نىمشېھىت Nimshehit
Translated by Aziz Isa Elkun
ۋەسلىدىن ئۆزگە كېرەكمەس ماڭا جانان ئالدىدا
ئارزۇيۇم سەن ئېرۇرسەن تەن بىلەن جان ئالدىدا
بىرگۈلى رەنا ئېرۇرسەن باغۇ بوستان ئالدىدا
تا زىيارەت قىلـمىسام مەن سېنى ئىمكان ئالدىدا
يۈزلۈرۈم شەرمەندە بولسۇن تاڭلا سۇبھان ئالدىدا
I need nothing except only the love of my beloved
You are the greatest hope of my soul and body
You are the finest rose in a land of gardens
I would visit you if only I had the chance
Let my face be shamed before the glory of the dawn
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
دۇنياغا تەڭ ئەيلىمەيمەن تاغلىرىڭنىڭ تاشىنى
سېنى دەپ تاشقا قوشارمەن دۈشمىنىڭنىڭ باشىنى
سەن ئۈچۈن دەريا ئېقىتسام شۇم رەقىپلەر ياشىنى
مۇمكىن بولغايمۇ كۆرۈشكە ئايغا ئوخشاش قاشىنى
قارا بەختىم ئاق بولاردى شۇندا رەھمان ئالدىىدا
Nothing in this world compares to the stones of your mountains
For you I would pile up your enemies’ heads on those stones
For you I would make their tears flow like rivers
If I could only meet with her moon-like eyebrows
Then my dark fate would become bright before gracious God
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
ۋادەرىخا قايسى كۈندۇر شۇم رەقىپ باستى ئاياغ
سەن كەبى ھۆر نازىنىنلەر ئۈستىگە سالدى تاياق
مەن قۇچاغىڭدا تۇرۇپ تارتتىم ئەجەپ دەردى پىراق
نېمىتىڭ لەززەتلەرىدىن ئايرىلىپ قالدىم يىراق
بوينى باغلانغان مۈشۈكتەك ساڭدا چاشقان ئالدىدا
One tragic day came the tread of that wicked enemy
They rained down blows on beautiful fairies like you
Held in your embrace I felt such a sense of pain
I was taken far away from your abundant pleasures
Like a tethered cat tied up in a granary in front of a mouse
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
مەن بارۇرمەن ئەي نىگارىم سەن ئۈمۈتنى ئۈزمىگىن
دۈشمىنىڭنى ئۇر پەقەت ئەركىنگىنە يۈرگۈزمىگىن
ئالدىنىپ دۈشمەن بىلەن سەن ئەيشى ئىشرەت تۈزمىگىن
شۇم رەقىپكە باغلىرىمنىڭ مېۋىسىن ئۈزگۈزمىگىن
پات يېقىندا تېپىشارمىز گۈل گۈلىستان ئالدىدا
I will return, my love, never lose your hope
Keep striking at your enemy and never let them go free
Don’t be fooled, don’t join the feast with your enemy
Don’t let the enemy pick fruit from my orchard
Soon we will find each other in the land of flowers
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
ئەر ئەمەسمەن دۈشمىنىڭنىڭ قانىنى ئاققۇزمىسام
خائىنلارنىڭ ئەيىۋىنى كۆكسىگە تاققۇزمىسام
ئوت زەھەرلىك نەشتىرىگە ئۆزىنى چاققۇزمىسام
ئەللەي ئىتىپ يەر بۆشۈكتە ھەممىسىن ياتقۇزمىسام
شۇندا مەرد نامىنى ئالغۇم شاھىمەردان ئالدىدا
I will not be a man until I shed your enemy’s blood
Until I pin the traitors’ guilt on their chests
Until I see them stung with their own poison
Until I lull them all to sleep in the cradle of the ground
Only then I will earn a hero’s name to rival Shahimerdan*
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
مەيلى مەن بارغۇنچە يىرتقۇچلۇق بىلەن خەلقىمنى ئات
مەيلى مەھبۇب باشىدا قانلىق قېلىچىڭ پارقىرات
مەيلى ۋەھشىلىك بىلەن ئادەمچىلىك ئاڭنى يوقات
ئىنتىقام ئالغۇم سېنىڭدىن تا جېنىم تەندە ھايات
ھىچقاچان ئادەم يېڭىلـمەس ۋەھشى ھايۋان ئالدىدا
Even if you kill my people mercilessly before I return
Even if your bloodthirsty sword gleams above my lover’s head
Even if in your cruelty you lose all humanity
I will take my revenge while there is still life in my body
For a man can never be defeated by a vicious beast
Shahimerdan is a legendary hero of Central Asian Muslims*
1947-يىلى نويابىر، غۇلجا
November 1947, Ghulja
__________________________
About Nimshehit Army Eli Sayrami
Nimshehit is a well-known Uyghur poet of the 20th century. Nimshehit is the penname of Ermiye Eli Sayrami. It means “Half martyr”. He was born in Tezekqayghu village of Sayram Town of Bay County in 1904. In 1928, he went to Kashgar to study in the “Khanliq Medrese” (Royal Madrassah). He worked as a secretary when the East Turkistan Islamic Republic was established in Kashgar in 1933. When the Chinese Dungan army led by Ma Zhongyin attacked Kashgar, he fought in the front line as a soldier. He was injured by a bullet in his neck and nearly died, and so he was given the nickname of “Nimshehit”.
After recovering from his injury, he returned to Bay county in 1934. From the end of 1936 to January 1945, he worked as an editor for Aksu Newspaper along with the famous poet Lutpulla Mutellip. He wrote his famous poem “Bilim ishqida” (Love for knowledge) in 1936. When the East Turkistan Republic Army liberated Bay County in October 1945, he worked for the army’s “History writing” office as a writer. Beginning in 1948, he worked as an editor for “Ittipaq” (United) magazine, and he wrote this poem “Aldida” (Before) in that year. In 1956, as part of the all-China pilgrimage group, he visited ten countries in the Middle East.
During the Cultural Revolution he was sent by the regime to 13th Village of Ombash Town, Bay County, and on 24th August 1971, he was brutally killed there by the Red Guards. He was the author of many poems. His collected poems were published in Urumchi 2008 under the title “Aldida”. He is always remembered by Uyghurs reciting and singing his poems.
(From translator)