T: Good morning, boys and girls.
Year of 2006 was declared the “Year of literature and arts.”Celebration of 20th anniversary from Gabdulla Tukay’s birthday is one of the most remarkable events of the year.
Today we are going to have our “literary sitting-room”, devoted to Tukay. Let’s listen to his poem “My native language” in Tatar, Russian and English.
What feelings of the people does it express?
P1:
О родной язык, певучий, о родительская речь!
Что на свете знал я? Что сумел я уберечь
Колыбель мою качая, тихо-тихо пела мать.
Сказки бабушки я начал, подрастая понимать.О язык мой, ты опора в испытаниях бытия,
С детства близкий и понятный, радость и печаль моя.
О язык мой, как сердечно я молился в первый раз:
Сохрани отца и маму, не оставь, всевышний нас.
P2:
Oh, my language, native language, you’re soul and you’re my heart!
Many things I’ve learnt in this life through this language, through my blood
Little baby in his cradle tries to hold his Mammy tight.
I remember how my Granny told me fairy tales at night.Oh, my language, native language you’re soul and you’re my heart!
From my childhood till the old age you’re the treasure of my heart.
Oh, my language. For the first time in my life I prayed the God:
“Bless my Mother, bless my Father, bless me, save me, oh, my lord.
T: This beautiful Tukay’s poem has been set to old melody and has become folk song. Listen to the song “My native language”. Think and say: Have you ever heard this song? Where and when do people sing it? Tukay, a poet of genius and eternal orphan, was doomed in his short life to experience all the bitterness of homelessness and human misunderstanding. His penetrating poems, written in a living, clear moving language, convey the orphan state of the Tatar people.
Gabdullah Tukay wrote about his life:
Р3:
“Саз мой нежный и печальный, слишком мало ты звучал.
Гасну я, и ты стареешь… как расстаться мне с тобой?
В клетке мира было тесно птице сердца моего;
Создал Бог ее веселой, но в мирской тщете чужой”.
P4:
“O my flute, your sad and tender music sounded not for long.
You grow old and I am sinking… Why is it that we should part?
Cage of word was cramped and narrow for the bird that is my heart.
God has made it merry – alien to the temporal vanity”.
T: By the way, there are some museums dedicated to his life and works. Let’s start with Kushlavuch.
P7: In this small village Tukay was born in the family of mullah Mohametgarif in April of year 1886.
“…My village stands on a low hills, near spring so cold and clear” – these words of Tukay were devoted to Kushlavuch. Here for a very short period child had been surrounded with parents’ love. But he was not yet four months old when his mother Bibimamduda got married again and, leaving him in the charge of poor old woman Sharifa, went away. Later she took the boy to her new home in village Sastna, but in 1890 she died.
For the second time Tukay lived in Kushlavuch in 1894 – he spent here a month before leaving for town Uralsk.
P5: House-museum of Tukay family is situated in restored farm-stead of mullah Mohametgarif.
At the men’s half of house – it was village mekteb (Tatar elementary school) – special attention is paid to the fact that both Tukay parents were descendants of mullahs. On the father’s side seven generations of mullahs are known. In this exposition the importance of Moslem clergy for the public education is shown.
Women’s half of house-museum presents the world of poet’s mother, traditional picture of Tatar rural home where so much had been done by skilful and industrious hands of women. In the corner of the room there is a big real working stove, which provides for the real warmth of family hearth in the museum. Near – by in a show-case personal belongings of poet’s mother are being exhibited.
P6: After Kushlavuch young orphan Gabdullah Tukay had to live in villages Sasha and Uchile (where his grand-father on the mother’s siqe lived), two years in the foster-family in Kazan and then in the nearby district in village Kyrlay, where to he had been taken by another foster-father, peasant Sugdi. Tukay wrote about that native place. “There’s aul Kurlay – my village – close by city of Kazan; Full of wonders is this country – even hens there sing all day…”
Kurlay occupies special place in life of the poet. Here he realized himself as personality. “Beginning from this moment I consider my self to have a right to speak about my life in first person… It was in Kurlay that I opened my eyes on the world…”
Here for the first time in his life he had the opportunity to see the complete cycle of seasons and agricultural work, to feel the beauty of unhurried work: on a farm, experienced bright colorful gaiety of Sabantuy festival. Out of the dark wild forest and folk tales into the soul of Tukay came Shuraley the imagine that gained amazing power over him. The image of Shuraleh had passed through the entire life of the poet: starting from the childish impressions it was then realized in his poetry.
P7: Years had passed and Tukay had become a real townsman, but more and more often he reverted in his memory and his verses to the district near Kazan, to the time of his childhood, about which he wrote: Moment here seems to last for hundred years… That was “the time in recollections filled with sadness”, “the carnival of life” – the time that aroused intransient feeling of orphanhood and produced dreams of country peace.
Exposition of Kurlay museums shows us the life-path of the poet in the whole: among the displays you can see Tukay books published in his lifetime, of his friends and relatives, furniture from the Kazan hotel “Bulgar”.
Peculiar feature of the museum exposition is the theme of Shurale – in life and works of the poet, and in life of his heritage in music (ballet “Shurale” by F. Yarrullin), in fine, decorative and applied arts, in book-drawings.
Museum owns quite a significant collection of pictures by such aknowledged artists as B. Urmanche, F. Amunov, A. Abzgidin, R. Zagidillin and others.
T: This poem of Tukay is devoted to Kurlay:
P8:
Kurlay is near Kazan
It’s not a bad village:
Even the hens there can
Sing no worse than the cock…
There isn’t neither hot nor cold –
Everything is known beforehand,
The wind blows in good time,
The rain falls in good time.
Suddenly one remembers
The glory, the names of ancestors
The stories of old grandfather
About times long gone.
The veil of historical fate
Lifts a little –
You say, “Oh, what happened to us?
Or are we not God’s slaves?”
T: Let’s visit Tukay’s museum in Kazan.
P9: Poet had lived in Kazan twice: first in childhood, and later Tukay returned here after studying in Uralsk medrese (Moslem high school). “Radian Kazan” attracted him with its rich cultural environment, so necessary for a poet – publishing houses, newspapers and magazines, circle of men close to him in thought and spirit.
In Kazan Tukay lived in a very active way, as if having a foreboding about approaching death. Here he realized himself as a poet, journalist, public figure. The Kazan period was flowering time for the talent of Tukay, time of his maturity, time of his fame. Here ended the road of his life. In April of year 1913 funeral procession followed the Novo-Tatarsky suburb cemetery.
P10: In Kazan museum of Gabdullah Tukay life and creative activities of poet are represented in a wide and detailed manner. Special attention had been given to the personal belongings and Tukay books published in his lifetime. The faience box Tukay had bought out of his first author’s emoluments as a present for his sister Gaziza… black velvet skull-cap is the same he is in on the 1908 photograph that was made for the first collection of his poems… metal stand for pencils is connected with his visit to St. Peterburg… wicker basket accompanied poet during his multiple travel… Poet’s deathmask and original photographs of Tukay’s funeral are also kept in the museum.
P11: Our people remember Tukay’s words about Kazan: “O Kazan, like luminary on a hill you shine so bright;
Belfries, minarets and towers are like can’d in the night!
Towering above the districts and all villages remote. You serve leading light and show them where’s the right way they should go!”
P12: Poet’s immortality is in his verses. But each one of the places connected with life of Tukay, each museum – store – house of remembrance – bring us nearer to him. Going to these places, enjoying the sights of nature he saw, seeing his belongings and things connected with him we make an imaginary journey through time, trying to reach for the life of great poet and see the world through his eyes…
P13: Gabdulla Tukay is highly honored by the Tatar people. State philharmonic hall, annual prize for workers of literature and arts and one of Kazan’s streets are named after him.
Within the framework of 120 anniversary from his birthday there are many events planned including exhibitions and contests dedicated to art of G. Tukay. Also International contest of reciters of Tukay’s poems and children’s drawings, International contest of cartoonists, creation of animated film after Tukay’s tales and production of multimedia tutorial on Tatar literature and life and art of the poet are staged in Kazan and other cities.
T: Thank you very much. Now answer my questions, please:
- What Tukay’s work have you read?
- Where and when was he born?
- Where did Tukay begin to write his poems?
- When did he publish his poems?
- Where are his museums situated?
- What is displayed in these museums?
- Why is Tukay’s creative work so dear to the Tatar people?
Home task: Prepare a life story of Tukay.