The interest of Russian poets in Islamic culture and the traditions of Muslim peoples is one of the most striking pages in the history of Russian literature. In "Imitations of the Quran" Pushkin combines biblical severity with oriental imagery, presenting the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as an inspired poet. Lermontov paints an image of the mysterious Muslim East in poems about the Caucasus and lyrics inspired by Persian motifs. The Arabic poetic tradition also occupies a special place in the literature of Nikolai Gumilev, a brilliant representative of the Silver Age.
Gumilev's passion for the East was shaped by both his travels and his in-depth study of Arabic literature, from medieval lyric poetry to Sufi poetry. The "Arabic cultural code" in Gumilev's poetry is multifaceted: pictures of nature and people depicted through the enchanting crystal of Muslim poetry; references to religion inspired by reading the Quran; a dialogue of cultures on the poet's canvases.
Masterfully stylizing oriental motifs, Gumilev paints exotic landscapes and memorable characters. His Bedouin is not a nomad who frightens sedentary residents, but the embodiment of the inner state of a warrior, the very same “majestic Arab” from the poem “Lake Chad”. And in “Gardens of the Soul”, the description of the heroine skillfully reproduces the style of Arabic ghazals: “Her forehead is whiter than oriental lilies, / And her eyes are like the reflection of gray steel…”. The comparison of a woman’s beauty with jewelry and natural phenomena, traditional for Arabic poetry, is reminiscent of the poetry of Omar Ibn Abi Rabia and others.
The collection “Alien Sky” contains poems dedicated to images of Islam for the first time; since then, turning to world, and not just Western, literature has become an important feature of Gumilev’s poetics. The heartfelt “Pilgrim” depicts the image of the elder Akhmet- Agly , striving for Mecca. The poet fills these lines with triumphant hope: “Everything that is possible for a man to accomplish, / He has accomplished — and he will see Mecca.”
The poem "Islam" presents an effendi who is indignant at the disrespectful attitude towards the "black stone of the Kaaba" - a sacred place for every Muslim. This dialogue, permeated with sadness and a sense of loss, reflects the fragility of the sacred in the modern world. And in "Ezbekiye" Gumilev reveals the saving power of tradition: a magical garden heals the hero from deadly thoughts. It is here, in the Cairo garden, that he turns to the Almighty, and a decade later he returns to testify to the fulfillment of his vow - to forever reject thoughts of voluntary departure.
The collection "Tent" opens a special Egypt to the reader. The lyrical hero is fascinated by the contrasting landscape: a desert oasis with pyramids and a sphinx, the soaring mosque of Sultan Hassan, the street cafes of Cairo and fellahin working on the banks of the Nile. This artistic panorama demonstrates a three-dimensional image not only of Egypt, but of the entire Arab world with its rich history, exotic coloring, Islamic architecture, and unique traditions.
Deeply immersed in the cultural life of Arab peasants, the hero of “Tent” involuntarily draws parallels between the endless golden sands and the Siberian expanses, comprehending the dialogue of cultures and finding akinity in what seems alien.
As Tatyana Akimova and Ibrahim Karvan Haji Ibrahim rightly note in their study “The ‘Arab Cultural Code’ in the Poetry of Nikolai Gumilev,” this new perspective on the Arab East allowed the poet not only to hone his skills, but also, by penetrating into another cultural universe, to comprehend his own identity and the fate of Russia more deeply.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Public Domain