Main Piece: 

Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var.

Transliteration: 

What’s wrong with one hand.

Full Translation: 

Informant: So all this means is um, it means that a person alone can’t do anything. Like one hand alone can’t make sound, but if you have two hands you can clap. And all that means is if you’re alone, you can’t do much, and you’ll need more people to help you with like, bigger, more daunting problems in life.

Collector (me): So is it like learning how to work together? Is that the gist of it?

Informant: I’d also say it’s about being more open and accepting, I guess. 

Background: 

My informant is one of my friends from high school, and is of Turkish heritage. Growing up, he often remembered hearing various Turkish sayings and narrative stories from his parents and extended family. He told me that this was a saying often directed to him growing up, and while he couldn’t find the words to provide a full translation, he tried to explain the meaning behind the proverb. To him, this proverb means learning not to try and do everything on your own, which he admits has been something he’s fallen into the habit into as the semester carries on. 

Context: 

This piece was provided by my informant when I was asking him about the kinds of Turkish folklore he grew up hearing. I listed various examples, and even mentioned the Turkish riddles that we studied in lecture, but he wasn’t familiar with them, and instead provided a saying that he knew of.

Thoughts: 

What immediately caught my attention to this proverb is that I’ve heard so many different versions of it— In Spanish, English, etc, and I think it speaks a lot to the way that folklore is composed of multiplicity and variation, even across entire cultures! I thought it was interesting how this version used the clapping gesture as a metaphor to explain what two people can accomplish if one person allows them to help. What I liked about the construction about this proverb is that the clapping sound could be representative of praise, or celebration— and since this saying is about allowing others to help you accomplish difficult tasks, I think it’s symbolizing the rewards you’ll get later in life after you learn to be accepting of help. During this time we’re going thorough, I think it’s especially important to keep in mind that we’re not going through these struggles on our own, and that things will get better if we let others lend a hand. 

Main Piece: 

Ne ekersen, onu bicersin.

Transliteration: 

Whatever you plant, you grow it.

Full Translation: 

It means like whatever you plant— [a friend] explained it better — it’s like whatever you plant, that’s gonna grow. So if you start a relationship bad, then you’re gonna end up with a bad relationship, or if you start a relationship good, you’ll have a good one in the long run. 

Background: 

My informant is one of my friends from high school, and is of Turkish heritage. Growing up, he often remembered hearing various Turkish sayings and narrative stories from his parents and extended family. When I asked him what he thought the meaning of this proverb was, he said that the “idea is being nice to others because they’re gonna treat you the same way.”

Context: 

This piece came up when I was asking my informant about what kind of Turkish folklore he knew. Coincidentally, us and some other friends were talking about a similar variation of the proverb a few days over, so this gave him the opportunity to share the version he’d grown up hearing in his family. 

Thoughts: 

The version of this proverb that my friends and I were discussing the other day was “you reap what you sow,” but it was still interesting to hear another variation of the same saying, and even more that it still kept to the symbolism around gardening and farm work. However, I think that this Turkish proverb had a different context than the other version I know about. The way I heard it, the context for “reaping what you sow” had to do with situational conflict— a scenario that was a consequence of the person’s own actions. Here though, we see that the conflict has to do with a person’s relationship to someone else, and I think it’s important to note how the meaning changes with the context. In the version I heard, I interpreted the proverb as a warning against being irresponsible and neglecting your responsibilities. The way my friend described his version though, it seems that the lesson here places a responsibility on having cordial relationships with others, and being considerate of how first impressions can affect your bond with someone going forward. Without having asked, I’m not sure if which values this reflects in Turkish culture, but it’s still interesting to examine how proverbs and their meanings can differ slightly based on the interpretations of different people.