From the alley cat to the butcher's cat
We can't come together, our ways are different
You're a butcher's cat,
I'm an alley cat
Your food comes in a tin bowl
Mine is in the lion's mouth
You dream of love,
I of a bone
But your way isn't easy either, brother
It's no easy job
To lick the man's hand every damn day
Orhan Veli Kanik
Translated by Bernard Lewis (1982)
REPLY
From the butcher's cat to the alley cat
You speak of hunger
That means you're communist
That means you burned down all those buildings
The ones in Istanbul
The ones in Ankara.
What a swine you are!
Orhan Veli Kanik
Translated by Bernard Lewis (1982)
KUYRUKLU SIIR
Uyusamayiz sevgilim, yollarimiz ayri;
Sen cigercinin kedisi ben sokak kedisi.
Senin yiyecegin kalaylikapta
Benimki aslan agzinda.
Sen ask ruyasi gorursun ben kemik.
Ama seninki de kolay degil, kardesim;
Kolay degil hani,
Boyle kuyruk sallamak
Tanrinin gunu.
Orhan Veli Kanik
CEVAP
Acliktan bahsediyorsun;
Demek ki sen komunistsin.
Demek butun binalari yakan sensin.
Istanbul'dakileri sen, Ankara'dakileri sen...
Sen ne domuzsun sen
Orhan Veli Kanik
(yaprak,15.1.1950)