A Softa* Asked My Religion


A Softa* Asked My Religion

A softa asked my religion
I said “My religion is love”
He baffled and thought for a while
He said “You have no holy book”
I said “I am the living holy book”

He said “You are a miserable servant”
I said “I am the reflection of God”
He said “You have been mad”

He said “Where is your qibla¹?”
I said “On the face of the friend”

He said “What about this Kaaba²?”
I said “It is the heart of Adam”

He said “Tell me, what the ablution is”
I said “It is washing the heart”

He said “So, what is that water?”
I said “It can wash only the skin”

He said “What is that alcohol which you drink?”
I said “It is the wine in the heaven”

He said “Isn’t it haram³?”
I said “God gives me permission”

He said “What is that fasting?”
I said “Leaving the ego hungry”

He said “But you are eating!”
I said “Did you thing the ego was the stomach, stupid?”

He said “What can spoil the fasting?”
I said “Being unjust for the rightful due”

He said “That is written in Quran”
I said “Adam means Quran”
I said “Adam means holy book”

Hey Vefai, the present state is so
Our friends participated in the cem
All roads lead to God
He said “That is right, that is true”

Vefai
(Mustafa Kilcik)

[Translated from Turkish by Serkan Engin]

**
*Softa: someone associated with the religious activities of a Turkish mosque; especially: a beginner in theological studies
¹ qibla: the direction of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca toward which all Muslims turn in ritual prayer.
² Kaaba: a small stone building in the court of the Great Mosque at Mecca that contains a sacred black stone and is the goal of Islamic pilgrimage and the point toward which Muslims turn in praying.
³ haram: forbidden by Islamic law.
cem: a religious ritual of Alevi people


Original poem/song in Turkish:


Bir Softa Dinimi Sordu

Bir softa dinimi sordu
Dedim sevgi dinim benim
Şaşırdı düşündü durdu
Dedi kitabın yok senin
Dedim canlı kitabım ben

Dedi sefil bir kulsun sen
Dedim suret-i Hakk benim
Dedi deli olmuşsun sen

Dedi ki kıblen ne yanın 
Dedim dostun cemâlidir

Dedi ya bu Kabe nedir
Dedim Adem'in gönlüdür

Dedi söyle abdest nedir
Dedim gönülü yıkamak

Dedi ki ya bu su nedir
Dedim teni yıkar ancak

Dedi içtiğin dem nedir
Dedim cennetteki şarap

Dedi haram değil midir
Dedim bana iç diyor Rab

Dedi ki ya oruç nedir
Dedim nefsi aç bırakmak

Dedi ama sen yiyorsun
Nefsi mide sanma ahmak

Dedi orucu ne bozar
Dedim kul hakkını yemek

Dedi bu Kur'an'da yazar
Dedim Adem Kur'an demek
Dedim Adem kitap demek

Vefai böyle bu haller
Ceme girmiş bizim eller
Hakk'a çıkar bütün yollar
Dedi budur doğru gerçek

Vefai
(Mustafa Kılçık)






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