Necati Cumali (b. 1921)

He is one of the most prolific authors of contemporary Turkish literature and has written in almost every major genre. He did his primary and secondary education in Urla and İzmir. He graduated from Ankara University's School of Law in 1941. He practiced law for many years, but later gave it up to devote himself to writing, living in Paris, Istanbul and Israel. Among his many works are: POETRY: Kızılçullu Yolu (1943), Harbe Gidenin Şarkıları (1945), Mayıs Ayı Notları (1947), Güzel Aydınlık (1951). SHORT STORIES: Yalnız Kadın (1955), Değişik Gözle (1956), Susuz Yaz (1962), Ay Büyürken Uyuyamam (1969), Makedonya 1900 (1976), Dilâ Hanım (1978), Revizyonist (1979), Yakubun Koyunları (1979), Aylı Bıçak (1981). NOVELS:(1959), Yağmurlar ve Topraklar (1973), Acı Tütün (1974), Aşk da Gezer (1975). Tütün Zamanı

 

SUN FANATIC

I love the flowing water

I love the sparkling snow

And to see

A green leaf

A harlequin bug

Or seeds sprouting in the sun

Fills me with joy.

I exchange nothing

For a day

A lovely day

A day of sunlight.

That's why I don't love war

Why I don't love oppression

Why I don't love falsehood.

For neither injustice, I know,

Nor fear

Nor hunger

Live in the sun

Side by side with love.

 

Translated by Larry Clark

 

A FEAR AMONG FEARS

For three days I looked forward to Sunday

Till Sunday you had said

Believe me for three days

I longed for nothing but Sunday

Could neither sleep nor work well

Till Sunday I said and waited

 

Sunday morning

A fear among fears

Played havoc with my joy

What if you are not the one I love

What if you are not the one I crave

 

Translated by Talât Sait Halman

 

[From An Anthology of Turkish Literature, Edited by Kemal Silay]