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