Ne Elmadır Ne De Nar (Neither Apple Nor Pomegranate)
Story
The song opens by comparing the beloved to neither an apple nor a pomegranate — a refrain typical of folk poetry that hesitates to name love outright while still conveying its depth. The following line, “gönül çeker ahuzar” (the heart is drawn to longing), continues in the same simple but deeply felt vein.
Collected from source singer Cafer Kaya, this song shares a collection date — 16 March 1971 — with “Odayın Yapısına,” another Çorum song from the same source, making it among the region’s earlier additions to the TRT repertoire.
About
It is a “kırık hava” (metered folk tune), registered under the Çorum region. Its TRT Repertoire No. is 34. The source singer is Cafer Kaya; it was collected and set to notation by Nida Tüfekçi on 16 March 1971. According to the Çorum Municipality’s publication “Çorumlu Bestekârlar, Güftekârlar ve Müziğe Emek Verenler,” it is one of the 42 sung “kırık hava” tunes of Çorum in the TRT repertoire.
Lyrics
The song’s known, traditional (anonymous) opening lines:
Neither apple nor pomegranate,
The heart is drawn to longing.
(For the full song, consult the collection records and the TRT repertoire.)