Selected Poetry / Избранное (англ.)

My mother handed the teacher two whole loaves of bread and one or two small coins, after which both of them and all of us, students, prayed for a long time.

When my mother went away, leaving me at the school, I, along with the girls, began to read in a loud voice without a moment’s hesitation: «Elep, pi, ti, si, zhomykyi.»

After a few days of reciting В«elep, pi, ti, siВ», I was given the В«Fundamentals of FaithВ».

The syllables and verses of this book kept me busy the whole winter.

That winter, I circled around these short «Fundamentals of Faith» and didn’t progress any further. Right after the «Fundamentals of Faith», I heard these naughty verses from some mischievous girls when abystai was not at home: «Kalimaten tayibaten, our mistress is rich, money she’s got a lot, and her nose is full of sn…»

Since anything you hear or see for the first time already constitutes knowledge, I memorized this ditty at once, naturally, and liked to amuse with it those boys who were less В«enlightenedВ» than me.

IV

My first winter in Kyrlai was gone. Spring arrived and the snow began to melt. The fields and meadows around the village looked black once they had freed themselves of the snow.

A little later came the Sabantui festival[10 - Sabantui literally means ««The Plough Festival»», since the time immemorial it is being celebrated in early summer. Sabantui has been included into the UNESCO Immaterial Heritage list.

]. On the day of the holiday I was awakened very early and given a small bag, slightly larger than a pouch.

I went around the village, carrying this bag. Village folk always rise early, but today on the occasion of the Sabantui everyone got up particularly early. Kind words were spoken in every home, and there was a smile on every face.

Whatever house I went into, I was given not only sweets and a couple of honey-cakes, like the other boys, but each owner gave me – an orphan and the son of a mullah – several colored eggs.

That’s why my bag quickly filled with colored eggs, and I had to return home. I think the rest of the kids were still out collecting their treats.

My father and mother were surprised and delighted that my bag was filled so quickly.

I don’t remember whether I drank tea that day or not. I gave the bag to my mother and taking with me a few eggs, I ran outside.