Ahmed Arif

Arif was arrested on political grounds in 1950 and spent time in prison until 1952. Published in various literary journals, his poems were widely read due to their original lyricism and imagery influenced by Anatolian folk cultures. He published only one collection of poetry: Hasretinden Prangalar Eskittim (Fetters Worn Out by Longing/1968) – a volume that has gone through a record number of printings. He was among the contributors of the literary magazine Papirüs which was edited by Cemal Süreya.

In 2023, the Paris Institute for Critical Thinking (PICT) commenced a project to translate Ahmed Arif's poems into English; so far, 2 open-access translations, both by David Selim Sayers and Evrim Emir-Sayers, have been published online. • Turkish Maviye Maviye çalar gözlerin, Yangın mavisine Rüzgarda asi, Körsem, Senden gayrısına yoksam, Bozuksam, Can benim, düş benim, Ellere nesi? Hadi gel, Ay karanlık... İtten aç, Yılandan çıplak, Vurgun ve bela Gelip durmuşsam kapına Var mı ki doymazlığım? İlle de ille Sevmelerim, Sevmelerim gibisi? Oturmuş yazıcılar Fermanım yazar N'olur gel, Ay karanlık... Dört yanım puşt zulası, Dost yüzlü, Dost gülücüklü. Cıgaramdan yanar, Alnım öperler, Suskun, hayın, çıyansı. Dört yanım puşt zulası, Dönerim dönerim çıkmaz. En leylim gecede ölesim tutmuş, Etme gel, Ay karanlık... — English Into the blue Into the blue hint your eyes Into the blue of a fire Raging against the wind If I’m blind If I’m leaving behind all but you So what if I’m through? This life is mine, this dream is mine Strangers have no clue Come, I say, The moon is dark... If I end at your gate Starved as a cur Stripped as a snake Wounded and cursed With my loving, my need My insatiable greed What, then, could compete? Come what may The scribes all unite My sentence to write Come, I pray, The moon is dark... Bastards’ lairs to all my sides They look like friends Smile like friends Light their cigarettes off mine Kiss my cheek Like worms they sneak Bastards’ lairs to all my sides To all my sides, dead ends Craving for death in the leyliest night, Don’t stay away, The moon is dark...