June 6, 2024 marked the 225th anniversary of the birth of the Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The great Russian writer Dostoevsky once wrote about the “worldwide responsiveness” of the no less great Pushkin as the main artistic principle of the poet, and clarified: “And it’s not just responsiveness that matters here, but its amazing depth, the reincarnation of own spirit into the spirit of foreign peoples, a reincarnation almost perfect, and therefore miraculous, because nowhere, in any poet in the whole world, has such a phenomenon been repeated”. Dostoevsky called the cycle “Imitations of the Quran” the first in a series of such amazing works.
Using the content of many surahs of the Quran, Pushkin built a text that, with its private meanings, can be understood even by an inexperienced reader. But the conceptuality of the cycle, like the sacred meaning of the holy book of Muslims, is revealed in the process of long thoughts and experiences. “Imitations of the Quran” can be represented on a plane by a nine-sided triangle inscribed in a circle. The poet consistently reveals the relationship of human with the Almighty, in which natural principles are manifested, in other words - feelings, and reason - the cultural experience of people.
In the first imitation, “I swear by parity and oddity…” The Almighty lists what he did for man, namely: he introduced him into the world, “endow your language the mighty power over minds”. Next, a person should follow the “path of righteousness” and maintain faith in divine truth:
“...my Quran
Preach to the trembling creaturehood”.
The second adaptation, “O pure wives of the prophet...” describes the behavior of a person entering the world. He is prone to loss of virtues, but the Almighty calls for “pleasures permitted and shy”. The moral law, calling for chastity and abstinence, doesn’t kill feelings, but strives to establish the harmony of the physical and spiritual. The third imitation, “Confused, the prophet frowned...” contains reflections on how in the world around us it is difficult to maintain peace of mind and freedom for those who have learned moral laws.
A person can be possessed by pride and claim that he is equal to the Almighty and doesn’t need his support. To show the falsity of these thoughts, Pushkin uses the biblical story of an agreement between God and the throne angel, who subsequently fell. The dramatic stage of a person’s relationship with the God is revealed by the fourth imitation “With you of old, O omnipotent...”. In the fifth arrangement, “The earth stays still, the vaults of heaven...” the lyrical hero perceives the world with a different look. He saw in him evidence of the Creator:
“The earth stays still, the vaults of heaven,
Creator, supported by you,
<...>
You lit the sun in the universe,
<...>
He sends the clouds to our heaven;
And gives the earth the forest shade”.
But the path to the Almighty is difficult, and sometimes like a fierce battle that always brings victory. The sixth imitation “It’s not in vain you in my dream...” tells about this in the form of a dream.
The seventh arrangement, “Rise up, fearful one...” paints a picture of a person being in the night, which can be perceived as a state of unbelief. Faith is strengthened through the pray:
“Until the sunrise
Do your prayer humbly
Until the morning
Read the book of Heavens”.
The next part features the inner monologue of a traveler praying in the night. On the path to the Almighty, a person must find harmony within himself, which is the basis of the universe. The ninth imitation “The tired traveler grumbled at God...” closes the cycle. Events depict a tired and suffering human in the desert, who suddenly
“greedily cold stream refreshed at once
heavily burning his tongue and his eyes”
Then he fell asleep for many years, and upon awakening, he heard an “unknown voice” addressed to him.
The first imitation can be understood as an integral part of the last, explaining what happened in the desert: the traveler realized the support of the Almighty and, with his order, sets off on the road again. The closure of the cycle is visible in the leading motive: a person receives covenants as knowledge - their truth is subject to critical testing in the process of life. But then the person again listens and perceives the words of God and goes out with faith. Human's path to the Almighty correlates with the existential plot of the world epic.
In “Imitations of the Quran”, behind the external colorful features of another culture, Pushkin reveals the same world of earthly beauty and moral truth. This is the secret of the “worldwide responsiveness of genius” - the poet felt the unity of the world common to all humanity.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Public Domain