Postby eskandar » 2009-05-14, 15:40
I decided to revisit this poem (which I love) and see if I can figure out the parts that we couldn't get before. This translation is by Nadi, I just figured out a word here or there:
Asla seni görmemişem, dildarym! = I have never seen you, my love!
Gumrymy sen, bilbilmi sen, näme sen?! = Are you a dove, a nightingale, what are you?
Gamgyn köňlüm hyýalyňda aldaram, = I deceive my unhappy heart with your imagination,
Bag içinde gülgülmi sen, näme sen?! = are you a flower in a garden, what are you?
Ýa müşkmi sen, ýa kokunar anbarmyň, = Are you musk or ambergris which is smelled,
Aýda bilmen, ýa çarhmy sen, çenbermiň, = I can't tell if you are the moon, a wheel or a circle,
Ýa derýamyň, ýa möwçmi sen, lenbermiň, = A sea, a wave, or a ripple?
Ýa girdapmyň, ýa burgunmyň, näme sen?! = a whirlpool or a disaster, what are you?
Garaçymyň, ýa seýitmiň, hojamyň, = Are you a Qarachi, a Sayyid, or a Khoja,
Ýa sakymyň, ýa şerapmyň, ýa jammyň, = Are you a cupbearer, wine or wineglass,
Ýa ýylmy sen, ýa gündizmiň, gijemiň, = the year, daytime or night,
Ýa Aýmy sen, ýa Günmi sen, näme sen?! = the moon or the sun, what are you?
Altynmy sen, kümüşmi sen, zermi sen, = Are you gold, silver or a jewel,
Ýa arşmy sen, ýa kürsmi sen, ýermi sen, = Are you the highest heaven, the heavenly throne, or the earth,
Ýa ýakutmyň, ýa merjenmiň, dürmi sen, = are you ruby, coral or pearl,
Ýa çyragmyň, ýa röwşenmiň, näme sen?! = a lamp or a light, what are you?
Magtymguly, geç namysdan, aryňdan, = Oh, Magtymguly! Give up your honor and shyness,
El götergil bu wepasyz käriňden, = others took you away from your disloyal profession
Jahan doly, sen gapyl sen ýaryňdan, = The world is full and you are not aware of your sweetheart,
Meý-mestmi sen, ýa şeýdamyň, näme sen?! = Are you drunk or frenzied, what are you?
I decided to leave the titles Qarachi (high noble in the Turkic khanate), Sayyid (descendant of the prophet Muhammad), and Khoja (Sufi descendent of Ahmad Kasani) untranslated, because I think that makes more sense than trying to come up with English equivalents that don't really exist. It was difficult translating "arş" and "kürs" as well because they are Islamic terms without direct English equivalents, but I don't think "seventh heaven" and "sky" were ideal translations so I changed them. And I finally figured out "lenber" - it must be from the Persian لنبر (and indeed it's spelled this way when I've seen this poem written in Perso-Arabic script), which means "to lap" (as in water), so I think we can translate it as "ripple". I've bolded all the changes that I made to Nadi's translation.
Please correct my mistakes in any language.