Harmony of Colour and Content in Sabai Sayyor Stories

O. T. Tojiboeva and Z. Y. Shukurova

Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Epic, Poetry, Prose, Prose Version, Color, the Numeral Seven, Period, Reader.

Abstract: This article analyses the harmony of colour symbols utilised in Alisher Navoi’s works in conjunction with

natural objects. Specifically, this is demonstrated through the creation of a flawless literary composition based

on the events that occurred within seven multi-coloured castles spanning seven floors. The fact that the content

of each story is described directly from the perspective of colours is analysed using examples drawn from the

work. The article involves a comparative analysis of Alisher Navoi's novel "Sabai Sayyor" and his initial

prosaic narrative in Uzbek literature, "Nasri Xamsai benazir". It delves into the issues of preserving elements

of semantic colour across seven novels. A comparative scrutiny of this subject in prose suggests that certain

peculiarities exist in both texts. The compositional layout, particularly the sequence of chapters, holds

significant importance in the context of the literary work's meaning. Hence, this tool bears substantial

relevance in unravelling the essence of the work. The specific features of the poem's meaning, as well as its

prose exposition, are revealed through a semantic structural analysis of both.

1 INTRODUCTION

Researching Alisher Navoi's work in Uzbek literature

has proven a long-term endeavour. Discovering the

world of literary significance embodied through the

written word brings the reader closer to the trove of

meanings within Eastern literature. The reader who

relishes this wealth of meaning becomes acquainted

with the imaginative and intellectual world of the

acclaimed writer. Alisher Navoi's poetry, renowned

throughout the East and demonstrating the literary

prowess of the poets, asserts its merit uniquely.

Symbols deployed in Navoi's work, natural objects,

and the experiences of the human heart are

illuminated through the harmony of colours in the

world that surrounds the poet. Such a distinct

harmony is also evident in the works of other great

global classics. In this regard, studying the literary

legacy of Alisher Navoi, deserving of worldwide

recognition, serves as a source of spiritual pleasure

for the reader and inspiration for the creator.

The literary imagery utilised in Alisher Navoi’s

lyricism reflects the uniqueness of the poet's work.

Colour and symbols relating to number play an

integral role within the text, as well as in the spiritual

arts that marry form and content. Within the poet's

work, the profundity of the world's colour meaning

and its role in literary expression are ever-growing

and expanding, where the human spirit is represented

by colourful facets. In these depths, the mysteries and

beauties of life are distinctly portrayed. The poet,

comparing his life to the seasons, transmits nature's

colours to the human heart through the creation of

seasonal hues. Colour encapsulates the various

aspects of the human heart. The layers of meaning

found in the literary diversity used in Xamsa’s epic

poems elicit admiration for the poet's literary

capabilities and the depth of his thought.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Reading and understanding Alisher Navoi's works

was relatively straightforward in an era when the

Oriental environment, mindset, and perspective were

still preserved, and readers engaged directly with the

original text. However, due to shifts in social and

political life at the start of the 20th century, readers

began to comprehend Alisher Navoi's works through

additional commentary. Alisher Navoi's works were

thus interpreted, annotations and dictionaries were

developed, and prose descriptions were formulated.

Changes in time, altered consciousness, and the

transformation of the mystical worldview began to

complicate the understanding of the essence of

literary works.

Tojiboeva, O. and Shukurova, Z.

Harmony of Colour and Content in Sabai Sayyor Stories.

DOI: 10.5220/0012515400003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 855-859

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

855

While the poems of Alisher Navoi’s "Xamsa"

have been studied and analysed for centuries, the

prose exposition only began to be read from the 20th

century onwards. While reader requirements are

addressed through the prosaic narrative, the

secondary text also demands the preservation of

originality and foundational ideas. In this regard,

maintaining the layers of meaning in the prose texts

that serve to communicate Navoi’s work to the

general public is essential to gauge the degree to

which the poet's creative concept reaches the reader.

Semantic colouration in the "Sabai Sayyor", a

composite story with complex composition and

intricate form and content, diverges from the author's

other poems. It is acknowledged that the beauty of

poetry is somewhat lost in prose. Preserving colour

and numerical symbols in prosaic expositions proves

more convenient than doing so within poetic work. It

is entirely possible to retain their original meaning in

the text.

"Nasri Xamsai benazir", the first prosaic narrative

in Uzbek literature, was timely enough to satisfy the

reader's needs and bolster the popularity of the poems.

"Qissai haft manzarai Bahrom", the first prosaic

statement of the epic poem "Sabai Sayyor", which is

more vividly illustrated by other literary poems, also

warrants comparison due to the unique features of the

original [Nasri Xamsai great. (2019)., Muhiddinov

M. (2007)].

To test semantic diversity and the creative intent

of the poet, each of "Xamsa"'s poems, which are

exceptional products of the author’s literary skills,

can become a significant object of research. The role

of the five poems in terms of sense load is that of a

unified effect, and the semantic-structural role and

function of the poems and chapters are analysed in

various ways within the research. The introduction

and preamble chapters, which articulate the poet's

creative idea, are also underscored. Through the

analysis of these five literary pieces, the intention is

to reveal the meaning of the entire work. The layers

of meaning of the colour and numerical symbols, their

functions in the poem, have been analysed in various

ways. A number of investigations have been

conducted on the materials of Navoi’s lyrics. For

instance, S.Otanova conducted a special study

focusing on colour symbolism [O'tanova S. (2007).],

while S.Jumaeva conducted research concentrating

on symbolism relating to numbers [Jumaeva S.

(2010)]. Both works present a detailed analysis of the

aforementioned types of symbolism that the author

employs in his famous works. In contrast to these

studies, observations within this article are made

between two sources: prosaic statements and

originality. Consequently, conclusions and results are

drawn through a textual-comparative analysis.

3 DISCUSSIONS

In the poem, introductory and concluding chapters, as

well as stories covering the main content, are

arranged in a sequence that consistently maintains

meaning. Seven stories related to the life of the

protagonist complement one another. The harmony of

colour revealed in “Sabai Sayyor” is one of the most

crucial literary devices used for creating distinct

images. Among these, there are images of Bahrom

and Dilorom and seven stories, all of which serve to

convey the meaning of the work in greater depth. The

descriptions of the seven novels and the colour of the

seven stories enrich the semantics of the stories,

which in turn relate to the protagonist's life. When

examining the preservation of colour harmonies in the

prosaic statement, it is important to note that the

chapters preceding these meaningful stories are

restored and preserved. The colour of the novels and

related images, the mental state of Bahrom, and the

chapter that introduces his story are changed in the

prose. If we aim to understand the range of

meaningfulness of the work's structure in the novels'

portraits, the spirit of Bahrom, and the chapters

introducing his story, and to discern Navoi's

intention, we will need to interpret the alterations of

the chapters in the prose. The chapters that precede

each story, although small in size, are of great

importance. Seven novels, each presented in one of

seven colours within the work's structure, all lead into

seven stories that begin with this chapter, thereby

connecting the main theme and stories. It is in this

chapter that the reader understands the colour of the

novels. In this chapter, the colours used in the literal

sense are integrated into the images, situations, and

actions of the stories. This composition is altered in

the prosaic narrative. The mental state of Bahrom is

barely taken from the novels' verses, reduced to a

brief sentence of colour, and added to the stories with

a focus on the stories themselves. The novels'

description here serves as a brief preface to the story.

As defined in this chapter, "to pluck the throne

pink holding the rest, pass in front of the middle / Jami

Boules Boda Gulf", the literary-aesthetic prose in the

publisher chapter reduces the influence of the flower's

colour, preserving colourful words for the purpose of

preservation. Following the story, it is noted that the

content's colour is associated with the concepts of

work, based on the spirit's dependency on his

position. The division provides the reader with a full

PAMIR 2023 - The First Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies- | PAMIR

856

spectrum of colours in accordance with the preserved

content, which is of great importance.

One of Alisher Navoi's poetic style features is

evident in this poem. His seven palaces, each in its

own colour, are seen in their original locations, the

same scheme is effectively applied through other

objects in nature. The red rose, in particular, through

the words of a bird, points to a multitude of similar

colour modes:

Har sori gul uzori gulgun po‘sh,

Jomi gulrang aylar erdi no‘sh.

Yuzi gul-gul bo‘lub nishot angez,

Shoxning xorxorin alab tez [Alisher Navoiy.

Hamsa. (1960), 553].

(Meaning: He sat on a pink throne and poured

gulfom boda into a purple cup. When he and the king

were drinking pink wine, the wine brightened their

faces.)

In the gazelle's flowery face (a beautiful face like

red roses), women dressed in flowery (red) shirts,

vines in red (red grape juice), as well as stories on the

concepts represented by the colour red, the colour is

closely tied. This prose is expressed in the following

sentence: “Girls with flowery faces everywhere were

drinking may (wine) in flower-coloured cups. Their

faces were blooming” [Nasri Xamsai great. (2019),

92].

The author of the prose attempts to establish links

caused by invisible strings tied to the nature of

internal connections. Even if there are omissions in

other places, the author strives to reveal them every

time, endeavouring to maintain their importance as

the centre of attention.

Tales of content, akin to the bloody colour of a

flower on earth, often depict injustice but end with the

triumph of kindness:

Qasri gulrang aro bo‘lub gulposh,

Mayi gulfom birla erdi maosh.

Bo‘yla holatda hukm tengi sudur,

Kim topib qatl Malluvu Jaypur.

Bo‘ldi yer qonlari birla gulfom,

Ko‘rki gul faslidur ne xush ayyom [Alisher

Navoiy. Hamsa. (1960), 562].

(Meaning: At that time, the king ordered the

finding and execution of Ballu and Jaipur. The earth

became gulfom with their blood. Look how beautiful

the flower season is.

The poet directs the red colour in the word

“flower” towards all actions and events. The colour

of May, the flower season, the arrival of spring, even

the blood of enemies, and the earth becoming red as

the colour of flowers are all considered).

Prose description: The crowd was drinking may in

the flower colour. At this time, he ordered that Jaipur

and Mallu were to be killed, and their blood turned

the land red [9, 97].

From the prose description of the gazelle, some

words in the statement are omitted, but some leading

points remain. Moreover, two additional lines are not

included. In particular, a section like “Xushdurur

bog‘i koinot guli, Barchadin yaxshidur hayot guli”

(Meaning: The garden of the universe is good, but

even better is the flower of life) holds significant

importance, encapsulating the entire meaning of the

poem. From the text of the poem, it is easy to

anticipate the victory of good and the welcoming of

the spring flower season, which will come in due

course. According to the conclusion's result, the event

will be known to the reader. If the prose sentence is

shortened, the interpretation of this role ends with the

triumph of goodness and lyrical prose will be

expected upon arrival.

The aforementioned section, with stories on the

colour of the lily flower, introduces the next chapter

focusing on the colour blue and past events. In the

prose sentence like "On Wednesday, Shah Bahram

wore a dress adorned with lotus flowers, went to the

lotus dome, drank may (wine) in a turquoise cup, and

shared a legend about the stranger who brought the

fifth climate", the chapter is restricted to a brief

description of colours. This is the author's chosen

story, based on colour, which is shorter and primarily

concentrates on the content of the tales.

Events echoing the colour occur in the blue square

with the water lily. Tools and descriptions indicate the

images of the same colour. The term "blue lotus" is

used seventeen times in this chapter, whereas it

appears eight times in the prose sentence. The

reduction in prose shifts the expressive form of the

term related to the blue lily. In particular, the unique

expression of loving concern follows:

Yuzig‘a bas taponcha urg‘onidin,

Nilufarlar ochib gulistonidin [Alisher Navoiy.

Hamsa. (1960), 571].

(He slapped her face, and the lilies bloomed in her

flower garden.)

Turning blue due to a slap represents the powerful

state of the lover. Beautiful flowers such as the blue

lotus, roses, and blue lily symbolise the blue lily in

the garden, and this interpretation attests to the poet's

imagination and ability to evoke wonder and

Harmony of Colour and Content in Sabai Sayyor Stories

857

enjoyment in the art world. Words like "flower" and

"lily" are preserved in the prose statement, with the

word "blue" also being kept for its meaning. In the

chapter, the lily flower is associated with blue, the sea

lily flower embodies the blue of the sea, and the sea

itself is blue in colour. The situation is portrayed

using the lily flower, with the colour being

intrinsically linked to the work's central colour.

In the work, the number seven - representing

seven passengers, their seven stories, seven worlds,

seven beauties, seven kings, seven castles, seven

colours, seven days, seven layers of heaven, seven

planets - is repeated ninety-seven times. This style is

clearly retained in the prose text [13, 78].

Specifically, in the nineteenth chapter, the completion

of seven palaces by seven artists and the reasons for

introducing seven princesses of seven kings are

detailed. The style involving repetition of 'seven' is

prominently showcased in this chapter. In this

passage, the number 'seven' is repeated twelve times,

while in the prose description, it is given fifteen times.

The author underpins the entire essence of the number

'seven' from chapter to chapter, throughout the work.

In other sections, the number seven serves as an

indicator. In this regard, we note the increment of the

same number:

Chun muhandislar ehtimom etti,

Har bir o‘z qasrini tamom etti [Alisher Navoiy.

Hamsa. (1960), 507].

(Construction engineers worked diligently, each

completing their own castle).

This part is described in prose as follows: "As a

result, the perfect masters in the seven climates built

seven palaces" [Nasri Xamsai great. (2019)., 74].

Naturally, this part discusses the master's palace.

The author of these lines clearly communicates them

through the content. The subsequent lines detail the

decoration of the seven palaces with seven unique

colours:

Ham bu yanglig‘ chu o‘tti oz fursat,

Qasrlar topti zeb ila ziynat.

Har birin o‘zga nav’ etti rang,

Bo‘ldi ul yetti qasr yetti rang [Alisher Navoiy.

Hamsa. (1960), 526].

(Likewise, not much time passed, and the

decoration of the palaces was completed. Each palace

was painted a different colour, resulting in the seven

palaces having seven different colours.)

In the prose description: Eight's Zodiac comprises

four high and four low. The upper four pools contain

four peacocks, while the lower four pools contain four

boules; parrots surrounded by jewels perch nearby

[Nasri Xamsai great. (2019), 82].

In the prose narrative, such a sequence of colours

and numbers is given in the original. Thus, the author

of the prose narrative managed to convey the meaning

of colours and symbols in Navoi's epic, bringing the

reader closer to Navoi at least once.

Numbers are explicitly presented in couplets to

facilitate the reader's understanding and enhance the

flow of the reading experience. The author of the

poem aimed to unveil the colour's symbolic meaning,

preserve the numbers, and remind the reader of them

as much as possible.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Upon comparing the chapters, it becomes clear that

the author of the prose has preserved the most

significant characteristics. It is evident that they have

visualised the entire work and have meticulously

formulated a plan for feature selection that

encapsulates the essence and the prevailing idea of

the work. Clearly, during this period, there was an

ample opportunity to read from the original text and

to increase its popularity. This prose serves as a

valuable resource in the history of Navoi's creative

activities and was instrumental in popularising the

poet's work among the wider public during its time.

The comparative analysis reveals that each period

infuses its own unique characteristics into the text,

and the authors of the narrative adhere to the

requirements of the period. Pertinently, the author of

the prose manages to maintain the original ideas of

the work intact.

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