The prominent Azerbaijani satirical poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir

Mirza Alakbar Sabir (Alakbar Zeynalabdin oghlu Tahirzadeh) was born on May 30, 1862, in the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. When Sabir turned eight, his father enrolled him in a mollakhana (Muslim ecclesiastical school). There, he had the opportunity to learn Arabic and Persian languages and become acquainted with examples of Eastern literature. Sabir studied at the mollakhana until he was twelve, after which he transitioned to a newly established school founded by the famous poet Seyid Azim Shirvani. This school benefited him, particularly in developing his knowledge and poetic talent.

However, two years later, Sabir’s father took him out of school and made him work as an assistant in his shop. Despite this, the young man’s passion for knowledge and literature remained unyielding, and he continued to read and write.

In 1885, Sabir embarked on a journey to Central Asia, eventually travelling to Iran. He visited various cities, including Sabzevar, Nishapur, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khorasan. After returning from his first trip, he married a relative named Bullurnisa in 1887. Over the next fifteen years, they had eight daughters and one son. Having such a large family posed significant challenges for Sabir. With no other trade, the poet struggled to support his family by making and selling soap. Despite these hardships, he maintained connections with the leading intellectuals of his time and continued to engage in artistic creation.

From the early 20th century, Sabir's poems began appearing in the press. One of his poems was published in the "Shargi-Rus" newspaper in 1903. Shortly afterward, he published another poem in the "Hayat" newspaper. In 1906, he embraced the “Molla Nasraddin” magazine as a true people's magazine aligned with his aspirations, becoming one of its favorite poets and most active contributors. From then on, an unbreakable friendship developed between J. Mammadguluzadeh and Sabir. Both satirists delivered a barrage of criticism to the tyrannical landlords who drained the blood of the working people, as well as to the sycophantic clerics and treacherous intellectuals.

As a result of all this, Sabir gained many friends, but he also acquired enemies. Despite writing his poems under secret signatures, many reactionaries in Shamakhi, Baku, and other parts of Azerbaijan, as well as in Iran, criticized the poet's works and declared those who read his writings to be infidels. At times, even clerics issued fatwas for Sabir's death, and wealthy individuals sent him threatening letters.

In early 1907, Sabir decided to stop making and selling soap, choosing instead to pursue work in journalism and education, while continuing his poetry more consistently. He traveled to Baku, where he worked as a proofreader at the editorial office of the "Irshad" newspaper and prepared to take exams to obtain a teaching qualification.

On April 11, 1908, the poet took an exam at the Baku provincial spiritual administration. On May 7, he traveled to Tiflis, where he received a diploma for teaching his native language and Sharia from the Caucasian Sheikh-ul-Islamic Administration. For a time, the poet taught as an assistant at a school in Shamakhi. His fellow teachers greatly appreciated his profound knowledge and pedagogical skills in the classroom. In September of that year, Sabir succeeded in opening the long-desired "Umid" school, which had around 60 students enrolled. Like other modern schools, students sat on benches, utilized visual aids, and went on excursions. The curriculum included subjects such as the native language, Persian, arithmetic, geography, nature studies, and lessons on the Quran and Sharia.

In the early 1910s, Sabir moved to Baku to work. He initially joined the editorial staff of the journal "Zanbur." Soon after, he began teaching with great enthusiasm at the Balakhani school. In addition to his teaching, the poet connected with workers at the Balakhani oil fields and local revolutionaries, becoming an active member of the "Nur" library they established. Starting in the spring of 1910, Sabir worked at the editorial offices of the newspapers "Gunash" and "Hagigat." The "Gunash" newspaper published a humor section titled "Palanduz" every Friday, where Sabir regularly contributed exposé pieces under the pseudonyms "Nizadar" and "Chuvalduz." The poet also continued to write for "Molla Nasraddin."

After months of need, unemployment, and enduring suffering, the great poet fell ill with a lung disease in late 1910 and returned to Shamakhi. In May 1911, he went to Tiflis for treatment and stayed at the home of his friend J. Mammadguluzadeh. Despite worsening illness, Sabir continued to write poetry, working on new taziyanas and actively assisting with the editorial tasks of the "Molla Nasraddin" magazine. In June, doctors suggested he undergo surgery, but Sabir refused the treatment and returned to Shamakhi.

Seeing that his illness had worsened significantly and that there was no other remedy available, the poet agreed to undergo surgery and arrived in Baku on July 8, 1911. However, the doctors informed him that surgery would not be beneficial either, advising him to return to Shamakhi.

On July 12, 1911, Mirza Alakbar Sabir passed away. The poet was buried in the "Seven Domes Cemetery" in Shamakhi.

In 1912, a year after Mirza Alakbar Sabir’s passing, his poems were published under the title "Hophopnama." The readers received the book with great enthusiasm. Two years later, a second, more refined edition of "Hophopnama" was released with the public's support.

Recommended literature:

1. Bayramoğlu, Alxan. Mirzə Ələkbər Sabir : həyatı və əsərləri / A. Bayramoğlu ; elmi red. Ə. M. Mirəhmədov ; red. X. Öztürk. - Bakı : Qismət, 2003. - 320 s.
2. Sabir, Mirzə Ələkbər. Seçilmiş əsərləri : izahlar və şərhlərlə / M. Ə. Sabir ; tərt., ön sözün müəl. X. H. Yusifli ; Azərbaycan Mədəniyyətinin Dostları Fondu. - Bakı : OKA Ofset, 2007. - 420 s.
3. M.Ə. Sabir haqqında tədqiqlər : elmi məqalələr toplusu / B. Ə. Nəbiyev, Mir Cəlal, Q. Q. Xəlilov, Z. Ş. Əsgərli ; tərt.-red. A. Bayramoğlu ; AMEA Nizami adına Ədəbiyyat İnstitutu. - Bakı : CBS, 2012. - 456 s.
4. Eminalıyev, Eyvaz Məhəmmədəli oğlu. Mirzə Ələkbər Sabir : həyatı və sənəti: monoqrafiya / E. M. Eminalıyev ; elmi red. B. Ə. Nəbiyev ; Azərbaycanda Vətəndaş Cəmiyyətinin İnkişafına Yardım Assosiasiyası, Azərbaycan Müəllimlər İnstitutu, Şamaxı filialı. - Bakı : CBS, 2012. - 176 s.
5. Sabir, Mirzə Ələkbər. Hophopnamə / M. Ə. Sabir. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 1992. - 79 с.