#tarzi

By Farhad Azad

[caption: The pompous, aristocratic Mahmud Tarzi in the 1920s. He became the first foreign minister of Afghanistan after the war of independence from British India in 1919.]

Over a century ago, the highbrow Mahmud Tarzi returned to his native Afghanistan from a lengthy exile in the Ottoman Empire. Witnessing progressive modernization first hand in Western Asia, he tasked himself to enlighten the Afghan masses and modernize his home nation with a pen. Upon his arrival in 1901, the bulk of Afghanistan was negelected from even the slightest touch of modernization in the 1800s mostly due to Tarzi's cantankerous extended family members—the ruling line of the Muhammadzais.

This translated poem titled "Correct It" summarizes Tarzi's intent and message to the people inhabiting the country. He roars, ordering them to wake up, end their laziness, embrace opportunities, and replace old habits with modern discoveries. No doubt this is an onerous task from a population that had just passed the reign of the Iron Amir, Amir Abdur Rahman—a man who modeled his rein after Peter the Great of Russian but mirrored Czar Ivan the Terrible.

The time of poems and poetry has passed and left! The time of magic and sorcery has passed and left!  

It is time for action and effort Negligence and self-centeredness have passed and left

It is the era of the car, rail, and electricity The pace of the camel has passed and left

The practice of alchemy The time of magical potions has passed and left  

The telegraph brings news from the East and the West The courier and handwritten note has passed and left

Mountains tunneled and lands canaled   Subrogation has passed and left

The opportunity of individuals has arrived The jealousy of being deprived has passed and left

Mahmud's spoke this message and left   Correct yourself, laziness has passed and left