Never Did I See Such Loves Nor Such Separations / İlhan Berk

Never Did I See Such Loves Nor Such Separations

Whenever I think of you
A gazelle goes down to drink water
And I see the meadows expanding

With you each evening
One green olive
And a piece of the blue sea
Take me along

Each time I dream of you
I plant roses where my hand touches
I give water to the horses
And I love the mountains even more

Ilhan Berk (18 November 1918 – 28 August 2008) was a leading contemporary Turkish poet.

Translated by Talat Sait Halman





NEITHER DID I SEE SUCH LOVES NOR SUCH PARTINGS

Each time I think of you
A gazelle jumps down, drinking
Water among the reeds.

Each evening a green olive
And a piece of sky take me
Boldly to your arms.

Each time I think of you
Roses grow at my fingers,
I give water to horses,
Loving the mountain more.

Ilhan Berk (18 November 1918 – 28 August 2008) was a leading contemporary Turkish poet.

Translated from Turkish by Murat Nemet-Nejat





NE BÖYLE SEVDALAR GÖRDÜM NE BÖYLE AYRILIKLAR

Ne zaman seni düşünsem
Bir ceylan su içmeye iner
Çayırları büyürken görürüm

Her akşam seninle
Yeşil bir zeytin tanesi
Bir parça mavi deniz
Alır beni

Seni düşündükçe
Gül dikiyorum ellerimin değdiği yere
Atlara su veriyorum
Daha bir seviyorum dağları.

İlhan Berk

Photo by Nikolay Yakovlev