Aitmatov's Jamila: An Analysis  By Iraj Bashiri  Copyright, Iraj
Bashiri, 2003, 2004   Jamila appeared for the first time in
1958, in the 8th issue of the Russian language monthly Novyj
Mir. In the same year, it also appeared under the title of
"Melody" in the 10th issue of Ala-Too in the Kyrgyz language. In
1959, the story was published in book form in Moscow and Frunze
(now Bishkek) in Russian and Kyrgyz, under the same respective
titles. Aitmatov's collected works in Kyrgyz were published in
three volumes in Frunze in 1982 and 1983. The title of the story
in these volumes appears as "Jamila" rather than as "Melody".
Louis Aragon's translation of Jamila into French in 1959 made
Aitmatov well-known outside the Soviet Union. His translation
also made Jamila available to a larger and wider audience. The
English translation of Jamila, published by Progress Publishers
in the same year, was not as well received. Besides being the
subject of many reviews, Jamila was performed as a Kyrgyz opera
in 1961; it has als