European International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
and Management Studies
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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
53-57
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
20 February 2025
ACCEPTED
19 March 2025
PUBLISHED
21 April 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue04 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Bridges of Eternity: How
the Lyrics of Abdulla
Oripov And Boris
Pasternak Intertwine
Time, Landscapes, And
Human Existence into A
Universal Language of
Poetry
Aziza Rustamovna Babajanova
Lecturer at the Department of Russian Language, Faculty of Languages,
Nizami Tashkent State Pedagogical University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article explores the creative dialogue
between two poets
—
Boris Pasternak and Abdulla
Oripov
—
who belong to different cultural and historical
traditions yet speak the universal language of poetry. It
analyzes the key motifs in their lyrics: the philosophical
interpretation of time, the role of nature as a metaphor
for the inner world, historical memory, and the search
for harmony in chaos. The comparison of Russian and
Uzbek poetic traditions allows us to identify both the
commonalities and unique aspects of their worldviews.
The article highlights the significance of their works as
a "bridge of eternity" connecting eras, cultures, and
human existence.
Keywords:
Boris Pasternak, Abdulla Oripov, poetry,
time, nature, historical memory, philosophy of being,
culture.
Introduction:
Poetry as a Bridge Between Eras and
Souls. Poetry is a bridge that connects hearts and eras.
It has the power to transcend the boundaries of time
and space, conveying eternal truths about human
existence. Great poets, even when living in different
times and countries, speak a common language of
emotions, imagery, and philosophy.
Abdulla Oripov is one of the most significant Uzbek
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poets of the 20th and 21st centuries. Boris Pasternak is
a classic of 20th-century Russian literature. These two
poets, separated by geography and culture but united
by a deep understanding of the world and humanity,
created lyrics that resonate in the universal language of
poetry. Though they belong to different traditions, their
poetry is united by profound reflections on existence,
natural motifs, and historical memory. Their works can
be seen as a bridge between times, landscapes, and the
human inner world, forming a universal poetic
language.
A Temporal Dialogue: Pasternak and Oripov Across
Eras.Boris Pasternak, one of the key poets of the Silver
Age, witnessed an era where historical cataclysms
intertwined with deep personal dramas. His works,
imbued with a striving for harmony, are not merely
reflections of external chaos but an attempt to find
eternal truths within it. For example, in the novel
Doctor Zhivago, written in the 1950s and banned in the
Soviet
Union,
Boris
Pasternak
explores
the
confrontation between the individual and history,
showing how art and love become a salvation against
the backdrop of wars and revolutions. This work,
awarded the Nobel Prize in 1958, led to persecution by
the authorities, highlighting the tragic role of an artist
in a totalitarian era.Even during the years of Stalinist
repressions, when many of Pasternak's colleagues fell
silent or perished, he continued to seek a language for
dialogue with eternity. His late poetry, such as in the
poem "Being famous is not beautiful...", serves as a
manifesto of inner freedom:
"The goal of creativity is self-giving, / Not fame, not
success."
These lines are key to understanding his position: for
him, art was not a tool for glory but a way to preserve
humanity in an inhumane time.
Pasternak's philosophical depth is evident in his ability
to see the eternal in the everyday. For example, in the
poem "February. Get ink and weep...", he compares the
creative process to natural forces:
"…While the thundering slush / Burns black with
spring."
Here, the storm of spring becomes a metaphor for the
birth of a poem, while the rain symbolizes tears through
which the unspoken is expressed.
The theme of overcoming time through art is also
present in the cycle "Poems of Yuri Zhivago", where the
history of an individual dissolves into eternity. In
"Hamlet", the hero declares:"I am alone, everything is
sinking in hypocrisy. / To live life is not to cross a
field."This is a reflection on choosing one's path,
resonating with Pasternak's own existential searches.
Nature as a Co-Author: Landscapes as Philosophical
Symbols. In Pasternak’s poetry, nature is not merely a
backdrop but an active participant in the dialogue
about life and death. His landscapes come to life,
transforming into philosophical symbols: snow,
blizzards, and rain are not just settings but metaphors
of purification and renewal. For example, in “A Winter’s
Night” (“It was snowing, snowing all over the earth...”),
the snowstorm becomes a metaphor for cleansing,
erasing the boundaries between the personal and the
universal.
The theme of time and overcoming its limits through art
echoes throughout Pasternak’s poetry:
"In everything, I want to reach / The very essence..."
Boris Pasternak sought to grasp the depth of existence
and convey the moment of eternity through art. For
him, time was not only a sequence of historical events
but also an internal rhythm of life, intertwined with
nature, love, and creativity.
Abdulla Oripov’s Poetry as a Bridge Between Eras. The
poetry of Abdulla Oripov served as a bridge between
the Soviet era and Uzbekistan’s national revival. His
lyrics, imbued with deep patriotism and philosophical
reflections, depict the nation’s complex path to self
-
determination amid historical transformations. While
Boris Pasternak sought harmony in chaos through
universal themes, Abdulla Oripov emphasized the
connection with national roots, asserting that
preserving culture is an act of defying time. In the lines
“Burn, my soul, while you live, / Reveal to the people
the truth of words”, on
e can hear not only a call to
spiritual devotion but also a declaration of the poet’s
mission. Here, the “fire” of the soul symbolizes
unwavering dedication to the native land, while the
“truth of words” alludes to the role of literature as a
keeper of historical memory. These motifs are
especially evident in the poem “Oldimga kel” (“Come to
Me”), where Oripov, drawing on images of ancient
cities and legends, reconstructs a dialogue between the
past and the present, affirming the continuity of
cultural tradition.
Like Boris Pasternak, Abdulla Oripov saw art as a way to
overcome the fleeting nature of existence. However,
while the Russian poet dissolved the personal into the
eternal through nature and metaphysics, Oripov sought
his foundation in national epic tales and folklore. For
instance, in the poem “Motherland”, he writes:
*“I am a blade of grass in your steppes,
A drop of water in your rivers...”*
This underscores the inseparable bond between a
person and their ancestral land. The metaphor of the
small and the great becomes a leitmotif of his work,
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where individual fate is understood through the lens of
collective history.
Even under the ideological constraints of the Soviet era,
Abdulla Oripov remained true to national imagery,
blending it with modern p
oetic forms. In the poem “The
Tree of Life”, he metaphorically portrays Uzbekistan as
a tree with roots deep in history and branches uniting
many peoples. This image became a symbol of unity in
diversity, relevant to the post-Soviet space.
The Balance Between Past and Future
Abdulla Oripov’s poetry is an attempt to maintain a
fragile balance between the past and the future. As the
poet himself wrote: “Time is a river, but memory is its
shores.” His legacy, recognized by state awards and
cherished by the people, confirms that art is capable
not only of reflecting an era but also of shaping its
spiritual landscape.
Landscape as a Mirror of the Inner World. In Boris
Pasternak’s poetry, landscapes are not mere scenery
but symbolic reflections of inner states. Russian winter,
autumn, and spring awakenings serve as keys to
understanding his worldview. In the poem “Februa
ry.
Get ink and weep...”, nature becomes inseparable from
poetic inspiration: snow, rain, and wind turn into co-
authors of the poem, while the “thundering slush” of
spring becomes a metaphor for creative passion. For
Pasternak, landscape is the language of the soul, where
a blizzard can symbolize turmoil, and dawn
—
hope.
Similarly, Abdulla Oripov imbues Uzbekistan’s nature
with profound cultural and historical meaning. The
images of steppes, scorching sun, and endless skies in
his poetry are not just descriptions of his homeland but
symbols of national identity and spiritual freedom. In
the lines "Oh, my steppe, vast and free, / You are
eternal and immutable in my heart," the steppe
becomes a metaphor for the homeland itself
—
unchanging
despite
historical
upheavals.
Its
boundlessness reflects the vastness of the national
spirit, while the scorching sun embodies the warmth of
love for one’s land.
If Pasternak Often “Humanizes” Nature…
If Boris Pasternak often “humanizes” nature (for
example, the blizzard “cries”
or the rain “whispers”),
then for Abdulla Oripov, nature attains a sacred quality,
intertwining with ancient myths. In the poem “Call of
the Ancestors”, he writes:
*“The wind from the mountains carries the voices of
millennia,
The songs of my land
—
lik
e sacred nets.”*
Here, the steppe wind becomes a conduit of ancestral
memory, while nature itself turns into a temple where
history comes to life.
Interestingly, in the works of both poets, landscapes
overcome staticity: for Pasternak, they are dynamic,
mi
rroring the movement of life itself (“It was snowing,
snowing all over the earth / In all directions”), while for
Abdulla Oripov, nature is eternal, reflecting the cyclical
nature of time. In the poem “Night in the Steppe”, the
starry sky is compared to the intricate patterns on
ancient ceramics, emphasizing the connection between
natural phenomena and the cultural identity of the
nation.
Nature as a Metaphor for Contemporary Issues. Abdulla
Oripov also uses nature as a means of metaphorical
dialogue with m
odernity. In the poem “The Cry of the
Crane”, migratory birds symbolize the longing for lost
unity, while a dried-up riverbed serves as a reminder of
ecological and social problems. Yet, even within these
motifs, there is hope: “The steppe will bloom if th
e
heart does not grow cold,” he writes, linking the revival
of the land to human spiritual resilience.
Thus, while Boris Pasternak reveals the depth of
individual existence through landscapes, Abdulla
Oripov transforms them into a collective portrait of a
nation. However, both poets share a common vision:
for them, nature is not a mere backdrop but a living
interlocutor through which eternity speaks.
In world literature, the dialogue between cultures often
serves as a bridge connecting nations, epochs, and
worldviews. The works of Boris Pasternak and Abdulla
Oripov exemplify this dialogue, where Russian and
Uzbek traditions, refracted through the personal
experiences of the poets, acquire a universal
resonance.
Despite their different historical contexts
—
Pasternak,
who lived through revolutions and wars, and Oripov,
who witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the
birth of an independent Uzbekistan
—
their poetry
speaks in the language of eternal values: freedom,
memory, and love for their homeland. This study
explores how these two voices, separated by time and
geography, create a unified chorus where their
differences only deepen the sense of mutual
understanding.
Historical and Cultural Contexts. Boris Pasternak and
Abdulla Oripov created their works in eras when culture
became a battleground for identity. For Pasternak, who
grew up in a family of an artist and a pianist, Russian
literature was part of the broader European modernist
movement. His early poetry was influenced by
Symbolism, but by the 1910s, he sought his own path,
blending metaphysics with an almost physiological
perception of nature. During the Soviet years, his
work
—
particularly the novel Doctor Zhivago
—
became
a challenge to official ideology, asserting the artist’s
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right to inner freedom.
In contrast, Abdulla Oripov developed as a poet in
Soviet Uzbekistan, where national culture had to
balance between preserving traditions and conforming
to socialist realism. His poetry, rooted in Persian classics
(Hafiz, Rumi) and Turkic epics, became a
voice of “quiet
resistance”—
through metaphors of the steppe, ancient
cities, and folklore, he reconnected with the pre-
revolutionary past. After 1991, Abdulla Oripov became
a symbol of national revival, contributing to the
creation of Uzbekistan’s nationa
l anthem and
promoting the Uzbek language as the foundation of
cultural sovereignty.
Pasternak
saw
art
as
salvation
from
the
dehumanization of history (“Do not sleep, do not sleep,
artist, / Do not surrender to sleep”).
Oripov viewed creativity as a duty t
o the people (“Burn,
my soul, while you live, / Reveal to the people the truth
of words”).
Both poets, however, rejected the role of the artist as a
mere “singer of the regime,” choosing sincerity over
political conformity.
For Boris Pasternak, nature serves as a mirror of the
soul, where a blizzard symbolizes turmoil, and spring
rain represents purification. In the poem “February. Get
ink and weep...”, the creative process merges with
natural elements:
*“While the thundering slush
Burns with black spring f
ire...”*
Here, spring is not merely a season but a metaphor for
the birth of poetry, where pain and joy are inseparable.
In Abdulla Oripov’s works, the nature of Uzbekistan
acquires a sacred dimension. The steppe in his poetry is
both a homeland and a metaphor for eternity:
*"Oh, my steppe, vast and free,
You are eternal and unshakable in my heart."*
The scorching sun and boundless expanses symbolize
the resilience of the people, while migratory cranes
("The Cry of the Crane," 1990s) become a symbol of
longing for lost unity.
Comparison:
In Boris Pasternak’s poetry, nature is dynamic—
it
"burns," "cries," "whispers."
In Abdulla Oripov’s works, nature is monumental—
like
an ancient monument preserving the memory of
centuries.
Art Against Oblivion
Pasternak perceived creativity as a way to overcome
death:
*"And the day lasts longer than a century,
And the embrace never ends."* ("Nobel Prize," 1958)
His poetry is an attempt to capture the moment and
transform it into eternity.
For Abdulla Oripov, on the other hand, words were an
instrument of collective immortality:
*"My words are not shadows but footprints,
The winds of time will not erase them."*
To him, the poet is not a solitary genius but the voice of
generations, a link between past and future.
Although there are no direct references between their
works, their dialogue takes place within the shared
space of world literature.
Cultural Dialogue Across Borders. By translating Russian
classics, Abdulla Oripov reinforced Uzbek identity. Boris
Pasternak, as a "European," placed Russia within a
global context. Both demonstrated that the national is
not provincial but universal.
Pasternak was a Nobel laureate (1958), and his novel
Doctor Zhivago has been translated into dozens of
languages. His dialogue with Rilke, Tsvetaeva, and
European modernism made Russian poetry an integral
part of world literature.
Abdulla Oripov was awarded the title of People’s Po
et
of Uzbekistan, and his poetry became a hymn to
national dignity. His engagement with Persian classics
and the Russian school of translation showed that
Uzbek culture is not an exotic curiosity but a living
tradition.
The dialogue between Boris Pasternak and Abdulla
Oripov is a conversation beyond borders, where
Russian "metaphysical nature" meets Uzbek "poetry of
roots." Both poets proved that true art transcends the
dichotomy of "East
–
West"; it emerges where personal
experience becomes the voice of humanity. As Abdulla
Oripov wrote:
"Rivers flow into the ocean but do not lose their
names."
These lines could serve as an epigraph to their shared
literary journey, where differences only emphasize the
unity of purpose
—
to preserve the light of culture in the
darkest of times.
Abdulla Oripov and Boris Pasternak were poets of
different eras, yet they spoke the same language
—
the
language of eternal poetry. Their works transcend time
and space, connecting traditions, landscapes, and
philosophies of life. Both poets built "bridges of
eternity," along which their readers continue to walk,
finding reflections of their own thoughts and emotions
in their verses.
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Poetry, born in different corners of the world, reveals
itself as a single stream carrying the voice of the human
soul
—
eternal, like life itself.
REFERENCES
Pasternak, B. Doctor Zhivago. Moscow: Soviet Writer,
1957.
Pasternak, B. Collected Works in 5 Volumes. Vol. 4.
Moscow: Khudozhestvennaya Literatura, 1990.
Pasternak, B. February. Get Ink and Weep... // Poems.
Moscow: Prosveshchenie, 1978.
Oripov, A. Selected Poems. Tashkent: Gafur Gulyam,
2000.
Oripov, A. Homeland // Poems About the Land.
Tashkent: Molodyozh Publishing, 1991.
Pasternak, B. Winter Night // Lyric Poetry. Moscow:
Soviet Writer, 1965.
Oripov, A. Call of the Ancestors // Poetry Collection.
Tashkent: Shark, 1985.
Pasternak, B. Nobel Prize. Moscow: Vremya, 2008.
Oripov, A. My Words Are Not Shadows but Footprints.
Tashkent: Fan, 1994.
