Neyleyim Köşkü - Kadri Şençalar - 20th Century Turkish Music

"Neyleyim Köşkü" (What good are mansions and palaces) is a Turkish song composed by Kadri Şençalar and written by Celal Ertan. The song is in the Hicaz makam (mode) and the usul (rhythm) is Nim Sofyan.

Kadri Şençalar was a Turkish composer and Oud player. He was born in Eyüp, Istanbul in 1912 and died in Istanbul in 1989. Kadri Şençalar is known for his contributions to Turkish classical music and canto. He was an expert in playing the Oud, which is a Middle Eastern stringed instrument similar to a lute.

Turkish Lyrics

Ah edip inlerim gurbet elinde,
Uzaktan göründü benim dağlarım.
Yine garip kaldım gurbet elinde,
Sevgilimi her gün arar ağlarım.
Neyleyim köşkü, neyleyim sarayı,
İçinde salınan yar olmayınca.

Kimsesiz hem öksüz kaldım bu yerde,
Talihim düşürdü beni bu derde.
Gözümü kapladı bir kara perde,
Evimi yurdumu arar ağlarım.
Neyleyim köşkü, neyleyim sarayı,
İçinde salınan yar olmayınca.

English Translation

Oh, I sigh and moan in a foreign land,
My mountains are visible from afar,
I am still a stranger in this foreign land,
Every day I search and cry for my beloved.
What good are mansions and palaces,
If my love is not there to swing in them.

Alone and orphaned, I am left in this place,
Fate has brought me to this hardship,
A dark curtain has covered my eyes,
I search and cry for my home and homeland.
What good are mansions and palaces,
If my love is not there to swing in them.