Wednesday, May 29, 2013

My Spool's Yellow Thread -- Makaram Sarı Bağlar (anonymous)

Everybody seems to claim ownership (whatever this means in folk music) of this melody, and I really hate that. Once again, an anonymous tune turns into a matter of national pride, into a bitter and pointless fight. The level of disputes is disgustingly low and vulgar. Yes, I am referring to the sophisticated (!) commentary on the so-called social networks about this piece. A warm feeling of righteousness is descending on me: I called this blog "Music of Anatolia ...".

I have known this piece since my childhood. In last decades, it has acquired a merry style in performances, and even has become something that people dance to. However, it is properly a slow tune since it is a lamentation. I remember the slow versions very vividly.

Anyway, I found the following versions in performances:

Turkish: The piece is compiled by Muzaffer Sarısözen (1899 - 1963), a very prolific music researcher, citing the source as Selahattin Mazlumoğlu of Diyarbakır district. This is a quite believable account since the musical form closely resembles those of the southeastern Anatolia, and, Sarısözen was a very careful compiler. Here are some examples among many others:

Kurdish:

Armenian:
  • www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UJkqbg3960. This is a confused performance. The piece is claimed as Armenian, the singer is Chechen, the lyrics are Russian, and the musical scale contains western tones. Plus, they are very angry and fanatic (I tried Google to translate comments: Oh, my goodness!).

Arabic:
  • Fairuz: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3lF90PVBtM. One of the most famous Lebanese singers (a.k.a. the Jewel of Lebanon). As Fairuz did sometimes, this is clearly an Arabized version, so much so that it is barely recognizable, but still good in its own right.

As for the actual the origins, I think this piece is an adaptation of a common tune by Turkish, Kurdish, and Armenian communities. Such songs are quite common, for which all these three people usually blame each other for stealing. Considering that they were once living together, in the same towns and neighboring villages, this is something to be expected. However, due to their present situation, Kurdish and Armenian people are usually bitter about many things and they go into pointless disputes instead of enjoying the beautiful songs.

Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the original Turkish lyrics. Thus, at first, I hesitated to attempt a translation. In addition, the style is very difficult. In all stanzas, the first two verses are not meaningfully connected to anything, except only to prepare a rhyme for the third and the fourth, which actually contains the message. Then, however, with a push from a friend of mine, I decided to give it a try. Here it is.
The Lyrics on the left column are the current common version, whereas those on the right are older.

In some versions, in the first stanza, the first verse is “My Spool’s black thread” . Black thread was by far the most common after white. Thus, it would be more appropriate. Also, in Turkish, it would perfectly rhyme with the last verse. In old tradition of Anatolia, which is still observed in many areas, the women used to wear black bandannas, turbans, or, other headdress or coverings (mourning) to signify their grief after death of someone loved. "Bağlamak" literally means "to tie", making "bağlar" "someone/something ties". Thus, a literal translation of the last verse could be "Asiye ties blacks", which is meaningful. Then the first verse would have to be "My spool ties black/yellow", which would mean very little, at first.  Nevertheless, in Turkish "bağ" also means "bundle, ligament, sheaf, ...". Thus, the latter translation may mean "My spool ties things with black/yellow threads". However, I chose something less complicated, although sounding equally silly.

Story:
(According to a person who claim to have actually seen Asiye in her old age. See www.uludagsozluk.com under "makaram sarı bağlar" entry.)

In 1940s, a tailor from Diyarbakir, Turkey, goes to Siverek, a small town of Diyarbakir, for tailoring a wedding suit for a nobleman of the town. While working, he sees Asiye and is immediately struck with love. However, he later learns that Asiye is the fiancée of the nobleman for whom he is tailoring the wedding suit. Further, he learns that Asiye does not really want to marry that person, and that she was coerced into the marriage by her father only for the sake of bride-price – not to mention the benefits of becoming in-laws with a well-to-do family.

 The tailor had been watching Asiye as she was doing daily chores in the courtyard. Then, Asiye, too, shows her interest in him. After a while, they start talking and decide to run away. In the eve of the wedding day, Asiye packs her belongings and goes to the tailor. They start running together, aiming at passing over Karacadağ Mountain (A classic symbolism in these kinds of stories).

 Meanwhile, Asiye’s family is already in pursuit, along with gendarmes. After a long hunt, the two lovers are trapped in an impasse. The tailor gets convicted and is committed to prison. Asiye is forced to marry the nobleman. For years, the tailor sings this lament as he walks the prison grounds. In this way, the song slowly becomes a folk song.

Hmm, it doesn't sound very credible, if you ask me. But, it is a good story. Somebody, please make this into a movie! The cast? Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, of course!

Here are the original lyrics of the current version.
====================================
MAKARAM SARI BAĞLAR

Makaram sarı bağlar lo
Kız söyler gelin ağlar
Niye ben ölmüşmüyem lo
Asiyem karalar bağlar

O perde o perde (Lo berde, lo berde) (Kurdish)
Zülfün yüzüne perde
Devriyeler sardı da bizi
Meğer kaderim böyle

Makarada ipliğim lo
Asiyem benim kekliğim
Hiç aklımdan gitmiyor lo
Tenhalarda gezdiğim

O perde o perde (Lo berde, lo berde) (Kurdish)
Zülfün yüzüne perde
Devriyeler sardı da bizi
Meğer kaderim böyle

Sarı gülü derende lo
İnsaf senin nerende
Kabahat sende değil lo
Sana gönül verende
====================================




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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousMay 13, 2015 at 3:02 AM

    The lyrics in the Armenian version are Armenian, not Russian. It's called "Hay Qajer" (Brave Armenians). It's a patriotic song, unlike the Turkish and Kurdish versions. Translation: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/հայ-քաջեր-hay-qajer-plucky-armenians.html

    And here's the original version of the song by Harut Pamboukjian: http://youtu.be/OP_VvhhNj5E

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