The book in your hands includes not only The Street with Stone Steps, a poetry collection, but also two of my long poems. In the world of poetry, the emergence of modernist consciousness has made writing extensive works, such as long poems, a significant challenge. The primary goal is to ensure that an extensive work possesses the same level of appeal as a short one in every aspect. However, outside of the works created by Western poets in the early 20th century, very few have successfully met this challenge.

Under these conditions, writing long poems has become both a way to test one’s abilities as a poet and an essential endeavor one could not ignore. Reflecting on the two long poems included in this collection, I once wrote:

1. The language of poetry is deeply connected to the poet’s inner being. A poet does not simply search for a unique poetic language—they also undergo a personal and spiritual journey. The more a poet refines their own poetic language, the closer they come to understanding their true self. In this sense, a poet’s language is a reflection of their inner world. As Wallace Stevens wrote, "The palm at the end of the mind."

Poetry takes shape through syllables and rhythmic structures, breathing life into its lines. Every element—syllables, rhythm, and rhyme (whether initial, internal, or final)—works together to form a cohesive poetic language. Poetry is an attempt to find a sense of stability within the ever-changing nature of human experience. By capturing fleeting moments of the spiritual world, poetry imposes order upon a chaotic reality. It is unique, unrepeatable, and resistant to imitation.

Nothing in this world remains fixed, and rigid formalism is the enemy of art. When poetry becomes too concerned with form, it creates a divide between emotion and thought, weakening its language and limiting creative exploration. This results in imitation, repetition, and artistic stagnation. Furthermore, excessive formalism can turn poetry into a tool for ideological rhetoric and political propaganda.

My poetry stands apart from these constraints. The following poem, Wind on the Cliff, represents my second attempt to fully express my inner world on paper, following my earlier long poem, A Garden of Trees: Meditations on the Postmodern Wars (2003). In this sense, it embodies both "in my end is my beginning."

2. In 2007, when the first issue of the newspaper Foreign Literatures was published, I wrote the following reflection on A Garden of Trees: Meditations on the Postmodern Wars:

"Humanity entered the new millennium with war and bloodshed. The first part of the poem, 'A Garden of Trees,' was written in the spring of 2003, during the intense conflict between the U.S. and Iraq, when people were witnessing the horrors of modern warfare first hand. Even now, this war continues. As a result, echoes of war resonate throughout the poem. The inspiration for this poem came in part from the following lines in Abai Kunanbayev’s poem 'Octaves' (Segizayak), which can be strongly felt in its opening."

At mountains I shouted and cried.

I sought for an answer, and cach time I tried

         I heard many voices resounding again.

I had to make sure that the sounds that I heard

Could in fact form an answering word.

…….

          As lonely I stand

As an old shaman s tomb that all men avoid –

Such is the truth, and truth leaves my soul void…

                                                            (Abai Kunanbayev: Abai Kunanbayev: Selected poems. «Octaves» Translated by Tom Botting)

This poem begins and ends with a rock, symbolizing its structural and thematic completeness. The final stanza serves as the concluding punctuation mark, bringing the work to a definitive close. Within the poem, various myths from different cultures are embedded—legends from Greece and Persia, narratives from Eastern civilizations, and stories rooted in Kazakh folklore. Among them are the tale of the Persian king Cyrus II, whose severed head became a legend after his invasion of the Scythian steppe, the folk legend of Korkyt, and the account of Socrates' death, among others.

— Author

In 2009, this poem was included in my collection The Book of Pseudo Freedom. Later, in my work At the Bottom of a Fruit Tree, I reflected on its history and the key themes it aimed to convey. Looking back after ten years, I now realize that this poem encapsulates a millennium of poetic evolution, gathered within me over time, and is deeply interwoven with Kazakhstan’s path to independence. Without the first element, the poem would not have attained its unique artistic integrity. Similarly, without the notion of independence, it could not have reached its full spiritual depth.

Poetry has always been shaped by three fundamental forces, flowing in a continuous stream—from the mystical depth of Jalaluddin Rumi’s verses to the existential gravity of Paul Celan’s poetry. The heights of modern poetry are direct outcomes of this ongoing evolution. In this sense, poetry itself has not changed; rather, its many layers have gradually been revealed. If contemporary poetry lacked an aesthetic sensibility suited to the present era, we would not be able to perceive the true essence of past poetic traditions as vividly as we do today.

As a poet, I believe that one must always strive for artistic excellence while maintaining deep respect for precision. For me, this is an unspoken rule.

True poetry elevates the reader into the realm of higher intellect. This "realm of intellect" is rooted in universal human values and literary traditions that have withstood the test of time. A reader who lacks an appreciation for these elements or remains distant from them cannot be considered a truly discerning audience. Where refined artistic taste is absent, individuals remain confined to the intellectual framework of their own era, measuring art through a narrow lens. In this sense, A Garden of Trees challenges the reader’s perception, intellectual depth, and even serves as a mirror reflecting their awareness and understanding.

I believe that these reflections ultimately help illuminate the deeper meaning of the book in your hands.

In addition, this collection includes works I have written on Kazakh modernist poetry, published in national periodicals in recent years. It also features translations of works by two distinguished poets—one from the East and one from the West—who have explored the poetic tradition and the role of senior poets in shaping literary heritage.

August 21, 2014

Translated by Bayan Ardakh

Ардақ Нұрғазы. Шығыс пен Батыстың поэзиясы...

https://adebiportal.kz/kz/news/view/ardaq-nurgazy-sygys-pen-batystyn-poeziiasy__25323

Abai Kunanbayev. Octaves

https://www.thebilge.kz/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=33&id=4042

Ardakh Nurgaz: Beneath the Fruit Tree (An Essay on the Poem 'The Garden of Trees')

https://www.thebilge.kz/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=33&id=4047

Ardakh Nurgaz. Oil Paintings

https://www.thebilge.kz/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=33&id=3947

Ardakh Nurgaz. Dark

https://www.thebilge.kz/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=33&id=3891