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Yunus Emre

I lived from 1238-1320. I was from Turkey, and am in the Asian category.





Yunus Emre is considered by many to be one of the most important Turkish poets. Little can be said for certain of his life other than that he was a Sufi dervish of Anatolia. The love people have for his liberating poetry is reflected in the fact that many villages claim to be his birthplace, and many others claim to hold his tomb. He probably lived in the Karaman area.



His poetry expresses a deep personal mysticism and humanism and love for God.



He was a contemporary of Rumi, who lived in the same region. Rumi composed his collection of stories and songs for a well-educated urban circle of Sufis, writing primarily in the literary language of Persian. Yunus Emre, on the other hand, travelled and taught among the rural poor, singing his songs in the common tongue of Turkish.



A story is told of a meeting between the two great souls: Rumi asked Yunus Emre what he thought of his great work the Mathnawi. Yunus Emre said, "Excellent, excellent! But I would have done it differently." Surprised, Rumi asked how. Yunus replied, "I would have written, 'I came from the eternal, clothed myself in flesh, and took the name Yunus.'" That story perfectly illustrates Yunus Emre's simple, direct approach that has made him so beloved.

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  • Untitled IV
    Knowledge should mean a full grasp of knowledge:
    Knowledge means to know yourself, heart and soul.
    26 lines, 1 comment
  • Untitled VI
    In case my Friend does not return to me,
    Then let me return to the Friend's embrace;
    23 lines, 1 comment
  • Untitled V
    Your love has wrested me away from me,
    You're the one I need, you're the one I crave.
    28 lines
  • Untitled I
    God permeates the whole wide world.
    Yet His truth is revealed to none.
    18 lines, 2 comments
  • Untitled IX
    Hear me out, my dear friends,
    Love resembles the sun.
    33 lines
  • Untitled III
    I am before, I am after
    The soul for all souls all the way.
    26 lines
  • Untitled XXIV
    The drink sent down from Truth,
    we drank it, glory be to God.
    30 lines
  • Untitled XXVIII
    Let the deaf listen to the mute.
    A soul is needed to understand them both.
    16 lines
  • Untitled XIX
    Go and let it be known to all lovers:
    I am the man who gave his heart to love.
    21 lines
  • Untitled II
    O God, if you would ever question me,
    This would be my outright answer to Thee:
    67 lines
1 - 10 of 29  Show all by written, popularity, title, first line

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