Fesuphanallah

[deelyb]

Hi all - am new to these forums! :-D

I wondered if someone would be able to translate the lyrics of Koray Erkin's Fesuphanallah into English for me. I've only been able to find the lyrics online in Turkish:

Arkasý gelmez dertlerimin býktým illallah
Biri biterken öbürü de baþlar, vermesin allah
Böyle gelmiþ böyle gidecek korkarým valla
Yok mu çaresi be dostlar fesuphanallah

Alemin keyfi yerinde, yine maaþallah
Bize de bir gün kader güler, güler inþallah
Böyle gelmiþ böyle gidecek korkarým valla
Yok mu çaresi be dostlar fesuphanallah

Thanks in advance!

[ilkin]

fesüphanallah, from arabic, literally allah is far from any impurities, flaws, defects etc, expresses amazement, astonishment etc.

illallah, from arabic, literally but/except allah, as in la ilahe illallah "there's no god but allah," expresses loss of patience with someone's attitudes. i'm fed up with you! enough! stop it! also illallah yani!

vallah, from arabic, literally (i swear) by god, is used casually in the lyrics.

maşallah, from arabic, literally, what/as allah willed, expresses admiration, approval, pleasure etc, and equally the exact opposite as irony.

inşallah, from arabic, literally if allah wills, expresses hope.

---

Arkası gelmez dertlerimin bıktım illallah (*)
my troubles never end, i'm fed up, enough!

Biri biterken öbürü de başlar, vermesin allah
as one ends, the next one starts, may god spare

Böyle gelmiş böyle gidecek korkarım vallah
it's been always this way and by god, i'm afraid it will continue this way

Yok mu çaresi dostlar fesüphanallah
isn't there a solution, friends? o great god!


Alemin keyfi yerinde, yine maaşallah
everybody is in good spirits, how nice!

Bize de bir gün kader güler, güler inşallah
someday fate will smile us too, i hope it will

Böyle gelmiş böyle gidecek korkarım vallah
it's been always this way and by god, i'm afraid it will continue this way

Yok mu çaresi dostlar fesüphanallah
isn't there a solution, friends? o great god!

---
(*) arkası gelmez means both it stops, it discontinues and it doesn't end, it continues. as far as i know, this is the only expression in turkish that can be used in exactly opposite senses without employing irony. the context decides the meaning. eg,

bir kere taviz verirsen bu tavizlerin arkası gelmez
if you concede once then this concessions don't stop

bir hafta önce %5 zam gelmişti, bunun arkası gelmez inşallah
the price was increased 5% one week ago, i hope it doesn't continue

according the second line the latter is used in the lyrics.

the reason is that there is another expression that has unambiguous meaning and similar to this one in form, viz, ardı arkası kesilmemek/gelmemek, meaning to continue without interruption, and art and arka are synonyms in this sense (back). the two expressions mix up and the result is the ambiguity in the meaning of the former.

[deelyb]

Ilkin - thankyou so much! Thanks also for explaining some of the detail of the lyrics - how you dealt with the ambiguous phrase etc...really helpful!

Ok - so now I have a question about the mood of the song...it seems to me that the mood is 'life is awful, but I hope it gets better soon'? Is it seen by Turkish speakers as a depressing song or a hopeful song, I can't quite work it out?

The reason I am asking is that I work as a bellydancer and was hoping to use this song in my restaurant work...but I don't want to bring everyone down!

[lady_issabella]

i can give you some instrumenal(percuttion)songs...there are more beautiful to dance on...in Turkey they dont use to much songs with words for dancing...so feel free to LİVE UR E-MAİL ADRES TO ME AND İLL SEND U 3 BEAUTİFUL BELLYDANCE SONGS

[Tahira]

Hello Deelyb,
I have seen this song danced by bellydancers, but have read the lyrics I really wouldn´t use it.

Why don´t you use it; and by the way it´s a ver yold song. I know this song for more than 15 years, and I guess its even older.

When I dance in turkish restaurants I use for the main part of the performance classical arabic music. And for the rest I use arabic or turkish pop music.

Where are you from?

Happy hips
Tahira

[deelyb]

Hi all

Lady-Isabella - thanks for the offer of songs, but I have loads of music already! I just really enjoy this particular song, so wanted a translation and to see if it was suitable to dance to. But thanks again for the offer.

Tahira - I'm based in Lancaster, England. I prefer not to use Arabic music in Turkish restaurants if I can help it (although some of Asena's stuff is originally Arabic). It's interesting you think that I shouldn't dance to this song - could you give me some more info about why - is it just that you think it's too sad?

Thanks all! :-)

[ilkin]

deelyb, don't take the meaning of the lyrics seriously and literally. it's not a sad song. in fact, it's intended for fun and dance. see erkin koray himself singing it here. do you see any trace of sadness or gloom? you can safely dance with the song. i'm sure your audience will enjoy it, even accompany you.

... and please forgive candan erçetin: she doesn't know how to belly-dance.

[deelyb]

Thanks ilkin for clearing that up for me! I will happily dance to this song now!

It's really important for me as a dancer, but not a native speaker of Turkish or Arabic that I can accurately (as possible) judge the weight/importance of song lyrics, so I don't make a fool of myself, or make the audience uncomfortable ;-)

Anyway - I'll have a look at the clip and let you know what I think about candan erçetin... :-)

[Volcano1985]

Originally Posted by Tahira

by the way it´s a ver yold song. I know this song for more than 15 years, and I guess its even older.

More than 35 years...

[Tahira]

Hi Dellyb,
most of all I would not take this song, because it is so "old". I used to dance in different turkish restaurants. One preferred that we dancers dance to classic arabic music, another restaurant owner loved "mezdeke" and "nez" and he alsways asked for sezen aksu songs. And sometimes i took greek music, there are some turkish/greek and arab/greek songs and nobody complained about it.
By the way: all of them loved music based on Saidi rhythm.

I would take the songs you love most and you can fall deeply into the music. Because when you are with the music it will automatically show in your dance. So I recommend, take the songs you like - and wait for the owners reaction. But they will be satisfied when his guests are satiesfied. Follow your own feelings concerning music - I never had a bad experience with that attitude.

Happy hips
Tahira

[Tahira]

@VOlcano
...oooops, that old - I didn´even guess


Tahira

[deelyb]

Hi Tahira - I appreciate what you're saying about the age of the song, but that doesn't really bother me - most of the classic Arabic songs are MUCH older than 35yrs! You say I should use the music I like, and I like this music, so I'll work it into my set! Most of the restaurant owners I've worked with are happy to let the dancers choose their own music, and don't insist on things, so I'll try this out and see what happens.

Thanks again all!