YARADANA KURBAN  (Can Yucel)

Tırnakları uzuyor İstanbul´un
Kirli bir masmavi
Ama ne kadar yaraşıyor yarabbi
Bu tırnaklar bu deli parmaklara
Ve ortayla işaret arasında mütemâdi bir cigara
Giderek minareler oluyorlar

Yaşıl bir köprüye rastladım demin
Bir diyeceğim yok dedi martılara
Başımı döndürmeseler
Başımı döndürmeseler böyle

Ben de dedim ki Allah´a
Feriştâhın gelse yaradamaz bu güzelliği
Sen bir turistsin amcabey !

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Respect for the creator

Nails of Istanbul are growing
A dirty blue
But how beautifully they go together
These nails for those crazy fingers
And always a cig between the fingers
Becoming minarets with the time

I came across an old bridge
I have nothing to say, it said to the seagulls
I only wish they did not make me dizzy
They did not make my head spin like this

And then
I said to Allah:
The best of you can not create this beauty
You are just a tourist here!

My try.

Great try.. but the words in Turkish are so magical, yet you do not get the same feeling when you read it in English..   what a shame not to be able to translate the meaning too..  I think it is a great reply to "Why Istanbul is so special?"  You know it only when you live there.

Thank you for the encouragement.

I will try to do better next time..

Nooo, you misunderstood.. the translation is great..  but some of the words means more than what it says when you grow up with it.. and some of the words doesn´t have equivalent in English.. keep on bringing out more of these fantastic poems.. Cheers

Well - considering thehandsom is Turkish, comes from Istanbul and has translated probably 30 poems on this site - the majority being from Can Yucel - I am sure he will try and keep up the good work!