The Holy Fire (Greek ‘Αγιος Φως, literally “Holy Light”) is a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Pascha.
It is considered by many to be the longest-attested annual miracle in the Christian world, though the event has only been documented consecutively since 1106.
In many Orthodox countries around the world the event is televised live.
The ceremony begins at noon when the Patriarch of Jerusalem recites a specific prayer. The faithful gathered will then chant “Lord, have mercy” (Kyrie eleison in Greek) until the Holy Fire descends on a lamp of olive oil held by the patriarch while he is alone in the tomb chamber of Jesus Christ.
The patriarch will then emerge from the tomb chamber, recite some prayers, and light either 33 or 12 candles to distribute to the faithful.
The fire is also said to spontaneously light other lamps and candles around the church.
Pilgrims say the Holy Fire will not burn hair, faces, etc., in the first 33 minutes after it is ignited. Before entering the Lord’s Tomb, the patriarch or presiding archbishop is inspected by Israeli authorities to prove that he does not carry the technical means to light the fire.
This investigation used to be carried out by Turkish soldiers.
The Holy Fire is first mentioned in the documents dating from the 4th century.
A detailed description of the miracle is contained in the travelogue of the Russian igumen Daniel, who was present at the ceremony in 1106.
Daniel mentions a blue incandescence descending from the dome to the edicula where the patriarch awaits the Holy Fire.
So alive that you forget you’re running out of time.
Not today. Not tomorrow.
But someday, grief shows up one morning and just moves in.
And love?
Love stands by the curtains.
Not handing out comfort to everybody.
Just watching. Waiting.
Seeing what you actually need.
This isn’t a biography I’m trying to list its dates.
This is just a heart that kept going after it got broken.
A soul that figured out the ground is cold,
But still decided to sit in the chair anyway,
Behind the curtains.
This isn’t really about the chairs or the curtains.
It’s about how still you learn to be,
To sit in your grief without letting it crush you.
Like no matter what cracks underneath,
That chair holds.
Except, death…
We call it the uninvited guest,
A weight that settles in the hollow of the chest.
Death is the one crack that swallows everything.
No sounds.
Just a hole that takes the sorrow and the love both at once.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
Death took the person,
The creative mind,
The talented hands.
But it didn’t take what they left behind.
Grief teaches you something If you let it.
Not right away. It beats you up first.
But eventually,
It shows you how to pay attention.
How to hold things tighter without squeezing too hard.
How to sit in the quiet and still find something worth making.
Maybe we don’t get over it.
Maybe we just learn to build around it.
We take the loss and turn it into something.
A poem, a meal, a small kindness,
Or a minute of patience we didn’t have before.
And when the poem forgets it’s a poem
And becomes a room,
It becomes a room where loss finally takes off its coat.
Where love doesn’t just visit anymore,
It sits down to stay.
Where grief and gladness walk in together,
Like they always do, and for once,
They don’t have a single thing left to ask.
Except…
What does the poem say about us?
It says we are the ones who need it.
We’re the ones who take these little black marks,
These little arranged scratches on a page,
And we make them bleed.
We make them bleed with our own blood.
We make them sing with our own throats—
The ones that get tight.
The ones that crack.
We make them hold everything we cannot hold by ourselves.
And then… somehow… we can.
Because we are the creatures who build bridges out of breath.
We are the ones who go looking for our own faces in the ink.
We let the poem teach us death.
Not by lecturing.
Not by explaining.
But by showing us how to live.
And it’s not about filling the hole.
It’s about learning to live around it.
Knowing it’s there.
And still… still creating.
And maybe, that’s enough.
Amina Kasim Muhammad is a Nigerian writer and spoken word poet with a deep passion for storytelling. She finds herself drawn to the way stories can transport readers to different worlds and how ideas can be shaped and shared through the power of writing. Valuing her pen and book as essential tools of expression, she is also an advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Amina is an active member of the Minna Literary Society (MLS) and Open Arts Kaduna, where she engages with fellow creatives and contributes to the literary community. Her work has been published; one of her poems appeared in Synchronized Chaos Magazine. You can connect with her on Instagram: @meena_kasim.
In the New Uzbekistan, the Voice of a New Generation
Why should I not praise you before the wide world, calling you “my Uzbek,” When my era has granted me the chance to know my true self, my Uzbek.
— E. Vohidov
As I write these lines, two drops of pearl-like tears roll down beneath my glasses. Recently, I traveled to the Tian Shan mountains. Those three days felt like three years. On my way back, the very moment I set foot on my beloved Homeland, my chest filled with the scent of serenity. I felt the taste of peace and happiness. As I got into the car, these lines echoed in my heart:
My Homeland, you are my pride,
The soil where traces of my childhood remain.
You see me off when I leave and wait until I return,
I feel your love like a mother’s embrace.
I have seen many lands, I have seen the Tian Shan,
Yet I understood your true worth even more, my dear motherland.
I do not need Paris and its Eiffel Tower,
A handful of your soil is honor and glory for me!
With these thoughts, I continued my journey. At one moment, I noticed a girl sitting nearby, quietly reading a book. Again, I sank into reflection:
In which country does a president give a car simply because someone reads a book?
In which country does the state reward you by funding six months of education if you learn a foreign language for just two months?
In which country is an entire Olympic town built freely, solely for young people?
The answer to all of these questions is one: Uzbekistan.
Indeed, today Uzbekistan is a country of youth. For the first time in history, practical solutions are being implemented to support the dreams and initiatives of the younger generation — solutions that nurture their pursuit of knowledge, creativity, sports, and a rightful place on the international stage. As a result, every young person today has the opportunity to make their voice heard, to present their ideas, national values, and identity to the world.
Yes, today’s generation is educated, healthy, and confidently proving itself on the global stage. Young Uzbeks are studying at the world’s most prestigious universities — Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, and many others. And if we speak of sports, you have surely seen our flag proudly waving atop the world’s greatest arenas at least once. Our young innovators, meanwhile, present their inventions at renowned platforms such as the International Innovation Expo and UN & UNESCO Youth Forums, consistently being in the spotlight of international investors.
Let us speak through simple facts from 2024–2025:
For the first time in history, UNESCO’s General Conference was held outside Paris — and that city was Samarkand. Uzbekistan became the first country to make this happen. Moreover, Uzbekistan became a member of the UN Human Rights Council.
International education standards were introduced. Transparency and openness were promoted in politics. For the first time in history, our female karate and judo athletes stood atop the podiums, bringing chains of medals back to the Homeland. For ten consecutive years, our boxers have once again proven that they are among the world’s strongest. In 2025, our footballers carried the Uzbek nation onto the FIFA stage. At just 20 years old, Sindarov once again proved to the world in 2025 that he is the “King of Chess.”
When we analyze these developments, it becomes clear that in recent years Uzbekistan has secured a strong position internationally as an open, reform-oriented country that ties its future to its youth. Remarkable victories in sports, achievements in science and innovation, young men and women studying at leading global universities, and active participation on international platforms are tangible results of this transformation. State-led youth policy, investments in education and sports, and cooperation with influential international organizations such as the UN and UNESCO have elevated Uzbekistan’s global standing.
Particularly, initiatives that bring youth rights and opportunities to the international level clearly demonstrate the country’s strategic vision.
Shokhida Nazirova was born on March 22, 2004, in Andijan.
She serves as a representative of Uzbekistan for nearly ten international organizations. She is fluent in German, Russian, Turkish, Italian and Kyrgyz. She is a young leader who has made nearly ten social projects in the region.
CHALLENGES IN THE TRANSLATION OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS BETWEEN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS
Kurbanova 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.
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J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is old enough to know where the bodies are buried. He’s been widely published over the years, most recently at The Beatnik Cowboy, Yellow Mama, The Rye Whiskey Review, Night Owl Narrative and Disturb the Universe Magazine. His latest book, to live your dreams, is available at Amazon.com. you can find it by going here: https://a.co/d/0aS2cXSX
