#tt_intermediate
Today let's listen to and translate the lyrics of a powerful song by Defne!
Here are the links to Youtube, Spotify and Apple Music.

DEFNE – QIZ

Bələkəy-bələkəy tən
Bələkəy bələkəydən
Ğadi fikerne belgən
Ğadi fikerne belgən

Sabırlıq – zarar tamçı
Diñgezlərne borçuçı
Yəşəw təmen bik açı
Yasatuçı, yasatuçı

Axirətem, küz nurım
Əy, ozaq buldı yulıñ
Tıynaqlıqtan arıdıñ
Köçen cıydı tawışıñ

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Kisken telləre yırta
Küñeleñne qızğanmıyça

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Diwarlarnı yañğırata
Biyergə bir canına

Min açulandım bügen
Biçura bulıp kürdeñ
Ğafu it mine, bəğrem
Ğafu it mine, bəğrem

Yuxalanıym min əle
Şatlandırıym keşene
Əwerelü sələte –
Hər ğasırda kirəkle

Axirətem, küz nurım
Əy, ozaq buldı yulıñ
Tıynaqlıqtan arıdıñ
Köçen cıydı tawışıñ

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Kisken telləre yırta
Küñeleñne qızğanmıyça

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Diwarlarnı yañğırata
Biyergə bir canına

Rəncetməsəñ – rəncetməmen
Bu – bik ğadi qağidə
Yıraqtan ğına soqlan sin
Xörmət süzen belməsəñ

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Kisken telləre yırta
Küñeleñne qızğanmıyça

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Diwarlarnı yañğırata
Biyergə bir canına

______________

DEFNE – GIRL

Tiny, tiny body
From a very young age
She understood a simple thing
She understood a simple thing

Patience is a drop of poison
That troubles the seas
Making life
Taste bitter

My friend, my eye’s light
Oh, your road was long
You’re tired of modesty
Your voice has gathered strength

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Her sharp tongue tears
Your soul without any mercy

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Echoes through the walls
Let her soul dance

I got angry today
You saw me as a witch
Forgive me, my darling
Forgive me, my darling

Let me sweet-talk a little
Make everyone happy
The talent of transformation is
A gift valued at all times

My friend, my eye’s light
Oh, your road was long
You’re tired of modesty
Your voice has gathered strength

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Her sharp tongue tears
Your soul without any mercy

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Echoes through the walls
Let her soul dance

If you don’t hurt – I won’t hurt
It’s a very simple rule
Admire me from afar only
If you don’t know the word “respect”

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Her sharp tongue tears
Your soul without any mercy

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Echoes through the walls
Let her soul dance

#tt_culture
Sara Sadıyqova

Sara Sadıyqova (1906–1986) was more than a composer, actress, and singer — she was a pioneer who reshaped Tatar culture in the 20th century. She is widely recognized as the first Tatar female composer, but her legacy extends far beyond music. To many young Tatars, seeing her on stage felt like proof that women could stand at the very center of culture even during times of strict limitations.

Born Bibisara Sadıyqova in Kazan in 1906 to a family that valued both tradition and modern education, Sara grew up in a house full of books and the sound of her mother’s voice singing old Tatar songs. Her musical talent became obvious early on: first, she learned some folk instruments, and later her father purchased a piano for her.

She studied at the prestigious Aitova School for Tatar girls, where they secretly received not only religious education but also arithmetic, history, and geography — subjects considered “inappropriate” for women at the time. These early experiences shaped her as an independent and intellectually curious person. After school, Sara enrolled in the Kazan Tatar Pedagogical College, where she sang in a choir, encouraged by her teacher Soltan Ğəbəşi.

In the 1920s, she moved to Moscow to study at the Conservatory’s choral department, developing her soprano voice and strengthening her skills in solo performance. During this time, she performed with the Moscow Central Tatar Workers’ Theater and other professional ensembles, proving her reputation as a rising star of Tatar music and drama.

After returning to Kazan in the 1930s, Sara became a leading performer at the Tatar Academic Theater, taking on main roles in musical dramas such as Süngən Yoldızlar and Zəngər Şəl. Here you can listen to a recording of her singing.

By the 1940s, she was singing everything from lyrical folk tunes and arias to bold tango, foxtrot, and blues — sometimes on the same stage in one evening. She masterfully blended these Western musical styles with traditional Tatar melodies. Sadıyqova’s compositions often reflected the emotional and cultural experiences of her people. Her most popular songs, including Kötəm Sine, Qazan Kiçləre, Cidegən çışmə, became widely beloved, performed in concerts across Tatarstan and beyond. Her lyricism, expressive voice, and stage presence made her stand out as both a performer and a composer. She introduced elements of national folklore into formal concert music, thereby enriching the Tatar vocal tradition and influencing generations of musicians.

Beyond the stage, Sara was just as devoted to teaching and mentoring. Her home became a place for creative activity: it was often full of young singers, and she organized and led choirs. More than anything, she worked hard to ensure that Tatar folk music remained vibrant and accessible. She also embodied a model of female leadership in a predominantly male cultural sphere, building her independence and authority as a composer, educator, and artist. Sadıyqova also kept close ties to Tatar identity at a moment when indigenous cultures were often suppressed by Soviet policies. By blending folk motifs with modern rhythms, she preserved the moñ of Tatar music while making it accessible to wider audiences and showing everyone that Tatar culture could modernize without losing its core.

Even today, modern Tatar musicians and cultural figures are influenced by Sadıyqova’s musical style, seeing her as a bridge between tradition and innovation. Monuments, concerts, and academic works honor her not only as a composer but as a cultural icon.

#tt_intermediate

Lyrics by Xəsən Tufan
Music by Sara Sadıyqova

QAZAN KİÇLƏRE

Kil əle, İdelneñ ciləs cile,
Yullarğa çəçəklər sip əle.
Aq bulıp, saf bulıp istə qalsın
Qazannıñ qəderle kiçləre.

Tuğan il çaqırğan zur yullarğa
Kitərbez tañnarda bez monnan.
Ozatıp qalırsıñ bezne, Qazan,
Balasın oçırğan qoş sıman.

Yəşərbez tuğan cir tufrağında,
Qırlarda, İdeldə-diñgezdə.
İsən-saw bulsınnar balalar, dip,
Xəyerle yul telə, İl, bezgə.

İdelgə suzılğan aylı yuldan
Tın ğına, moñ ğına cır ağa.
Sağınırbız, duslar, bu kiçlərne
Çəçlərgə çal kergən çorda da.

Al göllər sibegez bezneñ yulğa,
İdelneñ irtəñge cilləre.
Məñgegə, ğömergə istə qalsın
Qazannıñ qəderle kiçləre.

__________

EVENINGS OF KAZAN

Come, gentle breeze of the İdel (Volga) River,
Scatter flowers along the roads.
May them remain in memory pure and bright —
The precious evenings of Kazan.

Our homeland has called us on a great journey,
We will depart from here at dawn.
You will see us off, Kazan,
Like a bird sending its child to flight.

We will live on our native soil,
In the fields, on the İdel, on the sea.
“May the children be safe and sound,” —
Wish us well, O Land, on our way.

Along the moonlit path over the İdel,
A quiet, soulful song flows.
We will miss, friends, these evenings —
Even when our hair turns grey.

Scatter red flowers along our road,
Morning breezes of the İdel.
May them remain in memory forever, for a lifetime —
The precious evenings of Kazan.

#tt_intermediate
Read this through!

In Tatar, the combination of verbal adverbs (VA) formed with -a, -ə, -ıy, -i or -p, -ıp, -ep / -mıy, -mi, -mıyça, -miçə with auxiliary verbs is one of the most common ways to express subtle nuances of action. Auxiliary verbs are independent verbs that, when combined with a verbal adverb, add a lexical nuance to the action of the principal verb.

💬 uqı (read) – uqıp çıq (read through) – uqıp beter (read to the end, finish reading)

💡 Using auxiliaries often makes an action more definite or concrete:
Awırunıñ xəle yaxşıra. – The condition of the patient is improving.

Awırunıñ xəle yaxşıra bara. – The condition of the patient is gradually improving.

Here are some frequently used auxiliary verbs:

🔸başlaw (lit. to begin) – with a VA in -a, -ə, -ıy, -i indicates the beginning of an action

Əni çəy əzerli başladı. (Kərim Əmiri, “Əsma”) – Mother began to make tea.

🔸betü (lit. to end (intrans.)) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the action has come to an end

Cil tuqtağan, kiçəge bolıtlar taralıp betkənnər. (Ğalimcan İbrahimov, “Diñgezdə”) – The wind has stopped, and yesterday's clouds have completely dispersed.

🔸beterü (lit. to finish, bring to an end) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that an action is brought to an end

Rəis, xatnı uqıp betergəç, berniqədər waqıt onıtılıp tordı. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Məxəbbət xatı”) – After reading the letter, Rəis became lost in thought for some time.

uqıy başladı – started reading
uqıp beterde – finished reading

🔸kilü (lit. to come) – with a VA in -a, -ə, -ıy, -i or in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that an action is repeated within a certain period of time

Min bit gel əytə kildem, Sayimə ciñgi, tuy yasamıym, didem. (Şərif Xösəyenov, “Əniyemneñ aq külməge”) – After all, (sister-in-law) Sayimə, I have said it all along, I'm not going to have a wedding, I said.

• With a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the direction of an action towards the speaker:

alıp kildem – I brought (lit. I took and came)

🔸kitü (lit. to leave, go away) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the sudden begin and rapid development of an action

Uyın yañadan qızıp kitə. (Şəyxi Mannur, “Ağımsularğa qarap”) – The game is heating up again.

• Also indicates an action moving away from the speaker:

çığıp kittem – I left

• Used together with bulıp denotes an action or state becoming continuous

dus bulıp kittek – we became friends

oçıp kilü – to come flying
oçıp kitü – to fly away

🔸menü (lit. to mount (on), to rise, climb, ascend) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates an upward direction of the action

🔸töşü (lit. to descend, to fall) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates a downward direction of the action

sikerep mende – jumped on sth.
sikerep töşte – jumped down

🔸quyu (lit. to put, lay down) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates an intentional execution of an action, often producing a result

Tuqta, min bolarnı yazıp ta quyıym əle. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Yeget şə-ə-əp”) – Wait, please, let me just write down these things.

bəyləp quyu – to tie
yatlap quyu – to learn by heart

🔸cibərü (lit. to send) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates a sudden, forceful, or brief action that may start abruptly, intensify, be carried out unconsciously, or develop into a continuous state.

Raxmankulov tərəzəne açıp cibərde. (Mirğazican Yunıs, “Bozılğan tınıçlıq”) – Raxmanqulov flung the window open.

kölep cibərü – to burst out laughing
etep cibərü – to push

🔸citü (lit. to reach) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the action or state has reached a limit or has rendered a result

İkençe könne nəq bilgeləngən waqıtta Mədinəneñ çaqırulı qunaqları kilep citte. (Atilla Rasix, “İke buydaq”) – The next day, exactly at the set time, Mədinə's invited guests arrived.

🔸çığu (lit. to go out, set out, step out) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the course of a (thorough) action from the beginning to the end

Şunnan soñ qısqaça gına ul, bezgə üzeneñ bezdən kitkənnən soñ qaylarda bulğanın, nişləgənen söyləp çıqtı. (Möxəmmət Ğali, “Rəxmətulla tegüçe”) – After that, he told us briefly where he had been and what he had done after he had left us.

🔸qaraw (lit. to look) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the person attempts to carry out the action

Min üzemne Xəmdünə urınına quyıp qaradım. (Ğömər Bəşirov, “İ yazmış, yazmış”) – I tried to put myself in Xəmdünə's position.

kitapnı uqıp çıq – read through the book
kitapnı uqıp qara – try reading the book

🧡 Give this post a like and I will make a list with more frequently used verbs combinations!

#tt_advanced
Expressing desire

🧡 To express a desire to do something in Tatar, there are very straightforward, simple constructions that we already introduced to you in a beginner-level post.

🧡 Another way to express desire is to say “Let me do …” and this is discussed in the following post.

To express more nuance, you can use the following constructions:

🧡 Future Tense I (in -r, -ar, -ər, -ır, -er) + ide:

Bik onıtır idem də, Ləylügem, ...! (Mədinə Malikova, “Aq dawılda tal börese”). – I would like very much to forget it, my darling Ləylə, but, ...!

• A verb in the conditional + (ğına) yarar ide expresses a wish or a polite request:

Məşəqət bulmasa, menə şuşı məqələne qarap çıqsağız yarar ide. (İbrahim Nurullin, “Tuqay Peterburgta”) – If it isn’t inconvenient, I would like you to look over this article here.

🧡 A verbal noun in -maq/-mək with -çı/-çe expresses a definite wish or intention to act:

Keşelərne qızıqtırıp üzenə qaratmaqçı. (Nəbi Dəwli, “Qoyaşqa yöz belən”) – He wants to interest people into looking at him.

• The past tense form -maqçı ide / -məkçe ide means the person had an intention or wish to act, but it was not realized or seemed uncertain or subconscious:

Min siña saq bul dip elek tə əytməkçe idem, üze də sabıy tügel bit dip, batırçılıq itmədem. (Mədinə Malikova, Qazan qalası—taş qala”) – I wanted to tell you before to be careful, but considering you are not a child after all, I didn’t dare to.

• The past tense form -maqçı buldı / -məkçe buldı expresses a more definite, decisive intention. It suggests that the agent had a firm resolve to act, even if, for some reason, they ultimately did not (compare with -rğa buldı in this post):

Rəxim nider əytməkçe buldı. Ləkin süz taba almadı. (Atilla Rasix, “İke buydaq”) – Rəxim wanted to say something, but he could not find the words.

#tt_culture
Ravil Zagidullin. Painting the memory of the Tatar people

One day, my grandmother showed me a painting, and I immediately wanted to share it with you as well. It was the work of Ravil Zagidullin (tat. Rawil Zahidullin), one of the most prominent Tatar painters of our time. His art brings to life the worlds of Volga Bulgaria, the Golden Horde, and the Kazan Khanate – periods of history that shaped the identity of today’s Tatars. Through bright colors and a sense of nostalgia, the artist creates paintings that feel both historically rich and deeply personal. His attention to detail – clothing, architecture, everyday objects – gives his paintings a documentary quality, as if they were windows into another time.

At the heart of Zagidullin’s work is a single, continuous theme: the story of his people. He often returns to the era of Volga Bulgaria as a central motif in his work. On steep riverbanks, his Bulgar warriors stand firm and dignified, as if time has paused around them. Even in small canvases, Zagidullin manages to create a sense of vastness, open horizons, wide skies, and landscapes.

"Bolğarlarnıñ küçenüwe" / "The migration of the Bulgars" (1997)