– To My Valiant Kinsmen of Turkistan –
How could I forget,
A land that holds history within its thousand-fold centuries?
My past is as clear as the ancient, white-crowned Tian Shan.
Its mist-veiled peak speaks to me of Ergenekon,
Of Manas, and of countless heroes, the “Baturs”.
How could I forget
The Stone Gate, the majestic Blue Lake?
In the cold, one can still hear the bellows that once melted the Iron Mountains,
The Turks emerge from Ergenekon, led by the “Gökbörü”, the Celestial Wolf.
Thousands of Kazakhs dwell once more in their tents and “yurts”,
Their children gallop on horseback,
Their youth play the “kopuz”.
Do not be deceived by their plight,
Their hearts remain as unyielding as iron.
How could I forget
Reyhan with her pearly teeth,
Gülnur with her raven hair,
And eyes like the grapes of Turpan?
The beauty of my race shines through their very being,
And it is as if they join in my lament
All the “Hankız”, the princesses, and all the “Aykız”, the moon-like maidens.
How could I forget
The desolation of Kashgar?
In Opal, the tomb of Mahmud rises
Toward the heavens.
Where is the Silk Road, with its rare and wondrous blossoms?
Where are the camels laden with silk?
My heart burns in the Taklamakan Desert,
Just as it burns for the millions of my kinsmen
Who share this fate with me.
Their love remains in our hearts, in my heart,
How could I forget? How could I forget?
1988
English Translation by Mesut Şenol