Memoriy of Seitumer Emin
Seitumer Emin for me is not just a name of one of classics of Crimean Tatar literatures of the second half of twentieth century. It is not only a name of one of active participants of national movement of the Crimean Tatars, the representative of the first generation of initiators of struggle for homecoming, restoration of all rights and conditions of my subjected to repression people.
Seitumer aka is alive, full of pictures bright and recovering heart and images of the past, memory about unusual, simultaneously both proof, and the vulnerable person. It is sounding in memories and a voice recognised from the first instants.
He is a PERSON, the COMPATRIOT, the TEACHER And the COLLEAGUE.
His heart has skipped in day of a spring equinox — on March, 22nd, 2004. Six years ago.
I will try to tell about him, first of all, as about the poet, whose lines were the world outlook weapon in an arsenal of national movement, bringing up and strengthening in compatriots reading and listening to them a love for the country and to ancestors, traditions and culture.
He has left after himself many long-living verses both on native, and in Russian languages.
I will remind, Seitumer Gafarovich Eminov was born on May, 15th, 1921 in settlement Albat:
«Догъдым мен мавы танъларда,
Чокъракълар шырылдап акъкъанда дагъларда
Далгъалар шыпылдап ургъанда ялыгъа.
Зюмбюллер ачкъанда багъчалар, багъларда,
Хыдырлез куньлери Албатта.»
His childhood and youth have passed on the blest native earth, a youth — on front roads, in hospitals and guerrilla woods of Crimea:
«Дженк,/ Сен меним де юрегимни яраладынъ,
Беляларгъа къалдырдынъ,/ Анамны алдынъ…
Кечкен гедже ве куньдюзлерни къайтарам санъа,
Анамны, яшлыгъымны къайтар манъа!»
In special settlements of Central Asia:
«Эр шейни джойдыкъ бизлер о куньлерде.
О вакъыт дерьялар козьяшнен толды.
Тек намус-виджан къалды юреклерде.
Чокъ инсанлар вакъытсыз телеф олды —
Къайтмадылар Санъа, Азиз Ветан!»
When he was eighty he has returned to a native land where has had time to make a lot of the kind…
His many-sided poetic heritage is embodied in such books as «the Singed waves» (1977), «The Road» (1980), «Voices» (1984), «Mountains» (1984) on Russian, in poetic collections «Bejaz chichekler» (White flowers), «Ateshli kunler» (Fiery years), «Menim sesim» (My voice) — on Crimean Tatar
His verses, literary prose, sketches were published in magazines «Moscow poetry» (Moscow), «the East Star» (Tashkent), «Kuban» (Krasnodar), «Jyldyz» (Tashkent, Simferopol), «Kalgaу» (Bursa, Turkey), in newspapers «Lenin bairagi», «the Soviet Kuban», «the Novorossisk worker», «Dostlyk», «the Crimean news», «by Jany dunya», «Areket», «the Crimean newspaper» and others.
In one story it is impossible to reflect and capture all depth and breadth of poetry of Seitumer Emin. I will try to designate themes of the native land, war, national movement.
The native land begins with images of mum, a native home, native settlement, woody mountains and rocks. These images in such poems, as «Analar akkinda ballad» (the Ballad about mothers), «Ah avlyadim» (Ah, my child), «Kajda dolansan da» (Where you were), Instants of spring «,» Stones of the childhood «,» Mountains». All the images long and the symbols sounded by the poet, merge in a multi-colour picture-image of the Native land from which he has been separated half a century about which grieved for which struggled to which went through barriers and has returned:
«I would not write about the native land, / I would not write, when I would be of humble origin…»
The sea washing Crimea from different directions, is one of the main symbols of the Native land at S.Emin. In a poem «Kara Kum» (devoted to the veteran of guerrilla movement in Crimea, one of initiators of national movement Dzhebbar Akimov) this image especially penetrating.
The life of Seitumer Emin, as well as all generation of his contemporaries, all the Crimean Tatar people has been pulled down in two by war and eviction on May, 18th, 1944. He bore in the heart a pain on the destroyed life of the people who have lost as a result of exile from a native land, in first one and a half years of a finding in spaecial settlements, about half of lives. Many of his lines are about it:
«Къыркъ дёртте, алевли еллеринъ юзюмни якъкъанда,
Сен мени тек ольдюрмединъ, Бекабад!
Сырдарья сувларнен толып-ташып акъкъанда,
Бир ютум сув биле бермединъ, Бекабад!
… Ёкъ, унутмадым сени, афатлы Бекабад!
Мезарлыкъ олдынъ эджельсиз халкъыма.
Юрегим къалтырар сени анъгъанда, Бекабад!
Нелер, нелер кельмез бугунь акълыма!…»
Seitumer aga participated in national movement not only as one of organizers of political work or the representative of the people, but also as the poet, the prose writer, the publicist . He wrote many verses on Crimean Tatar and Russian languages which are an appeal to awakening of national consciousness and the initiative, devoted to the native earth, his devotees and heroes.
«Юрегим эфкярнен гудюрдеп алгъанда,
Озюмни туталмай чокъ шейлер айтам.
Тиз чёкем, миллетим, мен сенинъ алдынъда.
Асырлар кечирген куньлерге къайтам:… …
Кечтилер афатлы, азаплы о йыллар.
Сен, Кене турдынъ тирелип аякъкъа,
Багъыра-чагъыра адынънъы анъдылар.
Къайтырмыз иншалла анна-топракъкъа!»
Nowadays well active participants of national movement of the Crimean Tatars, living in 1980th years in Novorossisk and other settlements of Krasnodar territory remember him as the trouble-free participant of all initiatives, in time to participate in all events, whether it is the emergency or planned trip to Moscow, Krasnodar, Kazan or to Crimea, participation in meetings (which in 1987-1990 were regularly spent in Novorossisk, Taman, settlement Nizhnebakansk, in Krymsk, Gelendzhik, Abinsk), the organisation and carrying out of meetings, compatriots, participation in «the Tamansk campaign»…
Despite respectable age of Seitumer Emmin he was unrestrained and full of energy, cheerfulness and humour. We, then 25-30 years old, have learnt much from him…
On a facade of the monument established on Quay of Yalta on May, 18th, 2004 in connection with the 60 anniversary of eviction of the Crimean Tatar people and in memory of victims of a genocide 1944 Lines from S.Emmin’s poem «Sen olmasan»:
Сен олмасанъ
Не Ялта бар,
Не денъиз бар,
Не Ада!
Сен олмасанъ,
Азиз халкъым,
Кимге керек
Бу дюнья?
Six years has already passed. It seems sometimes that we did not see the whole eternity. But suddenly you will feel that he is nearby — and memory reproduces his voice, movements, an image. His imperishable lines also sound:
Мен емин-ант этем:
Сыранда къалам.
Ольсем де, къалсам да,
Яшар несилим!
Мен сенден кучь-къуввет,
Ильхамлар алам.
Яша сен, миллетим!
Бу меним истегим!
Asan HURSHUTOV
Yalta