TUMAR:TALES from Central Asia

EP. 11 - UYGHUR POEM - UNENDING SONG by Téyipjan Éliyov (trans. Michael Fiddler) read by Yadykar Ibraimov Unending Song I sing a song every night, Unable to stop winding through this street. I wander with some goal in sight, The troubled journey ever incomplete. This evening I came passing by again, Rattling, with my song, the window panes. From somewhere came the creaking of a door, An old man po...

The Female Khanate read by Saltanat Nauruz Long ago, when the earth, the sky, the people, and customs were all different from today, there existed a great khanate on earth. It was a unique khanate, one that might  never be seen again. In this khanate, the ruler was a woman. The viziers were women too.  The Khan was named Zanai, and she resided in the city of Samiram. This city was extraordinary, u...

Somewhere Else translated from the Uyghur by Joshua L. Freeman Besieged by these discolored words within all these disordered moments the target on my forehead could not bring me to my knees and also night after night one after another I spoke the names of ants I’ve known I thought of staying whole by the road or somewhere else Even cliffs grow tired staring into the distance But in my thoughts I...

  The Foolish Wolf Once upon a time, there was a foolish wolf. One day, he met a goat and said to her, "I'm going to eat you now." "Well, if that’s my fate, I agree," said the goat. "But I’m very skinny and old. If you can wait a little, I’ll run home and send my daughter to you. Her meat is tender and young." The wolf agreed, let the goat go, and lay down under a...

Three Thieves  In ancient times, there lived three thieves in a certain kagakhanate. They were exceptionally skilled thieves, instilling fear in all the residents of the kagakhanate. Even the khan and his treasurers were wary of these cunning thieves, constantly guarding the treasury and concealing its location. Despite their efforts, no one had yet managed to capture these elusive bandits. One ni...

The Khan and the Cobbler Whether this story happened or not is not our concern. Once, during the old days, the Khan became bored and decided to entertain himself. He took two of his advising viziers and set off to this capital to see and hear what the people were saying around. Late at night, while passing through the outskirts of the city, he noticed a light in a small adobe house. He looked thro...

Kyrgyz fairytale Hunter Jail Once upon a time, there was a hunter named Jail. One day, he and his companion Emil set off to hunt in the mountains. They wandered until evening, and by sunset, they had killed a mountain goat. Exhausted, the hunters decided to rest. They laid down their rifles, lit a fire, and roasted the moutain goat. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a one-eyed witch appeared, grabbed Jail...

WHY DOES THE CAMEL CAST A GLANCE BACK? Long ago, the camel was quite the sight to behold. Its horns branched majestically, and its tail trailed long and thick. One day, Camel went to the river's edge to quench its thirst. As he drank, he admired his reflection. Suddenly, a deer bounded up to it: — Oh, dear camel, today I must make a social call. Would you please, pretty please Lend me your hor...

Ep. 03 - KAZAKH FAIRYTALE - WHEN THE WOLFS GOT SCARED OF THE SHEEP (Pronouncing sheep as sheepS which is incorrect I know=) The time When the wolves got scared of the sheep. Once upon a time, in a lush green valley, two sheep stumbled upon a curious sight – a wolf's head lying amidst the grass.  Upon short deliberation, They decided to bring it home. Along the way back, they stumbled upon a co...

Ep. 02 - Kazakh fairytale The Good and the Bad Once upon a time, the Good and the Bad set out on their journeys. The Bad, weary from walking, could barely drag his feet along the road. There Along came the Good, riding on a horse. They spoke a little bit  and realized they were heading in the same direction. "Let me ride with you," the Bad pleaded. "Don’t you see that I am exhausted...

Episode 01 This is an Uyghur fairytale Shadow of a tree  Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy man in the village. His house stood by the roadside, and in front of it grew a mulberry tree with a sprawling canopy. In the heat of а summer, when the rooms were stuffy, the landlord would sit in the shade of the tree, and eating a grapes one by one.  One day, a poor man was walking along the road. He...