Kazakh man in traditional costume with Eagle
The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures offers beginning and intermediate courses in Uzbek that support our Turkish and Central Asia Studies Minor.
The following poems were submitted by members of our community participating in the NELC Poetry Project. We hope you will consider participating in the NELC Poetry Project!
How Matmusa Sold His Donkey By Erkin Vohidov (Chosen By NELC Uzbek Language Instructor, Kamola Azimova)
МАТМУСАНИНГ ЭШАК СОТГАНИ Эркин ВОҲИДОВ
Матмусанинг эшаги
Айниб қолди дафъатан.
Яқинлашиб бўлмайди
На олддан, на орқадан.
Қўшқават арқонни ҳам
Узар бўлди ҳароми.
Ҳанграганда оламни
Бузар бўлди ҳароми.
Миниб бўлмас устига,
Кўпток қилиб отади.
Бўлди энди. Матмуса
Эшагини сотади.
Лекин қадимдан қолган
Бозордаги қоида:
Нима сотсанг, айбини
Айтиш керак жойида.
Ҳеч кимса Матмусадек
Қийин ҳолга қолмайди.
Баччағарнинг айбини
Айтсанг, биров олмайди.
Айтмасанг — яна гуноҳ!
Матмуса кўп ўйлади.
Уйлаб-ўйлаб бозорда
Шундай дея сўйлади:
«Эшагим — арзон эшак,
Келаберсин харидор.
Ўзи эшак бўлса ҳам
Ўнта отнинг кучи бор.
***
HOW MATMUSA SOLD HIS DONKEY
All of a sudden Matmusa’s
Donkey became very sour.
None can come close to it
Neither from its front, nor back.
This mutt began to break
Even rope that’s two-ply,
When it screams,
The whole world is ruined from its fright.
It’s impossible to ride it,
He will throw men like a ball.
Enough is enough! Now Matmusa
Will sell and be done with it for all
But there is a market rule
Left from very ancient times:
What you sell, then you should tell
Of all its faults right there and then.
Poor Matmusa’s in trouble,
He is on the crisis way –
If he tells the faults of the ass
Every man will run
Keeping silence is a sin!
Matmusa thought much of it.
He went to market fast at last,
Cried aloud in the street:
People, people, come nearby
I have the cheapest thing to buy
Never think it’s only ass –
Ten horses power it has.
“I chose this poem because it is lighthearted, and it gives an inside to Uzbek bazaars, as they play such an important part in Uzbek people’s daily lives.” – Kamola Azimova