A New Tatar Folk Tale for Children in Arabic

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A folk tale for children by Tatar poet Abdullah Tukay, translated by Egyptian poet Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, will be published in Arabic and English, in Cairo

Cairo

The Bride of the Lake and the Golden Comb, or Su anasi, a folk tale for children by Tatar poet Abdullah Tukay, will be published in Arabic and English, in Cairo, translated by Egyptian poet Ashraf Aboul-Yazid.

Abdullah Tukay (1886–1913) is the national poet of the Tatar people. Despite his short life, Tukay wrote a wide range of literary works, including fairy tales, poems, and stories. Abdullah Tukay also worked as a translator, editor, and social critic. He is considered the founder of modern Tatar literature and language. His works continue to inspire artists and writers to this day.

Abdulla Tukay- Tatari poet-Sindh Courier
Abdulla Tukay

Many of Tukay’s poems are considered classics, memorized by generations of Tatars. One of his most famous fairy tales is “Su anasi” (The Water Spirit), upon which this story is based. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid translated it to retain its rich language and captivating imagery that appeals to readers of all ages. It will soon be published by [Al Nasher] as part of the Silk Road Literature Series.

The Tatars are a Turkic people, like the Turks, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz. The main homeland of the Tatars is the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, with its capital, Kazan, which is a center of Tatar culture and language. The Tatar language has Turkic roots, influenced by Islam and Persian culture, and has developed into a modern literary form.

Tatars are spread across the world, including Finland, where about 800 Tatar speakers currently reside. Most Finnish Tatars speak Finnish or Swedish while striving to preserve their language and culture. Finnish Tatars began settling in Finland in the 19th century, initially as traders. They established a religious community in 1925 and have maintained their cultural and linguistic heritage through associations and close ties with Kazan.

This story connects the traditions of folk poetry and literature with the experiences of Tatar children growing up in Finland. The creators gifted the translator a copy, accompanied by an audio CD, and he decided to dedicate it to children fluent in both Arabic and English.

The illustrations are by Maria Nyffeler, with the Finnish text written by Tula Korolainen, and edited by Fazila Nasiruddin and Farida Nizamdyn. The artistic design is by Mario Nygård of Duo Oy. The Finnish edition was supported by the Kalevala Cultural Foundation and the Central Arts Committee and published by Ya Balak Group.

Dali-Sindh Courier
Tatarstan President, Rustam Minnikhanov, who congratulates Ashraf Aboul-Yazid translator on one of his publications

The Tatar life of Ashraf Aboul-Yazid has been filled with wonder, beauty, traditions, literature, and art. He mentioned the villages with their wooden houses that resemble joyful dolls’ houses, his journey through Tatar festivals, especially the harvest festival, Sabantuy. He also recounted his documented travels to their millennium-old capital, Kazan, and to the place where Ibn Fadlan once landed in Bolgar on the Volga River. Regarding the national poet, Abdullah Tukay, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid translated two other works for children and participated in the official 125th birth anniversary celebration. He recalled the taste of chak-chak sweets, tea with dried fruits, and stuffed pastries, as well.

In a note following the translation, he extended his gratitude to everyone: the Tatarstan President, Rustam Minnikhanov, who congratulated the translator on one of his publications issued in Arabic, authored by  Abdullah Tukay; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Zilia Valieva, who later became the director of Kazan Kremlin Museums; the artist, photographer, and cultural advisor to the Tatarstan Ministry of Culture, Raisa Safiullah; Dr. Guzel Suleymanova, the historian and daughter of a militant historian; the translator and researcher Elmira Khanym Byramali, her brilliant photographer husband Rifaat Yakubov, and their Arabic-speaking daughter Zarifa.

This vibrant life surrounds the translator in his rich Tatar library, the gifts he collected from its markets, the records containing its treasures, his meetings with its prominent figures for another program, and unforgettable memories of its beauty.

Read – Arabic Literature: Fatima Does Not Dance the Tango

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