Farewell to Yahya Kemal (Book)

Yahya KemalGoodbye is a work written by Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar based on his long-standing friendship, memories, and biographical observations of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı. Published in 1959, this work carries a sincere, heartfelt, and literary quality of farewell, tracing their friendship from their years in Paris to its deepest dimensions.

The book contains writings spanning the years from the beginning of Hisar’s friendship that started in Paris to their encounters in Istanbul and Ankara. It provides detailed information on Yahya Kemal’s unpublished poems, particularly his gazelles, and describes the process of their publication. A critical study titled “Reading Yahya Kemal’s Gazelles” is also included in the work, and this essay was presented to readers for the first time alongside the book.

Main Themes

Friendship and Memories: Hisar recounts how he met Yahya Kemal during their youth, particularly in Paris. He describes how they formed a friendship amid Paris’s literary environment, café culture, and intellectual atmosphere.

Literature and Poetry Discussions: Among the writings are detailed analyses of Yahya Kemal’s gazelles and texts exploring the relationship between poetry and history. The essay “Reading Yahya Kemal’s Gazelles” stands out in this context.

Unpublished Poems: The book includes previously unpublished gazelles by Yahya Kemal and narrates the process of their publication. Hisar wrote this work with a sense of responsibility.

Farewell and the Author’s Sense of Duty: The work carries the character of a “farewell”: after Yahya Kemal’s death, Hisar honored him by sharing these memories and poems, fulfilling what he saw as a duty. The book holds special significance as the last work published during the author’s lifetime.

The Significance of the Work

History of Friendship: It reflects the intimate story of a long-lasting friendship between two major figures of Turkish literature. Hisar’s “farewell,” published shortly before Yahya Kemal’s death, stands as a testament to his respect and love for his friend and for literature.

Literary Heritage: By bringing Yahya Kemal’s unpublished gazelles to light, the book presents the poet’s cultural legacy to readers.