By Elena Koroleva

The Altai poet Janga Todosh Bedyurov (1907–61) from the exogamous Todosh family worked since the age of 9, following the death of his father, and independently learned to read and write in the Altai and Russian languages. In 1928, he was drafted into the army and subsequently spent almost all his life in military service. In 1936, he was repressed, miraculously escaped execution, spent a year and a half in prison, and was deprived of all military ranks and awards. In 1939, Janga was again drafted into the army at the outbreak of the Second World War and participated in the Battle of Moscow, the Battle of Kursk, and the siege of Königsberg. He was discharged in 1946 after being severely wounded nine times. Later, and until his death, he worked in agriculture in the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region of the USSR.

According to linguists, the Altai language belongs to the Kyrgyz-Kipchak or Altai-Sayan branch of the Turkic-Mongolian family of languages. Janga began writing poems in the Altai language in the 1920s, in a folk song manner. His poems are composed of paired four- and five-line stanzas typical of Turkic-Mongolian poetry. In the original Altai verses there are anterior syllabic and terminal rhymes. It is quite possible to reproduce anterior syllabic rhyme in English, but it seemed an impossible task to make an accurate translation using it. The poet wrote many of his poems during the Second World War and sent them to his family in letters. Although, according to Altai tradition, all private things belonging to a deceased person should be destroyed or buried together with the deceased, the poet's letters miraculously escaped this fate and were published by his children after his death.

The following collection contains verses from two different series: Curse (Kargysh) and War Injuries (Shyrkaladala). Just as mountains, rivers, and lakes are presented to Janga as individuals who have their own will, character, and power to influence the fate of people, so the poet uses metaphors of landscape elements to describe his own inner state. The Altaians say: “We survived in a time of calamity by holding on to the manes of our mountain steeds.” That is why the term for the color of a horse, roan, is used to describe the color of the mountains.

Altaians believe in the idea of Tengeri—the God of the Blue Sky, the Lord of Heaven—which they share with other Turkic-Mongolian peoples. The black sky becomes a metaphor for Tengeri's anger and war. “Is there a single blue sky, is there a single peaceful nation?” the poet asks in 1942. The Altaian word amyr means peace and peaceful as well as calm and restful. It means that people are not attacking anyone and are not being attacked.

The cuckoo's song is a lyrical motif that refers to the mythological Tree of Life—Bai Terek (Sacred Poplar). The cuckoo is the soul of Bai Terek and, while it sings, new branches (generations of people and animals) grow. Altaian ideas about the inner world and human nature are distinct. For one, there is no opposition of soul and body, but there are various shells (Buddhist skandhas), which are strung on a thread during a person’s lifetime, like rosary beads. After death the connecting thread breaks and the person ceases to exist in the solar-lunar world, where there is a flow of time. That is why the parents’ words resound in the poet’s physical heart, and the ancestors’ words—in the mental heart.

Altaians believe in reincarnation and the law of karma, a consequence of the interconnection of all living beings. Under this law, it is impossible to do evil without consequence. In his curse the poet does not summon disaster on the enemies’ heads—there is no need for this, as he claims he will see them fall with his own eyes, implying his own survival.

Elena Koroleva (1979– ) is a historian, folklorist, and poet. She graduated from the history department of Novosibirsk State University in 2001. From 2001 to 2013 she worked as a field researcher in the Altai region, and thereafter  worked as a professional translator of historical texts from the Altai language into Russian and other European languages. She is currently working on a dissertation on Altai folk legends as historical sources.