The earliest appearance of this deyiş in print is in Bektaşilik ve edebiyatı by Besim Atalay (1882-1965) published in 1924. Gölpınarlı and Boratav (1943) also include the text indicating the sources as Atalay and cönk in the possession of Gölpınarlı. One of the dilemmas for this translation is whether or not to translate the terms mürşid and rehber. While these terms have quite specific connotation in Alevi ritual culture they are to some sufficient degree translatable. I have have therefore translated them, capitalising the terms ‘Teacher’ – not a fully adequate term; perhaps ‘Master’ may be better? – and ‘Guide’ to indicate that the terms have specific rather generic meaning. As Mehmet Fuat (Pir Sultan Abdal, 1999 ed.) notes in respect to the third line of the second verse – which is somewhat awkward to translate – the reference is to smoking out bees from the hive in order to secure the honey. Fuat also gives guidance in respect to the last line of the lyric which refers to the practice of the novice dervish being brought before the Mürşid during the confirmation ceremony to enter the tarikat and the Mürşid takes the dervish’s right hand in his right hand while the dervish holds the skirt (etek) of the Mürşid with his left hand.
This deyiş has obvious connections to one of the oldest attributable lyrics to the person of Pir Sultan Serseri girme meydana in its theme and imagery.
The curious photograph of the ‘dervish’ is from Alma Wittlin’s book Abdul Hamid: the shadow of God (English translation published by John Lane in 1940).
Pir Sultan Abdal ‘Ben dervişim diye göğsün açarsın’
Translation: Paul Koerbin
You stick out your chest saying ‘I am a dervish’
Do you have the tongue to invoke God?
Look to yourself, what do you want from strangers?
Do you have the strength to reach the state of ecstasy?
Like a fish one day they will ensnare you in a net
They will question you about your Teacher and Guide
Lighting incense, sending you scattering, they will seek
‘I am a bee’ you say – do you have honey?
Do those without affliction complain?
Does a shrewd dervish turn from his vow?
Do all creatures of the air light on a rose branch?
‘I am a nightingale’ you say – do you have a rose?
I am Pir Sultan, your affliction is not laid bare
Those without affliction don’t confront suffering
The ways are not passed over without the Teacher and Guide
Do you have your hand on the Teacher’s cloak?
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Original text from Gölpınarlı and Boratav (1943)
Ben dervişim diye göğsün açarsın
Hakkı zikretmeğe dilin var mıdır
Sen kendi görsene ilde n’ararsın
Hâli hâl etmeğe hâlin var mıdır
Bir gün balık gibi ağa sararlar
Mürşidinden rehberinden sorarlar
Tütsü yakıp köşe köşe ararlar
Ben arıyım dersin balın var mıdır
Dertli olmıyanlar derde yanar mı
Tahkik derviş ikrarından döner mi
Her bir uçan gül dalına konar mı
Ben bülbülüm dersin gülün var mıdır
Pir Sultan’ım senin derdin deşilmez
Derdi olmıyanlar derde duş olmaz
Mürşitsiz rehbersiz yollar açılmaz
Mürşit eteğinde elin var mıdır
PİR SULTAN ABDAL and me 
Beautiful deyiş, perfect translation! Thanks for posting, Paul!
I tried to find the meaning of “hali hal etmek/eylemek” in Bektaşilik tradition but failed. This phrase is also present in the famous “Uyur idik uyardılar” : “Halimizi hal eyledik”. Could you, please, give me a reference to the source you relied on while translating the phrase.
Olga, thanks for the kind comment on the translation. I started my translation of that phrase with dictionary meanings for ‘hal’ with the idea of a state or condition and also its other meaning of ‘strength’. The real help and guidance for translating this however comes from Mehmet Fuat’s 1977 edition (republished in a revised edition by Yapı Kredi Yayıncılık in 1999) of Pir Sultan Abdal lyrics. In reference to the phrase ‘hali hal etmek‘ he says this means “Tanrı yolunda geçici bir çoşkunluğa ulaşmak” and in reference to the phrase ‘halin var mıdır‘ he say this means “gücün var mıdır“. Also, Eşat Korkmaz in his Alevilik ve Bektaşilik terimleri sözlüğü notes one of the meanings of ‘hal‘ as ‘derin çoşku durumu‘. So I think the phrase uses different shades of meaning of ‘hal‘ in a typically Turkish economical and poetic fashion.
Thank you very much for the references and explanation, Paul. I wish I had the books you’re drawing upon. Hope to buy them when I am in Turkey.
Hu Dost! Just discovered your blog, great work Paul! I am a great lover of Alevi-Bektashi poetry. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful things. Ask Olsun
Thanks Felix, I appreciate your interest and kind words.