Thanks Gokuyum for your great work ! I like Yunus Emre. He is a great Turkish poet and Sufi mystic.

I agree Tunci. Yunus Emre is the most famous poet in Turkish literature. But not many foreigners know him.

Unfortunately as you said , not many foreigners know him. Yes, Many writers considered him as the most important poet in Turkish history and gave a great impact in Turkish culture. In various ways this can be seen. There were days that purifying Turkish language was a struggle. Yunus poetry becomes the prime example of the dialect of Anatolian people. Many authors declare that many idioms in everyday language are actually verses from his poetry.

We definetely need to see more poems of him on this website.

It seems nobody cares about our beloved Turkish poetry. But I still translate them. We can talk about it and tell eachother what we already know all day and night I guess only a Turk understands another Turk and feels the same way.

You must understand, gokuyum, that there are many obstacles for a foreigner. It’s not only the language which is trouble enough, it’s also the difference in culture, the different era we are living, our preconceptions. Few people enjoy old poetry of their own country even.

You need to explain it, make the thread a course for those who are interested. For instance, when tunci pointed out the purity of the language, its close connection to local dialects I looked at the lines with different eyes. Things like this are not self-evident unless you explain them.

A collection of Yunus Emre´s poetry has been translated into Finnish by Suna-Mariya Önder.

Always grammar comes first for you It is good that you have some poems of him in Finnish.

Id use this poetry to help me learn though admittedly I am not really into poetry. But if there was any that I could understand it´d have to be ones in English of course. Perhaps this is common in many countries, but In school we are taught to analyze poems by poets who lived hundreds (or thousands)of years ago so that we can learn to how life was during the era the poem was written, and when the language was different.

But I think one needs to know the language to read between the lines, what the author was feeling, etc. And sadly American schools at least don´t seem to want to bother introducing Turkish poetry( even Turkish history is generally skipped  even translated ones in favor of English poets like Byron. Although Greek poems are usually covered but I wonder if anything was lost in the translation of the "Iliad and Odyessy"

I love his works...the following is an English translation. I don´t have the original Turkish version. It would be wonderful if we had some original Turkish, and translations.

Translations are very difficult, as a great knowledge of both languages is needed. Also, every language does not have the same words. At times it takes many words to express what can be done with one simple word in another language.

This is one of my favorites

A single word can brighten the face
of one who knows the value of words.
Ripened in silence, a single word
acquires a great energy for work.

War is cut short by a word,
and a word heals the wounds,
and there´s a word that changes
poison into butter and honey.

Let a word mature inside yourself.
Withhold the unripened thought.
Come and understand the kind of word
that reduces money and riches to dust.

Know when to speak a word
and when not to speak at all.
A single word turns the universe of hell
into eight paradises.

Follow the Way. Don´t be fooled
by what you already know. Be watchful.
Reflect before you speak.
A foolish mouth can brand your soul.

Yunus, say one last thing
about the power of words --
Only the word "I"
divides me from God.

Yunus Emre

You shouldn´t waste your slowly ripened words on just anyone.

Thank you, alameda.

i found two versions, one is simplified, the other is, i think, original.

Sözü pişirip diyenin işini sağ ede bir söz
Keleci bilen kişinin yüzünü ağ ede bir söz (Kelec: Söz)

Söz ola kese savaşı söz ola bitire başı
Söz ola ağulu aşı bal ilen yağ ede bir söz

Kelecilerin pişirgil yaramazını şaşııgil
Sözün us ile pişirgil demegil çağada bir söz

Gel ahi iy şehriyarı sözümüzü anal bari
Hezaran gevher dinarı kara toprağ ede bir söz

Kişi bile söz demini demiye sözün kemini
Bu cihan cehennemini sekiz uçmağ ede bir söz

Yürü yürü yolun ile gafil olma bilin ile
Key sakın key dilin ile canına dağ ede bir söz (Key : Pek, katı )

Yunus imdi söz yatından söyle sözü gayetinden
Key sakın ol şeh katından seni ırağ ede bir söz

Yunus Emre
-----------

Söz Ola

Sözü bilen kişinin,
Yüzünü ak ede bir söz
Sözü pişirip diyenin,
İşini sağ ede bir söz

Söz ola kese savaşı,
Söz ola kestire başı
Söz ola ağulu aşı,
Yağ ile bal ede bir söz

Kişi bile söz demini,
Demeye sözün kemini
Bu cihan cehennemini,
Sekiz cennet ede bir söz

Yunus şimdi söz yatından,
Söyle sözü gayetinden
Pek sakın o şah katından,
Seni ırak ede bir söz

Yunus Emre

I found this beautiful one on Youtube.

Yalan Dünya

I would love to hear and learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWPyZlHFpz4

Yalan dünya-Yunus Emre

1

Bilirim seni yalan dünyasın

Evliyaları alan dünyasın

Kaçan kurtulmaz senin elinden

Demir kafesler kıran dünyasın

 2

Sevdiğim aldın beni ağlattın

Dönüp gülerek bakan dünyasın

Süleyman tahtın sen viran kıldın

Masumlar boynun büken dünyasın

 3

Felek değirmen çarh urur döner

Onun suyunu salan dünyasın

Yunus hep sema edip çarh urur

Bizim çarhımız bozan dünyasın...

Yunus Emre

1

I know you world, you´re a lie..
You´re the world which took the Evliya´s (lifes) away
Noone who runs away can get away from you
You´re the world which breaks the iron cages..

2

You took my beloved, you made me cry,
You´re the world which turns back and looks smiling
You´re the world which turned Suleyman´s throne into a ruin
You´re the world which saddens the innocents..

German

1

Ich kenn´ dich Welt, Bist ´ne Lüge,
bist ´ne Welt der die Evliya wegnimmt (tötet),
Keiner kann von deinen Händen fliehen,
Eisener Käfige zerstörst du, Welt...

(translations taken from youtube.)

My attempt for the 3rd part:

felek, kader:destiny

çarh urmak, çark etmek: to turn/spin around like a wheel

değirmen: mill, water mill, grinder

Destiny is like a water mill, grinding

You let its water to pour

"Yunus" always makes "sema" as turning around (water mill turns like mawlavi darvishes! )

You, the world, destroyed our mill...

Felek değirmen çarh urur döner

Onun suyunu salan dünyasın

Yunus hep sema edip çarh urur

Bizim çarhımız bozan dünyasın...

someone can make better translation, i added some photos for better translation!

this is değirmen:

and this is çarh, çark, part of water mill: