Shared by: Gulzhan Yermekova / Date: 2022-01-21 18:42:15 / Stories / Pillars: Home
With our logo contest, we were also sent a video from a young Karakalpak poet, Aydos Umirbaev. We loved the poem and wanted to share it and a short interview with the poet. We would love translations of this poem in the other langues of this website – please contact us if you can help!
Арал теңиз ултанинан кеп турман
Итиварди каратсаниз зийниме
Сауатымда демек Сайкес фейлиме
Талаванман карамастан кейниме
Арал тениз ултанинан Кеп турман
Ойланбастан неге дур деп халекпен
Орным ашык тур тусимде даметкен
Путкил дуния жузи коз караси тарептен
Арал тениз ултанинан Кеп турман
Хар катарим жетеклетип баспадан
Зуылдап тур енди менде кос табан
Путкил дуния жузи назер таслаган
Арал тениз ултанинан Кеп турман
Жагалары емес еле тек сирдан
Балыклары кóл жагалап Кеп турган
Тауекел Сол алдым толы шек турган
Арал тениз ултанинан Кеп турман
My name is Aydos Umirbaev, I was born in the Moynaq region. I am a 2-year student of Dramaturgy faculty (school) of the Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture, Nukus branch. I was so glad to know about the contest on art/creativity dedicated to Aral Sea and I decided to send my poem.
– Are there any Karakalpak or Central Asian artists that have had a noteworthy impact on you? Can you share who they are and how their art impacted you.
Oh sure. I admire the 19th century Karakalpak poets such as Azhiniyaz Kosybayuly, Berdakh, Kunkhoja and Ayapbergen Musaev. I am very proud that they were from our region. I get inspiration from their poems and read them very often. I advise people who come to Karakalpakstan to get acquainted with these poets and their works in order to better know the local culture.
– How do you see the role of art in communicating the Aral Sea crisis?
We, young generation in Karakalpakstan have not seen the sea in its original view, and all its former beauty we learn from poems and songs of our great poets and musicians. Even if the sea is dried out, we still here and hope that it will come back again. We will try to do our best to recover it and glorify its beauty to the world. So, in my poem I expressed my dream. I believe the role of art is big to inspire others to work on common dream.
– In your opinion, what kind of help may be needed to support art and creativity in Karakalpakstan?
The help of our elder sisters and brothers like you is very crucial to support younger people. We have a lot of gifted musicians and poets in the region. I wish that contests like this will be more often to support young talents.
I want to also note that in Karakalpakstan we have our elder compatriots, our President, who support and inspire the youth. Everything is getting better now in the region. People who once has left the Moynaq, now returning back. This is what our President is doing, he is bringing a lot of good changes to Moynaq. Even the sea has left our home, we will never leave it.