Deyiş as the Language of the ‘Other’ and its Sociological Context

Societies transmit their experiences, sufferings, joys, migrations, and destructions into the future through cultural material and thus build their collective memory, thereby sustaining their existence. Rituals, rites, ceremonies, and acts of worship are forms of cultural transmission that require collective participation, reinforce social bonds, and emphasise the individual’s adherence to social order. Public performances and ceremonies enact collective truths. Rituals are also public performances; they are conducted together, energise participants, provoke, protect, and recreate. They teach people how to behave in the face of sacred phenomena and events. Regardless of their qualities or aims, all ceremonies serve to bring individuals together, strengthen the bonds between them, create closeness, foster deeper interaction, and help the community reach a shared consciousness. Individuals renew their place within the collective and their emotions in relation to the community (And 2003, 308).

Music is one of the most important cultural sources in representing a society and transmitting its beliefs and values. The Alevi tradition, a spiritual organisation with roots reaching far into ancient times and embodying numerous philosophical, cultural, and cosmological teachings, is a thought tradition that brings divine knowledge and music together on the same axis in the relationship between God, universe, and human. In these traditions, music is one of the most powerful means of transcending the material world and approaching God (Güray 2012, 45). Because of its heterodox character, the Alevi-Bektashi belief, as a universal faith, has reached the present despite institutional and dominant religions and the oppression it has faced. Alevi music and deyiş have played a crucial role in this.

According to Kearney, who seeks to frame the concept of the “stranger / Other” philosophically, otherness has almost always been treated in a context of alienation that stains the pure unity of the soul. … Evil is alienation, and the evil is the stranger (Kearney 2012, 87).

Due to their oppositional identities, Alevis were regarded as the “Other” of society both during the Ottoman period and after the Republic. They lived inwardly and settled in remote regions due to the repressive policies they faced. For this reason, Alevis created a line of resistance and existence through their deyiş. The people of Anatolia—especially Anatolian villagers—have always managed to overcome the rigid walls of institutionalisation with their love, tolerance, feeling, intuition, and intellect. And the most effective weapon and method they have resorted to is poetry (Erseven 1990, 50). Julia Kristeva proposes that we respond to the experience of alienation—one of our fundamental experiences—in three main ways: art, religion, and psychoanalysis. Kearney adds a fourth option: philosophy (Kearney 2012, 19).

The emergence of the field of cultural studies within the social sciences has enabled all aspects of culture to be examined as a text. In this context, folk literature (epic, poetry, tale, proverb, and imaginative folk literature) is considered one of the most important sources. Folk literature stands apart from history and philosophy because it originates primarily from the need to narrate, transmit, and proclaim the experiences of the people. Its author and narrator are independent of the discourse created by the rulers, official ideology, and dominant belief. At the same time, it has the capacity to convey in detail the conditions of the time in which it was written and the ruptures those conditions created in people’s lives. In this regard, because folk literature contains a philosophical essence, it is more enduring than historical knowledge; and because the events and characters it tells are real and specific, it is more concrete than philosophy. Thus, deyiş, in the broader sense of folk literature, create a reliable, unmediated space not shaped by power in the search for truth. Deyiş are filtered through a particular social / historical context. They derive their political-critical power from this source. When literary texts are analysed within the framework of the social sciences, the question of “why” becomes more dominant than “what” or “how.” In the transmission of social / historical realities, how the narrative is constructed and the identities it represents gain importance. In this way, literary works help us to question the social science paradigms through which we see: the state, centre–periphery, and Turkish–Ottoman identity (Köksal 2008, 225).

Alevism, which had a politically oppositional identity from its inception, defended its human-centred philosophy—against the powers that institutionalised Sunni Islam—through deyiş. The following lines by Yûnus Emre may be considered in this regard:

Din-ü millet sorar isen
Âşıklara din ne hâcet
Âşık kişi harab olur
Bilmez ne din ne diyânet

If you ask of religion and nation,
Aşıks have no need of religion.
The âşıks is ruined,
Knows neither religion nor piety.

Âşıkların gönlü gözü maşuk diye gitmiş olur
Ayruk surette ne kalır kim kılısar zühd u taat

The hearts and eyes of âşıks have gone toward the beloved.
What remains in external form that performs asceticism and devotion? (Vikikaynak 2025).

These verses by Yunus Emre clearly express opposition to Sunni religious understanding, criticising its superficiality, its dependence on rules and institutions. Often dealing with the theme of love, Yunus Emre interprets love in terms of the mystical concept of Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being), which views union with God as the highest reality. Love for humanity, tolerance, respect for nature and all living beings, becoming a perfect human being – kâmil insan – (one whose outer face is turned towards the public and inner face towards God, who has conquered his ego and knows himself), enthusiasm and sincere devotion to life form the essence of Alevi-Bektaşi philosophy. In Alevism, divine philosophy is expressed in two forms: existence and non-existence. Existence is essential. Non-existence is the wave that arises from it and returns to it. The sea is what exists, the wave is what does not. All is from that sea. The existing and the heavens are flames from that essence, that light. Everything is a reflection of that existence’s mysteries and a mirror of its beauty. This is the force we call God. That force is ultimate beauty, ultimate perfection, ultimate facial beauty, and ultimate life. To understand why this is so, one must learn to read the book called the universe. The proof of this book is directly the human. It is not enough to merely look. One must read the sublime letters of the universe and also feel it inwardly. The supreme and definite force is not—as some say—something unknowable or unseeable. This force is always with human beings (indeed, within them) and is not in a single thing but in everything. Everything defines the universe. Everything is its reflection (Birdoğan 1994, 310).

In the verses of Yunus Emre, a representative of the Abdal tradition, it is stated that âşıks—those who have united with God and reached the level of the perfected human—have no need for religion in the conventional sense; they are responsible only to themselves, and thus to the universal essence within themselves. This is achieved through an inner, emotional dedication. He says he has no desire for worldly pleasures and is situated on a divine plane with his beloved. In these lines, Yunus Emre fulfils the necessity of resistance and of taking sides. These verses enable us to understand the dominant political and social atmosphere of the time they were written, and also to draw parallels and contrasts with our current context.

Let us continue to explore the forms in which the concept of the “Other” is expressed through deyiş, by focusing on Pir Sultan Abdal. Pir Sultan Abdal, who was arrested and later executed by the governor of Sivas, Hızır Pasha, witnessed the Celali Rebellions in Anatolia and the war waged by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent against the Iranian Safavid state. Baghdad, which had previously passed from the Aq Qoyunlu to Shah Ismail, this time came under Ottoman control for the first time. This loss deeply saddened the Anatolian Alevis, and Pir Sultan Abdal composed a poem reflecting this sorrow. (…) During these years, Pir Sultan composed poems that expressed the emotions of all Alevi communities, travelled to various regions, and carried out the necessary propaganda (Öztelli 1985, 14). The anticipation of the Shah—who was expected to liberate them from the economic and social pressures of the Ottoman state in peripheral regions—and the mixture of hope and despair during this period are reflected in the poet’s works. In his deyiş, he gave voice to the oppression, uprisings, and resistance faced by the Alevi community, who were the “Others” of their time.

In response to Hızır Pasha, who had come to Sivas as governor and said, “If you recite three deme in which the Shah’s name is not mentioned, I will pardon you,” Pir Sultan Abdal composed a deyiş that has carried the rebellion of that era to the present day; “his nefes have been passed down from generation to generation.” (Öztelli 1985, 16):

Hızır Paşa bizi berdar etmeden
Açılın kapılar Şah’a gidelim
Siyaset günleri gelip yetmeden
Açılın kapılar Şah’a gidelim

Before Hızır Pasha hangs us
Open the gates, let us go to the Shah
Before the days of punishment arrive
Open the gates, let us go to the Shah

Gönül çıkmak ister Şah’ın köşküne
Can boyanmak ister Ali müşküne
Pirim Ali, On İki İmam aşkına
Açılın kapılar Şah’a gidelim

The heart wishes to ascend to the Shah’s palace
The soul longs to be dyed in Ali’s musk
For the love of Pir Ali, for the Twelve Imams
Open the gates, let us go to the Shah

Due to its historical and social context, the poem has strong political and critical power. The identities and sides represented in the poem are positioned on the axis of oppressor–oppressed, insiders–outsiders. The hegemony of the central Ottoman power is felt over the Alevi community, whose symbolic values are “Pir Ali” and the “Twelve Imams,” and Shah Ismail, leader of the Iranian Safavid State, is seen as a means of salvation.

The dominant (national, ethnic, cultural, religious) majority can only accept the existence of a minority if that minority wholeheartedly accepts the dominant values and demonstrates a willingness to live according to the dominant rules. The minority will rush to please the rulers and try to win their favour; it will discover that the number of concessions demanded by the dominant group increases in proportion to their confidence that the minority has surrendered to their values and poses no threat of rebellion. The minority also learns that attempting to assert its own uniqueness in order to be seen as an equal partner backfires. In such cases, the minority either retreats into its own ghettos or changes its strategy in line with the model of symmetrical schismogenesis^[1]. Whatever the choice, the likely outcome is a rupture in the relationship (Bauman 2013, 63–64).

Zygmunt Bauman’s framework of minority–majority relations manifested in different ways in the Alevi community both during the Ottoman period and the Republican era. To give an example in this context: with the proclamation of the Republic and the abolition of the Caliphate, all religious foundations—including Bektashi lodges—were closed. Although opposition to the Caliphate led to outcomes such as the closure of the Bektashi lodges, this was largely welcomed by Alevi communities. Because through this, they were able to gain constitutional rights in terms of official citizenship status and participation in public life (Gültekin 2023, 55–56).

The Historical Background of Deyiş

All ancient ceremonies and rituals are fundamentally nourished by two sources: word (mythos) and action. A ritual is essentially a set of codified behaviours and customs. Mythos, on the other hand, is the verbal transformation of the emotion and action of ritual (And 2003, 308). The Semah dances performed in Cem rituals, the Ashura (Ruz-i Qatl) on the tenth day of Muharram, and Ta’ziye traditions are examples of the mythos and rituals of Anatolian Alevi communities. All these mythos and rituals have been distilled from lived historical experiences. Since the Safavid period in Iran, the public’s emotional engagement with Muharram and the events of Karbala have had significant political and ideological implications for the state. Shah Ismail redirected the quest for vengeance for Imam Husayn into the realm of Sufism. To weep for Imam Husayn was believed to guarantee entrance into paradise. The shrines in Karbala and Najaf were also of deep interest to Sufi and Futuwwa orders. Throughout Muharram month, ceremonies were held with great reverence until the 20th and 28th of Safar (And 2022, 216). On the other hand, Alevism cannot be reduced to specific events in Islamic history. In other words, it would be unjust to reduce Alevism to certain historical incidents. Once it had completed its historical formation, Alevism transformed into a universal belief system and, in doing so, transcended history. This means: Alevism is not opposed to the Sunni approach because Imam Husayn was its advocate. On the contrary, it opposes institutional religion—religion that is manipulated by the state or worldly powers. Moreover, it stands against all such religions. In this context, it would not be incorrect to say that had Alevism developed in a society dominated by Catholicism, it would have opposed the institution of the Church and emperors crowned in the name of God, even if they had not spilled Imam Husayn’s blood (quoted in Poyraz 2007, 88–89).

Within the broader frame of mythos are tales, legends, deyiş, and epics—elements that constitute oral tradition. The importance of oral tradition in the transmission of culture is undeniable. Words and mythos, legends and deyiş have ensured the permanence of rituals, their transmission to the future, and the recording of the political and social conditions of the time. In every culture, âşıks and bards have acted as the spokespersons and interpreters of the people’s pain, injustices, fears. Their words and verses became collective values, passed from generation to generation. In the preface to Let My Friends Remember Me, a collection of Âşık Veysel’s deyiş, Sabahattin Eyuboğlu laments the erosion of folk poetry and deyiş in contemporary times, and expresses his thoughts as follows: “Think of Yunus Emre: he spoke seven hundred years before Abdülhak Hâmit. His words were never distributed to the people by the state in bookloads, nor did he enter the gates of fame and glory. Yet you can still find in him words as fresh as if spoken today, as if said by one of us—words so moving that they stir ears from university halls to village coffeehouses. Is Yunus a more skilful poet than Hâmit? Does he say truer, deeper things? No; but there is a fountain from which Yunus’s poetry has drawn, one that Hâmit inevitably remained distant from: the people’s fountain. The same fountain where Dante, Shakespeare, and Molière washed their words. Our poetry’s gradual departure from that fountain, along with our state, is a long story. Many gilded, barren fountains have made us forget it; and yet it has continued to flow far away, on its own, for the people, for the poor. And it still flows. Here is Âşık Veysel—, but now we are all standing at the fountain together.” (Veysel 2001, 10)

Deyiş constitute the broadest domain of folk poetry. Composed with syllabic metre, in quatrain form, and with rhyme, they are sung with melodies accompanied by the saz. Like epics, deyiş are products of the oral literature of Turkic peoples of Oghuz origin. From the 13th to 15th centuries, folk bards played a significant role in the development of ocaks and Sufi orders in Anatolia. Until the 15th century, poems composed in syllabic metre were performed by bards who travelled from tribe to tribe, playing the kopuz. In this tradition, which nurtured the linguistic masters Yunus Emre, Sait Emre, Kaygusuz Abdal, and Abdal Musa Sultan, the 15th century also saw figures such as Hacı Bayram Veli and Eşrefoğlu Rumi; the 16th century gave rise to Kul Mehmet, Öksüz Dede, and Azmi Dede, as well as the immortal Pir Sultan Abdal and Hatayi. Later centuries brought forth renowned bards such as Karacaoğlan, Gevheri, Kuloğlu, Dertli, Emrah, Bayburtlu Zihni, Seyrani, Ruhsati, and many others (Şimşek 1996, 19). Folk poetry is written in pure Turkish, though over time it has incorporated words from Arabic and Persian. Transmitted orally, not in writing, the ritual of becoming a folk bard is described in Mehmet Şimşek’s research: according to a widespread belief, âşıks drink the dolu (blessed drink) from the hand of a Pir. This event marks the bard’s awakening. A beloved is also shown to them, and the bard burns with love for this imagined figure, wandering from land to land in search. Some receive their mahlas (pen name) during this time. During the drinking of the bade (dolu), it is said that knowledge previously unknown is taught to the âşık. Those who drink the bade are, according to tradition, called “folk âşıks.” This act of drinking often occurs during sleep (Şimşek 1996, 20).

The deyiş recited extemporaneously by the zakir during Cem ceremonies gives voice to the philosophical heritage and codes of Alevi-Bektashi thought. Depending on their subject, these poems are classified as deyiş, nefes, mersiye, semah, düvaz, and miraclama. These poetic forms—whose foundations go back to the 13th century—draw their philosophical background from Yunus Emre’s understanding of Sufism (Gölpınarlı 2017, 7). Rhythmic repetition, melodic motifs, recurring phrases, and the unity of music and word play a key role in making deyiş an expression channel of spiritual depth. In this framework, music is essential for the teachings and traditions that express divine love, the doctrine of unity, and the soul’s spiritual journey to be sustained in a vibrant, dynamic, and effective cultural terrain (Soylu Bağçeci, Şenol Atıcı 2022, 21). Although the oppositional line developed through Alevi songs and deyiş brought with it persecutions such as the executions of Hallâc-ı Mansûr and Pir Sultan Abdal, deyiş have managed to survive in full vitality. The Alevi-Bektashi use of music—especially in religious activity—was perceived by orthodox clergy as heresy and blasphemy. Such views were often expressed without even the attempt to restrain anger. The 18th-century poet Dertli received the following command from the kadi of Beypazarı due to his love of music: “Go and break your saz, for it contains the devil—it is forbidden to play.” Dertli responded in the way he knew best (quoted in Poyraz 2007, 121):

Telli sazdır bunun adı
Ne ayet dinler de de kadı
Bunu alan anlar kendi
Şeytan bunun neresinde

This is called the stringed saz,
Neither verse nor judge it obeys.
Whoever takes it, understands—
Tell me, where’s the devil in this?

Venedik’ten gelir teli
Ardıç ağacından kolu
Be Allah’ın sersem kulu
Şeytan bunun neresinde

The string comes from Venice,
Its neck is made of juniper.
O foolish servant of God—
Tell me, where’s the devil in this?

In fact, though Alevism has been ignored throughout the history of the Turkish Republic, Alevi music, in a sense, could not be ignored. Even though no state institution dared utter the word Alevi for much of the Republic’s history, the broadcasting of Alevi music on TRT radio could not be fully prevented—despite some restrictions. Because of its scope and significance within Anatolian music, ignoring or erasing Alevi music was not feasible. Once one understands that seven out of every ten folk songs are of Alevi origin, it becomes clear why the strict prohibitions enforced in other institutions could not be applied—nor sustained—at TRT (Poyraz 2007, 134). Muzaffer Sarısözen and later Nida Tüfekçi fulfilled their intellectual duty in collecting, transcribing, and transmitting deyiş—the voice of the Anatolian Alevi people—faithfully, while preserving their originality.

The Semantic Universe of Deyiş and Examples

Folk poetry constitutes the building blocks of a cultural universe woven with both literal and metaphorical meanings. It plays a central role in representing a society, expressing itself, forming its cultural codes, articulating its critical political stance, and conveying its philosophy. Within this same framework, deyiş are the musicalised form of folk poetry, embedded with layers of deep meaning and symbolic expression. They reflect the Alevi community—a community influenced by various religions, cultures, and philosophies—and show variations according to region and ocak. Hermeneutic engagement is an effective method used in many religious and belief systems to reveal a consciousness of being embedded with hidden messages within theological texts. Transcendent knowledge becomes categorically integrated through the linguistic transmission of metaphysical meanings in such fields as divine knowledge, belief systems, philosophical depth, and artistic or moral values (Tokat, quoted in Soylu and Atıcı 2022, 22).

It is possible to say that deyiş, which were once uttered in low volume with a single bağlama out of fear that locals might overhear and report them to state authorities during periods of oppression, have evolved into expressions of identity with the increasing visibility of the Alevi community and its representation in society. Today, Alevi music and deyiş have established themselves in the public sphere. Poets such as Âşık Veysel, Ruhi Su, Arif Sağ, Emre Saltuk, Ali Ekber Çiçek, and Mahzuni Şerif have played key roles in carrying deyiş into the present day.

In general, deyiş can be exemplified across the following layers of meaning:

Deyiş Reflecting Alevi-Bektashi Philosophy

These are poems that convey the core philosophy of Alevism, the principles of the path (yol), and what must be accepted by those who wish to follow it (Talip), such as not lying, knowing the three hundred and sixty-six erkân, memorising the forty stations, accepting the truth that “the moon is Ali, the sun is Muhammad,” and believing in the saints. Among these deyiş, Devriye^[2] hold a special place. One sees that Shah Ismail Hatayi addressed and developed these rules, and articulated them most extensively in his deyiş. Many of Hatayi’s well-known deyiş narrate the rules of Alevism. According to Alevi belief, the path consists of 366 rules, of which only eight pertain to religion. The rest deal with human relations. Thus, Alevism becomes, in its full sense, an institution aimed at worldly happiness.

İmam Cafer kullarıyız,
Sohbetimiz nihan olur.
Ölmeden evvel ölürüz,
Can cana vasıl can olur.

We are the servants of Imam Ja’far,
Our conversation remains hidden.
We die before death,
The soul unites with the soul, becomes soul.

Budur evvel, budur âhir,
Bundadır mahabbet mihir,
Küfür, her mezhepte küfür,
Küfür bunda iman olur.

This is the beginning, this is the end,
In this lies love and affection.
Blasphemy is blasphemy in all sects,
But here, blasphemy becomes faith.

Bunda kibr ile kin olmaz,
Hem sen olup hem ben olmaz,
Âdem öldürsen kan olmaz,
Nefes öldürsen kan olur.

Here, there is no pride or hatred,
There is neither you nor me,
If you kill Adam, no blood is shed,
If you kill breath, it becomes blood.

İmam kulları dirilir,
Erkân muhabbet sürülür,
Mahşer sorgusu sorulur,
Bunda Âli divan olur.

The servants of the Imam are resurrected,
The erkân is carried with love,
The questioning of Judgement Day is asked,
Here, Ali’s court convenes.

Şeraben tahur içilir,
Müşkül hal olur seçilir,
Şol kan işlerden geçilir,
Erenler mürvet kân olur.

Purified wine is drunk,
Difficult states are resolved,
Those bloodied affairs are transcended,
The saints become mines of virtue.

İmam kulları yolu hak,
Derdine derman iste tek,
Üç yüz altmış altı uğrak
Sekizi usul din olur.

The path of Imam’s servants is true,
Seek the cure to your pain only there,
Of three hundred and sixty-six stations,
Only eight are the principles of religion.

Şah Hatai dir candayım,
Hak divanı günündeyim.
Sen sendesin, ben bendeyim
Ne sen olur ne ben olur.

I am Shah Hatayi, present in soul,
I stand on the day of Truth’s court.
You are with you, I am with me,
There is neither you, nor me. (Birdoğan 1994, 413)

The unity of human with nature and the cosmos, the search for the Divine both within that unity and in the smallest unit that constitutes that whole, can be seen in the sayings of Âşık Veysel, which blend the dialectical cycle with Alevi-Bektaşi philosophy:

Aslıma karışıp toprak olunca
Çiçek olur mezarımı süslerim
Dağlar yeşil giyer bulutlar ağlar
Gökyüzünde dalgalanır, seslenirim

When I merge with my essence and become soil,
I become flowers and adorn my grave.
The mountains dress in green, the clouds weep,
I wave in the sky, I call out.

Ne zaman toprakla birleşir cismim
Cümle mahluk ile bir olur ismim
Ne hasudum kalır ne de bir hasımım
Eski düşmanlarım olur dostlarım

Whenever my body unites with the soil,
My name becomes one with all creatures.
I have neither envy nor an enemy,
My former foes become my friends. (Veysel 2001, 33)

In this same vein, these lines by the folk poet Hacı Bektaş Veli (1352–1429) express the essence of Alevi philosophy and the search for the self:

Hararet nardadır sac’da değildir
Keramet baş’dadır taçta değildir
Her ne arar isen kendine ara
Kudüs’te, Mekke’de, Hac’da değildir

Heat is in the fire, not on the stove,
Miracle is in the head, not in the crown.
Whatever you seek, seek it in yourself—
It is not in Jerusalem, Mecca, or the Hajj.

Sakin ol, kimsenin gönlünü yıkma
Gerçek erenlerin izinden çıkma.
Eğer adam isen ölmezsin korkma
Aşığı kurt yemez, Uc’da değildir

Be calm, do not break anyone’s heart,
Do not stray from the path of true saints.
If you are a true human, do not fear death—
The aşık is not devoured by wolves, nor found in exile. (Şimşek 1996, 40)

A deyiş by Pir Sultan Abdal also touches on the theme of transcending this world, returning to essence, conquering the self, and becoming one with the universe and the Divine:

Aşk harmanında savruldum
Hem elendim hem yuğruldum
Kazana girdim kavruldum
Meydana yetmeğe geldim

I was scattered in the harvest of love,
I was sifted and kneaded.
I entered the cauldron and was roasted,
I have come forth to stand in the square.

Ben Hakk’ın ednâ kuluyum
Kem damarlardan beriyim
Ayn-ı Cemin bülbülüyüm
Meydana ötmeğe geldim

I am the humblest servant of Truth,
I am free of corrupted veins.
I am the nightingale of the Ayn-ı Cem,
I have come forth to sing in the square.

Pir Sultan’ım der gözümde
Hiç hata yoktur sözümde
Eksiklik kendi özümde
Dârına durmağa geldim

I am Pir Sultan, I say with my eyes,
There is no fault in my words.
The shortcoming is in my own essence,
I have come to stand at your dâr. (Öztelli 1985, 283)

The following deyiş, which deals with the concept of ‘Human’ as defined by Kaygusuz Abdal’s ‘Adam’ metaphor, can also be cited as an example of Alevi philosophy:

Bu Âdem dedikleri, el ayakla baş değil
Âdem manaya derler, Suret ile kaş değil
Gerçi et ü deridir, cümlenin serveridir
Hakk’ın kudret sırrıdır, Gayre bakmak hoş değil

This Adam they speak of is not just hands, feet, and head,
Adam refers to meaning, not to form or brow.
Though flesh and skin, he is the leader of all—
He is the mystery of God’s power; it is unwise to look elsewhere.

Âdem odur ey hoca, Gıdası mâna ola
Maksud Âdemden ahi, hayal ile düş değil
Bu Kaygusuz Abdal’a Âşık demen dünyada
Nakş ü sırat gözetir, maksudu nakkaş değil

Adam is the one, O teacher, whose nourishment is meaning.
The purpose of Adam is not fantasy or dream.
If you call this Kaygusuz Abdal an Âşık in the world,
He observes design and path—not the craftsman. (Şimşek 1996, 191)

Deyiş Expressing Rebellion and Suffering

As an example of deyiş reflecting the spirit of resistance and rebellion in Alevi philosophy—often ignored, denied, or reshaped into “acceptable” forms by official ideology—we may cite the verses of Muhyittin Abdal, a tekke bard believed to have come from a Yörük Türkmen family in the 16th century:

Zâhid bize ta’n eyleme Hakk ismin okur dilimiz
Sakın efsâne söyleme Hazret’e varır yolumuz
Halvetî yolun güderiz çekilir Hakk’a gideriz
Gazâ-yı ekber ederiz İmâm Ali’dir ulumuz

O ascetic, do not condemn us—our tongue recites the name of Truth.
Do not speak fables—our path leads to the Exalted.
We follow the Halveti path, we withdraw and proceed to Truth,
We wage the greater jihad—our elder is Imam Ali.
(…)

Sayılmayız parmak ile tükenmeyiz kırmak ile
Taşramızdan sormak ile kimse bilmez ahvâlimiz
Muhyî sana olan himmet ‘âşık isen câna minnet
Elif Allah mim Muhammed kisvemizdedir dâlimiz

We are not counted on fingers, nor are we exhausted by breaking.
No one knows our condition by asking of the outskirts.
Muhyi, the grace to you—if you are a âşık, be grateful with your soul.
Elif is Allah, Mim is Muhammad—our cause is in our garb. (Dil beyti 2025)

Also, within this context, we may offer a deyiş by Seyyid Nesimi, one of the major poets of Alevi-Bektashi culture, who lived from the late 14th to early 15th century:

Ben yitirdim, ben ararım, yar benimdir kime ne
Gah giderim öz bağıma gül dererim kime ne
Gah giderim medreseye ders okurum Hak için
Gah giderim medreseye dem çekerim kime ne

I lost, I search—my beloved is mine, what’s it to anyone?
At times I go to my own garden, pluck roses—what’s it to anyone?
At times I go to the madrasa, study lessons for the sake of Truth,
At times I go to the madrasa, sip wine—what’s it to anyone?

Kelb rakip haram diyormuş şarabin bir katresine
Saki doldur, ben içerim, günah benim kime ne
Ben mekamet gömleğini deldim, taktim eğnime
Ar-u namus şişesini tasa çaldım, kime ne

A jealous dog says wine is forbidden, even a drop of it,
Cupbearer, pour! I will drink—the sin is mine, what’s it to anyone?
I tore the garment of shame, donned it on my shoulders,
I shattered the bottle of honour and virtue on the stone—what’s it to anyone?

Ah Yezid, seccadeni al yürü mescid yoluna
Pir esiği benim kâbem kıblegâhım kime ne
Gah çıkarım gökyüzüne hükmeder kaftan kafa
Gah inerim yeryüzüne yar severim kime ne

Oh Yazid, take your prayer mat and head to the mosque,
The threshold of the Pir is my Kaaba, my direction—what’s it to anyone?
At times I ascend to the skies, wearing the robe of command,
At times I descend to the earth and love my beloved—what’s it to anyone?

Kelp rakip böyle diyormuş güzel sevmek pek günah
Ben severim sevdigimi, günah benim kime ne
Nesimi’ye sordular, yarin ile hoş musun
Hoş olayım, hoş olmayım, o yar benim, kime ne

That jealous dog says loving the beautiful is a great sin—
I love whom I love—the sin is mine, what’s it to anyone?
They asked Nesimi, are you happy with your beloved?
Whether I am or not, the beloved is mine—what’s it to anyone? (Alevi Haber 2025)

Pir Sultan Abdal, who lived during a time of intense economic and social pressure on the periphery by the Ottoman central state and who witnessed the Celali Uprisings, voiced his resolute stance against oppression and the importance of organisation in struggle through this renowned deyiş:

Uyur idik uyardılar
Diriye saydılar bizi
Koyun olduk ses anladık
Sürüye saydılar bizi

We were asleep—they woke us,
They counted us among the living.
We were sheep—we understood the call,
They counted us part of the flock.

Sürülüp kasaba gittik
Kanarayı mesken tuttuk
Canı Hak’ka teslim ettik
Ölüye saydılar bizi

We were driven, sent to towns,
Made the outskirts our dwelling.
We gave our souls to God,
They counted us among the dead.

Pir defterine yazıldık
Hak divanına dizildik
Bal olduk şerbet ezildik
Doluya saydılar bizi (…)

We were written in the Pir’s register,
We lined up before God’s court.
We became honey, pressed as sherbet,
They counted us among the full cup. (…) (Boratav and Gölpınarlı 1943, 91–92)

From lived historical and social experiences to the present, deyiş have survived. One example comes from Dedemoğlu, a 17th-century âşık about whom little is known:

Çıktık Horasan’dan sökün eyledik,
Düşürdüler bizi tozlu yollara,
Omuzda parlayan kargı cidalar,
Aşırdılar bizi karlı dağlara,

We set out from Khorasan,
They dragged us down dusty roads.
Spears and lances glinted on our shoulders,
They carried us over snowy mountains.

Bölük bölük oldu yüklendi göçler,
Atlandı kocalar, yayandır gençler,
Başımıza geldi görülen düşler,
Göçürdüler bizi gurbet ellere.

The migrations came in divisions,
Elders rode, the young walked.
Dreams once seen now befell us,
They drove us to foreign lands.

Gâhi konduk, gâhi göçtük yollarda,
Bilip bilmediğin gurbet ellerde
Âlem dağlarından şu daz çöllerde,
Halim destan olsun bütün dillere.

At times we settled, at times we moved on roads,
In foreign lands, known or unknown.
From the mountains of the world to these barren deserts,
Let my tale become legend in all tongues.

Oradan yüklendik geldik Culab’a
Seksen dört bin erdir gelmez hesaba,
Deve, koyun çoktur insan kalaba,
Susuz hayvan inileşir göllere.

From there we departed, came to Culab,
Eighty-four thousand warriors beyond reckoning.
There were many camels and sheep, a throng of people,
Thirsty animals cried toward the lakes.

Dedemoğlu der ki aşkın bağından,
Aşırdılar bizi Yozgat dağından.
Anadolu Sivas şehri sağından,
Bizden sonra bu nam kalsın illere

Dedemoğlu says, from the garden of love,
They took us away from the mountains of Yozgat.
From the right of Sivas city in Anatolia,
Let this name remain in the lands after us. (Birdoğan 1994, 410–411)

Kul Nesimi, an Azeri-origin tekke poet who lived in 17th-century Anatolia, has no known birth or death dates. His poetry reflects traces of Hurufism, Ja’farism, and Haydarism. It is believed he was prosecuted and eventually executed for taking a pro-Safavid stance in the Ottoman–Safavid conflict and expressing it in his poetry (Cited in Çaylak & Kaymal 2020, from Kuzucu).

Har içinde biten gonca güle minnet eylemem
Arabi farisi bilmem, dile minnet eylemem
Sırat-i müstakim üzre gözetirim rahimi
İblisin talim ettiği yola minnet eylemem

I do not bow to the rose that blooms in fire,
I do not know Arabic or Persian, nor revere language.
I walk the straight path, watch for the Merciful,
I do not revere the path taught by the Devil.

Bir acaip derde düştüm herkes gider karına
Bugün buldum bugün yerim, hak kerimdir yarına
Zerrece tamahım yoktur şu dünyanın varına
Rızkımı veren Hüda’dır, kula minnet eylemem

I fell into a strange pain, all chase profit,
Today I found, today I eat—Truth is generous for tomorrow.
I have no greed for this world’s possessions,
My sustenance comes from God—I do not bow to man.

Oy Nesimi, can Nesimi ol gani mihman iken
Yarın şefaatlerim Ahmed-i Muhtar iken
Cümlenin rızkını veren ol gani settar iken
Yeryüzünün halifesi hünkara minnet eylemem

Oh Nesimi, dear Nesimi, while you are a noble guest,
Tomorrow, while my intercessor is Ahmed-i Muhtar
While the Generous One gives all their sustenance,
I do not bow to the sovereign, caliph of the earth.

Deyiş of Devotion to the Murshids, the Guiding Figures of Alevi-Bektashi Tradition

Hacı Bektaş Veli is a highly significant figure for the Alevi faith. He is known as the one who brought the love of the Ehl-i Beyt to Anatolian lands. He witnessed the Mongol raids, the devastation and plunder of Anatolia during his lifetime. The title Veli granted to Hacı Bektaş of Khorasan stems from his commitment to the spiritual heritage descending from Hz. Ali. He is referred to as the “main fountain of saints” and the “sovereign of the velis” (Şimşek 1996, 39). In this context, many deyiş by our poets such as Pir Sultan Abdal, Hatayi, Emrah, and Beratî can be cited.

Sensin bizim zahir batın ulumuz
Aman medet Mürvet Pir Hacı Bektaş
Her taraftan sana çıkar yolumuz
Ali’sin bir adın var Hacı Bektaş

You are our master, both in outward and inward
Mercy, help us, Gracious Pir Hacı Bektaş
From every direction, our paths lead to you
You are Ali, one of your names is Hacı Bektaş

Seni sevdik, senden yana yıkıldık
Münkirlerin keserinden sıkıldık
Her birimiz künc-i famda tıkıldık
Yetiş bu imdada er Hacı Bektaş

We loved you, we leaned toward you
We tired of the blade of the deniers
Each of us is trapped in the corner of the mouth
Come to our aid, O Hacı Bektaş

Pir Sultan Abdal’ım sana dayandım
Uyur idim himmetinle uyandım
Hep isteyenlere verdin inandım
Benim de muradım ver Hacı Bektaş

I, Pir Sultan Abdal, leaned on you
I was asleep, I awoke with your grace
You gave to all who asked—I believed
Grant my wish too, Hacı Bektaş (Şimşek 1996, 42)

Let us conclude this heading with an example from Hatayi’s deyiş:

Gece gündüz hayaline dönerim
Bir gece rüyama gir Hacı Bektaş
Günahkârım günahımdan bezerim
Özüm dara çektim sor Hacı Bektaş

Day and night I turn to your vision
Appear in my dream one night, Hacı Bektaş
I am a sinner, I grow weary of my sins
I brought myself to judgment—ask me, Hacı Bektaş

Derdimin dermanı yaremin ucu
Dört güruh mevcuttur, Guruh-i Naci
Belinde kemeri başında tacı
Yüzünden balkıyor nur Hacı Bektaş

The remedy for my pain, the edge of my wound
Four groups exist—Guruh-i Naci
With belt on the waist, crown on the head
Light beams from your face, Hacı Bektaş

Yandı bu garip kul nedir çaresi
Yine tazelendi yürek yaresi
Onulmaz dertlere derman olası
Bu senin bendindir sar Hacı Bektaş

This poor servant burns—what is the remedy?
Once again, the wound in the heart has been renewed
Be the remedy for these incurable sorrows
I am yours—embrace me, Hacı Bektaş

Dedimend Hatayi eyler niyazı
Ulu Pir katardan ayırma bizi
Yarın mahşar günü isterem sizi
Muhammed önünde car Hacı Bektaş

The Dedimend Hatayi offers his plea
Great Pir, do not cast us out of the caravan
On the Day of Judgement, I seek you
In front of Muhammad—intercede, Hacı Bektaş (Şimşek 1996, 43)

Kaygusuz Abdal, one of the poets of the 14th–15th centuries, often refers in his deyiş to Khorasan, which they were forced to leave. The following deyiş of Kaygusuz Abdal relates to the life of his murshid, Abdal Musa:

Beylerimiz Ablan Göl’ün üstünde
Ağlar gelir “Şahım Abdal Musa’ya.
Urum abdalları postu eğninde
Bağlar gelir “Şahım Abdal Musa’ya.

Our gentelmen above Lake Ablan
Weep as they go to Shah Abdal Musa
The Rum abdals, with cloaks on their shoulders
Bind themselves as they go to Shah Abdal Musa

Urum abdalları gelir dost deyi,
Eğnimizde aba, hırka post deyi,
Hastaları gelir derman isteyi,
Sağlar gelir “Şahım Abdal Musa’ya.

The Rum abdals come and call him friend
On our shoulders, cloaks and coarse garments
The sick come seeking healing
The sound go to Shah Abdal Musa (Birdoğan 1994, 410)

Deyiş Whose Critical Political Power Derives from Irony:

These deyiş, also known as Şathiyyat-ı Sofiyane or Taşlama, are poems that critically examine contradictions within common beliefs, the flaws or absurdities observed in others, and the misfortunes of fate through subtle irony. Through satire and irony, they vividly portray the injustices of social life, the moral decline of the world, degeneration, and bigotry. Gevheri, Kaygusuz Abdal, and Dertli are among the poets who produced many poems in this style. For example, Dertli expresses his old age and the misfortunes he faces in the following lines (Birdoğan 1994, 420):

Girdab-ı mihnette kapandın kaldın.
Vermedin bir yandan ses kara bahtım
Anladım gafilsin, uykuya daldın,
Deli poyraz gibi es kara bahtım

You were trapped in the whirlpool of hardship
You gave no voice—O my dark fate!
I understood you are heedless, fallen asleep,
Blow like a mad north wind, O my dark fate!

Alemde bir candan korkulmaz iken,
Pençenden kimseler kurtulmaz iken,
Aslana, kaplana yırtılmaz iken,
Dedirdin tilkiye “pes” kara bahtım.

While one needn’t fear a single soul in the world,
No one escapes your grip,
Even lions and tigers would not be torn apart,
But you made even the fox say “enough,” O my dark fate!

Dertli’ye çıkar mı bu işin ucu,
Şimdi fark eden yok altunu, tuncu.
Evvel beğenmezdin mesti, pabucu
Verdiğin çarığa mesh kara bahtım.

Shall Dertli ever find a way out of this?
No one now discerns the gold from bronze.
Once you’d scorn the boot and the shoe,
Now you sanctify the sandal, O my dark fate!

Kaygusuz Abdal, a poet from the 15th century who followed the style of Yunus Emre, wrote poems both in syllabic meter and in prosody. He transformed humour and irony into sharp political critique, producing richly layered poetry. Kaygusuz Sultan Divanı, Dolab Nâme, and Budala Nâme are among his major works.

Yamru yumru söylerim, her sözüm kelek gibi
Ben avare gezerim, sahrada leylek gibi
Terk etmedim benliği, bilmedim insanlığı
Suretim âdem veli, her huyum eşek gibi
Ârifler sohbetinde, marifet söyleseler
Ben de hemen düşünmem, ürerim köpek gibi
Bu marifet ilminden, haberim yok cahilim
Benden mana sorsalar, sözlerim sürçek gibi
Miskin Sarayi kıydın, kul oldun sen nefsine
Senin hırs u hevesin, tutu seni fak gibi

I speak twisted and crooked, every word of mine is absurd
I wander aimlessly, like a stork on the plain
I have not abandoned ego, I have not understood humanity
My appearance is human, but all my ways are like a donkey
In the gathering of wise ones, when they speak of knowledge
I do not reflect, I bark like a dog
Of this science of insight, I know nothing, I am ignorant
If asked about meaning, my words are hollow
You crushed Miskin Sarayi, you became a slave to your own desire
Your greed and craving consumed you like a leech (Şimşek 1996, 191)

Conclusion

The expressive forms of Alevi oral culture—nefes, duvaz, semah, and deyiş—are performed spontaneously by the zakir during Cem rituals, accompanied by the saz. The knowledge embedded in the community’s collective memory is transmitted through shared concepts familiar to that memory, thus reinforcing the sense of unity among individuals.

As a result of political and historical conditions, Alevi peoples, who have been othered in various ways by the dominant Sunni population, have sustained their beliefs, traditions, and philosophy through poetry and deyiş. Just as in all societies where existence has required rebellion and every rebellion has been violently suppressed, within Alevi-Bektashi culture, songs and deyiş have served both as acts of resistance and as means of expressing their belief system. The deyiş and songs used as a line of resistance and a vehicle for conveying the Alevi philosophy also serve as the voice of their history. When the verses are examined, they reveal a deep-rooted history and lived experience. Deyiş are the composed form of folk poetry of the Alevi community, influenced by many religions, cultures, and philosophies, containing layers of meaning and symbolic expressions that vary by region and ocak. Deyiş addressing political, social, and historical conditions contain, in this respect, a critical political essence. For Alevi communities—who view all living beings and nature as reflections of the Divine, and therefore refrain from violence—deyiş have become symbols of rebellion and a way to preserve their identity. In conditions where opposition and taking sides were necessary, ozans did not abandon the defence of truth, and some were punished by death for it. Alevi philosophy, which views the origin of existence through the concept of love, has set as its principle reaching the insan-ı kâmil—the self-aware human who takes responsibility for their actions—in opposition to any understanding of power that positions itself between God and human. The deyiş and Alevi music, whose roots we have attempted to reach here, have become the essential carriers of Alevi-Bektashi identity.

Evaluating deyiş in light of Yalçınkaya’s observation that Alevism is in constant construction, it is evident that their words remain relevant today, embodying a philosophical and universal essence capable of addressing contemporary social conflicts. While Alevi-Bektashi deyiş bear the influence of Sufism, they reflect Alevi-Bektashi erkân and beliefs, express respect and love for revered figures, mirror historical suffering and social anger, and transform irony and humour into the striking force of political critique. Deyiş express the responsiveness of a community that lacks official status, is ignored by authorities, unrecognised, and marginalised. Until the late Ottoman period, Alevi music—except for the regional travels and performances of itinerant âşıks—was prohibited from being played or sung publicly. With the proclamation of the Republic, policies of pressure and denial over Alevi communities continued. Nonetheless, the community’s growing self-expression on various platforms, the changing global context, the expansion of communication networks, and the recognition of Alevi music as a fundamental motif of Anatolian culture have brought Alevi music into public view. Deyiş, once recited only during Cem rituals, are now performed in all venues and continue to carry Alevi identity.

Due to their socially and politically critical stance, deyiş have come to express social opposition and standing with the just. As the Milesian philosopher Thales once said: “Those who create the songs of the people are more powerful than those who make their laws.”

References & Further Readings

And, Metin. Oyun ve Bügü Türk Kültüründe Oyun Kavramı. İstanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2002.

And, Metin. Ritüelden Drama Kerbelâ-Muharrem-Ta’ziye. İstanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2022.

Bauman, Zygmunt. Sosyolojik Düşünmek. (Çev. A. Yılmaz). İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları, 2013.

Birdoğan, Nejat. Anadolu’nun Gizli Kültürü Alevilik. İstanbul: Berfin Yayınları, 1994.

Boratav, P., Naili ve Gölpınarlı, Abdülbaki, Pir Sultan Abdal. Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi DTCF Yay, 1943.

Çaylak, A., Kaymal, C.  Alevilikte muhalif dil ve söylem: Alevi türkü ve deyişleri üzerine bir analiz. KAÜİİBFD, 11(22), 2020, s. 1075-1106.

Gölpınarlı, Abdülbaki. Alevi Bektaşi Nefesleri. İstanbul: İnkılap Kitapevi, 2017.

Gültekin, Ahmet K., Suvari, Çakır C., Türkiye’nin Etno-Kültürel Ötekileri. (İngilizceden Çev. E. Boz). Ankara: Koyusiyah Yayıncılık, 2023.

Güray, Cenk. Bin Yılın Mirası Makamı Var Eden Döngü: Edvar Geleneği. İstanbul: Pan Yayıncılık, 2012

Kearney, Richard. Yabancılar, Tanrılar ve Canavarlar Ötekiliği Yorumlamak (Çev. B. Özkul). İstanbul: Metis Yayınları, 2012

Öztelli, Cahit. Pir Sultan Abdal Bütün Şiirleri. İstanbul: Özgür Yayın Dağıtım, 1985.

Poyraz, Bedriye. Direnişle Piyasa Arasında: Alevilik ve Alevi Müziği. Ankara: Ütopya Yayınevi, 2007.

Soylu Bağçeci, Funda ve Atıcı Şenol, Mine. Kentleşen Alevilik Değişen Cem Ritüelleri ve Müzik. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık, 2022.

Şimşek Mehmet. Dede Korkut ve Ahmed Yesevi’den Günümüze Uzanan Alevi Ozanlar. İstanbul: Can Yayınları, 1996.

Tokat Latif. Dinin Sembolik Dili. Milele ve Nihal İnanç Kültür ve Mitoloji Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2009, s.76.

Veysel, Âşık. Dostlar Beni Hatırlasın. İstanbul: İnkılâp, 2001.

Dilbeyti. “Dilbeyti. “Güfteler.” https://dilbeyti.com/gufteler/zahid-bize-tan-eyleme (Erişim tarihi: 02.05.20025)

Alevi haber. “Alevi haber. “Seyyid Nesimi Deyişleri.” https://www.alevihaber.com/seyyid-nesimi-deyisleri-ve-hayati-41374h.htm (Erişim tarihi; 02.05.2025)

Vikikaynak. “Vikikaynak.” Son güncelleme 25 Mayıs 2025. https://tr.wikisource.org/wiki/Âşıklara_din_ne_hacet