Uldis Bērziņš (1944-2021) was a Latvian poet and translator. Bērziņš is a prolific figure in Latvian literature, an idol to many poets, writers, and readers world-wide. It is next to impossible to describe his unique contribution to the literary voice of Latvia. His work in poetry translation has notably informed and shaped the tradition. Bērziņš has received countless significant literary awards, along with some of the most important honours in the Republic of Latvia – the Three Star Order (1995), Zinaida Lazda Award (1994), the Baltic Assembly Award (1995), the Spidola Award (2000) and many others. Bērziņš was not simply a poet, he is recognised as a virtuoso of words, a visionary able to see and create connections between different points all across the world cultures through his deep understanding of faith, rituals, humanity and humility. Everyday objects become otherworldly and take up cosmic significance once Uldis Bērziņš' words land on paper. Bērziņš has studied Turkish language, Asian and African Studies at the Moscow State University (focusing on Persian and Turkish cultures), he has also studied in Uzbekistan, Island, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and other countries. He has translated poems from many languages, including Turkish, Persian, Spanish, English, Polish, Swedish, Russian and Old Icelandic. And he has worked on various translations of grand scale, including the most recent translation into Latvian of the Bible, as well as the translation of the Qur'an. Māris Salējs, when asked to explain the Uldis Bērsiņš phenomenon replied: „In Uldis' poetry, language itself is a universe which exists in a dynamic reciprocation with other linguistic universes.” Whereas critic Guntis Berelis explains: "Bērziņš actually does not express thoughts, he creates thought [...]"