Erkin Vohidov

In 1983, Vahidov was awarded the State Hamza Prize for his poetry collection Sharqiy qirgʻoq. He became a People's Poet of Uzbekistan in 1987. In 1999, he was awarded the title Hero of Uzbekistan, the highest honorary title that can be bestowed on a citizen by Uzbekistan. Vohidov's poems remain popular and are frequently published in anthologies. Dozens of his poems have been set to music by various artists, mostly notably by Sherali Joʻrayev. On occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in October 2020, a song entitled "Human" and based on Vohidov's poem "Inson" ("Human") was released with lyrics in Arabic, English, Italian, Kazakh, Russian, Tajik, Turkish and Uzbek.

Erkin Vohidov studied at National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. The recorded working language is Uzbek. Distinctions recorded are Hero of Uzbekistan, Order of Outstanding Merit, Order of Friendship and State Prize of the Uzbek SSR Named After Hamza.

• Name — Erkin Vohidov Эркин Воҳидов • Born — 28 December 1936 • Birthplace — Oltiariq District, Fergana Region, Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR • Died — December 28, 1936 • Place of death — Tashkent, Uzbekistan • Occupation — Poet, playwright, literary translator, statesman • Awards — * Lenin Komsomol Prize (1967) • State Hamza Prize (1983) • People's Poet of the Uzbek SSR (1987) • Hero of Uzbekistan (1999)

Erkin Vohidovich Vohidov was born on December 28, 1936, in Oltiariq District, Fergana Region, then the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. His father, Choʻyanboy Vohidov, fought in the Soviet-German war against Nazi Germany and its allies and died in Tashkent after his return from the war. Vohidov was nine years old at the time. He reminisced about the hardships of the war years as follows: While my father was fighting in the war, my mother worked as a secretary at the village council. We led a difficult life. I will never forget how my mother slapped my face and cried all day because I had sliced my tongue sucking a corn stalk and had eaten oil cake along with other kids. In 1945, Vohidov moved to Tashkent with his mother, Roziyaxon Vohidova, who also soon died. He was raised by his uncle, Karimboy Sohiboyev. It was Vohidov's uncle who sparked his interest in poetry: After graduating from the National University of Uzbekistan (then Tashkent State University) with a degree in philology in 1960, he started working at various publishing houses. Vohidov died on May 30, 2016, at the age of 79.

• Illustration — Erkin Vohidov in 2006 Vohidov worked as an editor at Yosh Gvardiya, the Uzbek branch of Molodaya Gvardiya, from 1960 to 1963. He also served as editor‑in‑chief at the same publishing house from 1975 to 1982. Vohidov was also editor‑in‑chief (1963–1970) and director (1985–1987) of Gʻafur Gʻulom, another publishing house in Tashkent. From 1982 to 1985, he worked as the head of the monthly periodical Yoshlik (Childhood). After Uzbekistan gained independence, he served as chairman of the Committee on International Affairs and Inter‑parliamentary Relations of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan (1995–2005) and as chairman of the Senate Committee on Science, Education, Culture, and Sport (2005–2009). Vohidov began writing poetry during his student years. His first poem was published in the Mushtum magazine when he was fourteen years old. Vohidov's first collection of poems, Tong nafasi (The Breath of Morning), was published in 1961. In 1987, he published a collection of literary essays entitled Shoiru, sheʼru shuur: Adabiy esselar (The Poet, the Poem, and the Mind: Literary Essays). Vohidov wrote three plays: Oltin devor (The Golden Wall), Istanbul fojiasi (The Istanbul Tragedy), and Ikkinchi tumor (The Second Talisman). His play Oltin devor was staged in Lahore, Pakistan.

• Adabiy portretlar (Literary Portraits) (1985) (co-author) • Shoiru, sheʼru shuur: Adabiy esselar (The Poet, the Poem, and the Mind: Literary Essays) (1987) • Iztirob (Suffering) (1991) • Saylanma (Selected Works) • Toʻrtinchi jild: Koʻngil nidosi (Volume IV: The Cry of the Heart) (2001) • Soʻz latofati (The Elegance of Words) (2014) • Saylanma (Selected Works) • Beshinchi jild: Qalb sadoqati (Volume V: The Loyalty of the Heart) (2018) • Oltinchi jild: Erk saodati (Volume VI: The Joy of Freedom) (2018)

Many of Vohidov's poems were translated into Russian. The following is a list of his poetry books that were published in Russian: • Лирика (Lyricism) (1970) • Стихи (Poems) (1974) • Узелок на память (A Knot to Remember) (1980) • Восстание бессмертных (The Rise of the Spirits) (1983) • Линия жизни (The Line of Life) (1984) • В минуту песни не порвись, струна... (Don't Let the Strings Brake While Playing) (1986)

Vohidov translated the works of many famous foreign poets, such as Alexander Blok, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Friedrich Schiller, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Lesya Ukrainka, Mikhail Svetlov, Muhammad Iqbal, Rasul Gamzatov, Sergey Yesenin, and Silva Kaputikyan into the Uzbek language. In particular, he translated Goethe's Faust into Uzbek in 1974. Especially noteworthy are his translations of Yesenin's works into Uzbek. Below is Vohidov's translation of Yesenin's farewell poem "Goodbye, my friend, goodbye" (1925): • Original in Russian До свиданья, друг мой, до свиданья. Милый мой, ты у меня в груди. Предназначенное расставанье Обещает встречу впереди. До свиданья, друг мой, без руки, без слова, Не грусти и не печаль бровей, — В этой жизни умирать не ново, Но и жить, конечно, не новей. — English translation Goodbye, my friend, goodbye My love, you are in my heart. It was preordained we should part And be reunited by and by. Goodbye: no handshake to endure. Let's have no sadness — furrowed brow. There's nothing new in dying now Though living is no newer. — Vohidov's translation into Uzbek Xayr endi, xayr, doʻstginam, Bagʻrimdasan, koʻngil malhami. Muqarrar bu ayriliqning ham Visoli bor oldinda hali. Xayr, doʻstim, soʻzga ochma lab, Qoʻy, men uchun oʻrtama bagʻir, Bu hayotda oʻlmoq-ku bor gap, Yashamoq ham yangimas, axir! Vohidov's own works in Uzbek have been translated into Russian, German, French, English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and many other Turkic languages. The Soviet poet Robert Rozhdestvensky thought very highly of Vohidov's work. An example of Vohidov's original work follows (from his poem "Oʻzbegim/Ўзбегим" ("My Uzbek People"): • Original Uzbek (Cyrillic) Ортда қолди кўҳна тарих, Ортда қолди дард, ситам, Кетди ваҳминг, битди заҳминг, Топди дармон, ўзбегим. — Original Uzbek (Latin) Ortda qoldi koʻhna tarix, Ortda qoldi dard, sitam, Ketdi vahming, bitdi zahming, Topdi darmon, oʻzbegim. — English translation Left behind is old history Left behind are pain and injustice Your nightmare is gone, your wounds are healed A remedy is found, my Uzbeks.

Many of his poems have been turned into songs by Uzbek artists. Two of the most famous Vohidov poems that have become the lyrics to well-known Uzbek songs are "Inson" ("Human") and "Oʻzbegim" ("My Uzbek People"), both sung by Sherali Joʻrayev. • Year poem was written — Poem title — Song — Performed by — Composer • 1956 — Kamtarlik haqida — Yursin karvonlar (chorus only) — Yulduz Usmonova • 1959 — *** — Sevgi — Nargiz • Oʻn sakkizga kirmagan kim bor — Fahriddin Umarov • 1964 — *** — Bolalarni shaytonlardan qoʻrqitmangiz — Rustam Gʻoipov • 1961 — Yoshlik — Yoshligim (verses only; Uzbek version of "Million Roses") — Muhabbat Mehmonova — Raimonds Pauls • 1967 — Barcha shodlik senga boʻlsin — Barcha shodlik senga boʻlsin — Shohruxxon va Nilufar Usmonova — Shohruxxon • Doʻst bilan obod uying — Doʻst bilan obod uying — Gulbahor Erqulova • Uygʻotmagil... — Uygʻotmagil — Ravshan Zokirov — Ravshan Zokirov • 1968 — Tola soch — Habibi — Bunyodbek Saidov — Alisher Shaydo • Sevgi — Sevgi — Bobur Yusupov — Bobur Yusupov • Oʻrtada begona yoʻq — Oʻrtada begona yoʻq — Sherali Joʻrayev • Oʻzbegim — Oʻzbegim — Sherali Joʻrayev • Oʻzbegim — Setora • 1973 — Inson — Human/Ода о человеке — Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Dilafruz Rustamova, Oleg Gazmanov, Omirkul Ayniyazov, Zafar Abdualimov, Rafet El Roman, Ahmed Al Huraibi, Alessandro Safina — Nodir Umarov • Inson — Sherali Joʻrayev • 1976 — Bir qadam — Bir qadam — Zulayho Boyxonova • 1977 — Navoiy gʻazaliga muxammas — Kema — Sherali Joʻrayev • 1988 — Yaxshidir achchiq haqiqat — Achchiq haqiqat • 1994 — Biz anglamagan jahon ekan ishq — Ishq — Abzal Husanov — Abzal Husanov • 1998 — *** — Mohitabonim — Ziyoda Qobilova

Erkin Vohidov is recorded as having studied at National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. Recognition and collections. Vohidov received Hero of Uzbekistan, Order of Outstanding Merit, Order of Friendship, State Prize of the Uzbek SSR Named After Hamza and People's Poet of the Uzbek SSR.