University of Cambridge pays tribute to wisdom of great Abai

LONDON, 23 July 2020 – The time-tested wisdom of the great Kazakh poet, philosopher, and enlightener Abai Kunanbaiuly was the theme of an online conference co-hosted by Cambridge University Press (CUP) and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom. The event commemorated the 175th anniversary of the birth of Abai and was timed to the launch of a new project on translating into English and printing a complete collection of Abai’s works. The project is carried out by Cambridge University Press, the world’s oldest and most respected publishing house, and Kazakhstan’s National Bureau of Translations (NBT).

Within the project, Professor Sean O’Brien, a famous British poet and professor of creative writing, is translating Abai’s poems, while his prose works – the Words of Edification – are translated by Professor John Burnside, a celebrated Scottish writer, poet, and academic. The book is part of a wider project by NBT to publish the poet’s selected works in ten languages worldwide.

The discussion was entitled For Love Alone is Just Reward for Love: Wisdom of Abai and included such distinguished speakers as Erlan Idrissov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UK; Jane Mann, Managing Director of Education Reform at CUP; Rauan Kenzhekhanuly, Director of NBT; Professor John Burnside; Professor Peter Rollberg, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research Initiatives at the George Washington University; and Dr Anar Tanabayeva, Director of the Department for International Cooperation at the Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. (Abai KazNPU). The conference was moderated by Annie Michailidou, Head of International Development, Education Reform at CUP.

Ambassador Idrissov stressed the incontestable importance of Abai for the Kazakh culture and identity. He noted that the principles of the Ruhani Zhangyru programme, initiated by the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and aimed at modernising Kazakhstan’s identity and introducing its historical and cultural heritage to the world, echo the wisdom of Abai.

“It would be hard to find a Kazakh who would not be familiar with Abai’s work. His Words of Edification have served as a guide in life for many generations of my fellow citizens. His work not only set the foundations of Kazakh written literature but profoundly affected the philosophical thinking of the generations of Kazakhs who lived after him,” he said.

Ms Mann noted that the initiative to publish Abai’s works in English deepens further the long history of collaboration between Cambridge and Kazakhstan to support educational and cultural projects, involving close ties with the Nazarbayev University and Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools. Last year, two anthologies of Kazakh poetry and prose translated into English were created through the partnership between NBT and CUP as part of the Ruhani Zhangyru programme.

She highlighted that Abai’s writings convey a concern with the transmission of knowledge and wisdom. That is why he has always been and remains a teacher, an enlightener.

“Cambridge’s contribution today is to continue to pursue Abai’s goal of enriching the Kazakh literary tradition by translating his own works, so the English-speaking audience can appreciate his works for the first time,” Ms Mann stressed.

Mr Kenzhekhanuly noted that the significance of the project is that for the first time in history, Abai’s works will be translated from Kazakh into English and other nine languages of the world. Previous attempts to convey the wisdom of Abai were made through translation from Russian. A new, and possibly the first, generation of Kazakh into English literary translators joined their efforts with highly regarded British poets in an attempt to produce translations that are true to the original.

The NBT Director also unveiled the cover of the new book created by a young Kazakh artist Dauren Kasteyev.

Professor Burnside talked about his journey of working on the translations of Abai, noting that while researching his writings and his life, and gaining knowledge of Kazakh culture and history, he could not but see parallels and similarities with Western authors, including William Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift.

He elaborated on the similarities of themes in the works of Abai and those of the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns – both poets wrote about the tribulations of romantic love, had a keen eye for hypocrisy, corruption and other societal flaws, and deeply loved their land.

Of the more modern poets, Professor Burnside drew parallels with Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, whose work also incorporates a wide range of political, social, religious, and philosophical themes.

Professor Rollberg, who specialises in Soviet and post-Soviet literature and film, spoke about Abai’s portrayal in Kazakh cinema. Through the analysis of the films Songs of Abai (1946) and Abai (1995), he presented two different views on the life of the great poet and philosopher, as well as on the Kazakh society of the time.

Dr Tanabayeva stressed that having absorbed Eastern and Western cultures through the study of works in Arabic, Persian, Russian and other languages, Abai was an example of a genuine and deep understanding of the traditions of other cultures. The idea of intercultural dialogue, according to her, runs through all of Abai’s works, imbued with the spirit of tolerance. She also spoke about the work of the Abai KazNPU and a number of Abai Centres around the world.

More than 100 viewers interested in Kazakh culture and Abai’s legacy from all over the world attended the conference, while the Facebook broadcast was viewed by over 1,600 users. The event ended with a joint discussion by the speakers and the audience, focusing on the meanings in Abai’s works, the story of his life, and his significance for modern Kazakh and global culture.

The conference is part of a number of events scheduled by the Kazakh Embassy in the UK to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Abai. In addition to the printing and the launch of the new collection of Abai’s works in the British Library, the Embassy intends to publish the first ever book of Abai’s songs in English. In the book, the English verses will be adapted to the music and accompanied by musical scores and QR codes linked to recordings of Kazakh-language performances. The Power of Abai’s Poetry World Challenge is to feature prominent British figures reciting Abai’s poetry, while an online concert will include performances of Abai’s songs by Kazakh and British performers.