Asik Veysel Satiroglu
Encyclopedia
Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu also known as just Aşık Veysel, was a Turkish
alevi minstrel
and highly regarded poet of the Turkish folk literature
. He was born in the Sivrialan village of the Şarkışla
district, Sivas, on October 25, 1894 and died on March 21, 1973. He was an ashik
, a poet
, songwriter
, and a bağlama
and saz
virtuoso, the prominent representative of the Anatolia
n ashik tradition in the 20th century. He was blind for most of his lifetime. His songs are usually sad tunes, often talking about the inevitability of death.
was prevalent throughout the Ottoman
region that included Sivas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His mother Gülizar and his father Ahmet had already lost two daughters to smallpox before Veysel was born. When Veysel turned seven in 1901, another smallpox outbreak occurred in Sivas, and Veysel contracted the disease as well. He became blind in his left eye and a cataract
developed in his right eye. After an accident, his right eye was blinded as well. His father gave his blind son a saz and recited many folk poems to him. Poets of the region also started to drop by Ahmet Şatıroğlu’s house as well with their friends. They played instruments and sang songs. Veysel used to listen to them carefully.
, Karacaoğlan
, Dertli, Rühsati and other great alevi poets and ashiks of Anatolia.
started. All of his friends and his brother rushed to the front, yet because of his blindness he was left alone with his saz.
After the war, he married a woman named Esma, who bore him a daughter and a son. The son died 10 days after birth. On February 24, 1921 Veysel's mother died, followed eighteen months later by his father. By then Esma had left him and their six-month-old daughter, running off with a servant from his brother's house. His daughter also died at a young age.
, a literature teacher in Sivas High School, who along with his colleagues founded the Association For Preservation of Folk Poets in 1931. On December 5, 1931, they organized the Fest of Folk Poets that lasted for three days. Thereupon, a new turning point started in Veysel’s life. We can say that having met Ahmet Kutsi Tecer pointed out a new starting for Veysel.
Until 1933, Veysel played and sang the poems of master ozans. In the tenth anniversary of the Republic, upon the directives of Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, all folk poets wrote poems on the Republic and Mustafa Kemal. Veysel was one of those poets. The first poem of Veysel that came into the daylight was the poem starting with the line "Atatürk is the revival of Turkey. ..". This poem came into daylight only after Veysel left his village.
Ali Rıza Bey, the mayor of Ağcakışla to which Sivrialan was then affiliated, liked this tale of Veysel very much, and wanted to send the poem to Ankara
. Veysel said he himself would like to go and visit the nation's leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
, and set out for Ankara on foot with his faithful friend İbrahim. These two pure hearts who started their travel on bare foot under tough winter conditions, arrived in Ankara after having trampled down the roads for three months. Veysel was hosted by his hospitable friends for forty five days in Ankara. Although his aim in traveling to Ankara was to present the letter to Atatürk, it was not possible for him to do so. His mother Gülizar says "He felt bitter regret for two things in life: first not having been able to visit the great leader, and second, not being able to join the army...". However, his tale was printed in a printing house named Hakimiyeti Milliye in Ulus
, and was published in the newspaper for three days. Then, he started to travel around the country and to play and sing everywhere he went to. He was loved, he was respected.
Veysel himself tells us about those days as follows:
, Kastamonu
, Yıldızeli
and Akpınar
. In these schools, many intellectuals who later scorned Turkey's culture were able to meet the artist and improve their poetic sensibilities.
On March 21, 1973 at 3.30 a.m., Veysel closed his eyes to this world in Sivrialan, the village he was born in, in a house which now serves as a museum.
In 2000, a compilation album was released called Aşık Veysel Klasikleri.
In 2008, Joe Satriani's
new album Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock
included "Asik Veysel" and "Andalusia" which were dedicated to Aşık Veysel.
In 2008, Aşık Veysel's song Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım was edited a bit of a remixed version to be a theme song for a Turkish film series, :tr:Gece Gündüz Gece Gündüz (Meaning Night Day in English. There is a very successful series
Aşık Veysel's poems (in Turkish)
I walk all day, I walk all night,
I cannot tell what is my plight,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Soon as I came into the world,
That moment I began my fight,
I'm in an inn with double gates,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
I walk in sleep - I find no cause,
To linger, whether dark or light,
I see the travellers on the road,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Forty-nine years upon these roads,
On desert plain, on mountain height,
In foreign lands I make my way,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Sometimes it seems an endless road,
The goal is very far from sight,
On minute, and the journey's o'er-
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Veysel does wonder at this state,
Lament or laughter, which is right?
Still to attain that distant goal,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Translated by;
Nermin Menemencioğlu.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
alevi minstrel
Minstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
and highly regarded poet of the Turkish folk literature
Turkish folk literature
Turkish folk literature is an oral tradition deeply rooted, in its form, in Central Asian nomadic traditions. However, in its themes, Turkish folk literature reflects the problems peculiar to a settling people who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle...
. He was born in the Sivrialan village of the Şarkışla
Sarkisla
Şarkışla is a town in the Central Anatolian Sivas Province of Turkey. The mayor is Kasım Gültekin .Aşık Veysel, one of the most famous Turkish folk poets and folk music singers of the 20th century were born in Şarkışla, as well as another earlier poet named Aşık Sefil Kanberi...
district, Sivas, on October 25, 1894 and died on March 21, 1973. He was an ashik
Ashik
An Ashik is a mystic troubadour or traveling bard, in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran who sings and plays the saz, a form of lute. Ashiks' songs are semi-improvised around common bases....
, a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and a bağlama
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
and saz
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
virtuoso, the prominent representative of the Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n ashik tradition in the 20th century. He was blind for most of his lifetime. His songs are usually sad tunes, often talking about the inevitability of death.
Early life
SmallpoxSmallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
was prevalent throughout the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
region that included Sivas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His mother Gülizar and his father Ahmet had already lost two daughters to smallpox before Veysel was born. When Veysel turned seven in 1901, another smallpox outbreak occurred in Sivas, and Veysel contracted the disease as well. He became blind in his left eye and a cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
developed in his right eye. After an accident, his right eye was blinded as well. His father gave his blind son a saz and recited many folk poems to him. Poets of the region also started to drop by Ahmet Şatıroğlu’s house as well with their friends. They played instruments and sang songs. Veysel used to listen to them carefully.
Veysel, the child saz player
Veysel devoted himself wholeheartedly to playing saz and singing. He was first instructed by his father's friend, Çamışıhlı Ali Aga (Âşık Alâ), who taught him about the works of Pir Sultan AbdalPir Sultan Abdal
Pir Sultan Abdal was a legendary Turkish Alevi poet, whose direct and clear language as well as the richness of his imagination and the beauty of his verses led him to become loved among the Turkish people. Pir Sultan Abdal reflected the social, cultural and religious life of the people; he was a...
, Karacaoğlan
Karacaoglan
Karacaoğlan is a 17th century Ottoman folk poet and ashik. His exact dates of birth and death are unknownbut it is widely accepted that he was born around 1606 and died around 1680...
, Dertli, Rühsati and other great alevi poets and ashiks of Anatolia.
World War I and after
Veysel was 20 when the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
started. All of his friends and his brother rushed to the front, yet because of his blindness he was left alone with his saz.
After the war, he married a woman named Esma, who bore him a daughter and a son. The son died 10 days after birth. On February 24, 1921 Veysel's mother died, followed eighteen months later by his father. By then Esma had left him and their six-month-old daughter, running off with a servant from his brother's house. His daughter also died at a young age.
1930s
He met Ahmet Kutsi TecerAhmet Kutsi Tecer
Ahmet Kutsi Tecer was a Turkish poet and politician.-Biography:Born in Jerusalem, Tecer studied philosophy and started his career as a philosophy teacher. Then, he worked in the Education Ministry and was a member of parliament from 1942 to 1946...
, a literature teacher in Sivas High School, who along with his colleagues founded the Association For Preservation of Folk Poets in 1931. On December 5, 1931, they organized the Fest of Folk Poets that lasted for three days. Thereupon, a new turning point started in Veysel’s life. We can say that having met Ahmet Kutsi Tecer pointed out a new starting for Veysel.
Until 1933, Veysel played and sang the poems of master ozans. In the tenth anniversary of the Republic, upon the directives of Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, all folk poets wrote poems on the Republic and Mustafa Kemal. Veysel was one of those poets. The first poem of Veysel that came into the daylight was the poem starting with the line "Atatürk is the revival of Turkey. ..". This poem came into daylight only after Veysel left his village.
Ali Rıza Bey, the mayor of Ağcakışla to which Sivrialan was then affiliated, liked this tale of Veysel very much, and wanted to send the poem to Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. Veysel said he himself would like to go and visit the nation's leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
, and set out for Ankara on foot with his faithful friend İbrahim. These two pure hearts who started their travel on bare foot under tough winter conditions, arrived in Ankara after having trampled down the roads for three months. Veysel was hosted by his hospitable friends for forty five days in Ankara. Although his aim in traveling to Ankara was to present the letter to Atatürk, it was not possible for him to do so. His mother Gülizar says "He felt bitter regret for two things in life: first not having been able to visit the great leader, and second, not being able to join the army...". However, his tale was printed in a printing house named Hakimiyeti Milliye in Ulus
Ulus, Ankara
Ulus is a quarter in Ankara, Turkey and is located at the center of the capital city. It was once the heart of old Ankara. The name means "nation" in Turkish....
, and was published in the newspaper for three days. Then, he started to travel around the country and to play and sing everywhere he went to. He was loved, he was respected.
Veysel himself tells us about those days as follows:
Teacher of the Village Institutes
Upon the establishment of Village Institutes, with the initiatives of Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, Âşık Veysel worked as a saz teacher in the Village Institutes of Arifiye, Hasanoğlan, ÇiftelerÇifteler
Çifteler is a town and district of Eskişehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 16,716 of which 11,872 live in the town of Çifteler. The district covers an area of , and the average elevation is .-External links:* **...
, Kastamonu
Kastamonu
Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of...
, Yıldızeli
Yildizeli
Yıldızeli is a town and a district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The mayor is Selim Baş . Yıldızeli has a broad and colorful history and culture. Various social communities reside in Yıldızeli, such as Alevis, Turkmens, Circassians, Kurds etc. The district has a lot of touristic places as well as...
and Akpınar
Akpinar
Akpınar is a town and district of Kırşehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 13,349 of which 3,696 live in the town of Akpınar.-External links:* * *...
. In these schools, many intellectuals who later scorned Turkey's culture were able to meet the artist and improve their poetic sensibilities.
Later life
In 1965, the Turkish Grand National Assembly resolved upon allocating a monthly salary in 500 TL to Âşık Veysel in return for “his contribution to our native language and national solidarity.”On March 21, 1973 at 3.30 a.m., Veysel closed his eyes to this world in Sivrialan, the village he was born in, in a house which now serves as a museum.
In 2000, a compilation album was released called Aşık Veysel Klasikleri.
In 2008, Joe Satriani's
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
new album Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock
Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock
Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock is the 12th studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani. The title has Greco-Biblical connotations. The initial part, Professor Satchafunkilus, is an extension of Satriani's nickname, Satch...
included "Asik Veysel" and "Andalusia" which were dedicated to Aşık Veysel.
In 2008, Aşık Veysel's song Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım was edited a bit of a remixed version to be a theme song for a Turkish film series, :tr:Gece Gündüz Gece Gündüz (Meaning Night Day in English. There is a very successful series
Aşık Veysel's poems (in Turkish)
The Day And Night (lyrics)
I'm on a long and narrow road,I walk all day, I walk all night,
I cannot tell what is my plight,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Soon as I came into the world,
That moment I began my fight,
I'm in an inn with double gates,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
I walk in sleep - I find no cause,
To linger, whether dark or light,
I see the travellers on the road,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Forty-nine years upon these roads,
On desert plain, on mountain height,
In foreign lands I make my way,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Sometimes it seems an endless road,
The goal is very far from sight,
On minute, and the journey's o'er-
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Veysel does wonder at this state,
Lament or laughter, which is right?
Still to attain that distant goal,
I walk all day, I walk all night.
Translated by;
Nermin Menemencioğlu.
Selected works
- Anlatamam Derdimi (5:24)
- Arasam Seni Gül İlen (4:18)
- Atatürk'e Ağıt (5:21)
- Beni Hor Görme (2:46)
- Beş Günlük Dünya (3:58)
- Bir Kökte Uzamış (4:55)
- Birlik Destanı (1:42)
- Çiçekler (3:05)
- Cümle Alem Senindir (6:44)
- Derdimi Dökersem Derin Dereye (4:51)
- Dost Çevirmiş Yüzünü Benden (3:12)
- Dost Yolunda (4:43)
- Dostlar Beni Hatırlasın (6:02)
- Dün Gece Yar Eşiğinde (4:28)
- Dünyaya Gelmemde Maksat (2:43)
- Esti Bahar Yeli (2:41)
- Gel Ey Aşık (5:35)
- Gonca Gülün Kokusuna (5:24)
- Gönül Sana Nasihatim (6:40)
- Gözyaşı Armağan (3:32)
- Güzelliğin On Para Etmez (4:31)
- Kahbe Felek (2:58)
- Kara Toprak (9:25)
- Kızılırmak Seni Seni (4:58)
- Küçük Dünyam (5:17)
- Murat (5:13)
- Ne Ötersin Dertli Dertli (3:05)
- Necip (3:16)
- Sazım (6:02)
- Seherin Vaktinde (5:01)
- Sekizinci Ayın Yirmiikisi (4:43)
- Sen Varsın (4:01)
- Şu Geniş Dünyaya (7:27)
- Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım (2:23)
- Yaz Gelsin (3:02)
- Yıldız (Sivas Ellerinde) (3:16)