The earliest development of Turkmen literature is closely associated with the literature of the Oghuz Turks. [1, p. 29]. Dovletmammet Azady, Nurmuhammet Andalyp, Magtymguly Pyragy, Şeýdaýy, Zelili, and Mahmut Gaýyby are the best representatives of the 18th and 19th centuries’ literature that is considered the period of flourished poetry in Turkmenistan. There are several well-known contemporary poets such as Orazguly Annayev, Agamyrat Soltanov, Akmyrat Jumayev, Agageldi Italmazov, Dovletgeldi Annamuradov, Akmyrat Hojaniyazov, Gozel Shaguliyeva, Kakamyrat Rejepov, Seyitmyrat Geldiyev, Shatlyk Hudaynazarov, Myrat Gurbanov, Serdar Achilov and many others, whose poems are read all over the world. Turkmen poetry has its origins in ancient times. Turkmen poetry has passed a unique path of development in its history, the meaning has become richer in terms of content, and it has improved artistically.
Poetry, by definition, is voice. In the case of poetry, the trope of voice would include the world of sound, as well as silence, in which the poem exists. Voices in poetry explore the ways through which individuals articulate themselves as subjects. The present study, devoted to voice, explores narrative poems ranging from generation to generation [3, p. 2].
There are many types of poetry in Turkmen literature, and it has a unique development during the Renaissance of the new age of the state. Works written in the form of poetry differ from prose and drama works in that they express the passionate feelings of a person and in their form. Let’s explore some compositional differences between poetry and drama:
A stanza is a group of lines of poetry that express a whole idea or a specific part of idea presented in the work. It is separated from other stanza by extra space. This word comes from the Latin word “room”, stanzas are used to divide similar parts of written work, as rooms in a house.
Rhythm is the repetition of elements of sound and movement.
Kapiya (rhyme) is the rhyming of words at the ends of lines in a stanza.
In Turkmen literature there are different types of stanzas of poems such as: Mesnevi (the couplet) — two-line stanza, rubagy (quatrain) — four-line stanza, muhammes (quintet) — five-line stanza, museddes (sestet) — six-line stanza. Other kinds like ak and free-verse forms also are popular in Turkmen literature. My poem “Myhman” (A guest) is considered rubagy (quatrain):
Bir sallançak yralyp dur howada,
Hormatladym oň bagyny çekeni.
Bir sallançak gidip barýar dogada,
Gör-ä, bir pursatlyk myhman ekenim!
Another example for this type of poem is “Ömrüme” (To my life):
Üzňe bolma mekanyňdan, iliňden,
Haýyr iş et gelenini elinden,
Erbet niýetiňi sogur seriňden,
Uly-il ýagşylykda ýatlasyn seni!
Tagzym et ene — ata her daň säheri,
Hyzmatyn et, siňdir söýgi — mähiri,
Gyş gününde duýsun ýazy — bahary,
“Janym balam” diýip, ýatlasyn seni!
Depäňde gün parlaýança ýatmagyn,
Her ädimde ýakynlarňy ýatlagyn,
Paýlaş sen hemişe gaýgy-şatlagyn,
Kyýamat günüňde ýatlasyn seni!
Perwaz urýan ýylyň ähli paslynda,
Ylhamyň joş ursun ynsan nesliňde,
Guýmagursak akyl bolsun aslyňda,
Il “pähimdar” diýip ýatlasyn seni!
Habarly bol däpden, dessurdan, dinden,
Ýoluňy saýgargyn sagyňdan, soldan,
Biwepa hereket çykmasyn senden,
Söwer ýaryň söýüp, ýatlasyn seni!
Hereketiň halal bolsun, gelişsin,
Ýörän ýoluň ýöräniňe ýaraşsyn,
Ýola gözün dikip ýaryň garaşsyn,
“Wepadarym” diýip ýatlasyn seni!
Adammyň?
Adam bolmaga çalyş,
Diňe mertler bilen pikriňi alyş,
Paýhasyňy durla hem gura ýaryş,
Il “başarjaň” diýip ýatlasyn seni!
Saňa gardaş bolsun gazetdir kitap,
Dünýäň gözeldigni duýmaly okap,
Sözlerden bir dagy döretgin dokap,
Uly il “şahyr” diýip ýatlasyn seni!
Törüň açyk bolsun ýakyn-ýat üçin,
Köňlüň açyk bolsun dost-u-ýar üçin,
Aşyňy gysganma bir mätäç üçin,
Dost-dogan, hemmeler ýatlasyn seni!
In this paper we investigated one of the famous kinds of poetry in Turkmen literature — the narrative poems. Stories help us come to terms with the events we encounter, be they comic or tragic. The fact of the birth of a baby would convey the exact progression and timing of the delivery, but it would take a story to communicate what it meant for the mother to generate a new human being inside her. If we need to make a distinction between the terms story and narrative, it would be simple, yet not wrong, to say that “narrative” is commonly the “telling of a story”. Even though the word narrative is closely connected to art, it is also an activity that we all engage in throughout our lives. [2, p. 13].
The characters of the story, setting and plot exist in the narrative type of poetry. Because it tells a story like novels or short stories. As for example, my narrative poem “Menek” (Birthmark) is also considered narrative Turkmen poem which written in the form of couplet:
Şygrymy başlasam bir adam hakda,
Gözlegdäki himik — bir alym hakda.
Probirkadan ybaratdyr durmuşy,
Diňe synag-analizler ýaz-gyşy.
Alym öýlenipdir dakynyp ýüzük,
Gyz edep-ekramly, gözleri süzük.
Emma sag ýaňakda ullakan menek,
Oňa ýanýoldaşy atarmyş henek.
Aýyrmak isläpdir gelniň tegmilin,
Alym utanypdyr gepinden iliň.
Synagyn geçirip otuň ýüzünde,
Ynama giripdir gelniň gözünde.
Ulanypdyr synagdaky maddasyn,
Ýol edinip himikleriň kadasyn.
Şowsuz tamamlanan ilki synagy,
Bolupdyr alyma durmuş synagy.
Ilki garan maddasyny az eden,
Synagyny geçiripdir täzeden.
Ahy:r alym maksadyna ýetipdir,
Emma gelin tegmil bilen gidipdir.
The earliest poetry was not written but spoken, recited, chanted or sung. Poetic devices such as rhythm, rhyme and repetition made stories easier to memorize so they could be carried long distances and handed down through generations. Narrative poetry evolved from this oral tradition. Like English language, the narrative poems are widely used in Turkmen language, too. As for example, in my poem “Bagt” (Happiness) the story of poor boy is described:
Ownuk zat satýardy ýetim oglanjyk,
Aýlanyp öýme-öý şäher içinde.
Günleriň birinde surnugyp halys,
Ysgyndan gaçypdyr ýoldan geçende.
Zat satmaga baran ilki öýünden,
Içer ýaly suw sorapdyr ýygrylyp.
Mähirlije, gelşiklije gyzjagaz
Suw ýerine süýt beripdir ýylgyryp.
Aýlar aýlanypdyr, ýyllar geçipdir,
Derde sataşypdyr gyzyň ejesi.
Lukmanlaryň biri dertden açypdyr,
A:hyry şowlapdyr onuň bijesi.
Tölemek islese bejergiň nagtyn,
Lukman hem diýipdir gyza ýüzlenip:
“Süýt berdiň ýyllar öň çäresiz wagtym,
Päk ýürekli gyz sen, bol meniň bagtym!”
As we all know the word “Edebiýat” (Literature) of Turkmen people is derived from the word “Edep” (Etiquette), which means its main function. One of the main functions of the word of art is upbringing youths and efforts to bring up generations into leading people. That’s why literature is important part of our life.
References:
- Akatov Bayram. Ancient Turkmen Literature, the Middle Ages (X-XVII centuries). Turkmenabat: Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute, Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, 2010.
- Fredric Jameson, The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1981.
- Özlem Görey. English Narrative Poetry: A Babel of Voices. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017.
