THE TOUGH FATE OF A SATIRIST

The turn of centuries proved a symbolic milestone for Azerbaijan in the field of art. The foundation of everything basic that exists in modern Russian culture was laid at that time - in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This is the national press, satire, opera, operetta, theatre and even cinema. Mirza Alakbar Sabir (Mirza Alakbar Zeynalabdin oglu Tahirzada) is one of those without whom it is impossible to imagine that turning point in the creative mind. In this regard, it is characteristic that nobody's poems became so widespread among the people and turned into quotes as it happened to the creative work of Sabir.

Seller of poems

The poet's life was typical of that of an intellectual of the time. He was born in the family of a petty Samaxi merchant, received primary religious education and was to become a mullah, but suddenly he (like many of his predecessors) discovered the vast and multicoloured world of art and knowledge. It all began in 1874 when at the age of 12 he enrolled in the newly-opened so-called "school of a new type" of the famous educator, poet and satirist Sayid Azim Sirvani, in other words, a normal school that taught natural sciences and humanities.

Study and acquaintance with Sirvani played a major role in the future of Sabir and in shaping his views and artistic taste. Sirvani saw the great abilities of the boy and often worked with him in his spare time.

Sabir wrote poems since childhood - since the age of 8, and together with his teacher, they examined their advantages and disadvantages. Such a clearly frivolous and unprofitable business as poetry worried the poet's parents very much. As a result, Sabir had to leave school after only two years of study.

But the seeds of knowledge fell on fertile ground. The boy, who was forced to work in his father's shop, read the books he borrowed from the teacher and wrote poetry in the evenings or in secret. Sabir soon started making money with poetry. As was customary, he began to write elegies and poems for birthdays and funerals to order. Sabir lived off such earnings and worked as a seller for quite a long time until he was able to save enough money to take a trip on the pretext of pilgrimage. At the age of 23, he said that he was going to Mashhad and Mecca and really came to Iran, but from there went to Central Asia.

Easy life did not last long. In Ashgabat Sabir learnt of his father's death and was forced to immediately return to Samaxi where, being the eldest male in the family, he undertook to look after the household. Meanwhile, there appeared new challenges that led Sabir to poverty - the conflict with the clergy started growing. They were irritated by his fervent and poignant poems which were written free "for the soul", were taken up by the people and ridiculed the existing realities, the hypocrisy of priests, lies and sanctimony. They began to persecute the poet and urged people not to buy his poems. During this period, Sabir started thinking about moving to Baku, a city that was actively developing at that time.

In 1901 the progressive young poet Abbas Sahhat returned from his studies to Samaxi. They became friends. He persuaded Sabir that since he cannot earn enough with poetry, it is necessary to place an emphasis on conventional poetry. Their company often gathered together and read out poems to each other.

In 1903, one of them suggested that Sabir give his works to Sarqi Rus (Russian East) newspaper. This was the first publication of Sabir. In the following years he collaborated with such newspapers and magazines as Dabistan (Sad School), Zanbur (Gadfly), Irsad (Guide), Haqiqat (Truth) and Hayat (Life).

Historian Tahir Ismayilov told R+ that they were mostly lyric poems. "However, a series of revolutions in Russia and Iran and the troubled period in neighbouring Turkey had a tremendous influence on the work of Sabir. Civilian lyrics, full of hope for a better and free future of the people, began to show more and more in his poetry," says the historian. He became a spokesman for national liberation views in Azerbaijan. The main themes of his works in that period were bigotry, social oppression, poverty and ignorance, and the arrogance and snobbery of "high society".

"Sabir did not fight religion and remained a Muslim. He had a fine sense of truth and justice, which did not allow him to put up with the lies and the existing mutual intransigence of different faiths," Ismayilov said. In his biography, a significant role was played by the satirical magazine Molla Nasraddin and its famous publisher Calil Mammadquluzada. They both were at the origin of this magazine. At that time, Sabir worked hard, publishing poems in this magazine all last six years of his life. He also wrote many articles under the pseudonyms of Mirat, Fazil, Alqar-Gulagan.

Critical of everyone

As a rule, his poems were accompanied in the magazine by colourful illustrations by famous artist Azim Azimzada. The magazine was published sometimes in Baku, sometimes in Tabriz. It was read in Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt and India. At that time, Sabir created some of his works in collaboration with Calil Mammadquluzada.

The stylistic feature of Sabir's work was a harmonious synthesis of the simple and clear popular language and the language of literature. Retaining all the beauty of the high rhyme with the living language of ordinary people, he, nevertheless, did not slide into any academism or pulp fiction. With all the apparent simplicity, Sabir conveyed the meaning of the most complex domestic and international issues of the time to the masses. The selected manner of writing, coupled with urgency, became, in fact, the key to Sabir's success. With this biting style, selected topics and surprising observation, Sabir often had to change nicknames, working in several newspapers. His first nickname was Hop Hop (Hoopoe), in honour of the bird that wakes people with its cry at dawn and destroys pests. And at the end of his life he published "Hop-hopnameh" ("The Book of the Hoopoe") - a collection of the sharpest of his poems. This book was critical of everybody - traditional and conservative people, greedy oil magnates and rich young idlers who dressed as Europeans and looked down on their own people and their problems, and many others.

The social satire of Sabir is the first in Azerbaijani literature to raise the issue of class oppression; working people heard a call to fight for their rights in them. The political satire reflected the dissolution of the State Duma of the Russian Empire, the intrigue of the autocracy against the liberation movement in the Middle East, the despotism of the Turkish sultan and the machinations of international reaction. Sabir called for the education and emancipation of women and freedom of speech. In the verse "What is in it for us?", "Cry", "Beggar", "Why should I care?", "The Old Man's Complaint" and others, Sabir was the first in Azerbaijani literature to raise the issue of inequality in society. In the poem "Grain Grower" Sabir is no stranger to bright hope, he sees the future through the darkness of slavery and poverty, he extols the work of the farmer, admires his love for the breadwinner land and asserts the right of peasants to a better lot. The more fame Sabir gained, the more he was persecuted. In the end, he really had to move to Baku. But here he was too popular and visible. And for this reason, he spent the last few years of his life in Balaxani, where he died at age 49 at the height of his creative power. It happened on 12 July 1911.