Aşık Veysel commemorated on fortieth anniversary of his death

Modern Turkey’s most famous minstrel, Aşık Veysel, was commemorated in Istanbul on the 40th anniversary of his death at an event held at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall.

Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu (October 25, 1894 – March 21, 1973), also known as just Aşık Veysel, was a Turkish ministerel  and highly regarded poet of the Turkish Folk Literature. He was born in the Sivrialan village of the Şarkışla district, Sivas Provence, on October 25, 1894 and died on March 21, 1973. He was an ashik, a poet , songwriter, and a bağlama virtuoso, the prominent representative of the Anatolian ashik tradition in the 20th century. He was blind for most of his lifetime. His songs are usually sad tunes, often talking about the inevitability of death. However he does use a wide range of themes for his lyrics; based on morals, values and constant questioning on issues such as love, care, beliefs and how he "sees" the World as a blind man.

One of his famous poem ;

UZUN  İNCE  BİR  YOLDAYIM


Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece
Bilmiyorum Ne Haldeyim
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece

Dünyaya Geldiğim Anda
Yürüdüm Aynı Zamanda
İki Kapılı Bir Handa
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece

Uykuda Dahi Yürüyom
Kalmaya Sebep Arıyom
Gidenleri Hep Görüyom
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece

Kırk Dokuz Yıl Bu Yollarda
Ovada Dağda Çöllerde
Düşmüşüm Gurbet Ellerde
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece

Düşünülürse Derince
Uzak Görünür Görünce
Bir Yol Dakka Miktarınca
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece

Şaşar Veysel İş Bu Hale
Kah Ağlaya Kahi Güle
Yetişmek İçin Menzile
Gidiyorum Gündüz Gece

I WALK  ALL DAY  I  WALK  ALL NIGHT

I´m on a long and narrow road,
I walk all day, I walk all night,
I cannot tell what is my plight,
I walk all day, I walk all night.

Soon as I came into the World,
That moment I began my walk,
I´m in an inn with double gates,
I walk all day, I walk all night.

I walk in sleep - I find no cause,
To linger, whether dark or light,
I see the travellers on the road,
I walk all day, I walk all night.

Forty-nine years upon these roads,
On desert plain, on mountain height,
In foreign lands I make my way,
I walk all day, I walk all night.

Sometimes it seems an endless road,
The goal is very far from sight,
On minute, and the journey´s o´er-
I walk all day, I walk all night.

Veysel does wonder at this state,
Lament or laughter, which is right?
Still to attain that distant goal,
I walk all day, I walk all night.

Translated by Nermin Menemencioğlu.

I love Aşik Veysel´s works. His compositions are amazingly complex and simple at the same time. 

One version

and another

and yet another

and Aşik Veysil playing with photos....may he rest in peace