Ibrahim (Asaf Halet ÇELEBİ)
Original Version
Coordinator/ Human Translation
Machine Translation (Google Translate)
İBRAHİM
ibrâhîm
içimdeki putları devir
elindeki baltayla
kırılan putların yerine
yenilerini koyan kim
güneş buzdan evimi yıktı
koca buzlar düştü
putların boyunları kırıldı
ibrâhîm
güneşi evime sokan kim
asma bahçelerinde dolaşan güzelleri
buhtunnasır put yaptı
ben ki zamansız bahçeleri kucakladım
güzeller bende kaldı
ibrâhîm
gönlümü put sanıp da kıran kim
IBRAHIM
Ibrahim,
Overthrow the idols within me
With your axe in hand,
Who replaces the broken idols
With new ones?
The sun shattered my ice home,
Great ice blocks fell,
The idols’ necks were broken, Ibrahim,
Who brings the sun into my home?
The beauties strolling in the vineyards
Were turned into idols by envy and jealousy,
I, who embraced timeless gardens,
The beauties remained with me,
Ibrahim,
Who mistook my heart for an idol and shattered it?
IBRAHIM
Ibrahim
overturns the idols in me
with an ax in hand
instead of broken idols
who put in new
the sun destroyed my house
of ice
big ice fell
necks of idols were broken
Ibrahim
who put the sun in my house
beauties wandering in the hanging gardens
buhtunnasir made an idol
I embraced the timeless gardens
I have the beautiful ones
Ibrahim
Who thinks my heart is an idol and breaks it?
Critical Reading and Analysis: Çıraklı “A Modest Proposal for Critical Reading”
The poem 'İbrahim' by Asaf Halet Çelebi captures the social upheavals and difficulties experienced by Turkey in the early 20th century, while the country was changing from an Ottoman Empire to a Republic. Idols, the sun, and ice are some of the symbols used in the poem to make a statement on how ancient traditions are being dismantled and new ideas and social structures are being introduced.
"İbrahim" is a poem that builds a storyworld that is allegorical and reflects the socioeconomic changes that occurred in Turkey during the early 20th century. It includes images such as an ice house that has been broken by the sun, idols that have fallen down, and vineyard beauties that have been transformed into idols. These symbols are a representation of the conflict that arises between ancient customs and contemporary influences, with Ibrahim possibly embodying a figure of transformation among them.
Bireysel Şairler / Individual Poets
Equilibrium (traditional values and structures) → Disruption (shattering of the ice home by the sun) → Recognition (recognizes the impact of these changes) → Attempt to repair the damage (questioning the source of change) → New equilibrium (emergence of a transformed societal order)
• Inner Struggle and Self-Conflict: The poem speaks directly to an internal conflict, symbolized by the line "İçimdeki putları devir" (knock down the idols within me). This suggests a struggle to overcome personal obstacles, illusions, or false beliefs that the speaker harbors, asking İbrahim (a metaphor for a force of truth or clarity) to destroy these internal idols. • Cognitive Dissonance: There is a recurring theme of confusion and disorientation, where the speaker questions the cause of certain events, such as "güneşi evime sokan kim?" (who brought the sun into my house?) and "kırılan putların yerine yenilerini koyan kim?" (who replaces the idols after they’re broken?). These lines reflect a deep psychological tension, where the speaker acknowledges progress (destruction of idols) but simultaneously grapples with their return, symbolizing a constant cycle of mental conflict. • Search for Truth and Meaning: The speaker seems to be on a journey toward finding meaning, with the recurring invocation of "İbrahim" (a symbol for the prophet who shattered idols in Islamic tradition) representing a desire for spiritual or intellectual clarity. The speaker recognizes that external and internal forces (like the "güzeller" – beauties, and "putlar" – idols) distract or obscure the truth. • Frustration and Betrayal: The final line, "gönlümü put sanıp da kıran kim" (who mistook my heart for an idol and broke it?), reveals a deep sense of emotional betrayal and frustration. The speaker feels misunderstood, as if their emotions or essence were confused with the idols they aim to destroy, indicating psychological pain related to misjudgment or emotional harm.
-Tradition – Modernity (“The sun shattered my ice home”)
