Centre for Romanian Studies

Poetry in Translation (CCCX): Attila ILHAN (1925-2005), TURKEY:
“Illicit love”, “Iubire ilicită”

ILLICIT LOVE
ATTILA ILHAN
(1925-2005)

come through my other door you cannot open this
come with your former eyes come at the time to kill
and be vigilant lest someone should follow you
I have been hiding in this house for a long time
I have changed my name they call me something else
day and night I wear sunglasses
come through my other door you cannot open this
come toward daybreak come with all your eyes
I am getting darker and darker behind the shutters
troubles engulf me and so does the Fall
I am unable to recognize your voice on the phone
your face flows and vanishes away through my fingers
something neeting something broken forever
come toward daybreak come with your former eyes
come through my other door you cannot open this
and be vigilant lest someone should follow you
I no longer exist for anyone
they conjured my loves with enormous violins
my fears have been lonesome for eternity
I am a lonely verse is that why I am getting wet
a revolver completes my novel
the play is over they tumed off the lights
come as if you do not exist come at the time to kill
come through my other door you cannot open this
they locked and sealed it from the outside
and be vigilant lest someone should follow you

* * * * * * * *
“Iubire ilicită”
Attila ILHAN (1925-2005)
Turcia
vino prin uşa cealaltă, nu vei putea deschide uşa asta
vino cu ceilalţi ochi vino când vei avea timp destul
şi fii atent ca nu cumva să te urmărească cineva
m-am ascuns în casa asta de mult timp
mi-am schimbat numele şi ei mă ştiu pe un alt nume
port ochelari de soare zi şi noapte
vino prin uşa cealaltă, nu vei putea deschide uşa asta
vino în zorii zilei vino cu ochii mari deschişi
devin din ce in ce mai întunecat în spatele obloanelor
mă năpădesc grijile ca şi Toamna
nu- ţi mai recunosc vocea la telefon
faţa ta se dizolvă şi îmi scapă printre degete
ca o ţesătură complect distrusă
vino în zorii zilei vino cu ochii mari deschişi
vino prin uşa cealaltă, nu vei putea deschide uşa asta
şi fii atent ca nu cumva să te urmărească cineva
eu nu mai exist deloc pentru nimeni
ei îmi aduc aminte de iubirile de alta data
temerile mele au rămas părăsite pentru totdeauna
sunt un cântec răzleţ iată de ce sunt ud până la piele
un pistol aduce la sfârşit povestea mea
piesa s-a terminat acum reflectoarele s-au stins
vino ca şi cum n-ai fii vino căci avem timp destul
vino prin uşa cealaltă, nu vei putea deschide uşa asta
au zăvorât-o şi au sigilat-o pe din afară
fii atent ca nu cumva să te urmărească cineva

Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN,
© 2014 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

SHORT BIO: Izmir-born poet Attilâ İlhan got on the wrong side of the Law during his school years when sending a politically ‘seditious’ poem to his young flame. and He was convicted over his left-wing sympathies and jailed for two months. This caused him eventually to live in Paris to allow the ‘dust’ to settle before he would return to his homeland.
Attilâ İlhan was active as a journalist and also wrote several successful novels. He lived and worked in Paris intermittently between 1949 and 1965 and later was active as a journalist in Turkey. His poetry, although modernist is replete with a sophisticated language, which pays tribute to Ottoman literature, music, and history. Some of his poem cycles allude to the Young Turks who eventually toppled the Sultan to install a new order.
Attilâ İlhan was a prolific poet, essayist and journalist, He died in Istanbul in 2005.