The name of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is far more than a historical reference for Kazakhstan. He is one of the key spiritual figures who shaped the worldview, culture, and moral foundations of the Turkic world. Yet outside the region, his name remains surprisingly little known - especially when compared with figures like Rumi or Omar Khayyam, whose poetry has long entered the global canon, DKNews.kz reports.
The reason is not a lack of depth or beauty in Yasawi’s work. On the contrary, his hikmets are among the most profound examples of medieval spiritual poetry. The problem lies elsewhere: for decades, the world has lacked translations capable of conveying not only the meaning of his verses, but also their poetic form, rhythm, and inner music.
At the beginning of 2026, Kazakhstan took an important step toward changing that situation. An international literary collective working under the pseudonym “Alisher Al-Beresti” released a special gift edition featuring an equirhythmic translation of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s hikmets. This approach is exceptionally rare: every translated line preserves the original rhythm, syllable count, and rhyme of the Chagatai-language text.
Why this translation is different
Most translations of medieval poetry focus primarily on meaning. Rhythm and structure are often sacrificed in favor of clarity. In the case of Yasawi’s hikmets, this approach fundamentally changes the nature of the work.
Historically, these poems were recited or sung by akyns and dervishes, often as part of spiritual practice. Their rhythm was not decorative - it played a central role in creating a specific inner state, helping listeners enter a space of contemplation and devotion. Without that rhythm, the poetry loses much of its original power.
Understanding this, the authors of the project chose the most demanding possible path. They translated the hikmets from Chagatai while preserving their original metrical structure. This required not only linguistic precision and deep knowledge of Sufi philosophy, but also genuine poetic skill. The work took nearly three years of meticulous effort.
The first volume and what comes next
The first volume includes 85 hikmets from the famous collection “Diwan-i Hikmet”. In total, the book contains around 160 pages of poetic text. It is not merely a publication for specialists, but a carefully designed cultural object - one that can also serve as a meaningful souvenir for visitors to Turkestan, a city that holds a special place in the spiritual history of the Turkic world.
The project does not end here. According to its creators, a second volume is planned for release in three years. It will include the remaining hikmets, from numbers 86 to 149, completing the translation of the entire collection.
A solid scholarly foundation
The translation is based on the Kazan manuscript tradition of the Chagatai original. To ensure semantic accuracy, the translators relied on several authoritative academic editions, including the “Collection of Wisdoms” published in Kazan in 2012 and works by the R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies in Kazakhstan.
Through detailed comparison, a number of inaccuracies found in earlier interpretations were corrected and several meanings clarified. As a result, the final text combines poetic fidelity with scholarly precision.
The choice of Russian as the target language was deliberate. It remains a language of interethnic communication in Kazakhstan and across much of the post-Soviet space, making Yasawi’s heritage accessible to audiences in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tatarstan, and beyond - regions historically connected to his legacy.
Why this matters today
Back in 2023, during the National Kurultai, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of deep academic research and broader popularization of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s heritage. He described Yasawi’s works as one of the pillars of Kazakh culture and national identity.
This new translation responds directly to that call. It brings Yasawi closer to contemporary readers while also opening a path for his poetry to enter a wider international context.
A book as a cultural bridge
As Turkestan continues to develop as a major center of spiritual and cultural tourism, projects like this acquire special significance. This publication is not simply a translation. It is an attempt to restore Yasawi’s rightful place in world literature and to demonstrate that the Turkic Sufi tradition is no less profound or artistically refined than the works of better-known Eastern classics.
Perhaps it is through efforts like this that Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s name will one day become as recognizable globally as those of Rumi and Omar Khayyam - and his hikmets will take their place among the universal treasures of spiritual poetry.
