the poem in full
bear in mind that köroğlu rebelled, apparently with just cause, against his local lord (the lord of bolu) and turned into a bandit, an outlaw. some compare him with robin hood. please follow the wiki link in the message above for details.
Nice yiğitler beslenir
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
Alıcı kuşlar seslenir
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
Dolandım dağlar başına
Düşmanlar çıktı karşıma
Kim dayanır savaşıma
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
Gahi durdum gahi estim
Beylerin yolunu kestim
Zalimlere benim kastım
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
at times i stopped, at other times i blew
i blocked the road of lords
oppressors are my target
in your bosom, mountains
Yola durdum vurdum kervan
Çekip soydum çok bezirgan
Zalimlere yutturdum kan
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
i stood by the roads, i attacked caravans
i kidnapped and robbed many merchants
i caused the oppressors swallow blood (1)
in your bosom, mountains
Sefer eyledim her yana
Beyleri getirdim cana
Kırat'ım benzer ceylana
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
i campaigned everywhere
i drove the lords to despair (2)
my kırat is like a gazelle (3)
in your bosom, mountains
Dağa çıktım serden geçtim
Meclis kurdum bade içtim
Çamlıbel'e konup göçtüm
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
i took to the mountain, i no longer care about my head (4)
i had carouses, i drank wine
i hanged around çamlıbel
in your bosom, mountains
Han Ayvaz benimle bile
Esir çektim Çamlıbel'e
Koç Köroğlu düştü dile
Dağlar koynunda koynunda
even han ayvaz is with me (5)
i brought slaves to çamlıbel
köroğlu the ram fell on the tongues (6)
in your bosom, mountains
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(1) kan yutturmak: this expression is no longer in use, use instead the parallel one kan kusturmak, to cause s/o to womit blood, figuratively to oppress/crush mercilessly.
(2) cana getirmek: this expression has lost its original meaning (as in the translation). now it means to revive, to give life. apparently it's a translation of farsi, or the other way round, ba-jan rasidan or be-can âverden (kinaye ez be-teng âverden, be-sutuh âverden, kesi ra ez zindegi bizâr sâhten). the form now in use is canından bezdirmek.
(3) kırat, ie, kır at, meaning white horse, is the proper name of köroğlu's horse. its so spelled as to distinguish it from ordinary white horses.
(4) ie, i'm ready to risk or sacrifice my life.
(5) han ayvaz: köroğlu's best friend, aide and right hand.
(6) ram: figuratively, brave, plucky. to fall on the tongues: to be renowned
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