Folk poet (b. 1898, Tonus Province /
Şarkışla / Sivas - d. 12 March 1976, Ankara). His real name was Hacı Bektaş
Coşkun. He educated himself during his childhood by listening to the poets who
continued the traditions. Although his family was well off, he was orphaned
when he was very young and worked as a müezzin (the crier who calls the
faithful to prayer five times a day)
in his own village.
He fell in love with his childhood
friend Keklik Emine, who was his uncle’s daughter. But Emine’s parents did not
let them marry because Talibi was poor and she got married to her father’s
nephew. From then on, Talibi was mentioned together with Emine’s name in the
abundance of his poems for Emine. Later, he earned his living by reading poems
and selling poetry books across Anatolia, but without playing an instrument,
contrary to the tradition of folk poets. As one of the great and last
representatives of the tradition of traveling poets, Âşık Tâlibî Coşkun married
five times.
WORKS:
Ankara
Destanı (Epic of
Ankara, 1938), Büyük Ölüm Acısı
(Great Pain of Death, 1939), Zelzele-Seylap
Destanı (Earthquake-Epic of Seylap, 1943), Trakya Destanı (Epic of Thrace, 1944), Felek Yarası (Wound of Fate, 1945), Seher Yeli Gibi (Like a Morning Breeze, 1946), Çukurova Sesleniyor (Çukurova Calls Out, 1950), Samsun Destanı (Epic of Samsun, 1953), Kore Harbi Şehitlerinin Destanı (Epic of
the Martyrs of the War in Korea, 1953), Trabzon’da
Coşan Gönül (The Heart that Rejoices in Trabzon, 1957), Kahraman Türk Ordularının Zaferleri (Victories
of the Heroic Turkish Army, 1958), İnkılap
Gecesi (The Night of Revolution, 1961), Kıbrıs
Destanı (Epic of Cyprus, 1974), Talibi
Coşkun ve Keklik Emine (Talibi Coşkun and Keklik Emine, undated).
