Çeşm-i Siyahım - Turkish Song

Music & lyrics by Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, arrangement & vocals by Farya Faraji. Many thanks to my boy Arash for having helped out with some of the shots in this video—they’re from my October 2021 trip to Turkey, specifically in Cappdocia for this video.

Şerif Cırık, (1939-2002), was an aşık, the Turkish equivalent to a bard, people who master the bağlama, as well as olden repertoires of folk music and poetry which they contribute to by adding to it themselves. In this, Cırık’s style was a direct continuation of the traditional forms of Anatolian Turkish music and poetry, often rooted in the heartlands of Cappadocia and neighbouring regions, with strong influences and overlaps with Alevism.

The arrangement consists of a bağlama, a kopuz, a bendhir drum and a mey/duduk. The melody is in the makam (mode) of Bayat, the most commonly used mode, traditionally, in Middle-Eastern music, which is the same as the Western Aeolian mode, but with a microtonal second and sixth intervals. In addition to the makam aspect, I’ve added to the arrangement a harmonic chord progression from the Western system to exemplify the usual style of arrangement found in Turkey during the composer’s life, where Turkish music retained a strong loyalty to its roots while enriching it with harmonics and chords from the Western tradition, something completely lacking in the Eastern traditions, a marriage that works exceptionally well.

Lyrics:
İşte gidiyorum çeşm-i siyahım
İşte gidiyorum çeşm-i siyahım
Önümüze dağlar sıralansa da sıralansa da

Sermayem derdimdir servetim ahım
Karardıkça bahtım karalansa da

Hayli dolaşayım yüce dağlarda
Haydi dolaşayım yüce dağlarda
Dost beni bıraktı ah ile zarda ah ile zarda

Ötmek istiyorum viran bağlarda
Ayağıma cennet kıralansa da

Bağladım canımı Haydar zülfün teline
Bağladım canımı zülfün teline

Sen beni bıraktın elin diline elin diline
Güldün Mahzuni'nin berbat haline
Mervan'ın elinden parelense de

English translation:
Here I go, my black-eyed
Even though the mountains line up ahead of us
My fund is my nuisance, my fortune is my curse
Even though my luck is getting darker and darker

Let's wander around the high mountains
The companion has left me in pain
I want to sing out in the ruined vineyards
Even if heaven is rented under my feet

I hung my life on a strand of your hair
You left me vulnerable to the gossips
You laughed at Mahzuni's miserable state
Even if he gets into pieces in the hands of Marwan..

[faryafaraji]

Music & lyrics by Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, arrangement & vocals by Farya Faraji. Many thanks to my boy Arash for having helped out with some of the shots in this video—they’re from my October 2021 trip to Turkey, specifically when we were in Cappadocia.

Şerif Cırık, (1939-2002), was an aşık, the Turkish equivalent to a bard, people who master the bağlama, as well as olden repertoires of folk music and poetry which they contribute to by adding to it themselves. In this, Cırık’s style was a direct continuation of the traditional forms of Anatolian Turkish music and poetry, often rooted in the heartlands of Cappadocia and neighbouring regions, with strong influences and overlaps with Alevism.

The arrangement consists of a bağlama, a kopuz, a bendhir drum and a mey/duduk. The melody is in the makam (mode) of Bayat, the most commonly used mode, traditionally, in Middle-Eastern music, which is the same as the Western Aeolian mode, but with a microtonal second and sixth intervals. In addition to the makam aspect, I’ve added to the arrangement a harmonic chord progression from the Western system to exemplify the usual style of arrangement found in Turkey during the composer’s life, where Turkish music retained a strong loyalty to its roots while enriching it with harmonics and chords from the Western tradition, something completely lacking in the Eastern traditions, a marriage that works exceptionally well.

Lyrics:
İşte gidiyorum çeşm-i siyahım
İşte gidiyorum çeşm-i siyahım
Önümüze dağlar sıralansa da sıralansa da

Sermayem derdimdir servetim ahım
Karardıkça bahtım karalansa da

Hayli dolaşayım yüce dağlarda
Haydi dolaşayım yüce dağlarda
Dost beni bıraktı ah ile zarda ah ile zarda

Ötmek istiyorum viran bağlarda
Ayağıma cennet kıralansa da

Bağladım canımı Haydar zülfün teline
Bağladım canımı zülfün teline

Sen beni bıraktın elin diline elin diline
Güldün Mahzuni'nin berbat haline
Mervan'ın elinden parelense de

English translation:
Here I go, my black-eyed
Even though the mountains line up ahead of us
My fund is my nuisance, my fortune is my curse
Even though my luck is getting darker and darker

Let's wander around the high mountains
The companion has left me in pain
I want to sing out in the ruined vineyards
Even if heaven is rented under my feet

I hung my life on a strand of your hair
You left me vulnerable to the gossips
You laughed at Mahzuni's miserable state
Even if he gets into pieces in the hands of Marwan..

[memduhakat]

Ur jobs r amazing and u r really gifted dear iranian brother greetings from Turkey.

[HayaletSuvari-yrib]

Türk kültüründen müzikler görmek ve sabah sabah bu müzikle güne başlamak süper oldu.. çok teşekkürler.. sayın; Farya Faraji

[HistorywithCy]

Beautiful song and scenery, Cappdocia is stunning! As always thanks for providing the translation, really helps to get more into it!

[lulumoon]

Lifelong lover of Turkey, no familial ties, just respect, so thank you for this piece and visuals. Prayers for those lost, and rebuilding... ❤️🙏💞

[buragorn]

Iranian Barış Akarsu singing Mahzuni while playing bağlama?Awesome

[dejuf]

Çocukken "çeşmesi yarım" olarak anlardım çocuk aklı işte. Sonradan anladım ki "kara gözlüm" diyormuş.
Hayatımdaki ilk türkülerden biridir. Rahmetli Mahzuni de Maraşlıdır. Bu günlerde paylaşılması manidar oldu. Ağzına sağlık dostum.

[eylulsahinler]

As a native turkish speaker I am speechless you sound perfect respects 🎉

[denizcetin]

Büyük ozan Mahsuni Şerif. Tini şad, mekanı uçmağ olsun. ❤

[mioaraducu]

Beautiful song! Just amazing like the rocks of Cappadocia! I went to Cappadocia in 2019 and my soul stayed there forever...

[atillaakbaba]

Dünya müziklerini kule gibi işlemiş bizlere, İyiki varsın 🗽

[sevgiyldzhan]

Günaydın Farja, sabah sabah yorumladığın bu muhteşem deyiş ile günümü aydınlattığın için sana çok teşekkür ediyorum 🌄💐💐 Asrımızın Pir Sultan Abdalı Mahsuni Şerif en çok sevdiğimiz ozanlardandır. Sevgiler saygılar 💖💖💖

[iberius]

Excellent song and performance. Puts one in a state of idyllic bliss. Turkey really does have some rich musical tradition.
I like the subtle use of the evil eye motifs hanging from the tree.

[reylad]

Çok güzel bir Türkü, bu kanala yakıştı

[superlitin]

Astonishing work, your videos really are one of a kind. Peace and love from Norway

[onurerdogan]

Farya, the amount of different songs you can do on such diverse cultures amazes me. You are a man of many talents and I hope you'll go far. Been listening to you for almost two years. Amazing work as always.

[burakt]

I deeply respect to you my friend. Your song covers are always great. You're singing almost like a native Turkish speaker. Greetings from Turkey. 👏👏

[CatastrophicDisease]

It's insane that you produce this volume of extremely high-quality content so regularly.

[HasanBabasi]

I was born in Eastern Turkiye, but my ethnic background reaches deep like a trees root. I love seeing my Persian, Turkic, and middle eastern ethnicities come together.

[Ozgur]

Those beginning notes always give tears.