Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Poems

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Biography

Mehmet Âkif Ersoy (1873 - 1936, Istanbul) was a Turkish poet of Uzbek and Albanian origin from Peć, Kosovo, author, academic, member of parliament, and the poet of the Turkish National Anthem. Widely regarded as one of the premiere literary minds of his time, Ersoy was further noted for his command of the Turkish language, as well as his patriotism and piousness and his support for the Turkish War of Independence. As a gesture of gratitude, a framed version of the national anthem typically occupies the wall above the blackboard in the classrooms of every public as well as most private schools around Turkey, along with a Turkish flag, a photograph of the country's founding father Atatürk, and a copy of Atatürk's famous inspirational speech to the nation's youth. He currently has a university in his name in Burdur. Ersoy's portrait was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 100 lira banknotes of 1983-1989. Mehmet Akif Ersoy had abundant knowledge concerning traditional eastern literature. In addition, during the years he was studying at Veterinary school, he enjoyed reading the works of authors such as Victor Hugo, Alphonse de Lamartine, Emile Zola, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He is best known for his 1911 work entitled Safahat. This volume is a collection of 44 poems of various lengths by Mehmet Akif Ersoy. The earliest work that appears in this book is dated 1904, but this is unattested, and it is highly likely that the poet, who was 32 on that particular date, composed poems prior to that date. He is further noted for writing the lyrics of Turkish National Anthem, İstiklâl Marşı (The March of Independence in English) – which was adopted in 1921, and is accepted by many Turks as their "National Poet". The lyrics were originally written as a poem in a collection of his writings. Paradoxically, one of his most famous works, a book called Safahat, was not widely read or published until recently. He studied veterinary science at the university. In addition to his literary merits and his patriotic personality, Ersoy was a deeply pious man who was known on occasion to engage in Tafsir and for the few but particularly well-written poetic translations from the Qur'an he penned. Ataturk, who admired Ersoy and was deeply impressed with the samples of Tafsir Ersoy provided, asked the poet if he could translate the entire Qur'an into Turkish, as well as provide a commentary on its contents. Although he first accepted the offer, Ersoy soon realized that his command of Islamic theology and his knowledge of classical Arabic was insufficient to provide a thorough, proper and deserving translation of the exquisite Arabic in The Qur'an. To avoid the possible public circulation of a transliteration which may remotely be faulty, he burned the few pages that he worked on, and the job of creating the Turkish Tafsir of the Qur'an was given to one of the greatest theologians and academics of the day, Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, whose work is still regarded as the Tafsir of record in Turkey.)

The Best Poem Of Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Atiyi Karanlik Görerek Azmi Birakmak

Âtiyi karanlık görerek azmi bırakmak...
Alçak bir ölüm varsa, emînim, budur ancak.
Dünyâda inanmam, hani görsem de gözümle.
İmânı olan kimse gebermez bu ölümle:
Ey dipdiri meyyit, 'İki el bir baş içindir.'
Davransana... Eller de senin, baş da senindir!
His yok, hareket yok, acı yok... Leş mi kesildin?
Hayret veriyorsun bana... Sen böyle değildin.
Kurtulmaya azmin neye bilmem ki süreksiz?
Kendin mi senin, yoksa ümîdin mi yüreksiz?
Âtiyi karanlık görüvermekle apıştın?
Esbâbı elinden atarak ye'se yapıştın!
Karşında ziyâ yoksa, sağından, ya solundan
Tek bir ışık olsun buluver... Kalma yolundan.
Âlemde ziyâ kalmasa, halk etmelisin, halk!
Ey elleri böğründe yatan, şaşkın adam, kalk!
Herkes gibi dünyâda henüz hakk-i hayâtın
Varken, hani herkes gibi azminde sebâtın?
Ye's öyle bataktır ki; düşersen boğulursun.
Ümîde sarıl sımsıkı, seyret ne olursun!
Azmiyle, ümidiyle yaşar hep yaşayanlar;
Me'yûs olanın rûhunu, vicdânını bağlar
Lânetleme bir ukde-i hâtır ki: çözülmez...
En korkulu câni gibi ye'sin yüzü gülmez!
Mâdâm ki alçaklığı bir, ye's ile şirkin;
Mâdâm ki ondan daha mel'un daha çirkin
Bir seyyie yoktur sana; ey unsur- îman,
Nevmid olarak rahmet-i mev'ûd-u Hudâ'dan,
Hüsrâna rıza verme... Çalış... Azmi bırakma;
Kendin yanacaksan bile, evlâdını yakma!

Evler tünek olmuş, ötüyor bir sürü baykuş...
Sesler de: 'Vatan tehlikedeymiş... Batıyormuş! '
Lâkin, hani, milyonları örten şu yığından,
Tek kol da yapışsam demiyor bir taraftan!
Sâhipsiz olan memleketin batması haktır;
Sen sâhip olursan bu vatan batmayacaktır.
Feryâdı bırak, kendine gel, çünkü zaman dar...
Uğraş ki: telâfi edecek bunca zarar var.
Feryâd ile kurtulması me'mûl ise haykır!
Yok, yok! Hele azmindeki zincirleri bir kır!
'İş bitti... Sebâtın sonu yoktur! ' deme, yılma.
Ey millet-i merhûme, sakın ye'se kapılma.



14 Mart 1913

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