Contemporary AzerbaijaniPoetry 101verses 55 poets

Contemporary Azerbaijani Poetry
(1960-2014)





CANDLES
(101 verses)





























Translated and compiled by
Dr.Kamran Nazirli
(Azerbaijan, Baku)

Consultants:
Mrs Afag Massud,
Head of Azerbaijan Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers,
writer, translator

Mr. Yashar Aliyev,
Head of Department of the ATC,
writer, translator

Reviewed by

Prof. Salman Nuriyev,
Head of Foreign Languages Department,
Azerbaijan State University of Foreign Languages

Dr. Baylar Hajiyev,
Head of English Language Department of the Humanitarian Faculties,
Baku State University 

Designed by.....................
---------------------------------------
@ Translation into English. Publishing House........ 2015
Printed in Baku, Azerbaijan
All rights reserved

Copyright  2015 Translation into English. Contemporary Azerbaijani Poetry. Azerbaijan Translation Centre, Baku. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, without permission.
For information address: 74 Topchubashov Str, Baku, Azerbaijan Translation Centre (email:info@aztc.gov.az)




Note: This Book has been published in the framework of the Azerbaijan Translation Centre"s Project  'Azerbaijani Literature in English".  The Project Manager and Translator  would like to personally thank to Mrs Afaq Massud, Head of Azerbaijan Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and  Mr. Yashar Aliyev, Head Department of the ATC  and also hope sincerely that those who use this book can have a clearer view of the Azerbaijani poetic mentality.   






Contemporary Azerbaijani Poetry
(1960-2014)





CANDLES
(101 verses)























Baku-2015
















Introduction
Dear Readers!
Since the ancient times, Azerbaijan has been called “The Land of Fire.” To this day in the village of Ramana, near Baku, one can still find the ancient temples of the fire-worshippers. And naturally, a flame burns eternally in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people. It is difficult to find any Azerbaijani, who does not know a great number of verses, fables, bayaty  and proverbs. It is difficult to find a man or a woman who has not created a single verse at least once in their lifetime. That is why Azerbaijan has also been called "The Land of Poetry.”

The first national epic was The Book of Grandfather Gorgud (Dede Qorqud) which dates back more than a millennium ago consisting of 12 chapters. Our people’s first literary creations were myths and legends. At the same time other forms were being developed in Azerbaijani literary oral folk traditions such as tales, sayings and bayaty. During the rule of the Azerbaijani dynasty of the Shirvan Shahs in the 12th century, classical Azerbaijani poetry began to bloom: its leading representatives were Nizami Ganjavi (12th c), Mahsati Ganjavi (12th c), Afsaladdin Khagani (12th c), Imadaddin Nasimi (14th c), Mahammad Fizuli (16th c), Vagif and Vidadi (18th c), Seyid Azim Shirvani (19th c) and Mirza Alakbar Sabir (20th c).

And now after gaining our independence a new era has begun for our people. Again poetry has flourished and the works of the Azerbaijani contemporary poets included in this book have been translated into English. The works of the following outstanding poets: Rasul Rza, Nigar Rafibayli, Sohrab Tahir, Bakhtiyar Vahabzada, Mammad Araz, Fikrat Goja, Vagif Samadoghlu, Ramiz Rovshan, Musa Yagub, Kamal Abdulla... are not only published in Azerbaijani, but in many other languages as well.

This book is a small anthology of poetry that aims to introduce English readers with the works of modern Azerbaijani poets. The collection should also be helpful to advanced students, foreign Companies and Embassies interested in contemporary Azerbaijani verse in English. Having in mind these types of readers, I selected each poem and added footnotes and commentaries whenever I felt it would aid the foreign reader.

This book contains 101 verses written by 55 Azerbaijani authors from various generations. Chronologically, the book is a collection of verses, written primarily between 1960 and 2014, though there are a few poems composed earlier than 1960—works, for example, by Rasul Rza, Ali Karim, Sohrab Tahir, Bakhtiyar Vahabzada, Mammad Araz, Vagif Samadoghlu and Ramiz Rovshan, poets of different styles and manners.
The short biographical notes do not claim to be a history of Azerbaijan’s poetry but merely act as background information for the reader.

Throughout this book, it is possible to find many poems about the topics of love—love for one’s homeland, love for one’s people, love for parents and children, love for life, love for a woman or any lover.  The poets write on how to make better choices in life, at work, at home and in relationships. These days, of course, life appears to be much more confusing. The lines between right and wrong can often be very grey, and some of our actions may seem separate from their results; they are not, when moral principles are clearly understood and applied.

I would like to personally thank to Mrs Afaq Massud, Head of Azerbaijan Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan for her assistance and also hope sincerely that those who use this book can have a clearer view of the Azerbaijani poetic mentality.  Hopefully, this is only just the beginning of more projects like this.

Dr. Kamran Nazirli,
Member of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union



P.S.
Request to Readers

Azerbaijan Translation Centre and the Translator would be glad to have your opinion of this book, its translation and design and any suggestions you may have for future publications.
Please send all your comments to 74, Topchubashov Str, Baku, Azerbaijan Translation Centre (email:info@aztc.gov.az) or directly to Translator Dr. Kamran Nazirli (email: k.nazirli@amf.az).