Magtymguly Pyragy became the meaning of life for Dovlettmammamet Azadi. Therefore, the fear of losing his infant son at the end of his life surrounded Dovlettmammamet Azadi. Day and night, this thought did not leave the “old mullah” alone. Because for this “spiritually wounded” man who lost two sons on the way to Kandahar, the survival of his last son is the main concern. Lately, Azadi revealed that even his infant son Magtymguly had a dangerous idea to follow his brothers and go in search for them.
Magtymguly studied at the prestigious religious madrassas of his time, and fell in love with continuing his studies again. The tears of his brothers and Chowdur Khan, and the descendant of Mengli Gyz cheered him. He “drowned in the river of thought” [3, p. 474], was looking for way out. In such situations, father and son looked at each other thoughtfully, talked without words, understood each other and remained silent.
The poems dedicated to his grandfather by Magtymguly Pyragy, which have come down to our days, such as “Atamyň”[3], “Azadym kany?”[3], “Oglum-Azadym”[3] belong to the quality of poems that reveal the great poet’s love for his father.
In Magtymguly Pyragy’s poetry, the love for life, loved ones, heroic true men, women, education, science remains on the wave bed like a deep river flowing into the ocean. To the poet’s loved ones, especially to his “faith” [3, p. 727] his love for his father is unconditional. That love was the very essence of the miraculous love given to man.
He cannot imagine his life without his father. In the poem “Bu derdi” the poet says:
Bu ölmek, aýrylmak galypdyr öňden,
Peder bize miras goýmuş bu derdi[3, p. 528]
He referred to him in his elegy “Azadym kany?”: “Gözümniň nurany”, “Şährimniň soltany”, “Köňlümniň ummany”, “Münberim azany”, “Ilimniň zybany”, “Ýüregim arany”, “Öli-diri döwranyny”, “Gökleňiň pälwany”, “Bagymyň reýhany”, “Sahyplar Kurany”.
As seen in the poem, Father is the angel in his life for Pyragy. He can’t imagine his life without him. Azadi lives forever in the hearts of not only Magtymguly, the disciple of the disciples, but also for the entire Turkmen, as well as for the mankind.
Dovletmammet Azadi is a great master of words, a philosopher, a teacher of all times and nations. The father of Magtymguly Pyragy, the bright star of the world of poetry, the light of his eyes, his mind, his faith. Dovletmammet Azadi is the master, teacher, and guide of Magtymguly Pyragy, the King of Poetry. And Magtymguly is an unrepeatable student who grew up in such a noble family, was brought up.
In addition to being a teacher of students like Magtymguly, Dovletmammet Azadi wrote famous philosophical treatises such as “Wagzy-azat” [2] under the pseudonym “Azadi”, religious moral works such as ” Behiştnama”, “Muhteser”, ” Hekaýati jabyr Ensary”, and dozens of poems. He is a great wordsmith who has left a legacy for generations. Among these works, the book “Wagzy-azat”[2] has great educational value.
The author of “Wagzy-azat” considers it the meaning of his whole life. This book is a philosophical work that includes the great “master’s” views on man, human status, state and state structure, nature, moral categories, education, parent-children relations, science and learning.
Parents are sacred for every human being. It would be hard to find a creature named human who would deny this. But for Magtymguly Pyragy, he is an angel, an exemplary person, and what else should be balanced is eternity, greatness.
There is information that Dovletmammet Mullah educated some students in the villages. Not only village boys, but also people from nearby villages and even distant ones came to study in his madrasa. As Magtymguly Pyragy points out in his poem:
“Doga kylsam, jebri-jepam ekserdir,
Ylym öwreden ussat-kyblam pederdir”[3, p. 778]
People’s Poet of Turkmenistan Atamyrat Atabaev, who artistically translated “Wagzy-azat” into the modern language: “Generally, in Magtymguly’s poetry, the dignity and honour of his father is raised to the throne. He sees Azadi not only as a father who gave birth, but as a powerful master “[2,2].
Dovletmammet was a teacher in the village. The main medium that raised him to the level of mastery was the poetic word that spoke the truth. Dovlet Mullah attached great importance to the importance of every word.
Dovlet Mullah foresaw a great and bright future in his son. At first, he educated him himself, then handed it over to Niyaz Salih mullah. Outside of school, Magtymguly continued his father’s profession as a carpenter, and also practiced jewelry.
Magtymguly was educated at “Idrisbaba” in Gyzylayak village and “Gögeldaş” madrasas in Bukhara. Later, Magtymguly received the fundamental education of that time at the “Shirgazy” madrasa in Khiva.
Magtymguly gets acquainted with the works and books of the great scientists and poets of the East and expands his worldview. Dovletmammet Molla played a very important role in Magtymguly entering the world of science and becoming a poet.
In the poem “Atam” the role of Dovletmammet Mullah in the life of Magtymguly is emphasized. Just like how important the son is to the father, the role and importance of the father in his life to the son is revealed in its fullness. The content of the poem is that Doletmammet Mullah lived a life without striving for wealth and fortune, that life in this world is given as a test, and in that test world, one should live by giving correct and fair answers to the problems that arise, that one should build one’s end, i.e., the heavenly place during one’s time in this world, with one’s own sincerity and character, reveals that the world is not eternal and so on. The way he promoted was the way of Islam and conscience. He fasted, laboured during the day and night, studied, made products for the family’s expenses: plowed the land, sowed wheat, got the harvest. He continued the path of prophets and guardians. When Magtymguly portrayed his father as an angel, he explained that he did not commit any sins, he only did good deeds, and he was busy with good deeds. In the last verse of the poem:
Magtymguly, gizlin syryň bar içde,
Kämil tapsaň, kyl gullugyn serişde,
Magşar güni gaýgysyz girer behişde,-
Her kim çyndan bolsa dosty atamyň.[3, p. 376].
Magtymguly Pyragy understands his father and agrees with his ideas. However, he would never be able to travel without his white permission. Such a relationship originates from the morality, upbringing, and tradition established in the family of the noble father. Therefore, it is a common situation in this traditional family that father and son can listen to each other throughout the content of this proverbial poem and come to a certain conclusion. This topic of education is treated as a special chapter in the book “Wagzy-azat”.
In general, as can be seen from the poet’s above-mentioned poems, Magtymguly Pyragy conveys the noble image of his father through his lines. In these poems alone, the noble Father is depicted as a light of diamond.
References
- G.Berdimuhamedow. Ynsan kalbynyň öçmejek nury. Aşgabat: Türkmen döwlet neşirýat gullugy, 2014.
- Döwletmämmet Azady. Wagzy-azat”. Türkmen döwlet neşirýat gullugy, Aşgabat, 2011.
- Magtymguly Pyragynyň kämil diwany. Eýran Yslam respublikasynyň Türkmenistandaky ilçihanasynyň Medeniýet merkezi, Aşgabat, 2008.