Please meet Gulandom Toghayeva!
I remember her lovely poems published in Gulkhan (Flame) magazine in the Soviet times. She was a star for us, shoolchildren! We live in one city, Tashkent, but we have never met. I recently friended her on Facebook and requested to send me her famous poem below for translation into English. Hope you like it.
Oh world, when will Navoiy be born?
Lunar soil has fallen on my eyes,
My pupils ‘ve brought ripe apricots – surprise,
My wound has burst and swollen a thousand times,
Oh world, when will Navoiy be born?
Lutfiy’s robe – unwanted on the wall,
People quarrel for Alexander’s sword.
Putting Khosrow’s jackboots above all
They break and slight the cradle of Farhod –
Oh world, when will Navoiy be born?
As moonlight – your hair – I would balm,
From your eyes, I’d get dew with aplomb,
Wish I were a new Navoiy’s mom –
Oh world, when will Navoiy be born?
###
(Navoiy – Alisher Navoiy is the father of Uzbek literature, great poet and thinker of the 15th century;
Lutfiy is also a great Uzbek classical poet, teacher of Navoiy;
Alexander – Alexander the Great;
Khosrow – Persian king;
Farhod – the main character in the epic poem by Alisher Navoi called “Farhod and Shirin”)
