Eğri eğri doğru doğru [English translation]

They tell me: "Pick your way"

Would I ever choose a broken way?

Crooked yet straight1

They tell me: "Give up if you cannot pick"

Would I ever give up on my way?

Crooked yet straight

Some to West, some East,

North, South─all straight

Who would ever choose a broken way?

Crooked yet straight

My way is straight to me2

Would I ever turn my back on my way?

Crooked yet straight

Crooked, even so, straight

They tell me: "Pick your love"

Would I ever pick a disloyal love

Crooked yet straight

They tell me: "Just pass if you cannot pick"

Would I ever pass even if you told me so?

Crooked yet straight

Some sweet, wheat-skinned

Some blear-eyed, soft-spoken

Some dark-skinned, with a beauty spot

Crooked yet straight

I have found a delicate love

Would I ever pass even if you told me so?

Crooked yet straight

Crooked, even so, straight

They tell me: "Take away your 'love'"

Would love be enough even if I took her away?

Crooked yet straight

They tell me: "Just go on to your way"

Would it ever be done with one way?

Crooked yet straight

There must be a hand span of land too

Home must be build on top

Love must reside inside

Crooked yet straight

Barış means Earth

Would I ever give up on myself?

Crooked yet straight

Crooked, even so, straight

1. He says, word by word: "Crooked, crooked; (but) straight, straight. (I have omitted the duality.) What he means by it, I think, is "There is a way(fig.) that I yet to choose/had chosen. It may be crooked, even broken, but it's my way, so to me, it is straight."2. I think this line confirms my reasoning in the first note

• Artist:Barış Manço