Ghabdulla Tuqay
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Ğabdulla Tuqay (April 28, 1886 - April 15, 1913), the greatest Tatar poet, was born in the village of Qoşlawıç /qosh-lah-WETCH/, Kazan region (gubernia, guberna) in Russian Empire, nowadays Tatarstan, Russia near modern Arsk (Arça) town. When he was five months old, his father Möxämmät Ğärif /mer-kham-MAT gha-REEF/ died, and after several years, his mother, Mämdüdä, was married to the mullah of the village of Sasna. This happy life did not last for long, he lost his mother after a year. Ğabdulla was sent to his grandfather, Zinnätulla, who was a very poor man with many children. Lacking enough food for his own children, his grandfather sent him to Kazan with a coachman. There the coachman took Tuqay to a market-place, Peçän Bazaar and started looking for someone who would like to adopt helpless, little Ğabdulla. Möxämmät Wäli, from the Yaña-Bistä /yah-NGAH bees-TA/ region of Kazan, decided to take care of him. But when both of his new parents got sick, they had to send him back to his grandfather. This time, he was sent for further adoption to the village of Qırlay /qer-LAHY/, to stay with the family of Säğdi /sagh-DEE/. During his stay with this family, he was sent to school, the Madrasa (Möxämmädiä mädräsäse) (religious school), for the first time in his life. In his own words, his enlightenment was started in this particular village.
In the fall of 1895, Tuqay was brought to his aunt's family, Ğosmanovs, from Qırlay to Qoşlawıç, where he was sent to the Madrasa and to a Russian school, in the meantime. There he had the chance to get acquainted with the world literature,and started writing poetry in this very school.
In 1907, he left the Möxämmädiä Madrasa, to meet and serve his people. In the fall of he same year, he went to Kazan being inspired with his own creativity. There he made many friends with the leading Tatar writers and poets. He was successful in founding a new style in poetry, and wrote: Kitmibez (We don't leave), Şüräle /shew-ra-LE/, Tuğan İlemä (To Motherland), Peçän Bazarı (Hay Bazaar) and Par At (Pair of Horses), all of which were full of warm feelings towards his own nation. At the same time, he was writing for newspaper, and participated in the publishing of several Tatar magazines.
On February 26, 1913, he was hospitalized, because of his severe case of tuberculosis. Even at the hospital, he never stopped writing poems for the magazines and the school. On April 15, of the same year he passed away when he was twenty-seven years old.
External links
- Ğabdulla Tuqay's poetry (http://kitapxane.at.tt/authors/tuqay/)
Categories: 1886 births | 1913 deaths | Poets | Tatars