Yemen Türküsü is a very well known Turkish folk song (türkü

Türkü

Türkü, literally "of the Turk", is a name given to Turkish folk songs as opposed to şarkı. In contemporary usage, the meanings of the words türkü and şarkı have shifted: Türkü refers to folk songs originated from music traditions within Turkey whereas şarkı refers to all other songs, including...

 means Turkish folk

Turkish folk music

Turkish folk music combines the distinct cultural values of all civilisations that have lived in Anatolia and the Ottoman territories in Europe and Asia...

 song). It is about Turkish soldiers who were sent to Yemen

Yemen

The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

 in the First World War to fight in a battle against Arab

Arab

Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

s during the Ottoman Empire

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...

. They all died in a place far away from their homeland, named Huş. There is some misunderstanding about the lyrics. Instead of Huş, which is the place in Yemen where the battle took place, many folk singers use Muş, a place in eastern Turkey. A recording was made of a performance by Iskender Özçelebi and Ahmet Basbaglar at Gazi University

Gazi University

Gazi University is a public university primarily located in Ankara, Turkey.It was established in 1926 by Kemal Atatürk as Gazi Teacher Training Institute...

, 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....

, Turkey on May 8, 1991.

Lyrics

Below are the lyrics in Turkish, and English:

Havada bulut yok bu ne dumandır

Mahlede ölü yok bu ne şivandır

Şu Yemen elleri ne de yamandır


Ah o Yemen'dir gülü çemendir

Giden gelmiyor acep nedendir

Burası Huş'tur yolu yokuştur

Giden gelmiyor acep ne iştir


Kışlanın önünde çalınır sazlar

Ayağı yalınayak yüreğim sızlar

Yemen'e gidene ağlıyor kızlar


Ah o Yemen'dir gülü çemendir

Giden gelmiyor acep nedendir

Burası Huş'tur yolu yokuştur

Giden gelmiyor acep ne iştir


Kışlanın önünde redif sesi var

Bakın çantasına aceb nesi var

Bir çift kundurası bir de fesi var


Ah o Yemen'dir gülü çemendir

Giden gelmiyor acep nedendir

Burası Huş'tur yolu yokuştur

Giden gelmiyor acep ne iştir


Kışlanın önünde geziyor kazlar

Elim kolum ağrır yüreğim sızlar

Yemen'e gidene ağlıyor kızlar


Ah o Yemen'dir gülü çemendir

Giden gelmiyor acep nedendir

Burası Huş'tur yolu yokuştur

Giden gelmiyor acep ne iştir


Kışlanın önünde bir binek taşı

Yoklama yapıyor bizim binbaşı

Sefere giderler çavuş onbaşı


Ah o Yemen'dir gülü çemendir

Giden gelmiyor acep nedendir

Burası Huş'tur yolu yokuştur

Giden gelmiyor acep ne iştir

There is no cloud in the air, What is that smoke?

There is no death in the neighborhood, What is that cry?

Those Yemen lands are so rugged


Over there is Yemen, its rose is fenugreek

Those who go never return, Why?

This is Housh, its roads are steep

Those who go never return, What's going on?


Saz is being played in front of the barracks

It's giving me heartache that he's barefoot

Girls cry to the ones who went to Yemen

Over there is Yemen...