Kazakhstan Poetry & Prose Anthology Literature - Abai Kunanbayev - In English For Sale

Kazakhstan Poetry & Prose Anthology Literature - Abai Kunanbayev - In EnglishAbai: Poems, Long Poems, Edifying Words by Abai Kunanbayev. A substantial and beautifully produced English-language edition of the writings of Abai Kunanbayev (1845–1904), the national poet, philosopher, educator, and cultural reformer of Kazakhstan. Often compared to Alexander Pushkin in Russia, Rabindranath Tagore in India, Robert Burns in Scotland, and Walt Whitman in the United States, Abai stands at the center of modern Kazakh literature and intellectual life. His influence extends across the history of the Kazakh steppe, the Russian Empire, Central Asia, and the emergence of modern Kazakhstan.

Published to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Abai\'s birth, this landmark volume was issued under the auspices of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Bureau of Translations, with a foreword by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The project was undertaken in partnership with Cambridge University Press as part of a major international effort to introduce Abai\'s writings to readers around the world in multiple languages.

This edition contains an extensive selection of Abai\'s literary and philosophical legacy, including hundreds of poems arranged chronologically from 1855 through 1903, allowing readers to follow the evolution of his thought during a period marked by Russian imperial expansion into Central Asia, the transformation of nomadic society, and the emergence of modern intellectual currents in the Turkic and Islamic worlds.

Among the many notable works included are The Beauties of Our Day, We Grow Older, To the Kazakhs, My Long-Suffering People, Don\'t Be Satisfied Until You Have an Education, Poetry, the Queen of Literature, The Force of Poetry, Mind, Heart, Will, Wisdom, The Heart is a Sea, Allah and the Word of Allah, In Evil Times, Born of Fire, and dozens of poems addressing education, morality, religion, social reform, love, nature, aging, and national identity.

The volume also includes Abai\'s major narrative poems Eskendir the Great, Masgüt, and The Tale of Äzim. These longer works reveal the author\'s engagement with the traditions of Alexander the Great, Persian literature, Islamic scholarship, Turkic folklore, and world history.

Of particular significance is the complete section of Edifying Words, Abai\'s famous forty-five prose reflections, philosophical essays, and moral teachings. Often considered his greatest contribution to world literature, these writings address ethics, religion, education, justice, personal responsibility, self-improvement, governance, and the future of the Kazakh people. The Edifying Words remain foundational texts in Kazakh intellectual history and continue to influence contemporary discussions of national identity and civic culture.

English poetic versions were prepared by acclaimed Irish poet Sean O\'Brien, while the Edifying Words were rendered into English by noted Scottish poet and author John Burnside, working from bridge translations prepared by a team of Kazakh scholars and translators. Editorial oversight included prominent Kazakh intellectuals and public figures such as Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Olzhas Suleimenov, Murat Auezov, and Bakhytzhan Kanapyanov.

An important reference work for readers interested in Kazakhstan, Central Asian studies, Turkic literature, Islamic philosophy, comparative literature, post-Soviet cultural history, Eurasian studies, and world poetry. A handsome commemorative edition documenting one of the most influential literary figures of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Publisher: National Bureau of Translations (Public Foundation), in partnership with Cambridge University Press
Publication Date: 2020
Condition: Hardcover with dust jacket. Light handling and shelf wear to jacket; contents clean and complete.
Pages: 511
ISBN: 9786010664715