Salep Salep

Salep

Denizin insafı yok kışın

Bir bakmişsın
fındık kabuğu olmuş
o vakur gemiler
Bir görünür bir kaybolur kıyı şeridi
Elini uzatırsın bilmeden
tutmaktan çok tutunmaya
Ne rast gelirse bahtına
ki çokluk boşluktur
 

Rüzgâra kim bildirir yolunu,

ilerlemeyi omurga boyu
Ten soğur, kemik büzüşür
Ruhumu unuttuğumda ufalan bedenim
konuşur. Anlarım donduğumu
 
Sonra ama bir ses
ille de ucundan yanık
tarçın kokulu bir ses
Ötede belli belirsiz bir buhar
Var mı salep içen
 
İçmeyeni de ısıtır
Sıcak salep
Süt salep
 

Salep

The sea has no mercy in winter
Suddenly you see
those solemn ships
turned into nutshells
The coastline visible, then invisible
Blindly you stretch out your hand
not to hold but to hold on
Whatever turns up
more is less
 
Who tells the wind where they're going
Travelling down the spine
skin shivers, bones contract
When I forget my soul
my shrinking body speaks
I understand I am frozen
 
But then a voice
with a burnt tongue
a cinnamon-perfumed voice
from a far-off fog
asks, is anyone drinking salep
And, even if you're not,
you too will be warmed -
hot salep
milky salep
 

Salep

The sea has no mercy in the winter

Suddenly you see
they've become nutshells
these solemn ships
The coastline is once visible once invisible
You would reach out without knowing
more than to keep to hold on / much to hold on than to keep
Whatever comes to your good fortune
but multitude is emptiness
 
Who would inform the wind of their way,
progressing throughout/along the spine
Skin gets cold, bones shrink
When I forget my soul my body getting smaller
would speak. I would understand that I am frozen
 
But afterwards a voice
necessarily the tip burnt
a cinnamon smelled voice
A vague steam/fog away
Is anyone drinking salep
 
Those who don't drink too will be warmed by
Hot salep
Milky salep
 

Salep is a delicious hot milky drink made from the ground roots of wild orchids that is beloved by Turkish people and drunk throughout the former Ottoman empire.

We really enjoyed translating this charming poem with its delightful sensual details and celebration of one of life’s essential pleasures.

Sarah Maguire, Workshop Facilitator

Original Poem by

Karin Karakaslı

Translated by

Canan Marasligil with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Turkish

Country

Turkey