Fistan Giymiş Kırmalı (She Wore a Pleated Dress)
Story
The song opens by describing a young woman in regional dress — a pleated (“kırmalı”) gown with cross-buttoning over the chest. It is an affectionate tribute praising the natural beauty of Çorum’s young women, who, as the verse says, are “all kohl-eyed from birth.” Painting local costume and feminine beauty in the language of folk song, the piece carries traces of everyday life and of the region’s sense of aesthetics.
With its lively melody it is often sung at weddings and celebrations.
About
It is a “kırık hava” (metered folk tune), described in the sources as a love song in the Uşşak mode. Its region is the Sungurlu district of Çorum. Ali Canlı is given as the collector and Rıfat Özsaraç as the source singer; its repertoire number is 3145. For more on the Sungurlu district: /en/district/sungurlu
Lyrics
A representative excerpt of the song’s traditional (anonymous) words, given in English summary:
She wore a pleated dress,
cross-buttoned over the breast.
These daughters of Çorum
are kohl-eyed from birth.
(Line variants differ from source to source.)