TEXTUAL CRITICISM OF SHAKARIM QUDAYBERDIULY’S WORKS

Abstract

This article addresses the restoration of Shakarim Qudayberdiuly’s literary heritage on the basis of early printed editions, subsequent collections, and manuscript copies produced by copyists. The study aims to identify textual variants in the poet’s works, assess their impact on the semantic and artistic structure of the texts, and determine the significance of early editions and manuscript copies for reconstructing the authorial text. The primary sources include the 1912 edition of the collection Qazaq Aynasy, published by the Zhardem Printing House in Semey, its subsequent editions issued between 1988 and 2023, and Sh. Korpebayev’s manuscript copies, which have not yet been fully introduced into scholarly circulation. The study employs comparative textual analysis. To clarify indistinct graphemes in the original edition, the facsimile images were digitally processed. The comparison revealed not only technical and orthographic errors but also lexical, grammatical, and compositional changes affecting the meaning of the works, their rhyme system, poetic integrity, and the representation of the author’s worldview. The findings demonstrate the need for the comprehensive use of manuscript copies alongside early printed editions in reconstructing Shakarim’s works and provide a foundation for the preparation of a scholarly critical edition of the poet’s literary heritage.