My Mummy – A Poem from Uzbekistan
Sirojiddin Sayyid, a renowned poet of Uzbekistan shares his poem

What is peace and rest in this world? I took your peace, but rest couldn’t give you
MY MUMMY
Mummy, with you I couldn’t stay,
On your eyes the dust I couldn’t wipe too,
What is peace and rest in this world?
I took your peace, but rest couldn’t give you
Springs are watched by our entrance,
Changing the dry leaves to fragrance
When leaves tell wisdom scratching walls
With you I couldn’t stay to caress once.
Here winter designs white table-cloths,
What games will the fate show again?
The fire in the oven will warm you,
I couldn’t be as this fire to you.
When spring comes, brides will charm,
Toiling they carry water without harm.
When cradles swing with full of babies,
Worried you were, but I couldn’t balm.
Gone were the years, it stopped to rain
Don’t floods finish, run out and end.
The rains of your face have never ceased,
I couldn’t come up as a wind when needed.
The way to soul is labor from beginning to end,
In a straw lying on a road a magic I’ve seen a lot,
Falling in love with others I’ve been reproached,
Striking my head at stones break it I could not.
Life was said like a bird on a bush,
The love’s essence was said in vain.
The world was said yesterday’s dream,
This dream’s meaning I couldn’t explain.
Were you tired by sunset again, mummy?
Dry and weak like a fallen leave again?
Weren’t these sorrows enough, I came up
To share all my grieves not being ashamed!
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Translated by Begoyim Kholbekova