Homeland
EXPLAINING WHY THIS VERSE WAS WRITTEN
Translated from Uzbek · Original text
Assalamu alaykum, dear Grandfather, O great Sultan!Great Sahibqiran, Khan of the face of the earth!The dome of your palace is these seven heavens,Yours are the honor and the glory of justice.You are the son of Kesh, the pillar of the Turks,Indeed, the protector of the oppressed.Crushing the heads of hypocritical liars,You forgave the sins of those who repented.Mercy and compassion, valor, faithfulness to one’s word,Courage, bravery, keen thought —To you, who never exulted in success and could endureEvery trial, a thousand thanks!Indeed, your service is a cause for wonder,Every mind falls speechless before you —What other sultan as fair and sincere as youCan mankind ever tell of?!Suddenly, from among a crushed people,You flashed forth like lightning, Grandfather!The gnostics became your companions,The world fell trembling at your feet.Perhaps since it was created, mankindHas seen thousands of khans, khagans and shahs.Some were bloodthirsty, and some othersBuilt the edifice of the world in grandeur.But reason and justice, fairness and devotion,Mercy, insight, kindness, wrath and fortitude —My God gave all of these to you alone,And showed the world a matchless power!The fortune and opportunity granted to youHad rarely been seen before your time.But after you mankind has never yetSeen a shah like you again.Today our heads are bowed before you,Heedlessness covered us before we came to know you..To stand on the world’s stage with chests held high,For this we need you — grant us your help!O Sahibqiran, O great khagan,O king of shahs, pride of kings!O emir of Turkestan, sovereign of Turan,Your home today is the bosom of Samarkand.Help us — our state is wretched,The snare of nafs and lust is choking our throats.Your station is like a mirage to us,Our last ember is dying day by day.Come, take us by the hand, our revered one,Do not abandon us to the dungeon and the pit.Lead the way, speak to us — our hearts cry out and sigh —So that, following you, we may reach the lofty court!First of all, sharpening and polishing the mind,Let light fall upon the mirror of the heart, Grandfather!Then, heaping the fire of love upon the head of the nafs,Let the soul fly in the sky of love, Grandfather!Our eyes gaze longingly at the “Tuzuk” you wrote,Our understanding seeks the roads you walked.No word can be spoken above your word,Let the Turks learn the meaning of your words by heart!Today we need your words more than ever,Today your words are light for our minds.For this soil to remain free,The mind must first be free.Your words will save the heartFrom all kinds of shackles, from slavery and humiliation.That is why, keeping both heart and tongue pure,We longed to climb out of the darkness, out of the abyss.Verse is a beautiful form, and easy to memorize,In verse the meanings are compact and firm.So, with your permission, dear Grandfather,Your grandson has taken up the pen.Diligently, without letting its meaning slip away,Let me turn your blessed “Tuzuk” into verse,Since my heart is filled with your counsel,Let me roar like a lion on great battlefields!Let young men and women learn this poem by heart,Let little children’s tongues be loosened with these couplets.Whoever seeks the road of greatness —Let his heart preserve this verse.Perhaps we may return to your spirit,Perhaps we may find you, dear Grandfather.Help me, so that the words may pour forth freely,And the “Tuzuks” turn smoothly into verse!..My Lord, accept what I have written,And make it dear to the people’s hearts!Let those who read it forget fear and sorrow,And bring turmoil upon the head of the foe!For the sake of Temurbek, who loved Your Beloved —For the honor of Hazrat Sahibqiran, O God,Whatever wish in the heart is acceptable and good,Fulfill them all, every aim!..Hide the flaws of what I have written, O God,Bestow its blessing upon the peoples in full.Granting its good in this world,Show us honor once more in the Hereafter!Whoever prays for us, provided thatWhatever he asks for us, O Lord! —Answer all of it with compassion,And grant him too whatever he comes asking for!Akrom MALIK
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