Esmere / Vay Delal Lyrics in English by Aynur Polat
Maxşere (mahşer in standard Turkish) refers to the Day of Judgment or Doomsday in Islamic belief. It's a powerful and dramatic word that evokes a sense of ultimate finality and reckoning.
In the song, the lyric "Tü çar te birnakım hatto roke maxşere" translates to "I will not forget you until the Day of Judgment." This hyperbolic expression emphasizes the depth and permanence of the singer's feelings, suggesting an unforgettable love that will last beyond this life. It's a word that adds significant emotional weight and cultural context to the lyrics.
"Esmere / Vay Delal" is two folk songs performed as one, and a single word joins them. The Kurdish half keeps returning to one cry — "Vay delal" [Oh, my beautiful one] — while the Turkish half turns the same feeling into a question: "Nasıl unuttun beni söyle hele esmerim" [Tell me, how did you forget me, my dark-haired one]. Esmer, the dark-haired one, is who both halves are addressed to, and that is what lets them be sung as a single piece.
The Turkish verses take an inventory rather than make a plea. Nothing is asked for and nobody is accused; the singer counts what is left — "Senden bana hatıra bir yırtık resmin kaldı" [All I have left of you is a torn photograph] — and then puts the question the song never answers. Between the two halves sits more than half a minute with no words in it at all, so the Kurdish lament and the Turkish one stand apart before they meet again.
