kurai
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kurai
Bashkortostan is a republic within the Russian Federation. It has a unique culture and history.
You can listen to some Bashkir folk music. This music is played on an instrument called kurai. It's made of a special reed, which can be found only in the Ural mountains. Every song has its history.
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Ural. One of the oldest songs.
My Urals, your mountains are high,
Your rocks are so endearing.
They are like a mother's arms
Thrown around her dear children
My Urals, your chest is broad -
The seven tribes, the backbone of the land.
Your men defended you in battles,
Forever they remained in your embrace.
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Taftilyau. Tevkelev (originally Murza Tafkilev) deputy-governor
of the Orenburg region who was converted to Christianity and later
dispatched to suppress the Bashkort revolt of 1735 - 1736. He was known
as an extremely brutal executive, who burned down dozens of Bashkir villages
and killed thousands of civilians.
Rocky are the banks of the Aghithel River
Where Tevkelev the Colonel raged once,
To the flames the Bashkort land he committed,
Golden shoulder-straps he'd got for that crime...
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Kahym Tura. In 1812 a war broke out between the French and the Russians. Among the
Bashkorts there was a strong and courageous man, named Kahym. The Bashkorts took council
among themselves, "If those French invade our land, we'll lose everything". They gathered
an army, chose Kahym as their leader and went to war. Together with the Russians they
defeated the French and came victoriously to Paris. The Tsar bestowed the rank of colonel
on Kahym... One of the Tzar's majors, who had been jealous of Kahym, put poison in his
drink and Kahym died. This is the song that was sung about him.
Kahym Tura's black ambler, vai kem
Is coming forth waving its head.
The Major conducts the exercise, vai kem
Now that poor Kahym Tura is dead.
Try as he would, the Major can't claim vai kem,
The black ambler Kahym Tura used to ride.
Three hundred people are unable to dig a grave, vai kem
Overwhelmed by grief, they sob and cry...
According to the research of Prof. A. Asfandiarov, Kahym Tura was a historical figure.
He was a Bashkort of the Yurmaty tribe. His real name was Kasim Myrthashev. He went to the
War of 1812 in the rank of 'sotnik', and perished in 1813. The historian says that the
commanders of Bashkort regiments were Russians, as a rule. Representatives of other
nationalities, including Bashkirs, served as commander's mates.
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Shafik. In the village of Akyul there lived a man named Shafik. He was
to be imprisoned for some reason. He would go to a water spring not far from
the village and stay there till dawn. Each morning his wife would go to the
spring as though to fetch water and bring him some food. She should let Shafik
know about her arrival by tinkling the pails.
Gentle tinkling of the pails
Wakened me from my dawn dream.
I compared my passing wife
To the running water stream.
Meadow strawberries taste bitter
If they don't get ripe on time
One can't know the griefs of others,
Till he gets in trouble some time.
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