Ah Give Me a Gift (Folk Song)

“Ah Bir Ataş Ver” is an anonymous folk song from the Turkish folk music repertoire, rooted in a tragic event related to war and captivity. Due to its melodic structure and the emotional intensity of its lyrics, this song has been widely known in Türkiye for many years and has been performed by various artists, drawing particular attention for its historical and cultural context.

On the night of April 4, 1953, at approximately 02:15, the Dumlupınar submarine, returning from a long and exhausting mission, collided with a Swedish-flagged merchant vessel near Nağra Cape. As a result of the collision, the submarine quickly sank after suffering a severe impact to its bow. Of the eight crew members on deck, three died instantly, while five were rescued. Of the 81 personnel aboard the submarine, 22 sailors managed to take shelter in the torpedo room and survived briefly.

^{Submarine Crew (This image was generated by Artificial Intelligence.)}

The sailors trapped in the torpedo room launched a buoy to the surface. Through a telephone cable attached to the buoy, contact was established with the command center. Authorities instructed the crew to “speak only when necessary, refrain from smoking, and avoid singing folk songs.” This was due to the urgent need to conserve the limited oxygen supply inside the submarine.

The incident sparked widespread national concern, triggering a nationwide rescue operation. However, the technological capabilities of the time made it impossible to rescue the crew at the submarine’s approximate depth of 100 meters.

The rescue vessel Kurtaran arrived at the scene 12 hours after the disaster and only became stationary 25 hours later. During this time, the telephone cable connecting the submarine to the surface was severed. Eleven diving attempts failed. One of the deepest-diving divers, Yılmaz Süsen, descended to 80 meters but lost consciousness due to pressure. Although Süsen survived, rescue efforts proved futile.

On April 7, 1953, the Ministry of National Defense announced that rescue operations had been halted and all hope was lost.

Shortly before communication was lost, one of the sailors inside asked the commander, “Shall we light a cigarette?” and then the crew began singing folk songs. At that moment, the final broadcast from the command center was:

“You may speak freely, smoke, and sing folk songs.”

This statement revealed that those outside had lost hope, yet sought to uplift the morale of those trapped inside. Subsequently, the sailors awaited death, repeating the words: “Everything ends here, commander. Shall we light a cigarette?”

The phrase “Ah bir ataş ver” in the song — where “ataş” is a dialectal form of “ateş” meaning “fire” — refers directly to the final cigarette smoked in the face of death.

Due to its historical background, the song has gained popularity and has been performed by numerous artists. Some of these artists include:

• Dedublüman
• Tolga Çandar
• Barış Akarsu
• Haluk Levent & Hayko Cepkin

These performances have enabled the song to be reinterpreted in various musical styles over time.

The folk song “Ah Bir Ataş Ver” represents not merely an individual mourning but a collective tragedy etched into the memory of a nation. Its lyrics convey simultaneously despair, patient waiting, helplessness, and resilience. Today, whenever the song is heard, it evokes the silent and profound wait of those 22 sailors deep beneath the sea.

Ah bir ataş ver cigaramı yakayım, yakayım

Sen salın gel ben boyuna bakayım

Uzun olur gemilerin direği, direği gemilerin

Uzun olur gemilerin direği, gemilerin direği

Ah çatal olur efelerin yüreği

Ah çatal olur efelerin yüreği

Ah vur ataşı Gavur Sinan boyansın

Arkadaşlar uykulardan uyansın

Uzun olur gemilerin direği

Uzun olur gemilerin direği

Ah çatal olur efelerin yüreği