from Orient and Map / An eastern sleep

At first they forgot, at any rate they forgot together
Then they remembered again, they remembered together too
Silent and they spoke
From among them a gentlemen got up and said this:

- gentleman: may I knock twice on the door of your ears
may I knock twice on the door of your ears
your false waking from a long sleep
your false waking from a long sleep
I have a word, one word, three furlongs can’t measure this mystery
I have a word, one word, three furlongs can’t measure this mystery
day dawned, sun set, what is this mourning, this heedlessness?
day dawned, sun set, what is this mourning, this heedlessness?
I went I came there was no-one there they must have come
I went I came there was no-one there they must have come
doomsday is in you under your hat
doomsday is in you under your hat
reality is in you under your hat
reality is in you under your hat

the long sleep is finished, the word is befun
a grandfather arif with snow-white and plaited hair
said this three days later: where is your hat?
the gentleman was silent, he slept in a snake for a season
the doors were opened… a little harun who had lost his pieces of gold
fell raving with his empty coffer into this dream courtyard

where is babylon where the palace
father’s gone, the gold is gone

the courtyard waits in silence
water’s poured, fire burns

…
I’ve found the secret word said a veli let’s go
İt’s vain to wait fort he divine light of destiny
fate is opening the door and going
exodus is breathing and the wiping out of breath
grandfather arif: oh destiny where’s that yardstick gone
veli: here are my clogs, here is the hollow of my hand
isn’t worth it flying to ar for world
grandfather arif: did you get to know your sleep like that
did you wipe away your pain like that
veli: may god forbid may god forbid

I’am a detail in my own shadow
but show me: where’s the ship and where’s the captain
said arif: here’s the ship and here’s the captain
veli: let’s go then
grandfather arif: where?
veli where let’s go
grandfather arif: you leave me and go wherever
I did not know my sleep or my rosary either
gentleman: be quiet… for one season I slept in a snake
one season in a bird
for one I was under the earth, for one in the sema dance
one in the invisible, one in my mind
I broke two eggs in my pure shell.
grandfather arif: sleep in a dropp of water, a tongue of fire
one season in the wind, one season in the earth
and what have you understood from your sleep
and what have you understood from your pain
veli: there was a palace made of paper
there was a palace made of clouds
there was someone a shepherd
there was someone a devil
harun: but you are there
you are on the way to thet city
in your pocket three pieces of gold
in your hand three bunches of grapes
gentleman: the sleep is finished, you are the spoken word
in our hearts the pure speech
veli: with words it finishes let’s turn
with embers it goes out let’s drink
grandfather arif. You’ve arrived, you’ve forgotten the letter
so much of words is quite enough.

-translated from the Turkish by Fiona Tomkinson