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kul olayim

Here is my translation, with Turkish text, of the version of Pir Sultan’s famous Kul Olayım Kalem Tutan Ellere. This was included on Muhlis Akarsu’s postumous release “Sivas Ellerinde Ömrün Çalınır” recorded and sung by Arif Sağ and Sebahat Aslan. Arif told me that after a funeral service for Sivas victims someone handed him this text and he felt it was the most appropriate response he could make to the events at the time. Obviously written centuries after Pir Sultan lived by Hüseyin Aşkın though based on one of the most famous songs attributed to Pir Sultan Abdal, it forms part of the Pir Sultan tradition. I have heard this version sung in a cem in Australia. Of course much is lost in translation, most obviously the play on names. The mention of Nesimi could refer to the 15th century martyr expecially as it occurs on the same sentence as Haydar (referring to Pir Sultan and/or Imam Ali); or Nesimi could refer to Nesimi Çimen the great ‘working man’s’ aşık and victim of the Sivas massacre.  The following line about Akarsu (i.e. Muhlis Akarsu one of the greatest modern aşıks) suffers in translation since the sense of cutting of the flow of the water of life  (the meaning of Akarsu is ‘flowing water’) is lost. Similarly the next line refering to yet another victim, the prodigy and catalyst for the performance of şelpe style on the bağlama, Hasret (Gültekin) loses the meaning of hasret as longing or yearning. The reference to ‘Madımak’ in the last verse is a reference to the hotel in Sivas that was burnt down by the the rabble crowd and in which 35 of the victims (33 attending the Festival and 2 hotel employees) died. Translations only serve as an impetus to further and deeper understandings.

Postscript: the original Pir Sultan Abdal lyric was first published by Mehmet Fuad Köprülü in his short 1928 article, itself the first publication about Pir Sultan. See my translation of that article including the original lyric.

Hüseyin Aşkın (after Pir Sultan Abdal): Kul olayım mızrap tutan ellere

I would submit to the hand striking the strings
Scribe, write thus of my condition to the Shah
I would plant a rose where the blood was spilt
Scribe, write thus of my condition to the Shah

In the lands of Sivas your life is struck down
Hearts as hot as embers are broken in two
Separated from my Companion, my heart will break
Scribe, write thus of my condition to the Shah

One of you is called Haydar one Nesimi
They cannot stem your voice my Akarsu
To the world I would mourn aloud my Hasret
Scribe, write thus of my condition to the Shah

In the Madimak the fire reaches the sky
Thirty seven souls are taken all in one
Pir Sultans die and die and will rise again
Scribe, write thus of my condition to the Shah


Original text by Hüseyin Aşkın

Kul olayım mızrap tutan ellere
Katip arzu halim yaz şah’a böyle
Gül dikeyim kan dökülen yerlere
Katip arzu halim yaz şah’a böyle

Sıvas ellerinde ömrün çalınır
Kor yürekler bölük bölük bölünür
Dosttan ayrılmışam bağrım delinir
Katip arzu halim yaz şah’a böyle

Bir ismin Haydar’dır biri Nesimi
Akarsu’yum kesemezler sesini
Hasret’ime duyurayım yasımı
Katip arzu halim yaz şah’a böyle

Madımak’da ateş göğe gerinir
Otuzyedi canın birden alınır
Pir Sultanlar ölür ölür dirilir
Katip arzu halim yaz şah’a böyle