Aşık Mahzuni Şerif

Şerif Cırık (17 November 1940 — 17 May 2002), also known as Mahsuni Şerif, was a folk musician, ashik, composer, poet, and author from Turkey.

Mahzuni Şerif was born in Berçenek village of Afşin, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey in 1940. The word Aşık preceding his name is a title used to indicate his position as a respected musician, but also indicates his affiliation with the Alevi variety of Shi'a Islam.

He became one of Turkey's best-known musical interpreters, and brought strong intellectual and social elements into Turkish folk music and folk poetry. He died on 17 May 2002 in Porz, Köln, Germany, four days after his arrival for medical care about his heart problems.

Chronology

• 1950: He finished primary school in Berçenek and continues Elbistan Alembey village in Kahramanmaraş, where he learns to read and write in old Turkish language.

• 1957: He visited Mersin Astsubay school (military school).

• 1960: He started Ankara technique military school but was discarded due to undisciplinary actions.

• 1961 From this time forward he starts producing music cassettes and LPs.

His writings become more widely known.

• 1972: His house in Gaziantep was set in fire and his entire archive was burned.

• 1989-1991: Aşık Mahzuni was chosen head of Halk Ozanları Derneği (Association of Turkish ashiks).

• 1997: He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and he was examined in Ulm, Germany.

• 1998: He becomes proprietor of 58 cassettes and 8 books. In several countries his music was covered in other languages.

• 2001: He was accused by the DGM (Turkey's State Security Court) of one of his sayings. However, no penalty was attributed thereafter.

• 2001: In late 2001, he suffered from heart problems and a heart attack.

• 2002: He died in Köln while under medical supervision for four days.

Poems

Asking and Asking

Asking and Asking____

Made my mind go foolish

By hitting it on the stones

I looked for my dear fellow

By asking and asking to all

Some light out, some go out

Some get up, some get down

The palaces turn into ruins

Enduring to all

Enter Mahzuni into the friend’s affection

Snow fell on the mountain of friends

My youth in my life’s period

Is wounded all

The Order of this Earth

The order of this earth is not smooth

I shall not spend it with false words

I may not execute myself

Because of my conscience

The tears drop into myself

How hard is the parch stone

I may not see the bird in the Erciyes Mountain

Because it’s blind-eyed

I have no strength besides

I planted crops but could not harvest them

The rulers decided on the order when I’m faultless

I cannot leave the friend, Mahzuni

External links

• Mahzuni Şerif on Turkuler.com
• www.turkudostlari.net/search.asp?a=1130&x=1 List of his songs with links to the lyrics