First, some announcements. Tao Yucheng invites the winners of the poetry contest he hosted earlier this year to contact him at taoyucheng921129@proton.me. He’ll send out the prize money this month. He also announces that no one person won the Honorable Mention (there was a tie among multiple pieces) so he will automatically enter those pieces in the next competition, which will be at a yet-to-be-determined date this summer.

Also, contributor Mykyta Ryzhykh has a new book out, Tombboy, from Lost Telegram Press.

“In his book, as in books of poems written in poetic forms and free verse, language moves through a pattern, and the basic organizing unit is the line. In tombboy, the line may be a syllable, a sign, an image, or even a dot… Readers may rightfully assume that many, even all the poems in tombboy are anti-war poems… yet it would be inaccurate to infer these concrete poems are doctrinaire, or purely political. Nor are they autobiographical. But they are personal, intuitive, original, and memorable, each with something to show…”
– Peter Mladinic, author of House Sitting, Knives on the Table and many other books

“tombboy is filled with an experimental spirit, combining fearless phrasing with satirical madness. The result is a fascinating examination of the human condition… it seems there are no limits to his masterful creativity. Each page of this book will grab your attention. tombboy deserves a prominent spot on your bookshelf.”
– Roberta Beach Jacobson, editor of Five Fleas Itchy Poetry and smols poetry journal

Tombboy is available here.

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Welcome to Synchronized Chaos’ mid-April issue: A Chorus at the Threshold. This issue presents a chorus of voices singing, speaking, sometimes whispering, at different types of thresholds. People of different ages and backgrounds come together in this issue, each sharing thoughts, observations, and feelings at points of shifting and transformation.

Some of these thresholds are deeply interior. Adalat Gafarov Izzet oglu’s poetry is contemplative and reverent, with a focus on spirituality and the search for meaning. John Culp speaks to self-discovery, love, and finding one’s own rhythm in life. Duane Vorhees’ poetry forms a cohesive meditation on struggle, distance, and the human effort to bridge impossible gaps—whether spiritual, emotional, or existential. Mesfakus Salahin’s piece highlights self-exploration in times of solitude, as Maja Milojkovic laments the increasing unwanted loneliness caused by the setup of much of modern life. Mahbub Alam probes the highs and lows and capacities of human nature, highlighting the need for empathy and compassion. Prasanna Kumar Dalai’s poetry is romantic and melancholic, expressing deep emotions and longing. Poet and physician Anwer Ghani suggests that despite our attempts to conceal our emotions, they can still be sensed and felt.

J.J. Campbell’s writing touches on his inner shadows: feelings of isolation, the desire for a simple, authentic life, and the pain of his loneliness and inner demons. Ana May likewise writes from the doorway between suffering and transformation, insisting that pain must be faced if it is ever to yield meaning. Fhen M.’s eerie poem recollects the legend of G. Bragolin’s Crying Boy painting surviving house fires, meditating on trauma and memory. Thi Lan Anh Tran depicts the complex, multilayered social and psychological effects of both romantic love and war. Amina Kasim Muhammad’s poem illuminates how people rebuild after the loss of a loved one, growing around rather than overcoming grief. In David Sapp’s vignettes and Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s scenes of personal and public tragedy, ordinary life itself becomes a threshold where loss is transfigured through memory and grief into reverence.

Other voices gather at the threshold between childhood and adulthood. Yeon Myeong-ji and Hamdamova Dilzodaxon Halimjon qizi craft scenes of family love, care, and loss. Their work, and Jacques Fleury’s return to his father and their childhood treehouse, all stand in that tender doorway between then and now. Sarvinoz Bakhtiyorova depicts the impact of remembering one’s past and how that can shape one’s identity. Here, affection survives distance and the past remains startlingly alive.

Nature, too, shifts throughout this issue, with pieces about seasons and the liminal spaces between dreams and reality. In Stephen Jarrell Williams’s idyllic vision, the act of learning to fly becomes an awakening into another mode of being. Elaine Murray’s visionary reflections on natural landscapes, Charos Ismoilova’s gratitude for the sunrise, Ananya Guha’s pensive thoughts on seasonal time, Graciela Noemi Villaverde’s vision of a world where humans protect and care for the natural world, Joseph Ogbonna’s song to a nightingale, and Brian Barbeito’s dream journey scenes of birds, constellations, and moonlight all invite us to the threshold between the visible and the unseen. Sayani Mukherjee’s luminous piece on the sacred mystery of existence completes this movement, reminding us that existence itself is a continual process of change.

History and heritage form another vital threshold in these pages—the place where inheritance meets the present moment. Dr. Jihane El Feghali’s tribute to Lebanon, radiant with resilience and memory, stands beside Ilya Ganpantsura’s portrait of Pushkin, writing in a nation poised between autocracy and intellectual freedom. Abdulaxilova Sevara’s meditation on Yusuf and Zulayha reveals divine and human love, earthly devotion blended with spiritual transcendence. Eva Lianou Petropoulou shares the tale of miraculous holy fire burning the day before Easter in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Lan Xin acknowledges the shared humanity and commonalities within the heritage of the world’s people, finding harmony within global religious teachings, and Bhagirath Chowdhary echoes that sentiment in his poem. Mohizoda Xurshiq qizi Roziqova discusses Uzbekistan’s legacy of teacher-apprentice training in the trades as Shokhida Nazirova highlights the Uzbek government’s investment in youth education, athletics, and personal development. The works rooted in Uzbek heritage further remind us that culture survives through crossings: hand to hand, teacher to student, voice to voice.

The chorus also rises at the threshold leading to justice.

Sim Wooki confronts racism and colonial power, while Patricia Doyne and Manik Chakraborty write from the brink where historical violence and oppression not only cast a shadow upon the present, but continues to this day. Alan Catlin and Stephen House stand at the moral threshold of witness, asking what it means to remain human before scenes of suffering, ecological damage, and collective harm. These are works that refuse the comfort of distance. They ask us not merely to observe, but to consider the ethics of paying attention.

Elsewhere, the collection turns toward personal thresholds of growth and development. Axmatova Maxliyo Ag’zam qizi discusses challenges in ESL education. Satimboyeva Risolat Ilhomboy qizi compares AI technology to the human brain as Adkham Mukhiddinov outlines how integral calculus can function in economic analysis. Khamidova Shahzoda Kholbozor qizi’s poem extols the promise of Uzbekistan’s next generation as Tursunoy Akramjon qizi Umirzaqova highlights the potential power of computer technology to improve traffic flow and safety. Ibroximova Hayitbon Mirzoxidjon qizi explores another potential role for AI in education, developing individual study plans. Yoqubova Barnoxon Baxtiyorjon qizi suggests ways to harness digital technologies in preschool education. Yunusova Robiyakhon Khayotbek qizi discusses challenges and opportunities for new technologies in the financial services sector. Charos Yusupboyeva outlines the promise of online education for remote areas. Doniyorbek G’ulomjonov and Tillayeva Muslimaxon Yashnarjon qizi examine the evolving role of technology in education, Saitkulova Fotima reflects on how living standards and education have greatly improved over the years in Uzbekistan, Axmatova Maxliyo Ag’zam qizi suggests ways to improve language students’ writing competence, O’rinova Diyora outlines methods for improving language learners’ speech, Kurbonova Mohinur Abdumuxtor qizi discusses challenges in translating idioms between English and Uzbek, while Rakhmonova Gulzoda Sodiq qizi stands at the threshold of a career in medicine, drawn forward by compassion, intellect, and personal resolve.

Jernail S. Anand looks at compassion, care and the consequences of individual actions. Mykyta Ryzhykh highlights the dissonance between our ideals of gentleness and innocence and abusive human behavior that falls short of these ideals. Asalbonu Otamurodova’s reflections on boundaries offer another kind of threshold: the necessary line where care for others must meet care for the self.

Art itself becomes another form of threshold, creating space for various ideas and sensibilities to meet and overlap. Noah Berlatsky considers how even a weathered, broken artwork can convey meaning, how the breakage can become part of the work. Doug Hawley and Bill Tope’s joint short story humorously compares an ordinary couple with historically famous idealized sculptures of people, finding in favor of the average, imperfect, but real, married couple. To’lquinay Ubukulova points out creative people’s current dependence on technology of various sorts. Jerrice J. Baptiste’s poems and paintings of women highlight their individuality, strength of character, and connection to the natural world. Juraeva Aziza Rakhmatovna interviews Croatian writer and poet Ankica Anchia, illuminating her love for her nation and birthplace as creative inspiration.

Ummusalma Nasir Mukhtar celebrates the power of writers to move society forward through their creativity, as Bill Tope explores his personal literary motivations. Ri Hossain analyzes themes in his own poetry, highlighting his combination of materialism and surrealism and how he renders urban realities through free verse. Gionni Valentin’s fragmented thoughts, images, and reflections explore themes of creativity, self-discovery, and the human condition. Kandy Fontaine describes post-Beat poetics, defined by inclusivity, community, focus on embodied and lived experience with living writers, and rejection of hierarchies and trophies. Patrick Sweeney’s tiny poetic fragments touch on art, identity, nature, history, and relationships. Joshua Martin’s poems combine lexical debris, media fragments, bureaucratic residue, and historical ruin, while Mark Young’s fragmented transmissions emerge from different frequencies of reality.

What binds these many works is not sameness, but shared arrival. Each piece stands at some edge—of understanding, of memory, of identity, of survival—and from that edge it calls out. The result is a true chorus: not a single melody, but many voices meeting in resonance.

Chorus at the Threshold sums up this collection because every page invites crossing. Between sorrow and wonder. Between history and dream. Between the self we have been and the self we are still becoming. Yet, many of these doors remain open, so that the thoughts and impressions in one “room” carry forward along one’s journey or can be remembered.

May you enter these pages with openness, attentiveness, and the quiet recognition that something in you may emerge changed.

Looking at the tall buildings, 

the stones of those buildings are black with blood. 

The water stained with tears on the iron railings of those buildings,

 the stairs of those buildings have deteriorated as much as they can. 

The sweat of slaves on the white stones of those buildings,

 the bones broken by whips, 

the price of labor has not been paid.

SEIZE THAT TROUBLEMAKER—

AND HER TORCH!

After the “No Kings” rally in LA,

signs and costumes milled around, blocked traffic–

until the cops showed up.

Picture this: riot-gear police

seizing blue-gowned, blue-faced Lady Liberty.

They confiscate her torch, then loop a chain

around her waist, cuff hands behind her back,

and march her off, one lawman on each side.

So—Liberty’s too dangerous? Too woke?

Welcomes the tired and poor, asylum-seekers?

Says no one– NO ONE– is above the law?

We the People came downtown today,

seeking solace, strength in shared resolve—

rejecting ICE, that preys on immigrants,

but won’t apply laws to rich pedophiles;

rejecting millions spent to build a ballroom

while health care’s cut, and hospitals shut down;

rejecting war with no goals, no way out,

while old bone-spurs plays golf at Mar-a-Lago;

rejecting loss of three-branch government,

while faux-king stamps his name on doors and dollars.

We twice elected this convicted felon

with track records of insurrection, racism, and rape.

He raised the cost of living, and attacks

free speech, free press, and now, the right to vote.

Eight million, coast to coast, reject this future.

and gather to share anger, fear, and strength.

But in the end, when all the chanting’s done–

there goes Lady Liberty in chains.

A zip-tied symbol of a vision lost.

Copyright 3/2026

Patricia Doyne

CHALLENGES IN THE TRANSLATION OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS BETWEEN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Kurbonova Mohinur Abdumuxtor qizi  

2nd-year Master’s Student 

“English Language and Literature” program

Faculty of Foreign Languages, Uzbekistan 

Pedagogical University named After Nizami

       Abstract: This study explores the challenges involved in translating idiomatic expressions between English and Uzbek languages. Idioms reflect cultural values, historical context, and figurative meanings that often do not have direct equivalents in another language. The research highlights linguistic and cultural barriers that complicate accurate translation and examines various strategies such as literal translation, adaptation, and contextual interpretation. The study emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness and linguistic competence in achieving effective and meaningful translation of idiomatic expressions.

Keywords:

idiomatic expressions, translation challenges, English language, Uzbek language, cultural differences, figurative meaning, equivalence, translation strategies

Annotatsiya: Ushbu tadqiqot ingliz va o‘zbek tillari o‘rtasidagi idiomatik iboralarni tarjima qilishda yuzaga keladigan muammolarni o‘rganadi. Idiomalar o‘zida madaniy qadriyatlar, tarixiy kontekst va ko‘chma ma’nolarni mujassam etadi, shu sababli ularni boshqa tilga to‘g‘ridan-to‘g‘ri tarjima qilish qiyin. Tadqiqotda lingvistik va madaniy to‘siqlar tahlil qilinadi hamda so‘zma-so‘z tarjima, moslashtirish va kontekstual talqin kabi strategiyalar ko‘rib chiqiladi. Shuningdek, samarali tarjima uchun madaniy bilim va til kompetensiyasining ahamiyati ta’kidlanadi.

Kalit so‘zlar:

idiomatik iboralar, tarjima muammolari, ingliz tili, o‘zbek tili, madaniy farqlar, ko‘chma ma’no, ekvivalentlik, tarjima strategiyalari

Аннотация: Данное исследование посвящено изучению трудностей перевода идиоматических выражений между английским и узбекским языками. Идиомы отражают культурные ценности, исторический контекст и переносные значения, которые часто не имеют прямых эквивалентов в другом языке. В работе рассматриваются лингвистические и культурные барьеры, а также анализируются различные стратегии перевода, такие как дословный перевод, адаптация и контекстуальная интерпретация. Особое внимание уделяется важности культурной осведомлённости и языковой компетенции для достижения адекватного перевода.

Ключевые слова:

идиоматические выражения, трудности перевода, английский язык, узбекский язык, культурные различия, переносное значение, эквивалентность, стратегии перевода

INTRODUCTION

Language is not merely a tool for communication but a reflection of the sociocultural landscape of its speakers. Among the various linguistic elements, idiomatic expressions stand out as complex units whose meaning cannot be derived from the sum of their constituent parts. In the context of English and Uzbek, two languages belonging to distinct families—Indo-European and Turkic respectively—the translation of idioms presents a unique set of challenges. The research gap lies in the scarcity of systematic analyses that address the structural asymmetry between these languages. While English relies heavily on prepositional and phrasal idiomatic structures, Uzbek utilizes agglutinative morphology and distinct metaphorical frameworks derived from Central Asian cultural traditions. This study aims to explore the strategies employed by translators to maintain the pragmatic force of idioms during cross-language transfer. The primary research question addresses how translators navigate the conflict between semantic literalism and cultural equivalence. By examining a corpus of literary and journalistic texts, this research establishes a framework for understanding the mechanisms of idiom translation, moving beyond simple lexical substitution toward a more nuanced, context-dependent approach. The objective is to highlight the necessity of cultural competence in translation, ensuring that the target audience receives not just the literal meaning, but the intended emotive and stylistic impact of the original expression.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study utilizes a qualitative comparative methodology, focusing on a descriptive analysis of idiomatic expressions collected from contemporary literary works and media outlets. The sample consists of 50 English idioms and their corresponding translations in Uzbek, categorized by their level of semantic transparency—ranging from transparent (where the meaning is somewhat inferable) to opaque (where the meaning is entirely non-compositional). The analytical framework is based on Nida’s theory of dynamic equivalence, which prioritizes the effect on the target audience over formal word-for-word accuracy. Data collection involved a systematic comparison of source texts against their target translations to identify instances of ‘translation loss’ or ‘pragmatic shift.’ We utilized a model of cross-linguistic mapping to visualize the conceptual distance between English idioms, such as ‘to break the ice,’ and their potential Uzbek counterparts. The analysis was conducted in three phases: (1) identification of the idiom in the English text, (2) categorization of the idiomatic structure (e.g., verbal, nominal, or adjectival), and (3) evaluation of the translation strategy used (direct, functional, or descriptive). By calculating the frequency of specific strategies, we aim to provide a quantitative perspective on how translators prioritize cultural preservation versus readability. The study also considers the role of context-dependency, analyzing how the surrounding discourse influences the choice of equivalent in Uzbek.

ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

The analysis revealed that 65% of English idioms lacked a direct lexical equivalent in Uzbek, necessitating the use of functional paraphrasing. For instance, the English idiom ‘to beat around the bush’ does not have a direct structural equivalent in Uzbek. Translators often resort to the descriptive phrase ‘gapni aylantirmoq’ (to spin the conversation), which captures the pragmatic intent but loses the original metaphorical imagery of the ‘bush.’ Our data indicates that opaque idioms represent the highest level of translation difficulty, often resulting in literal translation errors when translators fail to recognize the idiomatic status of the phrase. In 20% of cases, translators successfully identified a culturally equivalent idiom, such as translating ‘to be in the same boat’ into the Uzbek conceptual frame of shared circumstances. However, the remaining 15% demonstrated a tendency toward ‘over-translation,’ where the translator added unnecessary explanations, thereby diluting the conciseness of the original. We observed that the agglutinative nature of the Uzbek language allows for creative compounding, which occasionally permits the creation of new idiomatic structures that mirror the English original’s stylistic brevity. These findings suggest that the most successful translations are those that prioritize the communicative function of the idiom rather than the preservation of its metaphorical components. The results highlight that the semantic gap is not a barrier but a creative space for the translator to bridge cultural differences through linguistic innovation.

CONCLUSION

The translation of idiomatic expressions between English and Uzbek is a complex task that demands a high degree of cultural and linguistic synthesis. This study has demonstrated that literal translation is largely insufficient for conveying the essence of idiomatic language, as the metaphorical foundations of the two languages are rooted in different cognitive and historical contexts. Our findings confirm that functional equivalence, rather than formal identity, is the most effective strategy for maintaining the pragmatic integrity of idioms. Future research should focus on the impact of digital translation tools and artificial intelligence on the translation of figurative language, as these technologies often struggle with the nuances identified in this study. Furthermore, there is a need for a more comprehensive dictionary of English-Uzbek idiomatic correspondences to assist translators in navigating these challenges. Ultimately, the translator must act as a mediator, ensuring that the target reader experiences the same emotional and rhetorical impact as the original speaker, effectively bridging the distance between two distinct linguistic worlds. By acknowledging the limitations of direct equivalence, scholars and practitioners can develop more robust methodologies for cross-lingual communication in an increasingly globalized academic environment.

 REFERENCES

1. Baker, M. (2018). In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation. Routledge.

2. Bassnett, S. (2014). Translation Studies. Routledge.

3. Cowie, A. P. (2001). Phraseology: Theory, Analysis, and Applications. Oxford University Press.

4. Kakhkhorov, S. (2020). Comparative Linguistics of Turkic and Germanic Languages. Tashkent Academic Press.

5. Nida, E. A. (1964). Toward a Science of Translating. Brill.

6. Vinay, J. P., & Darbelnet, J. (1995). Comparative Stylistics of French and English. John Benjamins.

7. Yusupov, O. (2015). The Problems of Idiomatic Translation in Uzbek Literature. Journal of Philological Studies.

8. Zokirov, M. (2021). Linguistic Challenges in Modern Translation. International Journal of Language.

9. Moon, R. (1998). Fixed Expressions and Idioms in English. Oxford University Press.

10. Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Prentice Hall.

Children in the future 

Children’s laughter 

used to be carried by the wind 

through the street of my childhood. 

today – 

the same street 

he does not remember a single step of the child. 

The past was breathing 

through games, through dust, 

through cheering voices, 

and now 

the silence echoes 

like an empty yard. 

Modern times write new rules: 

social networks, 

non-touch screens, 

instead of a game — 

stickers are sent, 

hearts and hugs 

which do not warm anyone. 

The future of children 

he is already tying a scarf over his eyes. 

Unhealthy weather 

knocks on the door 

and no one asks who it is. 

Villages are disappearing, 

cities grow into concrete, 

and the parks are shrinking as memories. 

Friends become contacts, 

nature — background for the picture. 

More and more steps with the dogs, 

and less and less the beginnings of life. 

And while children follow trends 

staring at small screens, 

parents do the same 

and over humanity 

slowly the crack opens 

and smile 

some cold, 

with an unnatural smile.

Maja Milojković was born in Zaječar, Serbia. She is the deputy editor at “Sfairos” publishing house in Belgrade, Serbia.  She is the vice-president of the association “Rtanj and Mesečev poetski krug”.  She is the author of 2 books: “The Circle of the Moon” and “Trees of Desire” She is the editor of the International Anthology “Rtanjski stihopevi” One of the founders of the poetry club “Area Felix” from Zaječar, Serbia and the editor of an international e-magazine for creative literature and culture “Area Felix”.

G. Bragolin’s The Crying Boy

His hair was tousled dark brown,

his lips downturned.

All houses burned to the ground,

these mass-produced prints of a painting remained.

He was weeping as he ran from his home;

his papa was on fire holding a weapon.

The heated argument sparked when she 

told him to take the exam for the nth time;

he said he was a loggerhead.

Diablo or DJ is the crying boy,

a tear streaming down his orange cheek.

NOTE

On September 5, 1985, The Sun reported an Essex firefighter claiming that copies of The Crying Boy survived house fires unscathed. By November’s end, the paper’s readers were burning the prints en masse fueled by the painting’s growing curse reputation. David Clarke, a journalist, says the claim that the boy was Diablo didn’t emerge until 2000 in Tom Slemen’s book.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Fhen M. studied Writing in the Discipline, The Literature of the Philippines, and The Literature of the World at Eastern Visayas State University. His work has been featured in various publications, including the Waray poem “Uyasan” in Pinili: 15 Years of Lamiraw, and English poems like “Lighthouse,” “Seaport,” “Barbeque Stalls along Boulevard,” and “Tetrapod” in Poetica anthology by Clarendon House. Other publications include “Outside the Block Universe” in About Time: A Coming-of-Age Poetry Anthology by Red Penguin Books, and a poem in Flora/Fauna Anthology by Open Shutter Press. He also submitted Waray verses, including “Duha nga mga pagtug-an” (“Two Confessions”), to the 5th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop in 2008, with notable panelists like David Genotiva, Merlie Alunan, and Victor Sugbo.

THE HAUL

The apostles

learned to equip

their gospel ship

with hooks cross-shaped

and Christ as bait.

And they employed

muscle and wit

to deploy nets

of iron strength

at untouched depths.

Mighty fishers,

they spent their catch

on wishers’ masts,

sinners’ anchors,

and sure harbors.

THELONIOUS STRAIGHT

The monk in

habit black attacked

attacked        attacked

his devil — devil grinned 

on four legs — — attacked —

blue monkish evangelist fanatic

he went afterafter his 

4legged infidel foe —

with fingers uncurled 

straight for the eyes, for their whites and 

for their blacks

until they scream in blind

NO CHASER

the unsquare monk

the monk melodious

prayed and prayed

mystic irre

ligious

prayed his round midnights with

out even a chaser of

sunny Cannonball blues

attackattacked, in bflat

solitude

YOUR GARDEN

is filled

with forget-me-nots

but I can’t

find

any rue.

HOMESICKNESS 

In my childhood

homesickness was a cheap stamp.

I was here

and Mom just over there.

When I was grown,

homesickness a boarding pass

and bride just beyond.

But then

homesickness became a tiny tomb.

I stayed outside

but Mom was deep within.

And now

Homesickness is a narrow strait.

I on one side

continents on the other.

–after Yu guangzhong

BL IN KI NG unedited by

Life starts when some man rams his Dodge

into some garage and guns the engine,

then gets lost somewhere between debacle and apocalypse.

Time unscrolls itself outside the windshield,

vibrates and alters again just beyond attention,

in constant motion from mist to liquid to real to uncongealed.

 Not every stage equates to hajj,

but no ride’s just road nor map nor engine

nor even mere pathway among all the altars and the crypts.

If life’s the shimmer between death and sex,

the interplay’s the thing! The strength is in the tension.

In our yinyang universe, concave shapes itself toward convex.

…