İlk Öğretmen
The First Teacher
ilk: first
öğretmen: teacher
alfabe: alphabet
öğret-: to teach
Öğretmen kutsaldır ana gibi
A teacher is sacred, like a mother.
öğretmen: teacher
kutsal: sacred
ana: mother
gibi: like, as
Öğretmen kutsaldır baba gibi
A teacher is sacred, like a father.
baba: father
kutsal: sacred
gibi: like
Öpülesi elleri var
Their hands are worthy of being kissed.
öpülesi: worthy of being kissed
el: hand
Şirin, tatlı dilleri var
Their words are sweet and gentle.
şirin: sweet
tatlı: sweet, pleasant
dil: tongue, speech
Öğretmen öğretir (A, B, C) abece
The teacher teaches (A, B, C) — the alphabet.
öğret-: to teach
abece: alphabet (older Turkish form of “alfabe”)
A, B, C: letters of the alphabet
Öğretmen öğretir (A, L, M) âleme
The teacher teaches (A, L, M) — to the world.
âlem: the world, all creation
öğret-: to teach
A, L, M: letters (wordplay on teaching the world)
İlk öğretmenin kim senin?
Who was your first teacher?
ilk: first
öğretmen: teacher
kim: who
senin: your
Kim öğretti alfabeyi?
Who taught you the alphabet?
kim: who
öğret-: to teach
alfabe: alphabet
Bir harf için kırk yıl köle olunuyorsa
If one must serve forty years for a single letter, (refers to a saying)
harf: letter
kırk yıl: forty years
köle: slave, devoted servant
olunuyor: it is said one should be
Yirmi dokuz kere kırk yıl kölesiyiz öğretmenin, öğretmenin
Then we owe 29 times 40 years to the teacher, to the teacher.
yirmi dokuz: twenty-nine
kere: times
köle: servant, slave (metaphorical devotion)
öğretmen: teacher
