--- title: The Yemen Folk Song (Yemen Türküsü) slug: the-yemen-folk-song-yemen-turkusu-746cf url: /detay/the-yemen-folk-song-yemen-turkusu-746cf type: article language: English entity: primary: The Yemen Folk Song (Yemen Türküsü) type: article disambiguation: Haunting Yemen folk song (Yemen Türküsü): A lament for Ottoman soldiers lost in Yemen. categories: - name: General Knowledge slug: genel-kultur url: /kategori/genel-kultur - name: Music slug: muzik url: /kategori/muzik - name: History slug: tarih url: /kategori/tarih tags: - Rumelia - YemenFolkSong - ottomanempire - Elazığ - Mus author: Nurten Yalçın created_at: 2025-03-31T01:22:17.983294+03:00 updated_at: 2025-04-17T10:17:54.188627+03:00 image: https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2025/03/30/7iC5UNAdwgpyCvtaZ88w1J9d2nwfjDgr.png --- # The Yemen Folk Song (Yemen Türküsü) ## Article Content The [Yemen](/en/detay/yemen-2/llms.txt) Folk Song (*Yemen Türküsü*) is a prominent example of anonymous Turkish folk music, reflecting the deep sorrow, tragic losses, and laments that arose after soldiers sent from Anatolia and Rumelia to suppress uprisings in Yemen during the Ottoman period. More than a musical form, this song functions as a collective expression of history, suffering, and memory. ![Image](https://cdn.kureansiklopedi.com/media/uploads/2025/04/02/TRfCI3srxz1CGF3uQjC837o9aGDfhX7a.png) *Soldiers Sent to Yemen (AI-Generated Image)* ### **Historical Background** The Ottoman Empire's involvement in Yemen began after the conquest of Egypt in 1517 by [Sultan](/en/detay/sultan-2/llms.txt) [Selim](/en/detay/selim-38f6c/llms.txt) I, with direct administration commencing under Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538. From the late 19th century onward, Yemen became one of the most challenging regions for the Ottoman administration due to persistent uprisings between 1870 and 1918. For the people of Anatolia and Rumelia, Yemen came to symbolize a land of no return, a place from which sons and husbands rarely returned. Soldiers sent to Yemen endured long and arduous journeys and suffered heavy casualties due to cholera, malaria, typhus, and logistical hardships. Entire battalions were decimated by disease, thirst, malnutrition, or enemy attacks. It is recorded that of the 55,000 Ottoman soldiers dispatched during the 1904–1905 rebellion, approximately 30,000 perished. These tragic events were engraved into the collective memory through folk songs like the [Yemen Türküsü](/en/detay/yemen-turkusu-752104/llms.txt). ### **Socio-Cultural Context** One of the central themes in Yemen folk songs is the concept of *bedel* (substitution by payment). During the Ottoman era, wealthy individuals could avoid military service by paying a fee or hiring substitutes, which caused resentment among the poorer population. This injustice is a recurring motif in the lyrics. The songs also reflect the emotional toll on women—mothers, fiancées, wives—left behind. In both Anatolia and Rumelia, women expressed their sorrow and helplessness through laments, making the Yemen Türküsü a vessel for feminine memory and emotional expression. ### **Geographic Distribution and Field Studies** The Yemen folk song tradition is not confined to Anatolia. In Rumelia, similar songs have been documented, including a notable version collected from Kardzhali (Kırcaali) in Bulgaria titled “Alıverin püsküllü çantamı.” Songs from regions like Xanthi, Western Thrace, Prizren, and Priština have also been compiled. Salih Turhan and Abuzer Akbıyık recorded 59 distinct Yemen songs, 35 with melodies and 24 as lyrical texts. ### **Musical Features** Yemen folk songs are commonly composed in the *Hüseynî* mode. Their melodies are slow, melancholic, and often non-metric. Usually performed solo, they are minimally accompanied, enhancing their lament-like character. ### **Place in Collective Memory** Beyond their musical value, Yemen folk songs are powerful tools of collective memory and identity. According to Jan Assmann’s theory of *cultural memory*, these songs serve as mnemonic devices that preserve and transmit communal trauma. In Turkish cultural consciousness, “Yemen” represents not just a place but a metaphor for death, hardship, and separation. As Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar eloquently wrote, “The Yemen Folk Song is the inner novel of Anatolia.” ### **Yemen Folk Song (Elazığ Version)** **There is a call-up at the barracks' gate** Check his bag, what does he carry? A pair of boots and a [red](/en/detay/red-4/llms.txt) fez **Chorus:** Ah, Yemen—land of roses and meadows No one returns—why is it so? Oh, this is Huş, its road is steep No one returns—what kind of fate is this? There are lines of willows by the barracks The officers give advice to the soldiers Those who go to Yemen are brave souls Geese gather [at](/en/detay/at-3/llms.txt) the barracks’ gate My heart burns, my soul aches Girls weep for those going to Yemen [YouTube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzeSwqFHgr8) [The Yemen Folk Song (Yemen Türküsü)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzeSwqFHgr8) ### **Version from Rumelia (Kardzhali)** **Bring me my tasseled bag, let me wear it on my arm** My father won’t pay the substitution fee, let me go on my way **Don’t go, my bride, my love—let’s just lie down and rest** Sell my dowry, father, and buy my beloved's exemption **Is that greenery across the valley, my father, weed or leaf?** What carried my beloved off to Yemen—water or earth? **Cry out, my poor mother, cry out, call for Yemen** Feed little Emine with the raisins I sent from Yemen **Let the drums and pipes be played in my garden** Let my father hold a wedding for me, let it be remembered forever The Yemen Folk Song is a reflection of the Ottoman Empire’s late-period military and social crises within the realm of folk literature. It offers valuable insight not only into historical events but also into the emotional lives of those affected. As a form of oral culture, it preserves the memory of a generation and expresses a collective grievance that transcends time and geography. ## Academic Sources and References 1. GZT. “Dillere Destan Olan Yemen Türküsünün Hikâyesi.” Jurnalist, erişim 30 Mart 2025. https://www.gzt.com/jurnalist/dillere-destan-olan-yemen-turkusunun-hikyesi-2599805.Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı. “Yemen Türküsü.” Türkiye Kültür Portalı, erişim 30 Mart 2025. https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/elazig/kulturatlasi/yemen-turkusu.Muş Valiliği. “Muş Türküsü: Yemen Türküsü.” mus.gov.tr, erişim 30 Mart 2025. http://mus.gov.tr/mus-turkusu-mus.Özkan, İbrahim. “Bulgaristan Kırcaali’den Derlenen Bir Yemen Türküsü.” Balkanlarda Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Araştırmaları 1, no. 2 (2019): 1–12.