Üçüncü Şahsın Şiiri (Attila İlhan)
Original Version
Coordinator/ Human Translation
Machine Translation (Google Translate)
ÜÇÜNCÜ ŞAHSIN ŞİİRİ
gözlerin gözlerime değince
felâketim olurdu ağlardım
beni sevmiyordun bilirdim
bir sevdiğin vardı duyardım
çöp gibi bir oğlan ipince
hayırsızın biriydi fikrimce
ne vakit karşımda görsem
öldüreceğimden korkardım
felâketim olurdu ağlardım
ne vakit maçka’dan geçsem
limanda hep gemiler olurdu
ağaçlar kuş gibi gülerdi
bir rüzgâr aklımı alırdı
sessizce bir cıgara yakardın
parmaklarımın ucunu yakardın
kirpiklerini eğerdin bakardın
üşürdüm içim ürperirdi
felâketim olurdu ağlardım
akşamlar bir roman gibi biterdi
jezabel kan içinde yatardı
limandan bir gemi giderdi
sen kalkıp ona giderdin
benzin mum gibi giderdin
sabaha kadar kalırdın
hayırsızın biriydi fikrimce
güldü mü cenazeye benzerdi
hele seni kollarına aldı mı
felâketim olurdu ağlardım
THE POEM OF THE THIRD PERSON
When your eyes met mine,
It would be my calamity, and I would cry.
I knew you didn’t love me, Heard whispers of another in your heart.
Like worthless trash, he was, In my mind, a scoundrel. Each encounter filled me with dread,
A catastrophe in the making. It would be my calamity, and I would cry.
Through Maçka, ships in the harbor,
Trees laughing like birds.
A breeze stealing my thoughts away,
You lighting a cigarette silently.
Burning my fingertips, Curving lashes and gazing. Shivers within, a chilling feeling
It would be my calamity, and I would cry.
Evenings ending like a novel, Jezabel lying in blood.
A ship leaving the harbor, You going to meet it.
Like gasoline, burning bright, Staying until dawn.
In my mind, a scoundrel,
His laughter akin to a funeral. Especially when he embraced you,
It would be my calamity, and I would cry.
THIRD PERSON POETRY
when your eyes touch mine
I would have been a disaster, I would have cried
I knew you didn’t love me
I heard you had a loved one
a boy like trash
I think he was one of the good ones
whenever i see you in front of me
I was afraid that I would kill
I would have been a disaster, I would have cried
whenever i pass through Maçka
there were always ships in the harbor
the trees laughed like a bird
a wind would blow my mind
you light a cigarette in silence
you burned the tips of my fingers
you would curl your eyelashes
i was cold i was shivering
I would have been a disaster, I would have cried
the evenings would end like a novel
jezabel lay in blood
a ship would leave the port
you would get up and go to him
Gasoline you would go like a candle
you would stay until morning
I think he was one of the good ones
did he laugh it was like a funeral
did he even take you in his arms
I would have been a disaster, I would have cried
Critical Reading and Analysis: Çıraklı “A Modest Proposal for Critical Reading”
İlhan's poetry, a prominent figure in Turkish literature, beautifully delves into the intricate emotions that define relationships and the wider struggles of his time. "Üçüncü Şahsın Şiiri" serves as a powerful mirror, reflecting both the personal and historical backdrop with poignant grace.
Although there is no external setting that is described in detail, the poem does a good job of creating a rich storyworld by focusing on the examination of powerful emotional feelings and complex relationships. The emotional landscape becomes the centre focus, bringing readers into the challenges and experiences that the speaker is going through on the inside.
Bireysel Şairler / Individual Poets
Equilibrium (sense of tension and unrequited love) → Disruption (the introduction of a third person, a rival, disrupts the emotional balance) → Recognition (deepeings the emotional turmoil) → Attempt to repair the damage (possibility of harm to the rival) → New equilibrium (emotions remain intense)
• Unrequited Love: The speaker is painfully aware of the fact that the person they love does not love them back ("Beni sevmiyordun bilirdim"). This creates a profound sense of emotional suffering and helplessness, which is central to the poem. The speaker's feelings of rejection shape their entire emotional world, intensifying the psychological turmoil. • Jealousy and Insecurity: The speaker knows about their love interest’s relationship with someone else, which breeds jealousy ("Bir sevdiğin vardı duyardım") and insecurity. The speaker perceives the rival as inadequate ("çöp gibi bir oğlan ipince, hayırsızın biriydi fikrimce"), yet feels powerless and fearful of confrontation ("öldüreceğimden korkardım"), revealing deep emotional vulnerability. • Emotional Turmoil and Vulnerability: The repeated imagery of the speaker crying ("felâketim olurdu ağlardım") points to a state of overwhelming emotional fragility. Every encounter or reminder of their unrequited love leads to tears, suggesting that the speaker's emotional state is dominated by sadness and despair.
- Love - Unrequited Love (“I knew you didn't love me.")
