{"id":6314,"date":"2018-11-09T09:40:17","date_gmt":"2018-11-09T16:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/?p=6314"},"modified":"2018-11-09T09:40:17","modified_gmt":"2018-11-09T16:40:17","slug":"yunus-emre-lets-take-yunus-emre-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/09\/yunus-emre-lets-take-yunus-emre-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Yunus Emre – Let’s Take Yunus Emre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s Take Yunus Emre
\nby Yunus Emre<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

English version by Jennifer Ferraro & Latif Bolat<\/font><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be companions, the two of us.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be close intimates, the two of us.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lets go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go before this life is over,
\nBefore our bodies disappear,
\nBefore enemies come between us \u2014<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Come on, let\u2019s go. Don\u2019t remain alone.
\nLet\u2019s be a chisel in the Friend\u2019s hand.
\nThe only stop will be our sheikh\u2019s station.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s leave our towns and cities
\nand gladly suffer for the Friend.
\nLet\u2019s wrap our arms around our Beloved\u2019s waist.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s not be bewildered by the world.
\nLet\u2019s not be cheated by its sudden dying.
\nLet\u2019s not sit together never touching.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s give up this transient world
\nand fly to the lasting land of the Friend.
\nLet\u2019s give up all the playthings of the nafs<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Be a guide to me on this journey.
\nLet\u2019s set our destination at the Friend,
\nNot thinking where we begin or end.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

This world isn\u2019t everlasting.
\nWith eyes half-open it is tempting.
\nBe a companion of lovers and a lover.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Before the news of death reaches us,
\nBefore the hour when he grabs us by the collar,
\nBefore Azrail makes his sudden move,<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s arrive at the Divine Truth
\nand inquire there about Reality.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s take Yunus Emre with us \u2014<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and go to the Friend, my soul.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a> \u2014 from Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey<\/a>, Translated by Jennifer Ferraro \/ Translated by Latif Bolat<\/font><\/p>\n


\/ Image by Elizabeth Alice<\/a> \/<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

I like this image of calling to the soul to become a traveling companion on the road to the Friend.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s humorous when you think about it. The soul is already a part of ourselves, why should we have to coax it? We might even say that the soul is<\/i> who we are. Wouldn\u2019t the soul already be on the journey to the Friend, perhaps already at the Friend\u2019s door?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be companions, the two of us.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be close intimates, the two of us.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lets go to the Friend, my soul.<\/i><\/p>\n

On that journey, best to convince the soul to be a close companion.<\/p>\n

And what other part of the self is speaking? It would seem to be the surface sense of self, the little self, the ego, the nafs<\/i>. You get the feeling that the self doing the speaking is actually the hesitant one, trying to convince itself. There\u2019s a sort of self-teasing here, a bit of bravado while gathering courage for the journey.<\/p>\n

Who is this Azrail who will make a \u201csudden move\u201d? Azrail or Azrael is the name sometimes given to the angel of death. Many religious types have an idea that, so long as they have subscribed to the \u201cright\u201d form of religion, they will magically end up in some heavenly realm after death, with no journey involved. Mystics like Yunus Emre remind us that the soul\u2019s journey is the only way to the Friend and the entire purpose of life, something to be engaged in now in the midst of life.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s arrive at the Divine Truth
\nand inquire there about Reality.<\/i><\/p>\n

We all need a nudge, and the best nudge comes from within.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul.<\/i><\/p>\n

And, oh yes\u2013<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take Yunus Emre with us<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2014 take yourself with you.<\/p>\n


\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Recommended Books: Yunus Emre<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Longing in Between: Sacred Poetry from Around the World (A Poetry Chaikhana Anthology)<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nPoetry for the Spirit: Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nMusic of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nThe Drop That Became the Sea: Lyric Poems of Yunus Emre<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nQuarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey<\/a><\/small><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
More Books >><\/a><\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/center>
\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\"Yunus<\/a>\n<\/td>\n\nYunus Emre<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey (1238 \u2013 1320) Timeline<\/a>
\nMuslim \/ Sufi<\/a><\/a>
\n<\/a><\/a><\/em>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Yunus Emre is considered by many to be one of the most important Turkish poets. Little can be said for certain of his life other than that he was a Sufi dervish of Anatolia. The love people have for his liberating poetry is reflected in the fact that many villages claim to be his birthplace, and many others claim to hold his tomb. He probably lived in the Karaman area.<\/p>\n

His poetry expresses a deep personal mysticism and humanism and love for God.<\/p>\n

He was a contemporary of Rumi, who settled in the same region after having moved from what is today Afghanistan. Rumi composed his collection of stories and songs for a well-educated urban circle of Sufis, writing primarily in the literary language of Persian. Yunus Emre, on the other hand, traveled and taught among the rural poor, singing his songs in the Turkish language of the common people.<\/p>\n

A story is told of a meeting between the two great souls: Rumi asked Yunus Emre what he thought of his great work the Mathnawi. Yunus Emre said, \u201cExcellent, excellent! But I would have done it differently.\u201d Surprised, Rumi asked how. Yunus replied, \u201cI would have written, \u2018I came from the eternal, clothed myself in flesh, and took the name Yunus.'\u201d That story perfectly illustrates Yunus Emre\u2019s simple, direct approach that has made him so beloved.<\/p>\n

More poetry by Yunus Emre<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s Take Yunus Emre by Yunus Emre English version by Jennifer Ferraro & Latif Bolat Let\u2019s be companions, the two of us. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s go to the Friend, my soul. Let\u2019s be close intimates, the two of us. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lets go to the Friend, my soul. Let\u2019s go before this life is over, Before our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[503,1134,1344,19,252,530],"class_list":["post-6314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry","tag-ego","tag-journey","tag-nafs","tag-sufi-poetry","tag-turkish-poetry","tag-yunus-emre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6314"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6315,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6314\/revisions\/6315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}