Nazim Hikmet

These are my English translations of Nazim Hikmet, a Turkish poet and "romantic revolutionary" who spent most of his adult life in prison or exile, for his political beliefs.

Feb 28, 2025

Mehmed Nâzım Ran (1902-1963), commonly known as Nâzım Hikmet, was a Turkish poet, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director and memorist. Called a "romantic revolutionary," Hikmet was repeatedly arrested for his political beliefs and spent much of his adult life either in prison or exile. His poetry has been translated into more than 50 languages.

Thinking of you
by Nazim Hikmet
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Thinking of you is beautiful, hopeful —
like listening to the most beautiful songs
sung by the earth's most beautiful voices.
But hope is insufficient for me now;
I don't want to listen to songs.
I want to sing love into birth.

I love you
by Nazim Hikmet
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

I love you —
like dipping bread into salt and eating;
like waking at night with a raging fever
and thirstily lapping up water, my mouth to the silver tap;
like unwrapping the unwieldy box the postman delivers,
unable to guess what's inside,
feeling fluttery, happy, doubtful.
I love you —
like flying over the sea the first time
as something stirs within me
while the sky softly darkens over Istanbul.
I love you —
as men thank God gratefully for life.

Sparrow
by Nazim Hikmet
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Little sparrow,
perched on the clothesline,
do you regard me with pity?
Even so, I will watch you
soar away through the white spring leaves.

Michael R. Burch’s Substack

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