I Am Kazakh

Someone once asked me if Dimash was Chinese. When I said he was Kazakh, she asked me what Kazakhs were like. I was stumped for an answer because the only Kazakh I 'knew' well was Dimash and of course, I hardly know him except for the little glimpses I see via the interactions with others caught in clips. Which actually means little.

But then I guess I have been learning a lot about what Kazakhs are through the songs which Dimash sings. Songs like Samaltau and 'I'm A Kazakh'. I get a very strong sense that Kazakhs are like phoenixes rising from the ashes of trials and grief.

This video shows 'I Am Kazakh' performed by Dimash and 'Part 9' Kazakh rappers (Erbolat Kudaibergen & Alashuly).  I love their deep voices (oh the different colours of their voices) and there's Dimash with the angelic soundwaves!

Here are the song lyrics to a song in Kazakh (transliteration) and translation to English. 

Men Qаzаqpın (Мен қазақпын)

Men – qazaqpın mıņ ölip, mıņ tirilgen!

Jörgegimde tanıstım muņ tilimen.

Jılağanda jüregim kün tutılıp,

Qûanğanda külkimnen tün türilgen.

Rûım köp, solardın attarınday

Minezim bar tawlardıņ qatparınday.

Jırım bar babalar xattarınday,

Äjimim bar beynettiņ tattarınday.

Qașan qazaq atandım men azandap? -

Äli künge bilmeysiņ, ey, adamzat.

Esimime beredi bala jasın

Qulpıtastı șuqığan key azamat.

“Arû – jolda, mal – terde, bala - belde”*

Wayım tübi – teņiz ğoy, bara berme. O-o-o!..

Jiger kerek, jır kerek, jalaw kerek,

Qayrat küyi bop tögil qaralı elge.

O-o-o-o!...

Bul kim deseņ,

Men – qazaqpın mıņ ölip, mıņ tirilgen,

Kök bayraq, tûım bar, elim bar, jerim bar.

O-o-o-o!...

Men qazaqpın – mıņ ölip, mıņ tirilgen!

Jörgegîmde tanıstım muņ tilimen.

Jılağanda jüregim kün tutılıp,

Qûanğanda külkimnen tün türilgen.

Men qazaqrın,

Qırğız ol - tûısqanım,

Birge tartqan tarlannıņ quyısqanın.

Anamız da qara köz bir qız, bälki,

Bölip bergen egizge wıs nannın.

Men – qazaqpın, bir bîik belespin men,

Ewropa da, Azîya da emespin men.

Aralıqpın, jetinși materîktey,

Biraq barșa adammen teņ östim men.

Men qazaqpın –

Baytaq elmin, qayta tûdım,

Ömirge qayta keldim.

Men mıņ da bir tirildim mäņgi ölmeske,

Ayta bergim keledi,

Ayta bergim!

Bul kim deseņ,

Men qazaqpın, mıņ ölip, mıņ tirilgen,

Kök bayraq, tûım bar, elim bar, jerim bar.

O-o-o!.. (5x)

Translation 

I am Kazakh
I am Kazakh, dying and rising a thousand times
The first tongue I learnt in my cradle was the sorrow tongue
My tears caused Eclipse
My laugh made night come
I have many tribes, as many names they have
so I have a soul like a mountain range
I have a legend written in my ancestor's letters
My wrinkles are the traces of my soul's anguish
When have I been named "Kazakh"?
Hey, you still don't know that
They say it's still young like a child
Pointing at the gravestone

"You can still meet a pretty woman, become rich and have children"
The bottom of sorrow is a deep lake like, don't go. o-o-o!
We need inspiration, we need a legend, we need a flag.
Become the melody of braveness for my mourning people
o-o-o!

If you ask who is it
I am Kazakh, dying and rising a thousand times
I have a blue flag, I have my people, I have my land
o-o-o!

I am Kazakh, dying and rising thousand times
The first tongue I learnt in my cradle was the sorrow tongue
My tears caused Eclipse
My laugh made Sun rise

I am Kazakh
Kirghiz is my brother
We ride the horses together
We have one mother- a girl with dark eyes
She shared between us-twins one piece of bread
I am Kazakh, I am a high hill
I am not in Europe, neither in Asia
I am isolated like the 7th continent
But I am equal to all other people

I am Kazakh
I am a wide land, that was re-born
I am resurrected
I I have resurrected a thousand times, to live forever
I want to say that again and again
Again and again

If you ask who is it
I am Kazakh, dying and rising a thousand times
I have a blue flag, I have my people, I have my land
o-o-o!
x