Chain Watch and Hungry Wolves

(Note: The full English and some of the Kurmanji versions of the following article are provided below.)

Dear Readers:

Sometimes an anecdote or a joke is more meaningful and impactful than pages of writing. In such days when dark clouds hover over humanity, when our minds are turned upside down, and our emotional world is shattered, frankly, human creativity, the desire to write, and the joy of life also disappear.

In this article, instead of conducting deep political analyses, I want you to know that the tragedy unfolding before our eyes is actually hidden within our daily lives, which I will illustrate by telling two anecdotes.

THE CHAIN WATCH

Hamit Hun is sitting at a table with a well-to-do, city acquaintance. His friend repeatedly takes his silver-embroidered chain watch from his waistcoat pocket, looks at it as if showing off, and then carefully puts it back.

The waiter serves tea. Hamit Hun is quite absent-minded and thoughtful. When his friend sees that Hamit Hun has not reached for his teacup for a long time, he becomes curious and asks:

“Mr. Hamit, your tea has gone cold! What has come over you? You seem to be lost in deep thought? What on earth are you thinking about!”

Hamit Hun, whose eyes are fixed on the large elm trees in the distance, utters a single word:

“Death!”

His friend startles:

“Come on, Mr. Hamit! You are still young! Don’t think such things and poison your life!”

Hamit Hun takes a deep breath and turns to his friend:

“I am not thinking about my own death.”

His friend becomes curious and suspicious:

“Whose death then?”

“Your death!”

“Where did that come from?”

“Look, my friend! Sooner or later, you will die. Your precious silver-embroidered chain watch, which you keep taking out to show off, will be inherited by someone. This time, that heir will use the silver-embroidered chain watch. It looks like a sturdy watch. This time, that heir will also die, and the chain watch will be inherited by someone else, who will also use the chain watch to its fullest. What I can’t comprehend is this: Is it humankind, or the silver-embroidered chain watch, that is the living and powerful one?”

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Apparently, the territory of Ukraine is just like a silver-embroidered chain watch… During the time of Tsarist Russia, Ukrainian lands belonged to Tsarist Russia. Tsarist Russia collapsed, and the Soviet Union was established. This time, the chain watch, that is, “Ukrainian lands,” was inherited by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union collapsed, and now Russia sees itself as the heir to this valuable chain watch. We, thinking like Hamit Hun, will say: “One comes, one goes, but the chain watch, that is, Ukraine, continues to exist.”

HUNGRY WOLVES

Nothing has changed. Hamit Hun is again sitting at a table, this time chatting with a relative from the mountain villages.

Hamit Hun places his hands on his cane, then rests his chin on his hands, stares into the distance, drifts off, and falls silent. His relative, curious, asks:

“Mr. Hamit! What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”

“During grazing season, sometimes a dense fog descends from the mountaintop, right?”

“Yes! That’s right, it happens often.”

“In Zoma (the summer pasture), those living in black tents get anxious, saying, ‘Wolves will attack our sheep,’ and they grab their weapons and rush towards the flock, right?”

“That’s right! Hungry wolves are both very cunning and very cruel in foggy weather…”

“By the time the people reach the flock, the wolves would have surely either killed 5-10 sheep or taken them away, wouldn’t they?”

“That’s right! It happens every time!”

“When you ask the shepherd, ‘Damn you! How did this happen?’ he always gives you the same answer: ‘Uncle, the fog covered everything. You couldn’t see a thing. I saw the flock running right and left, not staying still, sometimes the flock was dragging itself up and down the hill in a panic… I tried to gather them, not knowing what to do. When the fog cleared, I saw that 5-10 sheep were missing… Thank God, the sheep that were killed or lost were either lame, sick, or blind! Uncle, you wouldn’t believe it! The wolves are very clever… They attack the flock from all directions, the healthy sheep, being strong, run right and left and save themselves, but the blind, the lame, and the sick ones are left alone, and the wolves either kill them or drive them away.’”

You listen to what the shepherd tells you, console yourself, and quietly mutter:

“Let it be the blind, lame, sick sheep that are gone! No problem! But I wish the wolves had torn apart and eaten this bastard shepherd instead of harming my sheep!”

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Whether capitalist, socialist, imperialist, or social democrat; great powers such as NATO, the USA, Russia, China, and the European Union, that is, “wolves,” attack when the air is foggy, they make small nations (the flock) run around, they tire them out; they either tear apart and eat the blind, the lame, and the sick ones, or they drive them away and claim them. Ukraine is struggling with wolves in the fog. All the great powers are watching from afar, saying, “If it’s torn apart, let it be, maybe we’ll get a share.” We, from within, say that instead of Russia harming Ukraine, we wish it had torn apart and eaten the “owner of the flock,” the United Nations!

May God help the Ukrainian people!

WHO IS HAMİT HUN?

Hamit Hun, born in Iğdır in 1921, is the son of Ahmed Şemo, leader of the Geloî Tribe, and the elder brother of Mecit Hun. He left his high school education in Istanbul unfinished and returned to Iğdır, earning his living through trade. He passed away in Iğdır in 1997. He is buried in Karakuyu Village cemetery. May God have mercy on his soul!

(NOTE: These anecdotes are published for the first time.)

ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH

CHAIN WATCH AND HUNGRY WOLVES

Dear Readers:

Sometimes an anecdote or a joke is more valuable than writing pages of political or social analysis. In our days when dark clouds hover over humanity, when our mind is turned upside down, and when our world of emotion is torn apart, no doubt human creativity, desire to write and joy of life inevitably disappear.

In this short article, instead of doing deep political analysis, I want you to know that the secret code of this tragedy that is happening before our eyes right now in Ukraine is actually hidden in our daily lives. I want to display this fact by telling two meaningful anecdotes.

CHAIN WATCH

Hamit Hun was sitting at a table as usual with a townsman, elderly rich acquaintance. His friend was often taking his silver embroidered chain watch from the pocket of his vest, showing off it for a while, then carefully placing it back in his pocket again.

The waiter serves tea. Hamit Hun looks very absent-minded and thoughtful. When his friend sees that Hamit Hun, for a while, has not reach yet for his glass of tea, he wonders and asks:

“Mr. Hamit, your tea is cold! What happened to you? You seem to be deep in thoughts? What the hell are you thinking?”

Hamit Hun fixes his eyes on the elms in the distance. One word comes out of his mouth:

“Death!”

His friend startles:

“Come on, Mr. Hamit! You’re young! Don’t think about things like that and poison your life!”

Hamit Hun takes a deep breath and turns to his friend:

“I don’t think about my own death.”

His friend becomes more curious and gets intrigued:

“Whose death then?”

“Your death!”

“Where did that come from?”

“Look, man! Sooner or later, you’re going to die. Someone will inherit the chain watch you value so much. Then after, one of your heirs will use the silver-embroidered watch. It looks like a solid watch. It will be his turn to die. The chain watch will be inherited by someone else. Then he will wear the chain watch through. In the end, that heir will also die, but the chain watch will survive. What I don’t get is that, “Who is actually the enduring and living creature, the human being or a silver embroidered chain watch?”

THE MORAL INFERENCE OF THE ANECDOTE: Apparently, Ukrainian territory is like a silver embroidered chain watch… Tsarist Russia owned Ukrainian territory in its time. Later on, Tsarist Russia was destroyed, the Soviet Union was founded. Then, the chain watch, that is, the “Ukrainian territory”, was inherited by the Soviet Union. Then after, the Soviet Union fell, and now Russia considers itself the incontestable heir to this precious “chained watch”. We would think like Hamit Hun and say, “Who is the actually immortal, the chain watch (Ukraine) or the big leaders such as Tsar, Lenin, Putin?”

HUNGRY WOLVES

As usual, Hamit Hun was sitting at a table in a coffee shop. This time he was chatting with a relative from a mountain village.

Hamit Hun puts his hands on the top of each other on the cane, then places his chin on the hands, stares away, plunges in deep thoughts, and becomes quiet for a while. The acquaintance wonders, asks: “Hamit Bey! What’s wrong? Is there something bothering you?”

“At the highlands, sometimes a dense fog descends from the top of the mountain…”

“Yes! That’s right, it happens a lot.”

“In Zoma (a cluster of tents), people who are sitting in black tents get alarmed at the sight of the fog and panicked, saying ‘Wolves will attack our sheep.’ So, they take their guns and head for the herd in hurry…”

“It’s true! Hungry wolves are both very cunning and very cruel in foggy weather…”

“By the time you folks get to the herd, the wolves would have surely killed 5-10 sheep or take them away, right?”

“It’s true! It happens every time!”

“You get angry and reprimand the shepherd, ‘God damn you! How did that happen,’ and the shepherd always gives you the same answer:

‘Dear master, there was a dense fog. I became almost blind. I only could see the herd not standing still, always running to the right, to the left. Further, the herd got panicked, ran down the hill, sometimes even up the hill. So, I did my best to bring them together, not knowing what to do. When the fog disappeared, I realized that five or ten sheep were missing. The sheep that were killed or disappeared, thanks be to God, were either lame, diseased or blind! Master, the wolves are very clever: they attack the herd from all directions, the healthy sheep run around and save their lives, but the blind, the lame and the diseased ones would be left alone around, and the wolves either devour them or take them away.’

You listen to what the shepherd tells you, and you comfort yourself with an inner voice :

“Let it be the blind, lame, diseased sheep my lost! It’s all right! But I still wish, to goodness, the wolves would have devoured this bastard shepherd!”

THE MORAL INFERENCE OF THE ANECDOTE: Whether capitalist, socialist, imperialist or social democrat; Great powers such as NATO, the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, that is, “wolves”, attack when the air is foggy, they rush small nations (herds) around, they tire them out; they pick up and devour the blind, the lame, the diseased ones or they claim their territories.

Ukraine has currently been attacked by the wolves in the fog. All the great powers are watching from afar, saying, “If Ukraine is falling apart, maybe something will be our share.” What we can say is that, I wish, big powers would have devoured the shepherd (United Nations) not Ukraine.

May God help the Ukrainian people!

WHO IS HAMİT HUN?

Hamit Hun, who was born in Iğdır (a province in the far east Turkey) in 1921, is the son of the leader of the Gêloî tribe, who was called Ahmed Shemo. He is also the elderly brother of the famous politician Mecit Hun. He abandoned the high school education in Istanbul and returned home. He earned his life as a tradesman. He died in Iğdır in 1997. He is buried in Karakuyu village cemetery. May God rest his soul!

KURMANCÎ KURMANCÎ KURMANCÎ KURMANCÎ

Hemîd Hûn, li ser maseyê rûniştiye, li cem wî nasekî bajarî, keçel-fellî heye. Hevalê wî, zû-zû, zîv neqişî, saeta xwe di bêrîka yeleka xwe de derdixîne, wisa dixuye ku şovê dike, paşê bi baldarî dîsa dixe cihê xwe.

Garson çayê servîs dike. Hemîd Hûn gelekî bêaqil û bi fikar e. Dema ku hevalê Hemîd Hûn dibîne ku demeke dirêj di stekana çayê de ranagire, meraq dike:

“Birêz Hemîd, çaya we sar e! Çi hate serê we? Wisa xuya ye ku tu di nav fikrên kûr da yî? Tu çi difikirî?”

Yek peyv ji devê Hemîd Hûn derdikeve, ku çavên xwe li ser dara bizî yên mezin li dûr danîne:

“Mirin!”

Hevalê wî helciniqîn ye:

“Haydê, Birêz Hemîd! Hûn ciwan in! Tiştên bi vî awa nefikirin û ji bo xwe jiyanê nebijehrînin!”

Hemîd Hûn bêhneke kûr distîne û berê xwe dide hevalê xwe:

“Ez mirina xwe nafikirim.”

Hevalê wî meraq dike:

“Mirina kê?”

“Mirina te!”

“Ev ji ku hat?”

“Binêre, birako! Çi zû çi jî dereng, hûn dê bimirîn. Kesek dê mîrateya saeta we ya ku hûn gelekî nirx didîn. Vê carê, wê mîratgir saeta zîv-neqşkirî bi kar bîne. Dişibe saeteka zexm. Vê carê ew mîratgir wê bimire û vê carê jî demjimêra astengdar wê ji aliyê kesekî din ve mîrate bimîne û ew ê saetê ber bi jor ve bi kar bîne Tişta ku serê min nagihîjê ew e ku mirovatî zindî û xurt e yan jî saeteke zîv-nexşandî?HEMÎD HÛN KÎ YE?Hemîd Hûn di sala 1921’an de li Îdirê ji dayik bû. Ew kurê Ehmedê Şemo ye, serokê eşîra Gêloyî û birayê Mecît Hun e. Lîseya xwe ya li Stenbolê nîvçe hişt û vegeriya Îdirê, bi bazirganiyê debara xwe kir. Di sala 1997 ‘an de li Îdirê jiyana xwe ji dest da. Li goristana wî li gundê Karakuyu ye. Rehma Xwedê lê be be!