Aazam Abidov

AZAM ABIDOV (Aazam Abidov), poet, translator, was born on November 8, 1974 in Namangan, city of flowers, Uzbekistan. He trained in philology. He has several books of poetry and translation to his credit, including Tunes of Asia (English translation of contemporary Uzbek poetry), The Island of Anxiety (poems in Uzbek, English and Spanish), Dream of Lightsome Dawns, A Miracle Is On the Way and I Leave You in Complete Boredom (Uzbek translation of world poetry and fiction). He writes in both Uzbek and English. His poems and translations have appeared in numerous anthologies in Uzbekistan, India, France, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Colombia and in many web magazines. Azam’s awards include BBC World Uzbek Service’s award for free speech in Uzbekistan (2005), literary prizes of “Ulughbek” Foundation (1996, 2000); he was a winner of republican contest on Uzbek and Uzbek Literature (1995), winner of poetry contest “My first booklet” among young poets and writers (1990) and winner of the competition “Art Holiday” (1987-1988). Azam’s poems have been translated into Russian, Spanish, Assamese, Persian, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bulgarian, Turkish, Russian, Vietnamese, French and Hindi languages. He was a Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Iowa in the U.S. (2004) and attended poetry festivals, creative writing workshops and cultural events in India, U.S.A., Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, France, Vietnam, Turkey, Armenia and Colombia. In collaboration with Uzbek poet Bahrom Ruzimuhammad, Azam compiled two international poetry anthologies, Fish and Snake and The Language of the Birds, involving hundreds of contemporary poets from around the world. He is also a World Poetry Movement’s coordinator of poetry events in Uzbekistan, and one of the founders of Maysara literary and cultural club at the Yudakov Museum in Tashkent.  Azam lives with his wife, journalist and poetess Nodira Abdullaeva and with his three sons in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

A READING WOMAN

A woman’s sitting in a slum

The slum is in a dump.

As she gets the hump:

The woman is reading.

It is dark in the dump,

There is a dim light

Inside the slum.

The woman is reading

Under the wan candlelight.

Her hope from life is dim, dim…

The reading woman

of my dream!

 I AM CLAY

I am clay –

Liquid and weak.

I have neither tongue

Nor mouth, to speak.

Everyone likes

To make some figure

To make a shape

From me.

I am clay –

Liquid and weak.

I always go

Through palms.

I leak…

I leak…

JE SUIS L'ARGILE

  
Je suis l'argile -

Liquide et faible.

Je n'ai ni langue

Ni bouche pour parler.

Tout le monde aime

Faire de moi des figurines

Ou me donner

Une forme particulière.

Je suis l'argile -

Liquide et faible.

Je vis toujours

Entre les mains

Des gens habiles.

Je coule ...

Je coule ...

         Azam Obidov

Translated into French by Athanase Vantchev de Thracy

A POEM OF EQUALITY

Who you are – 

A white man,

black

or red,

You are a boon companion or a threat.

To put yourself first

how can you well afford,

 But look here –

 You’re a human being from the Lord!

 Who you are –

A Muslim,

Christian,

Sikh,

You adore –

On men -

To play a trick,

With the others

will you not accord, 

But remember,

 You’re a human being from the Lord!

You are my brother,

You are my sister,

darling,

God will look at

not your varied colors, -

But at your heart

And at your good intentions

So, why kill each other,

Why fight,

We are equal

and we all have

the same right!

May God take

in due course

our lives.

Just tell me,

does friendship

have a price?

We were given time – 

Very short

Remember,

we all return back to the Lord!  

Who you are – 

A white man,

black

or red,

You are a boon companion or a threat,

Pass these words

to others in a cord:

 We’re one human being from the Lord!

SOUL BY SOUL

Should you wish, seek for chance, and forget

Your bad blood that is past, let us fill in hearts.

I am a friend loving you just because let’s set

Side by side, soul by soul, As the feeling darts.

Neither joy, nor a sweet dialogue fit the needs

Of your tender soul, as each and every day

For you is a true feast, without any treats, 

From too much of delight it’s good to keep away.

Let’s don’t call to mind Misfortune in peace season,

And welcome our lives, While sitting tete-a-tete,

To those who fell in war –  for not their religion –

For they too human beings – our tears – let us shed.

Seek for chance, with the edge of a global love,

Let us smash vanity one time and for all.

Be it joy or mourning that’s come from above,

Let us seat side by side, and soul by soul!