Kutadgu Bilig: Historical Literary Text

A literary text is a complete entity, internally connected, possessing a unity of ideas. It is intended to store and transmit information, culture, and values of the people, according to linguists. A text can be perceived in various ways. Linguistically, it is structured based on grammar and spelling rules. Subjectively, a text can represent an individual’s perception of the objective world around them. Essentially, a text can be viewed from both a technical and personal perspective. A person’s view of the world can be shaped by their perspective, which is reflected in their written works. Historical texts serve as a means of preserving social memory and connecting the past with the present. These texts consist of three main components: narrative (the meaning), discourse (the syntax), and social memory (the practical application). The article aims to examine Kutadgu Bilig, an ancient Turkic work written in the 11th century, in the context of a historical work. Kutadgu Bilig is a didactic poem in the tradition of “mirrors for princes”, featuring primarily dialogue within a framed story.
The article discusses the historical context in which Kutadgu Bilig was created and considers it a piece of art that reflects the cultural and moral values of the Turkic people of that time. During the study, both the comparative-contrast method and the continuous sampling method were used. The findings of the study reveal that Robert Dankoff, S.N. Ivanov, and K.Karimov relied on their life experience, stereotypes, and norms prevalent in their ethnic society at the time when translating. In some instances, the translators retained the original text's vocabulary but also used modern equivalents in the target language.