The Poet Of Hope

Nazım is the poet of hope. He had hope for humanity, for future, for the youth, for the love…

Sunny days wil come, boys
Sunny days will come
We ’11 drive our motor cars to blue horizons
Drive them to bright blue horizons
(…)
But believe
that we’ll see beautiful days we’ll see sunny days:
we’ll drive our motorcars towards blue horizons …
drive them…

(Nazım Hikmet dies because of Heart attack in Moscow in 3rd of June 1963)

More than 40 of his hooks are translated into more than 60 languages arround the world

His plays make the world scene. Some of his plays become part of the repartoire of several Moscow theatres for several years. His play “Ferhat and Sirin “, is transformed into a ballet, with musics composed by the famous Azeri composer “Arif Melikov”.

His scenarios are made into films. Documentaries are made about his life and his work.

While his poems are transformed into symphonies and ballets, they also become immortal as songs sang by famous singers such as Yves Montand, Sege Reggiani, Pete Seeger, Mikis Theodorakis, Zülfü Livaneli, Maria Faranduri, Joan Baez.

Today, he is one of the best selling poets in his country. His plays are sold out most of the time at state and city theatres, as well at private theatres. Documentaries are being made about his life by his countrymen. Poetry nights, or seminars are being organized to talk about his life and work.

Recently, in Turkey, in the city of Ankara which he had first visited during the Independence War years, a statue of him is erected by the Culture Ministry, as an apology for all the mistreatments of the past. In Istanbul, in the neighborhoods he lived in, and in Anatolia, still some more are being placed.

His name is given to boulevards and parks; for the poet who wanted to be buried in a village in Anatolia, by a maple tree, lots of maple trees are being planted

Today, people of his country, are proud of him; they share the peace and friendship feelings of the greatest turkish poet of the world.

11 years ago, a group consisting of his sister, friends, and intellectuals, founded the Nazım Hikmet Culture and Art Foundation where they try to teach the world his life and work. Nazım Hikmet Culture and Art Foundation, is very proud that UNESCO has declared 2002 as Nazım Hikmet year

I have scattered my dead, like seeds all over the earth
some lie in Odessa, some in istanbul some in prague
The country I like the most is the earth
when it is my Turn, cover me with earth

I present my regards to the poet of universal values and all the people who feels like him.