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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California. |
Dere Geliyor
(River)
This page contains the song lyrics to "Dere Geliyor", including both a transliteration of the Turkish into the Roman alphabet and a translation into English. "Dere", which is the Turkish word for "River", is a very, very old traditional Turkish folk song which uses the 9/8 rhythm. It is a bit slower than most songs that are based on this rhythm. Gunsu Temirer said that her great-grandmother used to sing this song, and it was already old then.
Listen to MP3 Clips of This Song
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Sung by Brothers of the Baladi |
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Sung by The Sultans |
Lyrics
According to Gunsu, the first verse and the chorus are effectively telling us that this person is frustrated—time is passing by, and s/he wants to get married. Gunsu doesn’t remember the region this song is from, but she suspects there is a river there that overflows periodically, and when the river overflows it indicates that still more time has passed. Gunsu also said that the word "Aman" itself doesn’t really mean anything—it’s an exclamation that is used when someone is frustrated.
Turkish Lyrics |
English Translation |
Verse 1: |
Verse 1: |
| Dere geliyor dere, yalelel yalelel | The river is overflowing, |
| Kumunu seresere, yalelellim. | Spreading sand, |
| Al beni götür dere, yalelel yalelel | O river, take me with you |
| Yarın olduğu yere, yalelellim. | To where my beloved is. |
Chorus: |
Chorus: |
| Amanın aman aman | O mercy, |
| Zamanın zaman zaman | O time, |
| Bizim dügüne zaman yalelellim. | When will our wedding be? |
| (Repeat above 3 lines) | (Repeat above 3 lines) |
Verse 2: |
Verse 2: |
| Ben armudu dişledim, yalelel yalelel | I bit into the pear, |
| Sapını gümüşledim, yalelellim. | I turned its stem to silver. |
| Sevdiğimin ismini, yalelel yalelel | My beloved’s name |
| Mendilime ishledim, yalelellim | I embroidered on my handkerchief. |
Repeat Chorus |
Repeat Chorus |
Verse 3: |
Verse 3: |
| Armut dalda bir iki, yalelel yalelel | The pear branch one or two |
| Sayın bakın on iki, yalelellim. | My Lord/Lady Look! Twelve! |
| On ikinin içinde, yalelel yalelel | And of these twelve |
| Birincisi benimki, yalelellim. | The first is mine |
Repeat Chorus |
Repeat Chorus |
Verse 4: |
Verse 4: |
| Çayır ince biçilmez, yalelel yalelel | The field can not be harvested young |
| Su bulanık içilmez, yalelellim. | Dishwater can not be drunk |
| Bana yardan geç derler, yalelel yalelel | They say to me surpass insult and injury |
| Yar tatlıdır geçilmez, yalelellim. | But injury does not pass sweetly |
Repeat Chorus |
Repeat Chorus |
Verse 5: |
Verse 5: |
| Su gelir millendirir, yalelel yalelel | Water comes and connects |
| Çayırı çimlendirir, yalelellim. | And makes the fields sprout |
| O senin güzel gözün, yalelel yalelel | Just as your beautiful eyes |
| Ahrazı dillendirir, yalelellim. | Make the mute to speak |
Repeat Chorus |
Repeat Chorus |
Verse 6: |
Verse 6: |
| Su akar kamış gibi, yalelel yalelel | Water flows like a reed |
| Durulur gümüş gibi, yalelellim. | And settles down like gold |
| Ben yarimi severim, yalelel yalelel | I love my apprentice/slave |
| Turfanda yemiş gibi, yalelellim. | First fruit as sweet as dried |
Repeat Chorus |
Repeat Chorus |
Verse 7: |
Verse 7: |
| Su üstünde kayası, yalelel yalelel | On top of the water the fruit of summer |
| Geçti mevsimin yazı | Glides and passes |
| Derenin kenarında, yalelel yalelel | On the side of the stream |
| Kıldım akşam namazı | And I make my evening prayer |
Repeat Chorus |
Repeat Chorus |
Where to Get Recordings of this Song
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Artist: Brothers of the Baladi Amazon Store: |
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Artist: The Sultans Amazon Store: |
About the Translator
Many thanks to Robyn Friend and Ergun Tamer, who provided both the Turkish lyrics and the translation for verses 1 and 2 of this song. Robyn sings Turkish folk and classical music, and is based in the Los Angeles, California area. She says Ergun is her "source for all things Turkish".
Also, many thanks to Gunsu Temirer, who provided additional information about this song and gave additional insights into how to translate certain passages.
And many thanks to Ferda Bayazit, who provided the translations for verses 3 through 7. I appreciate the added completeness that having these additional verses offers! Ferda is an Oriental dance artist who was born in Turkey, raised in Canada, and now lives in Turkey again. She has a particular passion for Turkish Roman music and dance.