Considered a traitor in life and denationalised, his poems which got translated into more than 50 languages forbidden for decades, only about 46 years after he died (June 3rd, 1963), from January 6th, 2009 on Nâzım Hikmet is allowed to call himself a Turkish citizen, again.
If Mr. Hikmet ("I love my Country") has already applied for a passport has not yet been disclosed.
Anyway, here's an excerpt from the oratory Fazil Say composed and dedicated to the poet who'd not mind to be called a traitor if ...
I am embarrassed to say that I had not heard of Nazim Hikmet until now. What a sad story.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed the video.
Sean, this video gave me goosebumps at the back of my neck! Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI was a young girl when my parents where hiding books from various authors, including Nazim Hikmet, in various parts of the home during the coupe of 1980. Those books are still in their book self.... I admire Nazim Hikmet and his true love for his country! I also thank my parents for saving his books... :)
Ardent,
ReplyDeleteif it's true that the 'world-knowledge' doubles every seven years the older we get the less we know. :)
Thus, we do not need to feel embarrassed at all when not knowing this and that.
People who look at me indignant when I don't know this and that what 'one ought to know' I use to ask 'And who was the keeper of Czechoslowakia in the World Cup-final 1962? :)
Nevin,
glad you liked the video, too.
As I am 'surrounded' by books (I think) I can well imagine what one feels when books one likes suddenly 'are forbidden'.
Actually, I started to read Hikmet's poems when I had learned about his fate and that his books were forbidden.
That was a fantastic video Sean.
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect though, I am saddened by the fact that most of mankind's greatest work is created as a result of some form of pain be it physical or mental.
Janice,
ReplyDeleteglad you liked the video. - Oops. The same I said to Nevin. Evidence for my poor vocabulary I suppose. :) - There are more to find from the same even.
Yes, it's sad what some individuals could create despite being miserably treated by miserable contemporaries. Sad - and amazing.
Free spirits will always be a threat to institutionalised control and greed. It is encouraging, at least, that Hikmet has been somewhat vindicated and his 'official' reputation restored.
ReplyDeleteStan,
ReplyDeletethe inversed commata hit the nail: 'official'.
While some almost apotheosise him, for others Himet is still a persona non grata, to put it mildly.
Anyway, thanks to the influence of intelligent designed primates like Fethullah Gülen, meanwhile Darwin has become the new devil. (There might be a post, some day).
Well, and as long as any district governor is able to ban the works of authors as Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak from all libraries in what he might think to be his sultanate, there do not exist freedom of art and expression in Turkey. And so don't freedom of press, freedom of teaching, freedom of ...