A Poem, a Universe: A poetry book gaze at Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s “Ko‘zgudagi sanam”

Saidqulova Nozima Toʼlqin

By: Saidqulova Nozima Toʼlqin

Poetry sometimes doesn’t speak loudly. It slowly enters a person, awakening memory with a single line, bringing forgotten feelings to the heart with a single simile to awaken forgotten feelings in the heart, and with a single question, it compels one to reflect on one’s own life.

Reading Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s poetry collection, “Ko‘zgudagi sanam”, (“Idol in the Mirror”), evokes similar feelings. Published in 1994 by the “Yozuvchi” publishing house in Tashkent, this book is a unique mirror that leads into the poet’s lyrical world. However, this mirror does not reflect a simple external appearance. It reflects love, longing, human suffering, the homeland, the mother, life, goodness, beauty, and the poet’s own heart.

As you leaf through the collection, one thing becomes clear: for Jumaniyoz Jabborov, poetry is not just rhymed words. Poetry is a means for the soul to express itself.

“O, Pen”: the poet lays his soul bare on paper. The collection’s poem “O, Pen” vividly captures this creative spirit. The poet addresses the pen not as a simple writing instrument, but as a companion that expresses his pain and innermost feelings:

“Oh, pen, if you want to write, first write my pain…”

This address embodies the poet’s view on creativity. He asks the pen not to simply recount external events, but to write about pain.

Why specifically pain?

Because true poetry is often born from a person’s innermost feelings. The poet’s tear, the longing in their heart, and their unspoken words take on an artistic form through the pen.

It is no coincidence that throughout the poem the pen is addressed with concepts such as “heart”, “sigh”, “tears”, “pain”, “reunion” and “love”. These words define the main emotional layer of the poet’s lyricism. Thus, “O, Pen” is not just a poem about creativity, but also a report the creator gives to his own heart.

“You say you’re happy…” is the poet’s voice addressed to society,

The poem “You say you’re happy…” from the collection, however, reveals another facet of Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s lyricism. Here, the poet steps outside the circle of personal love or experience to look at the fate of people in society.

The poem begins with an appeal*: “Somewhere a child is suffering, so don’t beat the drum saying you’re happy…”*

The impact of these lines is that the poet compares one person’s happiness with the suffering of others. While someone is living a prosperous life, in another place a child is suffering, in another household the light is out, and someone else’s heart is under oppression. For this reason, the concept of “happiness” in the poem is not linked to simple personal joy, but to human responsibility. In the poet’s address, “don’t beat the drum saying you’re happy,” there is not a denial of envy or joy, but rather a call not to forget the suffering of others.

In this respect, the lyrical protagonist of Jumaniyoz Jabborov is not merely a lover lost in his own heart. He is a person who cannot remain indifferent to the fates of those around him.

“One day…” — the poet and his assessments. In the poem “One day…” the creator’s attitude toward his own creative path becomes even more clearly revealed. The poet says he has sung of the sky, of dawn, of love, of labor, of fame and glory. But his work receives various evaluations:

• “Detached from life”, “Pure feeling is corrupted”, “Excessive, drawn-out”…*

Here, the poem has a meaning that goes beyond a simple autobiographical experience.

An artist’s work is not always met with the same reception. One reader praises, another criticizes. What is valued in one era may be interpreted differently in another.

But by the end of the poem, the poet returns to his true self:

• “But one day I was filled with imagination, *

*I poured my true self into a song”, * that very point is the key to the poem.

For Jumaniyoz Jabborov, true creativity is, first and foremost, about finding oneself. It is about turning the truth of the heart into words, regardless of others’ judgments. For this reason, “One day…” can also be read as one of the poet’s manifestos in the collection.

“Burning”: the warmth of the heart amidst a natural landscape.

Nature imagery also holds a special place in the collection. In the poem “burning” the autumn landscape is depicted in incredibly vivid colors: gardens, trees, snow on the mountains, the sky, fruits, fields — all possess their own unique color and warmth in the poet’s gaze.

But this is no ordinary poem. As the poet depicts the external nature, he gradually moves into the human heart. The “burning” of autumn connects to the “burning” of the heart. The colors in nature harmonize with the inner emotions of the human soul.

Towards the end of the poem, the question arises:

• “Why, in autumn, does our heart burn in a state of disarray?”* this question gives the entire poem a different meaning:

Why do the final colors of nature disturb the human heart?

Why does autumn, along with its beauty, also evoke feelings of parting and transience?

Jumazniyoz Jabborov doesn’t just see nature — he feels it with his heart.

“The Value of Life”: What is the true wealth of life?

The poem “The Value of Life” in the collection reflects on the value of human life. In the poem, the measure of life is linked to wisdom and goodness. One of the most striking aspects is the poet’s reflection on the greatest wealth in the world. He does not measure wealth solely by material possessions. He mentions an infant’s laughter as one of the most precious things for a person.

This is a very simple, yet profound thought, because the wealth a person seeks their entire life can sometimes be found in the innocent laughter of a child.

In this way, the poet leaves the reader with a question:

What do we measure the value of our lives by?

In material wealth?

In status?

In fame?

Or in love, affection, a child’s laughter, creativity, and goodness?

For Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s lyrical protagonist, the answer lies in the second.

“Good Intention” is the light in the heart.

The poem “Good Intention” further strengthens the collection’s spiritual and philosophical spirit. The poet portrays a good intention as a force capable of lifting a person out of difficult situations:

“A good intention will help you achieve even a great dream…”

Here, “intention” is not just a wish. It is interpreted as an inner force that drives action. If a person has a good intention in their heart, they will not lose hope even in the most difficult situations. In this respect, the poem can easily speak to the modern reader as well. Because even as times change, a person’s need for hope remains constant. “The mirror of the heart”: the meaning of the book’s title is revealed here. The poem “Mirror of the heart” from the collection “My reflection in the mirror” is particularly important for understanding the book’s title.

The poet compares the human heart to a mirror: “Reflecting the world, the heart — a miracle mirror — with every breath…”

This line is in harmony with the entire poetic spirit of the collection.

What does a mirror show?

Ourselves.

But the mirror of the soul is even more complex. It reflects not the external appearance of a person, but their inner world. For the poet, the human heart is a miraculous mirror capable of reflecting the entire universe. If it is illuminated by the light of perception, reason, and goodness, it also shows the world differently.

At another important point in the poem, the heart connects with the “Homeland”.

Thus, the concepts of love, heart, humanity, and Homeland converge.

“Seeing the light of your beauty”: from beauty to the Homeland.

In Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s lyrics, beauty is not limited to just the beloved’s beauty. In the poem “Seeing the radiance of your beauty” the image of the beloved is depicted side-by-side with scenes of nature and the homeland. At the end of the poem, the poet’s focus shifts to the motherland.

This is a very important poetic feature: first, the image of a beautiful person is created, then nature is depicted in harmony with them, and finally, the poet’s gaze turns to the homeland, meaning that the personal feeling of beauty connects to the realization of the beauty of the Fatherland.

This demonstrates the breadth of the concept of love in Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s lyricism.

Who is the idol in the mirror — who is it really?

It would be wrong to limit the “idol”, in the book’s title solely to the image of a beloved. When we read the collection as a whole, “idol” appears in various guises: beloved, beauty, homeland, memory, dream, life itself. Sometimes the poet addresses his beloved, sometimes he writes about his mother, sometimes he reflects on his homeland, and sometimes he turns to his own heart.

Therefore, the “mirror” does not reflect a single image. It reveals the poet’s entire inner world.

This is also what connects the poems in the collection: the human heart and the various aspects of life reflect one another.

“Idol in the Mirror” was published in 1994. However, the themes in many of its poems are timeless. This is because questions about love, mother, homeland, life, goodness, creativity, and the human heart are still important to people today.

Conclusion

Jumaniyoz Jabborov’s collection “Idol in the mirror” is not just a book of love or poetry. In it, the poet’s personal experiences are presented alongside his relationship with society, the feeling of love and patriotism, nature and the human heart, and the search for self-identity through creativity.

As the poems in the collection are read, the concept of the “mirror” in its title deepens. Because it is before this mirror that the poet himself, his lyrical characters, and the reader themselves all stand.

Everyone sees their own reflection in it.

Someone sees their love.

Someone sees their longing.

Someone sees their mother.

Someone sees their homeland.

And someone sees their own heart, which they have not yet understood.

That is why “Idol in the mirror” is not just about an idol reflected in a mirror. It is about a person looking into their own heart.

Saidqulova Nozima Toʼlqin daughter

Karshi State Technical University

Irrigation engineering faculty of master

Uzbekistan

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