavy pain
Yine de sesimiz çıkmaz hep güleriz
We wont't say anything anymore, just laugh

Alıştık artık dert çekmeye
We're used to suffering by now
Alıştık artık biz herşeye
We're used to everything by now

Güç sendeki gülü bulduk aşkı umduk
We found the flower inside you difficult, we wanted love
Dostumuza sitem ettik hep göz yumduk
We criticized our friends, our eyes were wide shut
Ne ziyanız ne isyanız ne farkındayız
We weren't suffering, or rebelling, or even aware
Düşmüşüz biz bu dünyanın çarkındayız
It seems we've fallen, we are in the wheel of the world (i.e. stuck in fate)

Alıştık artık dert çekmeye
Alıştık artık biz herşeye

In Translation | Mersinli İsmail - Son Mektup

Son mektubu yazarken elin titremedi mi
When you wrote that last letter, did your hands not tremble?
Seni yaradan Tanrım merhamet vermedi mi
Didn't the God that created you give you mercy?
Unut beni diyorsun.. ben sana yar olamam
You are saying "forget me, I could never be your lover"
Mezara girsem bile.. ben seni unutamam
Even if I enter my grave, I can never forget you
Eğer oğlun olursa adımı ver sevgilim
If you have a son, give him my name my love
Severek ölen varsa.. işte benim sevgilim
If anyone can die of love, that's me my love
Yaşarken ölen varsa.. o da benim sevgilim
If anyone can be dead while alive, that is also me my love
Kızım olursa eğer ismini vereceğim
If I have a daughter, I will give her your name
Her yavrum deyişimde.. hep seni anacağım
Everytime I say "my darling" I will remember you
Kızım olursa eğer ismini vereceğim
Her yavrum deyişimde.. seni hatırlayacağım..

In Translation | Beyaz - Gemilerde talim var

Gemilerde talim var
There are drills on the ships
Bahriyeli yarim var
I have a lover in the navy
O da gitti sefere
He went on a journey
Ne talihsiz başım var
I have such an unlucky head

Hani benim Recebim Recebim
Where is my Recep?
Sarı lira vereceğim
I'll give you a golden lira
Almazsan karakola gideceğim
If you don't take it, I'll go to the police

Gemi gelir yanaşır
The boat comes, it pulls up
İçi dolu çamaşır
It's full of laundry
İstanbulun kızları
The girls of Istanbul
Recep diye ağlaşır
Lament saying "Recep"

Hani benim Recebim Recebim
Sarı lira vereceğim
Almazsan karakola gideceğim

Mavi giyme tanırlar
Don't wear blue, they'll recognize you
Seni yolcu sanırlar
They'll think you're a passenger
Geçme kapım önünden
Don't pass by my door
Seni benden alırlar
They'll take you from me

Lyrics Source: http://www.yenisarkisozleri.com/beyaz-beyazit-ozturk/gemilerde_talim_var_sarki_sozu.html

In Translation | Hakkı Bulut - Ben Buyum (This is Who I Am)

Ben buyum, ben buyum, ben buyum sevgilim
This is me, this is me, this is me, my love
Ben buyum, ben buyum, ben buyum sevgilim

Ne köşküm, sarayım, ne servetim var
I don't have a lodge, or a palace, or any wealth
Ne malım, ne mülküm, ne servetim var
I don't have any belongings, no property, or any weath
Sana bir saltanat vaat edemem ki
I cannot promise you a Sultanate
Yalnız seni seven temiz bir kalbim var
All I have is a pure heart that loves you

Ben buyum, ben buyum, ben buyum sevgilim

Yalanla kuramam aşkın temelini
I cannot found a love on lies
Allah'tan korkarım aldatamam seni
I fear God, I cannot deceive you
Yeminler uydurup çalamam kalbini
I cannot make false promises and steal your heart
Aşkın öldürse de mahvetse de beni
Even if your love kills me or wipes me out
Ben buyum seversen canım sana feda
This is who I am, if you love me my soul is yours
Ben buyum sevmezsen bana de elveda
This is who I am, if you do not love me bid me farewell
Razıyım bu ömür böyle göçüp gitsin
I'm content for this lifetime to go and leave this way
Zaten gülmek bana yasak dünyada
It's forbidden anyway for me to smile in this world
İstemem en güzel günlerin zehr olsun
I don't want your most beautiful days to become poison
İstemem o güzel gençliğin mahvolsun
I don't want that beautiful youth of yours to be erased
İstemem sen beni acıyıp sevesin
I don't want you to love me if it hurts
İstemem benimle ızdırap çekesin
I don't want you to suffer with me

In Translation | Selma Devrim - Torprağın Kızı (Daughter of the Soil)

Götürmeyin beni kente
Don't bring me to the city
Değişemem buyum ben
I can't change, this is who I am
Götürmeyin beni kente
Don't bring me to the city
Köyümde mutluyum ben
I'm happy in my village

Kentte herkes alay eder
Everyone makes fun of me in the city
Taşralı kız der bana
They call me a rural girl
Köyüm yaban olsa bile
Even if my village is primitive
Toprağı yeter bana
Its soil is enough for me

Götürmeyin beni kente
Don't bring me to the city
Köyümden razıyım ben
I'm content with my village
Çekemem kentin kahrını
I can't handle the hardship of the city
Toprağın kızıyım ben
I am a daughter of the soil

Lyrics and Music by Reyman Eray

Lyrics Source: https://eksisozluk.com/topragin-kizi--656704

In Translation | Selma Devrim - Sen (You)

Sen, sen büktün boynumu
You, you abased me
Sen, sen kırdın kolumu kanadımı
You, you broke my wings
Sen, sen yıktın kalbimi
You, you destroyed my heart
Sen, sen yıktın gencecik hayatımı
You, you destroyed my young life

Bu gönlün acısı yıllarca silinmez
This heart's agony will not be erased for years
İçim kan ağlar kimse bilmez
My insides cry blood, nobody knows
Senin bu yaptığın affedilmez
What you've done is unforgivable

Sen, sen aldattın beni
You, you deceived me
Sen, sen ağlattın beni içim için
You, you made me cry, for my insides
Sen, sen yıktın aşkımı
You, you destroyed my love
Sen, sen artık bir hiçsin benim için
You, you are nothing to me anymore

Lyrics and Composition by Reyman Eray

In Translation | Kazım Koyuncu - Denizde karartı var (There's Something in the Water)

Amasra, Turkey

Denizde kararti var bu gelen kayik midur
There's a shady figure on the sea, is that a boat coming?
Ben ozledum yarumi ağlasam ayip midur
I miss my love, is it a shame for me to cry?

Oy dumanlar dumanlar hep dağlari sardunuz
Oh clouds (literally smoke), you've wrapped up all the mountains
Yureğumun derdini bilsenuz ağlardunuz
If you'd known the pain in my heart, you would have cried

Karardi Karadeniz taşti bu yana taşti
The Black Sea got dark, it overflowed on this side
Haber verun yarume gyozlerum doldi taşti
Tell my love, my eyes filled and overflowed

Gemi mil ilen olur sevda dil ilen olur
A ship has a pivot, and love has nice words (i.e. language, 'dil' may also be part of a ship)
Guzeller çok var ama meyil birine olur
There are many beauties but fondness is for one alone

Lyrics source: http://sarki.alternatifim.com/data.asp?ID=6299

In Translation | Edip Akbayram - Sen Benden Gittin Gideli (Ever Since You Left Me)

Öyle ağırım ki kendime
I'm so heavy for myself
Sen benden gittin gideli
Ever since you left
Tenim küs olmuş tenime
My body hates itself
Sen benden gittin gideli
Ever since you left me

Öyle bıkmışım ki kendimden
I'm so sick of myself
Kurudum düştüm dalımdan
I've dried up and fallen off my branch
Sanki ruhum çıktı canımdan
It's as if my spirit has left my soul
Sen benden gittin gideli
Ever since you left me

Bir cefam var idi bin oldu
I had a pain, now it's a thousand
Aktı gözüm yaşı sel oldu
My tears have flowed and become a flood
Yaz baharım döndü kış oldu
My summer and spring have become winter
Sen benden gittin gideli
Ever since you left me