Popular Turkish Love Lyrics and Folk Legends

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright Page

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Contents

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pp. vi-

Preface

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pp. vii-viii

repertoire of ancient mythologies that evolved on Anatolian soil teems with creation myths; Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hittite tales; Greek and Roman myths; Christian legends; and Islamic lore. Aesop came from Phrygia, not far from today’s Ankara. Probably born near present-day Izmir, Homer originally told his epic tales along what is Turkey’s Aegean coast. ...

Note on Turkish Spelling and Guide to Pronunciation

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pp. ix-x

... Turkish authors, place-names, publication titles, and special terms, this volume employs modern Turkish spelling. Th e pronunciation of the vowels and consonants is indicated in the following guide: ...

Yunus Emre: “A Wild Duck of Passion”

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pp. 1-18

... one of the greatest figures of Turkish poetry, was a mystic who lived in Anatolia’s heartland in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. He composed poems and hymns about the supremacy of human and divine love, as well as about the need for understanding among nations, ethnic communities, and religions. Yunus Emre’s simple, tender, stirring lyrics of love and peace have ...

The Black Sheep

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pp. 19-26

Th e lovely daughter of the region’s biggest landowner came to the fountain for a drink of water. She was more beautiful and more graceful than any young woman he had ever laid eyes on. It was love at first sight. Th e young shepherd played his flute all day long, clamoring for her, and spent many sleepless nights yearning for her. ...

Pir Sultan Abdal: Poet as Rebel

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pp. 27-38

... sixteenth century, Pir Sultan Abdal emerged as a folk hero who raised his poetic voice against oppression and injustice. Among many generations of Turkish rebel poets, he stands as a towering figure. He was a powerful member of a Shiite sect opposed to the Ottoman ruling establishment, which belonged to the Sunni mainstream. ...

The Empty Cradle

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pp. 39-46

So the chieftain and his wife decided to migrate with their tribe. They roamed the steppes; they went over hill and dale. Everywhere, they prayed for a son and gave their offerings. But their prayers went unanswered. Hoping for a child, the chieftain and his wife and the tribe pressed their search for the promised land. ...

Köroğlu: Hero in Love

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pp. 47-56

folk heroes have been as famous in Anatolia as has Köroğlu, who probably lived in the sixteenth century. Like many Ottomans who achieved fame, he wrote or sang poems. He is remembered for his heroic deeds, his loves, and his lyrics. He was a legend in life, and succeeding generations have celebrated him as a symbol of courage in deed ...

The Gourd Bowl That Went Ticktock

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pp. 57-64

Some time later, the woodsman took a new wife, but she had a daughter by her previous marriage and wanted Fatma out of the house. Th e woodsman was a weak man—he let his new wife talk him into abandoning his own daughter. He took his beloved girl to the woods and told her to play by herself among the flowerbeds. Meanwhile, he said he would be cutting down trees: ...

Karacaoğlan: A Bard’s Life of Love

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pp. 65-78

He was handsome, with dark features and soulful eyes. His love poems are among the most enchanting in the Turkish language. He accompanied himself on a simple string instrument called the saz as he sang these poems. Th e poet improvised many of them when he was inspired by the delights of nature or the beauty of women. ...

Suggested Further Reading

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pp. 79-82

Biographical Notes

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pp. 83-85