V. A. POGADAEV, PhD in History, University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur)

INTERNATIONAL POETRY READINGS AND WORKSHOP IN KUALA LUMPUR

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Keywords:, oriental poetry, seminar "Poets of the World, civilization and crisis of the XXI century", Numera writers ' organization

At the end of 2012, Kuala Lumpur hosted an International poetry Reading and seminar "Poets of the World, civilization and the crisis of the XXI century", organized by the literary association " Great Malay Nusantara*" (abbreviated "Numera"). The Nusantara Melayu Raya organization, created in 2011 on the initiative of the famous Malaysian poet, winner of the Southeast Asian Literary Award, holder of the title of National Writer of Malaysia, Ahmad Kamal Abdullah (Kemala), quickly gained recognition at home and abroad.

The event was attended by over 50 poets, writers, translators, scientists from seven countries (Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Thailand), including the outstanding poet and translator of Bangladesh Aminur Rahman, Indonesian veteran poet from Aceh L. K. Ara, National writer of Malaysia Ahmad Kamal Abdullah (South-East Asia Award winners include Brunei poet Zefri Arif and Malaysian poets Siti Zainon Ismail and Abdul Gafar Ibrahim (AGI), Awang Saryan, Director General of the Language and Literature Council of Malaysia, Mior Kamarul Shahid, Editor-in-Chief of Berita Harian newspaper, and President of the National Writer Organization (PENA). Malaysia's Salih Rahamad.

The guest of honor of the seminar was the Minister of Federal Territories, Senator Raja Nong Chik, who called on poets to mercilessly fight meanness, lies, hypocrisy, cowardice, proclaim love and purity through their weapon - poetry

* Nusantara (ancient). nusa - an island, antara - another, remote, entire territory) - a term used in medieval Javanese literature to refer to the territory that was part of the Majapahit Empire with the center in Java (editor's note).

human relations, joy, human happiness on earth, bright ideals and true values.

The participants of the meeting demonstrated with their speeches that both bright ideals and true values are dear to them.

Malaysian poet and artist Siti Zainon Ismail spoke out in defense of the poor and destitute in the poem "New Year's Blood Rain".:

 
 
 And only the rich 
 They feast during the plague. 
 Trumpets announce the arrival of the New Year, 
 Giving you new opportunities to loot... 
 
 And we are like pebbles on the roads, 
 Trampled under the feet of the rich. And no one cares about moaning 
 Our tortured souls. 
 
 Dusk is falling, 
 And the blood rain drizzles harder and harder. 
 
 

The poet Abdul Gafar Ibrahim, who publishes under the pseudonym AGI and is known as a propagandist of the concept of SV (poetry as a fusion of three principles: verbal, vocal and visual), read the poem "Letter to Allah"very artistically and with great enthusiasm:

 
 
 Years fly by, 
 Cars rumble by, 
 But drowning out their noise, 
 The rulers are shouting, 
 That progress doesn't come from You. 
 
 I can't hear your name. 
 In vanity and pride, 
 They lost You in their search for profit. 
 
 They must know, O Allah, 
 They should know, 
 What should You want 
 And the world will disappear in an instant. 
 But they're all beating their chests, 
 Inviting everyone to the holiday 
 To celebrate Your death. 
 The more I see of Your greatness, 
 All the more insignificant I feel. 
 And they get into a rage, 
 When they trample on Your image. 
 
 

The representative of Brunei, Zefri Arif, in his poem "The Era of Glory", recalled the independence fighters, noting that "there were both victories and defeats", that "the roads were washed with blood" and "the eyes do not have enough tears". But the fighters for independence are not forgotten and "stepped out of the era of struggle into the era of glory."

Aminur Rahman from Bangladesh, who writes in Bengali, authored more than a dozen collections of poetry, participated in numerous poetry festivals in different countries of the world, is considered a worthy heir to Rabindranath Tagore. The poem "Statue" he read is imbued with subtle lyricism:

 
 
 From the cover of dense fog 
 I sculpt your body, 
 Not knowing tired from day to day... 
 
 You have become akin to my soul, 
 Growing deep in it with its roots. 
 
 

The ideals of justice are also dear to the Indonesian poet L. K. Are:

 
 
 I want to echo a prayer 
 Suffering people 
 It rose to the skies, 
 United with the clouds and the sun 
 And it came back to earth, 
 It's come to your home and your heart, 
 Crying out for justice. 
 
 

Finally, the chairman of the Numera organization, Ahmad Kamal Abdullah, who was crowned with many titles and awards, a poet who always responds in his work to events in the country and the world, read a poem-thanks to God for choosing him and making him a poet:

 
 
 Thank you for choosing me 
 Be a mouthpiece for people, a poet, 
 Who knows the language of water 
 And the sun, sky and moon, 
 And mountains, and snow, and waves... 
 
 Thank you for helping me 
 Swim in this ocean, dream, 
 Wear these clothes 
 Your most beautiful love in the world. 
 
 

During the poetry readings and workshop, participants emphasized that in this changing world undergoing rapid transformations and social transformations, poets, as the most sensitive stratum of society, should be at the forefront of the struggle for peace, progress and prosperity, draw attention to the injustice in the world, as well as sing about its beauty.

This is not the first event of the organization "Numera" in 2012, which received a wide response in the literary circles of the region. In March, the organization, together with the municipality of the Indonesian city of Padang (Sumatra Island), held a seminar on "History and Culture of Southeast Asia"in Padang. The meeting was attended by more than 200 participants, mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia, and the seminar heard 53 reports on various aspects of the history and culture of the countries of the Malay world.

The meeting included a visit to the Tawfiq Ismail Poetry House (Bukittinggi), to which the poet donated funds from the Habibi Literary Award he received in 2007 in 2009. The eminent poet hospitably received the participants of the seminar and spoke about the efforts that Indonesian writers are making to expand the literature study program in Indonesian secondary schools, while drawing on the experience of other countries, including Russia.

* Here and further translated from the Malay author of the article.

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