Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Muslim / Sufi

13th Century

About Yunus Emre

Timeline (1238 - 1320)

Yunus Emre, Yunus Emre poetry, Muslim / Sufi, Muslim / Sufi poetry, poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry, poetry

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English version by
Namžk Kemal Zeybek

Original Language
Turkish

I am before, I am after

Themes

Heart

Lover and Beloved

Mountain

Sky

Recommended Books

	The Drop That Became the Sea: Lyric Poems of Yunus Emre, Translated by Kabir Helminski / Translated by Refik Algan
	Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems, Translated by Bernard Lewis
	Poetry for the Spirit: Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty, Edited by Alan Jacobs
	The Poetry of Yunus Emre: A Turkish Sufi Poet, Translated by Grace Martin Smith
	Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey, Translated by Jennifer Ferraro / Translated by Latif Bolat

I am before, I am after
The soul for all souls all the way.
I'm the one with a helping hand
Ready for those gone wild, astray.

I made the ground flat where it lies,
On it I had those mountains rise,
I designed the vault of the skies,
For I hold all things in my sway.

To countless lovers I have been
A guide for faith and religion.
I am sacrilege in men's hearts
Also the true faith and Islam's way.

I make men love peace and unite;
Putting down the black words on white,
I wrote the four holy books right
I'm the Koran for those who pray.

It's not Yunus who says all this:
It speaks its own realities:
To doubt this would be blasphemous:
"I'm before-I'm after," I say.

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Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

About Yunus Emre

Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World