Mirdza Ķempe

{{Short description|Soviet and Latvian poet, writer and translator}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Mirdza Ķempe

| image =

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| caption = Midza Ķempe as a young lady (1920)

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|2|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Liepāja, Russian Empire

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1974|4|12|1907|2|9}}

| death_place = Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union

| occupation = Writer, poet, translator

| nationality = Latvian

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| spouse = Eriks Ādamsons, Linards Naikovskis

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Mirdza Ķempe (later Naikovska) ({{OldStyleDate|9 February|1907|27 January}} – 12 April 1974) was a Soviet and Latvian poet, writer and translator. She was a recipient of the State Prize of Latvian SSR (1958), USSR State Prize (1967), and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.

Biography

Mirdza Ķempe was born into a working-class family in Liepāja, Latvia. From 1914 to 1926, she lived in Tosmare at Ģen. Baloža st., 47; later she and her family lived at Bernatu st., 41 in Liepāja. In 1915–1919, she studied at the 1st Liepāja primary school (now the 5th Liepāja school). Ķempe graduated from the 1st Liepāja secondary school in 1925. Her first verse, "Ne jums!", was published in the "Kurzemes Vārds" newspaper in 1923. In the same year, she translated Pushkin's Mozart and Salieri into the Latvian language. In 1927, she entered the University of Latvia in Riga. Because of lack of money she had to drop out of the university and in 1928 Ķempe started to work as a continuity announcer for Rīgas radiofons. In 1931, she married writer Eriks Ādamsons.

She translated works from Russian, English, German, Spanish and French. During World War II, she was evacuated to Moscow, Astrakhan and Ivanovo. She wrote plays, lyric miniatures and verses.

Death and legacy

She was buried in Līvu cemetery in Liepāja.

On 9 February 1989 a monument to Mirdza Ķempe was opened in Liepāja (architect Ligita Ulmane), another in Riga. A street in Ezerkrasts district of Liepāja is named after her.

Poetry

Mirdza Ķempe published 15 collections of poetry, including "Rīta vejš" (1946), "Gaisma akmenī", "Ērkšķuroze" (Dog-rose, 1972), "Mīlestības krāšņais", "Dzintara spogulis" (1968), "Mirkļu mužiba" etc.

:Ne jums!

:"Ne jums es vaicāšu: kas grēks, kas kauns?

:Par velti draudiet man ar tumsas baismu!

:Es pati savu dzīvi celšu –

:Vienalga man, kur ceļam reiz būs gals..."

:Manai Liepājai

:"Jūras meita, Zemes māsa.

:Mana Liepāja, ko mīlu.

:Tavām acīm dzelmes krāsa,

:Kurā atspīd debess dzīle."

Awards and honours

She was awarded State Prize of Latvian SSR (1958), USSR State Prize (1967) and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. In 1971 she received Visva-Bharati University honorary doctor diploma for her works on Urdu language.

Selected works

{{citation|last=Кемпе|first=Мирдза|year=1982|title=Избранное. Стихотворения и лирические миниатюры|place=Moscow, RU|publisher=Художественная литература}}
{{citation|last=Ķempe|first=Mirdza|year=1981|title=Kopoti raksti. Pirmais sējums|place=Riga, LV|publisher=Liesma}}

References

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{Cite web | url=http://www.diena.lv/kd/recenzijas/melodrama-par-nepareizu-dzivi-izrade-isie-zibsnigie-mirkli-13906043 | title = Melodrāma par "nepareizu" dzīvi. Izrāde Īsie zibsnīgie mirkļi | author = Undīne Adamaite | publisher = Diena | language = Latvian | date = 28 September 2011 | accessdate = 1 April 2012}}

{{Cite web|url=http://www.visva-bharati.ac.in/at_a_glance/desikot.htm |title=Visva Bharati University site |accessdate=1 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215213359/http://www.visva-bharati.ac.in/at_a_glance/desikot.htm |archivedate=15 February 2015 }}

{{Cite encyclopedia | url = http://bse.sci-lib.com/article060611.html | title = Article Kempe, Mirdza Yanovna | encyclopedia = Great Soviet Encyclopedia | language = Russian | accessdate = 1 April 2012}}

{{Cite web | url=http://www5.acadlib.lv/pvp/0000001175.htm | title=Mirdza Ķempe photos | accessdate=1 April 2012 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208121943/http://www5.acadlib.lv/pvp/0000001175.htm | archivedate=8 February 2012 }}

{{Citation | title = Karalienes saimes galds | author = Sandra Vensko | work = Liepājas Vēstules Nr. 3 | publisher = Kurzemes Vārds | year = 2010 | language = Latvian | pages = 30–33}}

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