Kâtibim or “Üsküdar’a Gider İken” (On the way to Üsküdar) is Known as a Turkish folk song about a woman and her clerk (kâtip) traveling to Üsküdar. It is famous in Istanbul music history.
Üsküdar song is considered one of the most wandering melodies, It had spread all over the Ottoman Empire, every nation adopted it and each country’s citizens passionately claim the song to be their own and can even furnish elaborate histories for its origins, so we can find many versions of this song in countries neighboring Turkey (Like Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Arab world..), usually with entirely different lyrics. However, a documentary film entitled “Whose is this song?” documented many of these versions.
Some of Üsküdar version
In the Arab world with the same melody is known as “Ya Banat Iskandaria” meaning “Oh Girls of Alexandria”. Another Arabic version of the Levantine folklore, mostly sung as part of the Aleppine genre, is “Ghazali Ghazali” meaning “My Gazelle”.
This video below is From the concert at Léonie Sonnings music price 2012, given to musician Jordi Savall. At the Trinitatis church in Copenhagen. In this version singers sing turkish lyrics (Üsküdar) ,Arabic lyrics (My Gazelle) hebrew lyrics ….
In Greek the song has several versions. Today the best known is Apo xeno topo – “From a foreign place”.
An Albanian version is titled “Mu në bashtën tënde”.
Serbian adaptation is called “Ruse kose curo imaš” (“Red-haired girl”), traditionally sung in southeastern Serbian dialect.
The Bosnian adaptation of the song is a traditional Sevdalinka known as “Anadolka”.
Also, Loreena McKennitt’s studio album An Ancient Muse (2006) has a track named “Sacred Shabbat”, which has the same tune as “Katibim”.
Finally: Boney M’ band features a melody similar to the tune in their “Rasputin” dance song.
Also listen: Turkish flamenco – Berk Gürman & Öykü Gürman
Origins of Üsküdar song
There is no clear answer about the origins of this song. Some defend its Armenian origins, saying that it was first sung in 1883 the operetta Leblemitzi Horboraga by Dihran Tsohatzian, which became highly popular all over the Ottoman Empire. Others saying: it was composed by a Scottish musician when the Scottish military bands – who wear skirts – were on the Asian side of Istanbul leading to Üsküdar during the Crimean war of 1853-56.
Üsküdar song English Lyrics (Translation):
On the way to Üsküdar, rain poured down.
My clerk’s frock coat is long, with its skirt muddied.
It seems the clerk just woke up, his eyes are languid.
The clerk belongs to me, I belong to the clerk, what is it to others?
How handsome my clerk looks with starched shirts!
On the way to Üsküdar, I found a handkerchief.
I filled the handkerchief with Turkish delight.
As I was looking for my clerk, I found him next to me.
The clerk belongs to me, I belong to the clerk, what is it to others?
How handsome my clerk looks with starched shirts!
“Üsküdar” videos playlist below:
A great melodic line, indeed!