160 years since the birth of prominent Azerbaijani poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir

This week marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of the great Azerbaijani poet, satirist, outstanding educator Mirza Alekber Sabir (1862-1911), Trend reports.

Mirza Alekber Sabir (Tairzade) was born on May 30, 1862 in the family of a small merchant in Shamakhi. He received his primary education at a theological school, but in 1874 he entered a new type of educational institution, just opened by the famous educator, satirist poet Seyid Azim Shirvani, where, unlike traditional schools, general subjects, Azerbaijani and Russian languages were taught. Sabir's studies at this school and especially his acquaintance with Shirvani played a big role in the life of the future poet, as well as in shaping his views. Seyid Azim Shirvani drew attention to the boy's outstanding abilities and supervised his initial poetic experiments.

Sabir composed his first poem at the age of eight. Shirvani continued to help him later, when Sabir, at the insistence of his father, was forced to leave school, where he managed to study for only two years. Sabir's father forced the young man to work in a shop, but this occupation was extremely burdensome for the future poet, and he devoted all his free time to self-study and his favourite poetry.

At the age of 23, under the pretext of a pilgrimage to holy places, Sabir sets off on a journey through the Transcaucasus, Iran, Iraq, and Central Asia. In Ashgabat, he finds the news of his father's death. Sabir returns to Shamakhi, and heavy cares for the family fall on the shoulders of the young poet. Need and poverty haunt Sabir. His plight is aggravated by the fact that Sabir's satirical verses, which were already widely distributed among the people at that time, arouse the indignation of the clergy, and it poisoned the poet in every possible way.

In 1900, after studying abroad, the progressive young poet Abbas Sakhhat returned to Shamakhi, in whose house the local intelligentsia often gather. Sahhat immediately noticed Sabir, and a close friendship developed between them.

The first work of Sabir in print appeared only in 1903 in the newspaper "Shargi-Rus". In 1903-1905, Sabir collaborated with various newspapers and magazines.

The satirical magazine "Molla Nasreddin" played a decisive role in shaping Sabir's creativity. Sabir's poems, his caustic epigrams, verbal portraits appeared on the pages of the magazine with colourful illustrations by the artist Azim Azimzade. Sabir created a number of works together with Jalil Mammadguluzade. Together with him and other leading writers, Sabir created a new satirical school in Azerbaijani literature of a realistic direction.

"Sabir" (translated as "patient") is one of the many pseudonyms of the poet. This name was assigned to the poet, although he had other pseudonyms. Mirza Alekber Sabir lived a life that forced him to truly patiently endure all the sorrows and worries that fell to his lot since childhood: studying in a religious school with cramming and corporal punishment, hard work for him in his father’s shop, a difficult financial situation, an earthquake in Shamakhi that destroyed his home, persecution for satirical poetry.

Mirza Alekper Sabir died on July 12, 1911 in the prime of his life. He was buried in his native city of Shamakhi.

Sabir is rightfully considered the founder of Azerbaijani satirical poetry. He was not destined to live to see the publication of his collection of satirical works, "Hop-hop-name". The publication most fully presents the poems of the poet, it was published in 1912 thanks to the funds collected by the progressive intelligentsia after his death.