Student Struggle Editorial Team
“Truthfully, the outcome will rest on the shoulders of those who love us, listen to us and who try to do something for us. I invite you all to multiply the voices”, said Helin Bölek, member of the banned Turkish folk music band ‘Grup Yorum’ recently. Today, she is no more. Bölek has succumbed to death after a hunger strike that lasted for 288 days. A photograph from Bölek’s funeral, of the group’s guitarist Ibrahim Gökcek, greeting his comrade for the final time, is ‘viral’ across social media. Bölek had begun her hunger strike with Gökcek when they were imprisoned after the fascist government in Turkey led by Recep Erdogan banned their band accusing them of having close connection with a banned militant group.
Bölek and Gökcek were been arrested in early 2019. Bölek continued her hunger strike even after she was released at the end of 2019 and Gökcek was released in February 2020 on medical grounds. However, on the night of March 11, both were arrested and taken to a hospital, where the authorities decided to force-feed them. They resisted. Both of them were again released on March 16.
Both of them had appealed to the larger community to stand in support of their struggle which demanded “an end to attacks on their performances, the lifting of concert ban, the cancellation of ‘wanted’ lists, end to police attacks and destruction in their cultural centre, the end of arbitrary trials and freedom for their imprisoned members”.
28-year old Böleck has become a symbol of resistance to fascism across the world. Grup Yorum, in their official statement says, “All she wanted to do was to sing her songs freely”, pointing fingers solely at the Turkish government for her death. Martyr Helin Bölek wished everyone to intensify their voices for justice and freedom.
As a tribute to her resistance, Student Struggle publishes the English translations (with original lyrics) of four songs sung and popularised by Bölek and her comrades from Grup Yorum across Turkey. The songs are ‘Grow Up’ (Büyü), ‘You Must Raise a Son’ (Bir Oğul Büyütmelisin), ‘You Are In Debt’ (Borçlusun), and ‘(When) You Come Dawns Get Burnt’ (Gel ki şafaklar tutuşsun).
| Grow Up | Büyü |
| Grow up so your father can buy you… Grow up, grow up He will buy you sufferings and poverty Grow up so your father can buy you… Grow up so your father can buy you… Grow up, grow up He will buy you neverending unemployments and hunger Grow up so your father can buy you… Grow up so your father can buy you… Grow up, grow up He will buy you opression and pain He will buy you handcuffs and surveillience He will buy you prisons Grow up so your father can buy you… Grow up, grow up And when you’ve grown to become 17 He will buy you death sentences | Büyü de baban sana, Büyü de büyü Acılar alacak yokluklar alacak, Büyü de baban sana Büyü de baban sana, Büyü de büyü Bitmez işsizlikler, açlıklar alacak, Büyü de baban sana Büyü de baban sana, Büyü de büyü Baskılar, işkenceler, Kelepçeler, gözaltılar, Zindanlar alacak Büyü de baban sana, Büyü de büyü Büyüyüp de on yedine geldiğinde, Baban sana idamlar alacak |
| You Are In Debt | Borçlusun |
| If you haven’t hold the arm of An exhausted one; If you haven’t solaced the hopeless; If you haven’t given to them who calls for “Water.”; You’re a lost case, my brother. To the wrinkles on your forehead, To the blaze in your eyes, You owe to the life itself. If you haven’t said “May it be easy!” To the laborers that crush the rocks; If you’ve left them without a “Good morning!”, The ones that adorn gardens; You’re a lost case, my brother. To the wrinkles on your forehead, To the blaze in your eye, You owe to the life itself. If you haven’t felt the urge, in your heart, To attend to the manifestations with banners, And to the strikes with halays*, Like love; You’re a lost case, my brother. To the wrinkles on your forehead, To the blaze in your eye, You owe to the life itself. | Tutmamışsan kolundan bir tükenip yorulmuşun avutmamışsan umutsuzluğu “su” diyene vermemişsen sende iş yok be kardeşim alnındaki çizgilere gözündeki ışıltıya borçlusun sen yaşamın kendisine “kolay gelsin” dememişsen taş kıran işçilere “günaydın”sız bırakmışsan bahçe bezeyenleri pankartlı yürüyüşlere ve halaylı grevlere katılmayı bir aşk gibi ta şuranda duymamışsan |
| You Must Raise a Son | Bir Oğul Büyütmelisin |
| Even if the cruelty becomes a dragon In our just-married fatherland, You must raise a son He must be brave in the fight. If you find him, by the wayside With a red rose on his forehead Don’t crumble. There should be vengeance in your tears. The fallen is just one. You have thousand sons, love them. Tomorrow is ours, don’t dread. You must have strength in your heart. To share everything But the cheek of the lover, There must be your voice too In the songs we sing. | Zulüm ejderha olsa da telli duvaklı yurdumda bir oğul büyütmelisin kavgada yiğit olmalı gün gelip yol kenarında kızıl gül açmış alnında bulursan yıkılmayasın gözyaşında hınç olmalı düşen birdir bilmelisin bin oğlun var sevmelisin yarın bizim, yılmayasın yüreğinde güç olmalı yarin yanağından gayrı paylaşmak için her şeyi söylediğimiz türkülerde senin de sesin olmalı |
| (When) You Come Dawns Get Burnt | Gel ki şafaklar tutuşsun |
| come from darkness with dawn, come with day come from blood and powder with resistance, come with grudge come my rose, come when rain becomes flood, come from rivers by pourin’ out when we start to fight come by fallin’ into loves come my rose, come when places are filled in city come to cottage, come when bagnios shout come by breaking chains, come come my rose, come (if) u come then nights crack,(if) u come then dawns get burnt our perspiration is ours hey our labour is ours hey… | Karanlıklar içinden şafakla gel günle gel Kan ve barut içinden dirençle gel kinle gel Gel gülüm gel Yağmur sele dönende derelerden taş da gel Biz kavgaya girende sevdalara düş de gel Gel gülüm gel Doluşunca alanlar şehirde gel kırda gel Haykırınca zindanlar zincirleri kır da gel Gel gülüm gel Gel ki geceler çatlasın, gel ki şafaklar tutuşsun Bizim olsun alınterimiz hey Bizim olsun emeğimiz hey… |
Watch a riveting performance by Helin Bölek here.
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