Magtymguly Pyragy (
Persian: مخدومقلی فراغیMakhdumqoli[a] Farāghi;
Turkmen: Magtymguly Pyragy; Turkmen pronunciation:[ˌmɑɣtɯmɢʊˈlɯˌpɯɾɑːˈɣɯ];
c. 1724 – 1807),[2] born Magtymguly, was a Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet,
Sufi and traveller who is considered to be the most famous figure in Turkmen literary history.[3]
Magtymguly is the greatest representative of
Turkmen literature, credited with the creation of Turkmen written literature, and whose literary form became a powerful symbol of the historical and the incipient national consciousness of the Turkmen people.[4] He is part of a unique period in the cultural history of
Central Asia, with his exceptional talent projecting his personal poetic synthesis onto the next generation of poets of the region.[5]
Magtymguly was born in
Haji Qushan,[7] a village near the city of
Gonbad-e Qabus in the modern-day province of
Golestan, Iran, the northern steppes of which are known as
Turkmen Sahra (Turkmen steppes).[8] It was part of the extensive
Safavid Empire in the first half of the 18th century.[9]
Magtymguly's name, signifying "slave of Magtym," derives from one of the revered lineages within the Turkmen community. In addition to his given name, the poet adopted a distinctive pen name or makhlas, "Feraghi," in his literary works. It comes from
Arabic and means "the one separated from" happiness, or union with his beloved.[10]
Magtymguly's father was Döwletmämmet Azady, himself an educated poet.[11] His father was also a local teacher and
mullah, and was highly regarded by his people.[12]
Magtymguly received his early education in the Turkmen, Persian and Arabic languages from his father.[13] He also learned ancestral trades such as
felt-making and, according to some sources, jewellery.[14]
Magtymguly continued his studies in various madrassahs (religious school of higher learning), including Idris Baba madrassah in the village of Gyzyl Aýak, Gögeldaş madrassah in
Bukhara and Şirgazy madrassah in
Khiva.[15][14]
Magtymguly provided basic information about himself, his family and children in his poetry. In his poem "Äleme belgilidir" (Known in the world), Magtymguly says: "Tell those who enquire about me that I am a Gerkez, I hail from
Etrek and my name is Magtymguly", identifying his homeland as the banks of the Etrek River and expressing his identity through his tribe.[16]
Later life
Magtymguly traveled extensively during his lifetime, mostly to widen his erudition, with the territories of present-day
Azerbaijan,
India,
Iran and
Uzbekistan among the countries known to have been visited by him.[17]
Not much is known about Magtymguly's family life. He was unable to marry a woman he loved from his own village, Meňli, whom he dedicated a great deal of his love poems.[17]
The following is the excerpt from Magtymguly's Aýryldym (Separated) poem dedicated to Meňli (in original Turkmen and its English translation):[18]
I am separated from my flower.
From my black-haired beauty,
From my nice-voiced nightingale,
I am separated from my sweet-talking love.
Magtymguly died in 1807.[19] His resting place is in the village of
Aq Taqeh-ye Qadim, in
Golestan Province, Iran. Nowadays, his tomb is the site of pilgrimages at which prayers and Sufi "dhikrs" are performed by members of different ethnic groups.[20][17]
A number of Magtymguly's poems display Sufistic philosophical attitudes that stress certain teachings and practices of the
Quran and the
sunnah, describing ethical and spiritual goals.[21]
A number of Magtymguly's ghazals, however, when taken out of context, seem to make
antinomian statements with regard to religion. Despite this, Magtymguly should not be compared to an
Uzbek poet Mashrab, who was an antinomian
heterodox Sufi and hanged in 1712, nor should he be compared to an
Iraqi Turkmen poet
Nesimi, who adopted
self-deification stance. Antinomian heterodoxy appears not to be the major trend in Magtymguly's poetry. His conventional stand, in fact, is the Sufi station of khajrat (bewilderment).[23]
The following is an excerpt from Magtymguly's "Ýar senden" poem is an exemplary work containing all of the familiar Sufi elements:[24]
Magtymguly, aşyklaryň mestinde,
Hyra gözi haýran olar dostunda,
Ýedi ýerde, dokuz pelek üstünde
Ýa, reb, habar bilerinmi, ýar, senden!.
Makhtumquli is drunk with love of You
His dazzled eye stares in amazement at his Friend
In the nine spheres above the seven earths,
Oh Lord, will I hear from You
The following verse is a call to follow the "sunnah", where Magtymguly also uses the laqab of Aşyk Pyrak (Feraghi-in-love). Note: The first four lines is the original (Turkmen) language of the poem written using Arabic alphabet as in one of the earliest manuscripts, while next are in modern Turkmen alphabet; English translation is provided further down.
1
عاشق فراق دير عرضين
روزه نماز ديان فرضين
Aşyk Pyrak diýer arzyn,
Roza, namaz diýen parzyn,
Feraghi-in-love will state his will,
Our sacred duty is to pray and fast,
2
بوينومزدا اوش بو قرضين
جان چقمان بريب كچلی
Boýnumyzda uşbu karzyn,
Jan çykman berip geçeli!
We have this debt on our shoulders,
Let's return it before we leave!
In the poem below, called "Bady-sabany görsem" (I'd Like to Feel the Wind of Dawn), all three people Magtymguly wishes to have seen (known) are considered prominent figures in Sufism, with
Bahauddin being the founder of one of the largest Sufi
Sunni orders, the
Naqshbandi.[25][26][27]
I'd like to feel the wind of dawn,
On the hills of
Dehestan,
I'd like to see Zengi Baba, Bahauddin,
Mirkulal.
Political ideals
Magtymguly lived at a time when
Turkmen tribes were displaced from their homeland, and plundered as a result of constant clashes with Iran and
Khiva. He deeply resented it and expressed his feelings of repentance in his poems.[14] Indeed, Magtymguly express strong social protest in his poems, but his political thought is mostly directed towards the unification of the Turkmen tribes and the establishment of an independent polity for Turkmens.[28]
Poetry
Magtymguly was one of the first Turkmen poets to introduce the use of classical
Chagatai, the court language of the Khans of Central Asia, as a literary language, incorporating many Turkmen linguistic features.[29] His poetry exemplifies a trend towards increased use of
Turkic languages rather than Persian; he is revered as the founder of Turkmen poetry, literature and language.[30] Magtymguly's poetry also gave start to an era litterateurs depict as the "Golden age" in Turkmen literature.[31] His literary form became a powerful symbol of the historical and the incipient national consciousness of the Turkmen people.[32]
Unlike his father and another prominent Turkmen poet of the era, Andalib, Magtymguly employed strophic form, usually quatrains (qoshuk) for his poems making them syllabic. Vast majority of his poems are in the form of folk Turkmen songs, qoshuk and aydish, with the latter being a form of musical contest usually involving two poets.[10]
The following is Magtymguly's work[28] - Türkmeniň (of the Turkmen), with the text transliterated into Turkmen (Latin) letters.
Jeýhun bilen bahry-Hazar arasy,
Çöl üstünden öser ýeli türkmeniň;
Gül-gunçasy – gara gözüm garasy,
Gara dagdan iner sili türkmeniň.
Hak sylamyş bardyr onuň saýasy,
Çyrpynşar çölünde neri, maýasy,
Reňbe-reň gül açar ýaşyl ýaýlasy,
Gark bolmuş reýhana çöli türkmeniň.
Al-ýaşyl bürenip çykar perisi,
Kükeýip bark urar anbaryň ysy,
Beg, töre, aksakal ýurduň eýesi,
Küren tutar gözel ili türkmeniň.
Ol merdiň ogludyr, mertdir pederi,
Görogly gardaşy, serhoşdyr seri,
Dagda, düzde kowsa, saýýatlar, diri
Ala bilmez, ýolbars ogly türkmeniň.
Köňüller, ýürekler bir bolup başlar,
Tartsa ýygyn, erär topraklar-daşlar,
Bir suprada taýýar kylynsa aşlar,
Göteriler ol ykbaly türkmeniň.
Köňül howalanar ata çykanda,
Daglar lagla döner gyýa bakanda,
Bal getirer, joşup derýa akanda,
Bent tutdurmaz, gelse sili türkmeniň.
Gapyl galmaz, döwüş güni har olmaz,
Gargyşa, nazara giriftar olmaz,
Bilbilden aýrylyp, solup, saralmaz,
Daýym anbar saçar güli türkmeniň.
Tireler gardaşdyr, urug ýarydyr,
Ykballar ters gelmez hakyň nurudyr,
Mertler ata çyksa, söweş sarydyr,
Ýow üstüne ýörär ýoly türkmeniň.
Serhoş bolup çykar, jiger daglanmaz,
Daşlary syndyrar, ýoly baglanmaz,
Gözüm gaýra düşmez köňül eglenmez,
Magtymguly – sözlär tili türkmeniň.
Nehr-i Ceyhun Bahr-ı Hazar arası,
Çöl üstünden eser yeli Türkmen'in.
Gül goncası kara gözüm karası,
Kara dağdan iner seli Türkmen'in.
Hak sılamış vardır onun sayesi,
Çırpınır çölünde neri, mayası.
Rengarenk gül açar yeşil yaylası,
Gark olmuş reyhana çölü Türkmen'in.
Al yeşil bürünüp çıkar perisi
Kükeyip bark urup amberin isi,
Bey, töre, aksakal yurdun iyesi,
Küren tutar gözel ili Türkmen'in.
O merdin oğludur, merttir pederi,
Köroğlu kardeşi, sarhoştur seri,
Dağda, düzde kovsa avcılar diri
Alamaz arslan oğlu Türkmen'in.
Gönüller, yürekler bir olup başlar,
Tartsa yığın erir topraklar, taşlar,
Bir sofrada hazır kılınsa aşlar,
Yücelenir o ikbali Türkmen'in.
Gönül havalanır ata çıkanda,
Dağlar la'le döner dönüp bakanda,
Bal getirir coşup derya akanda,
Bent vurdurmaz, gelse, seli Türkmen'in.
Gafil kalmaz dövüş güni har olmaz,
Kargışa, nazara giriftar olmaz,
Bülbülden ayrılıp, solup zar kalmaz,
Daim amber saçar, gülü Türkmen'in.
Tireler kardeştir, uruk yaridir,
Ikballer ters gelmez, Hakk'ın nurudur,
Mertler ata çıksa savaş yarıdır,
Yov üstüne yürür yolu Türkmen'in.
Sarhoş olup çıkar ciğer dağlanmaz,
Taşları parçalar, yolu bağlanmaz,
Gözüm gayre düşmez, gönül eğlenmez,
Mahtumkulu söyler tili Türkmen'in.[33]
Between the Amu-Darya and the Caspian sea,
The wind of the Turkmen expands from the desert.
The bud of a flower- the blackness of my eye
From the dark mountains comes the flood of the Turkmen.
The Almighty blessed this land. His shadow is present.
A sandstorm in its desert, a white camel,
Color upon color of blooming flowers on the green plains,
The Turkmen desert has drowned into basil.
Its beautiful woman will come out covered in green,
The smell of Amber will spread,
Bey, Honor, the White-bearded (elder) is the owner of the yurt,
The beautiful land of the Turkmen catches the colt.
He is the son of a brave man, his father is valiant,
Görogly is his brother, drunk is his head,
If the hunters chase him in the mountains and valleys,
The lion son of the Turkmen cannot be caught alive
Hearts, souls and will unite as one,
If it draws deep, the lands and rocks will melt
If the food is ready on one dinner table
It will raise the fate of the Turkmen
His soul will fly when on horseback,
The mountains will turn to lava upon his glance,
When the river flows, it brings honey,
The dams will not hold the flood of the Turkmen.
He will not despair, and will not lose on the battle day,
He will not be swayed by curses or the evil,
Will not separate from its nightingale and fade,
The Turkmen rose will forever blossom.
The clans are brothers, and the tribes are friends,
Their fates are tied, by the light of God
When the brave get on horses, it's for the battle,
The paths of the Turkmen lead to its enemies.
He will come out like drunk (fervent, mad), will not despair,
He will move mountains, his path will not be blocked,
My eyes will not gaze away, and the soul will not muse,
Magtymguly speaks the language of the Turkmen.
Legacy
Magtymguly is part of a unique period in the cultural history of
Central Asia; his exceptional talent projected his personal poetic synthesis onto the next generation of poets of the region.[5]
27 June is celebrated in Turkmenistan as "the Day of Workers of Culture and Arts and the poetry of Magtymguly Fragi".[34]
Monuments
Monuments to Magtymguly Pyragy are installed in cities across the
former USSR, including
Kyiv (Kiev),
Astrakhan,
Tashkent,[35] and
Khiva, as well as in Iran and Turkey. A monument to Magtymguly made of concrete and natural stone was erected in Magtymguly Square on
Magtymguly Avenue in the center of
Ashgabat in 1971.[36] He is also one of several statues that surround the
Independence Monument in Ashgabat. The statues depict people praised in the Ruhnama, a spiritual guide written by Turkmenistan president
Saparmurat Niyazov.[37]
Toponyms
Magtymguly is a city in far south-western Turkmenistan in Balkan Province, the administrative center of Magtymguly District.[38]
Magtymguly is a zone in a gas and oil field in Turkmenistan.[39]
Makhtumkuli (1968, producer
Alti Karliyev) — the role was played by Hommat Mulluk.[45]
Fragi – Razluchyonnyy so schastyem (1984, producer
Khodzhakuli Narliev) — the role was played by Annaseid Annamuhammedov.[46]
Postage
In 1959, the USSR issued a postage stamp to mark the 225th anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly.[47] In 1983, the USSR issued another stamp to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.[48]
Turkmenistan issued a
10 manat banknote bearing his likeness in 2009.
Other
In 1974, an orchestral composition by
Veli Mukhatov was created "In memory of Magtymguly".[49]
In 2013, the composer
Mamed Huseynov wrote an opera called "Monologues of Magtymguly Pyragy".[51]
From 2002 to 2008, the month of May in Turkmenistan bore the name "Magtymguly".[52]
In 2014, the Magtymguly Pyragy Medal was established as a reward for great achievements in the study, dissemination and promotion of the creative heritage of Magtymguly.[53]
A Turkmen dry cargo ship is named "Magtymguly".[54]
^Gudar, Nurcan Oznal (2016). Mahtumkulu Guldeste. Istanbul: Salon Yayinlari. p. 11.
ISBN978-605-9831-48-2.
^Bozkurt, Fuat (2012). The Language of the Turks (in Turkish). Eğitim Yayınevi. p. 321.
^"Dašt-e Gorgān". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Another traditional name for this region is Torkaman Ṣaḥrā, characterizing at the same time the specific and dominant composition of its population.
^Hillenbrand R., Islamic Art and Architecture, London (1999),
ISBN0-500-20305-9, pp. 226-228
^Clark, Larry, Michael Thurman, and David Tyson. "Turkmenistan." Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan: Country Studies. Comp. Glenn E. Curtis. Washington, D.C.: Division, 1997. 318.
^Abazov, Rafis. Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics. Westport, Connecticut. 2007 p. 89
^Hasan Dani, Ahmad; Masson, Vadim (2003). History of Civilizations of Central Asia: Development in contrast : from the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. UNESCO. p. 139.
^"Culture is the spiritual light of the people (in Turkmen)". Zaman Turkmenistan. 27 June 2020.
Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2020. "The proclamation of June 27 of each year as "the Day of the Workers of Culture and Arts and the poetry of Magtymguly Fragi" makes the workers of culture and art even more proud.