Poems from a Turkish Prison
The prison poetry of Sabahattin Ali
From the translator:
Sabahattin Ali (1907–1948) was a prominent Turkish novelist, short story writer, poet, journalist, and teacher. He was probably the most powerful and effective of the 20th century short story writers in Turkey who addressed social themes. Although he died in 1948 at the age of 41, his writing remains very popular.
In his short life, Ali wrote 64 short stories and 3 novels, mostly based on his own observations and life experiences in rural Anatolia. These stories broadly speak to challenges the Turkish society faced, especially in rural Anatolia, in education, health, and social services as well as challenges stemming from social inequality, women’s issues, urban–rural conflicts, and uneven functioning of the justice system.
The translation below includes “The Cypress Tree,” which Ali wrote on a boat from Istanbul to Sinop and which he sent together with a letter to a close friend, Ayşe Sıtkı İlhan. This is followed by five prison poems which Ali wrote from confinement. All of these poems are translated into English here for the first time.
The Cypress Tree
Ali wrote the below poem, “The Cypress Tree,” on a boat from Istanbul to Sinop.
Five Prison Songs
Ali wrote the following five poems, known as his Prison Songs, while at Sinop prison. They are well known and, over the years, have been set to music by various artists.
You may read more stories and poems from Sabahattin Ali here: Selected Stories and Poems by Sabahattin Ali.
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