Gazing Into the Boundless

A tiny puddle is a mirror!

and the one gently peering in

is the dandelion.

A flower gazes at its own reflection

in the tear-drops of the clouds.

2Like an old man,

the cherry tree is bent with age…

Yet youth blooms in every branch.

The only thing my soul needs

is a walking stick.

A bud is joy,

a flower is flame.

It came into this world

to burn.

The wind ploughs through the flowerbed;

one flower falls beneath another…

A flowerpot under a flowerpot—my perplexity is faster than a racehorse.

If destiny allows,

I would build a minaret—as grand as a pharaoh’s pyramid—out of a single poem.

I would plant flowers

all around it.

Then I would climb it gently

and gaze upon the world and its people.

I would ask applause for my poems

from whoever has read them—if anyone has.

I cherish poetry deeply,

even though it wounds my heart.

Wandering through astonishing flower gardens,

I place poetry

as a crown upon my head.

Let people send me their love

and call me king—I no longer mind.

Silence is comforting;

it buries the cries and sounds

of sorrow.

The morning sun is magnificent:

the flowers can hear

the sound of its light.

These mountains stand proud;

they pay no mind

to those who pass beneath them.

The sky is a vast embrace—wide enough to hold

every glance.

The poet is the guide of my soul;

from the light of faith

my feelings begin to bloom.

(Translated by Azam Abidov)

Nurbek Norchayev is a representative of modern Uzbek poetry and a poet. He was born on April 18, 1993, in Koson district of Kashkadarya region, Republic of Uzbekistan.