Erkin Vohidov

Erkin Vohidov
Born (1936-12-28) December 28, 1936
Oltiariq, Fergana Region
Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic
Occupation Poet, playwright, and literary translator
Notable awards
  • National Poet of the Uzbek SSR (1987)
  • Hero of Uzbekistan (1999)

Erkin Vohidov (Uzbek: Erkin Vohidov, Эркин Воҳидов) (born December 28, 1936) is an Uzbek poet, playwright, and literary translator.[1] In addition to writing his own poetry, Vohidov has translated the works of many famous foreign poets, such as Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Muhammad Iqbal, Rasul Gamzatov, and Sergey Yesenin into the Uzbek language.[2]

Vohidov became a National Poet of the Uzbek SSR in 1987. In 1999, he was awarded the title Hero of Uzbekistan, the highest honorary title that can be bestowed on a citizen by Uzbekistan.[3]

Life

Erkin Vohidov was born on December 28, 1936, in Oltiariq, Fergana Region, then the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. His father, Chuyanboy Vohidov, fought in the Soviet-German war against Nazi Germany and its allies and died in Tashkent after his return from the war. Later Vohidov's mother, Roziyahon Vohidova, also died. He was raised by his uncle, Karimboy Sohiboyev.

In 1945, Vohidov moved to Tashkent and completed secondary school there. After graduating from Tashkent State University with a degree in philology in 1960, he started working at various publishing houses.

Work

Vohidov worked as an editor at Yosh Gvardiya, the Uzbek branch of Molodaya Gvardiya, from 1960 to 1963. He also worked as editor-in-chief at the same publishing house from 1975 to 1982. Vohidov also served as editor-in-chief (1963-1970) and director (1985-1987) of Gʻafur Gʻulom, another publishing house in Tashkent. From 1982 until 1985, he worked as the head of the monthly periodical Yoshlik (Childhood).[4]

Vohidov started writing poetry during his student years. His first poem was published when he was fourteen years old. Vohidov's first collection of poems, Tong nafasi (The Breath of Morning), was published in 1961.

Literary works

The following is a list of Vohidov's books of poetry:

Vohidov has also written three plays, namely, Oltin devor (The Golden Wall), Istambul fojeasi (The Istanbul Tragedy), and Ikkinchi tumor (The Second Talisman). Many of his poems have been turned into songs by Uzbek artists. Two of the most famous Vohidov poems that have become the lyrics to well-known Uzbek songs are "Inson qasidasi" ("The Ode to Man") and "Oʻzbegim" ("My Uzbek People"), both sung by Sherali Joʻrayev.

Literary translations

Vohidov has translated the works of many famous foreign poets, such as Alexander Blok, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Mikhail Arkadyevich Svetlov, Muhammad Iqbal, Rasul Gamzatov, Sergey Yesenin, and Silva Kaputikyan into the Uzbek language. In particular, he translated Goethe's Faust into Uzbek in 1974. Especially noteworthy are his translations of Yesenin's works into Uzbek. Below is Vohidov's translation of Yesenin's farewell poem "Goodbye, my friend, goodbye" (1925):

Original in Russian

До свиданья, друг мой, до свиданья.
Милый мой, ты у меня в груди.
Предназначенное расставанье
Обещает встречу впереди.

До свиданья, друг мой, без руки, без слова,
Не грусти и не печаль бровей, —
В этой жизни умирать не ново,
Но и жить, конечно, не новей.

 English translation

Goodbye, my friend, goodbye
My love, you are in my heart.
It was preordained we should part
And be reunited by and by.

Goodbye: no handshake to endure.
Let's have no sadness — furrowed brow.
There's nothing new in dying now
Though living is no newer.

 Vohidov's translation into Uzbek

Xayr endi, xayr, doʻstginam,
Bagʻrimdasan, koʻngil malhami.
Muqarrar bu ayriliqning ham
Visoli bor oldinda hali.

Xayr, doʻstim, soʻzga ochma lab,
Qoʻy, men uchun oʻrtama bagʻir,
Bu hayotda oʻlmoq-ku bor gap,
Yashamoq ham yangimas, axir!

Vohidov's own works in Uzbek have been translated into Russian and many other languages. The Soviet poet Robert Rozhdestvensky thought very highly of Vohidov's work.

References

  1. ↑ "Vohidov, Erkin". Ensiklopedik lugʻat (in Uzbek) 1. Toshkent: Oʻzbek sovet ensiklopediyasi. 1988. p. 166. 5-89890-002-0.
  2. ↑ "Erkin Vohidov's Biography". Ziyonet (in Russian). Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Erkin Vohidov's Biography". Literature.uz (in Russian). Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "Erkin Vohidov's Biography". Ziyouz (in Uzbek). Retrieved 11 February 2012.

External links

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