
Minstrels & Mystics
Aşıklar ve Ozanlar
I Came With Nothing (Karacaoglan 17th Century)
Music and English lyrics by Nyofu Tyson
Üryan geldim gene üyran giderim
Ölmemeğe elde fermanım mı var
Azrail gelmiş de can taleb eyler
Benim can vermeğe dermanım mı var
I came with nothing with nothing I will go
The Lord will take me the day only He knows
Azrael will come knocking collecting souls
Will I be ready to give him my soul?
In a long procession souls come one by one
To the throne of justice on Judgement Day
They will try to scare you talking ‘bout your sins
I have no silk loaded caravan?
I’m Karacaoglan they destroyed my name
The sweets they gave me poison became
Loving wine and women they accuse me of
I have no master but the Lord above
Dear Lord Give A Love To Me
Ilahi Bir Aşk Ver Bana (Yunus Emre 13th Century)
Music and English lyrics by Nyofu Tyson
Ilahi bir aşk ver bana
Neredeyim hiç bilmeyim
Dear Lord give a love to me
Let me not know where I am
Let me be lost to myself
Not to find my way again
Fill me with astonishment
Let me know not what day it is
Let me yearn for you always
Let’s not be apart again
Take myself away from me
Filled with your joy let me be
Into your peace let me die
Within you to live again
Ilahi bir aşk ver bana
Neredeyim hiç bilmeyim
Dear Lord give a love to me
Let me not know where I am
Let me be a bird singing
In your garden let my nest be
Let me be a rose and bloom
Not wither apart again
Love does endure all sorrow
Love’s path does my soul follow
YUNUS will remember you
Never lose your love again
Evvel Benem/ Before Am I (Yunus Emre 13th Century)
Music and English lyrics by Nyofu Tyson
Evvel benem ahir benem
Canlara can olan benem
Azıp yolda kalmışlara
Hızır meded eren benem
Before am I always am I
The soul within each soul am I
The guiding hand to those that have
Gone astray on the road am I
With my hands I spread out the plains
I’m the one who raised the mountains
Stretched the sky across the heavens
The one lifting the sky am I
Thusly have I spoken my will
My secret will be revealed
To the one who sees without eyes
Hidden within the soul am I
This is not spoken by YUNUS
Of itself is spoken the truth
The faithless cannot understand
Past present and future I am
With my hands I spread out the plains
I’m the one who raised the mountains
Stretched the sky across the heavens
The one lifting the sky am I
Düz döşedim bu yerleri
Baskı kodum bu dağlari
Sayvan gerdim bu gökleri
Göğüğü tutup duran benem
YAKAMOZ
Lyrics: Nürsel Ertekin
Music: Evren Edler
English Translation: Nyofu Tyson
Yakamoz’lar yasımı tutar
Derin okyanus’larda
Uçurtmaların boynu bükük
Gökyüzün’de
Öyle derin katmerli hüzünle
Bakma yüzüme
Delip geçme yüreğimi
Umarsız gecelerde
Yas tutma gönül yas tutma
Bu hazan’da geçer
Leylak’lardan süzülür çiy damlası
Tomurcuk güneşler açar
Moon’s reflection holds my sorrow
In oceans deep
Crooked kite tails
Across the sky
Please don’t look at me in such deep sorrow
Piercing my heart in desperate nights
Don’t grieve, my love, don’t grieve
This autumn will also pass
Dew drops dripping from the Lilacs
Buds opened by the sun!
WALNUT TREE (Ben Bir Ceviz Ağacığım)
Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963)
Music and English lyrics: Nyofu Tyson
I am a Walnut tree in Rose Garden Park
An ancient walnut tree, standing in the park
My head like foamy clouds
My trunk like the sea
But you don’t notice me
Nor the cop on the beat
My leaves are wavering like the fish in the sea
Smooth and clean like a silk handkerchief
My leaves are my hands thousands of them have I
To wipe away the tears from your eyes
I am a walnut tree in Gülhane Park
An ancient walnut tree watching over the park
But you don’t notice me
Nor the cop on the beat
Passing me everyday
Not once looking my way
My leaves are my eyes, looking about in surprise
Rustling leaves like a thousand hearts beating
Thousands of eyes watching history
Thousands of eyes watching Istanbul my city
My leaves are a thousand eyes watching history
My leaves are a thousand eyes watching over Istanbul my city
Niçin Benden Uzaktasın
Sabahattin Ali (1907-1948)
Music and English translation by Nyofu Tyson
Her gün seni arıyorum
Niçin benden uzaktasın
Dağa taşa soruyorum
Niçin benden uzaktasın
Garip bir bulbul ötüyor
Sesini hatırlatıyor
Yüzün gözüme tütüyor
Niçin benden uzaktasın
Çimenler sararıp yanmış
Çiçekler yere kapanmış
Yer yüzü çöllere dönmüş
Niçin benden uzaktasın
Yüzüm gülmeye üşenir
Gözümden yaşlar boşanır
Sen yokken nasıl yaşanır
Niçin benden uzaktasın
Everyday I'm looking for you
Why are you so Far from me
I asked the rocky mountain peak
Why are you so far from me
A nightingale sings plaintively
It's voice brings back your memory
I see your face inside me
Why are you so far from me
Dawn Vision/ Seher Vakti
Aşik Veysel (1894-1973)
English lyrics and musical adaptation: Nyofu Tyson
Bir seher vaktinde gençlik çağımda
Hayâli kalbime geldi gizlendi
Boynum iğri semeserhoş gezerken
Aklımı başımdan aldı gizlendi
One morning in my youth at the break of day
A vision entered my heart and there it hid away
Drunk with wonder my head began to sway
It stole my senses and then it hid away
I don’t know where it hid away
It said “I bring you a love that will never leave
This river’s flow will never cease”
It said “Every beauty does not please”
It looked me in the face, laughed and hid away
I don’t know where it hid away
Could it be a genie, fairy or angel?
It has a quality resembling beautiful
It said to me “Our secret do not reveal”
Then it was gone, don’t know where it hid away
I don’t know where it hid away
The World We Live In/Daima Böyledir (Köroğlu)
English lyrics/music: Nyofu Tyson
Daima böyledir dünyanın işi
Kişi ettiğini bulur demişler
İstersen eylik et istersen kemlik
Ettiğin başına gelir demişler
The world we live in will always be this way
Whatever goes around comes around they say
Do good if you will or go the evil way
You reap what you sow that’s what the people say
Wicked ones know because they live in the pain
They know there’s no end to ever burning flame
Watch out for the trap you set for someone else
You’ll fall in it yourself, so the people say
Sakın bir kimse’ye kurma tuzağı
Kişi ettiğine dost düşer demişler
My name is Köroğlu, I’ve seen war and pain
Live a hundred years and it will be the same
The things you do will come always back to you
Destiny always finds it’s way home they say
Her ne eder isen o gelir başa
Mukadder yerini bulur demişler
My Brow Dark With Sorrow (Gam Elinden Benim Zulfu Siyahim)
Original Turkish poem by Pir Sultan Abdal (17th cent.)
English lyrics & music by Nyofu
My brow dark with sorrow, oh my friend, sorrow
Deep into my breast has pierced an arrow
For the love of God, don’t grieve my heart so
On this day joy has departed from my soul
My beloved home is now a fortress of fear
My warning and counsel fallen on deaf ears
Not one not five not ten, countless are my tears
Before my eyes my life does appear
My aching breast will never be whole again
The days come the days go, my youth won’t come again
So deep is my wound there’s no recovery
All around darkness is closing in on me
I’m Pir Sultan Abdal, weeks become seasons
The days come and go, and for what reason
My heart yearns for the truth, my soul is ready
Soon the shovels will cast the earth over me
Gam elinden benim zülfü siyahım
Peykân değdi sinem yaralandı gel
Hüdey hakkı için ağlatma beni
Bugün sevda candan aralandı gel
Gamdan hisar oldu mekanım yurdum
İşitmez avazım dinlemez virdim
Bir değil beş değil on değil derdim
Düğümler baş verdi sıralandı gel
Ne çekerse dertli sinem dağ olmaz
Aylar yıllar geçer ömür çoğalmaz
Neşterlidir yaralarım onulmaz
Göğerdi çevresi karalandı gel
Pir Sultan Abdalım haftada ayda
Günler gelir geçer bulunmaz fayda
Gönül hak arzular canım hay hayda
Toprağım üstüme kürelendi gel
You Are There/ Saklarım Gözümde Güzelligini
Aşık Veysel (1894-1973)
English lyrics and musical adaptation by Nyofu Tyson
Saklarım gözümde güzelliğini
Her neye bakarsam sen varsın orda
Kâlbimde gizlerim muhabbetini
Koymam yabancıyı sen varsın orda
Inside my eyes is Your beauty hidden
Wherever I look I see You are there
In my heart I keep our conversations
There I allow no stranger You are there
Source of my love You are a universe
Conversations of love, the tongue utters
In each “hello how are you” that I hear
From loved ones, from friends, You are there, You are there
Different colored flowers and leaves of green
The work of Your hand in all of these things
The dark of night becomes dawn’s early light
The world’s awakening and You are there
The power and force in all creation
From You born from You received existence
There’s no life outside of Your dominion
This I believe this I’m sure You are there
Before Veysel’s song there was always You
Wand’ring from branch to branch wearies the fool
You’re the tree we the leaves on the branches
Inside the seed of the fruit You are there
Veysel’i söyleden sen oldun mutlak
Gezer daldan dala yorulur ahmak
Sen ağaç misali biz dalda yaprak
Meyva çekirdeksin sen varsın orda