TürküTürkü

Ben Seni SevduğumiThat I Love You

2009-08-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

This türkü comes from Trabzon at the far eastern reaches of Turkey along the Black Sea. It was recorded very early by one of the first prominent Türkü singers of modern Turkey, Hasan Tunç from Maçka. In recent years, it has been repopularized especially by the late Laz singer Kazım Koyuncu, who recorded many songs in this dialect of Turkish as well as other languages of the Black Sea include Lazuri and Georgian. You will see that the song is not in standard Turkish, and thus I have provided a conversion of the lyrics to conform to standard Turkish spellings.

To comment on one line, at once point he says "take the hairs from my pocket." This because in Turkey, more so in the olden days, one might take a lock of his lover's hair and keep it as a memento.

Also note the last line of the türkü, which is sometimes omitted but probably shouldn't be. Apparently, his lover has died, marking a sad end to their love. If anyone knows the story behind the song I'd like to find out.

The video is from a Turkish television series and features Kazım Koyuncu accompanying singer Şevval Sam. Below you can find the original version by Hasan Tunç, as well as a live version by Kazım Koyuncu in addition to other versions. For a full discussion of variations and version click here.

Ben Seni Sevduğumi

A Dm A
Ben seni sevduğumi da dunyalara bildurdum
I let everybody know that I love you
Gm Dm Bb A
Endurdun kaşlaruni babani mi eldurdum
Why are you frowning?
It's not like I killed your father
A Dm A
En dereye dereye da al dereden taşlari
Go down to the stream and bring stones
Gm Dm Bb A
Geçti bizden sevdaluk al cebumden saçlari
Love has passed us by, take the hairs out of my pocket
A Dm A
Kiz evunun onine da sereceğum kilimi
I will spread out the carpet in front of your house
Gm Dm Bb A
Oldi hayli zamanlar görmedum sevduğumi
So many times I didn't see that I loved you
A Dm A
Yaz geldi bahar geldi da açti yeşil yapraklari
Summer came, spring came, and green leaves opened
Gm Dm Bb A
Ben sana doyamadum doysun kara topraklar
I couldn't hear you, may the black earth hear you

Since this dialect does not conform to vowel sounds and vowel harmony of Standard Turkish, I have rendered the lyrics here as they would be otherwise spelled to aid in comprehension of the song. However, the reader should note that if performed with these vowel harmony corrections, the song would not rhyme properly or sound right:

Ben seni sevdiğimi dünyalara bildirdim
İndirdin kaşlarını babanı mı öldürdüm
İn dereye dereye da al dereden taşları
Geçti bizden sevdalık al cebimden saçları
Kız evinin önüne sereceğim kilimi
Oldu hayli zamanlar görmedim sevdiğimi
Yaz geldi bahar geldi da açtı yeşil yapraklar
Ben sana duyamadım duysun kara topraklar

Here is the old Hasan Tunç version for comparison

And here is the Kazım Koyuncu live version as promised

This is a performance of Ben Seni Sevduğumi by Azerbaijani singer Hatice Alizade

A weird rock version by Volkan Konak with a hilarious translation of the song into English. It is also funny to me that the video says featuring Evanescence, which I find highly unlikely since a native speaker of English would never sing the translation they made.

Performance by Zeynep Baskan

Sürüler İçinde Sürmeli KoyunThe Pretty-Eyed Sheep in the Flock

2008-01-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

The song is sung most likely from the perspective of a wedding player who is witnessing the wedding of a girl he loves. When he says, "they played a trick on me when I was young," this means she was promised to someone else instead of him I suppose. Thus, he asks what side she is on in one last hope that she will come be with him instead.

The word "sürmeli" means "with kohl around the eyes," but metaphorically it means someone who has big, beautiful eyes with big dark lashes. I've just translated it as "pretty-eyed" to convey this general meaning. He refers to her as a sheep and lamb principally because this is an animal that is seen to have this kind of eyes.

The video is a live rendition of the song by Şukriye Tutkun, however, you'll notice the lyrics do not match up. The lyrics I've used are from the Ahmet Kaya version because it's my favorite one, and although some lines will be different (for example many versions do not use the word "soyun (undress)"), the meaning is principally the same. Of course I have put other versions below as well. To see a complete discussion of different variations click here.

This song is associated with the Keskin region of Turkey.

Sürüler İçinde Sürmeli Koyun

Am                  Dm
Sürüler içinde sürmeli koyun
The pretty-eyed sheep of the flock (this means she is exceptionally pretty)
 F7                 Am
Şafaklar atıyor gel yarim soyun
The dawn is breaking/Some things are dawning upon me (dual meaning intended here I think)
Come my love and get undressed
Am                       Dm
Gencecikken ettiler bana bir oyun
When I was young they played a trick on me
         F7
Ne yandasın sürmeli palazım
What side are you on my pretty-eyed lamb?
   Am          F7    Am
Ne yanda A canım, ne yanda
What side, my dear, what side?
Dm
Ellerim saz çalar göğnüm
My hands play the saz (stringed instrument similar to a lute)
F7    Am          F7    Am
Ne yanda A canım, ne yanda
What side, my dear, what side?

Am                  Dm
Aşağıdan gelir gelinin göçü
A bridal procession coming from below
                  F7   Am
Gelin mi ettiler canımın içi
Have they made you a bride, my soul?
Am                     Dm
Koynumda sakladım verdiğin saçı
In my chest I've kept the lock of hair you'd given me
         F7
Ne yandasın sürmeli palazım
What side are you on my lamb?
Am          F7    Am
Ne yanda A canım, ne yanda
What side, my dear, what side?
Dm
Ellerim saz çalar göğnüm
My hands play the saz
F7    Am          F7    Am
Ne yanda A canım, ne yanda
What side, my dear, what side?

Here is the aforementioned Ahmet Kaya version

This one is performed by Okan Murat Öztürk

This is a music video of a rock rendition by Oğuz Boran

Some guys performing it in a living room I guess they call themselves Psikobirlik

A version by Celal Sezer

Çarşambayı Sel AldıThe Flood Took Çarşamba

2008-01-21T22:13:00.000-08:00

Çarşambayı Sel Aldı is a türkü originating from the area of Samsun near the Black Sea. The storyline is as follows. A boy and a girl secretly fall in love in a town called Çarşamba. Unfortunately, the boy must leave for military service. In the meantime, the jealous town mayor's son steals the girl away with the help of some friends and carries her off to the mountains. When her lover hears about this, he deserts the army to go looking for her. Suddenly, torrential rains come causing flooding. When the flood subsides, the corpses of the boy and girl are found, holding hands. If you read Turkısh, you can find a similar, more detailed version of this story here.

There are a few lyrical features that I will point out. First of all, the Turkish/Persian word "yar" means "a lover" or "companion," but in the song I have translated it as "girl" so as to sound more natural in English. Also, the repeated phrase "aman aman" is a common expression of grief meaning something like "oh lord have mercy," so I've just left it out of the translation.

The video is a live rendition of the anonymously authored folk song performed by Zara, however, below I have included some other versions that might be of interest.




Çarşambayı Sel Aldı

E                Am
Çarşambayı sel aldı
The flood took Charshamba
    E      F    E            Am      E      F    E
Bir yar sevdim el aldı aman aman bir yar sevdim el aldı
I loved a girl, someone else took her away
E                Am
Keske sevmez olaydım
If only I had not loved
 E     F     E            Am   E     F     E
Elim koynumda kaldi aman aman elim koynumda kaldı
I was left completely helpless (literally: I was left with my hand on my chest)

Am     E   F   E
Oy neyimiş neyimiş aman aman
Oh what happened?
Am  E      F   E
Kaderim böyle imiş
Apparently this is my fate
Am    E     F    E
Gizli sevda çekmesi aman aman
Suffering the pangs of a secret love
Am  E      F    E
Atesten gömlek imiş
Is an ordeal (litearally: is a shirt of fire)

E                Am
Çarşamba yollarında
In the road to Charshamba
 E     F    E            Am   E     F    E
Kelepçe kollarında aman aman kelepçe kollarında
Her hands handcuffed
E              Am
Allah canımı alsın
May God take my soul!
E      F    E            Am  E      F    E
O yarin kollarinda aman aman o yarin kollarında
In the arms of that girl

Turkish lyrics transcription and chords from this site

Here is a video that with audio and photos of the modern town of Çarşamba

Sung by an old woman on a camera phone

This is a video of a kid who calls himself Last Lithium playing the song with a sort of flamenco take

A version made by DJ Kardech into a beat