5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Uzbek Novel ‘The Days Gone By' translated into Korean
The Uzbek Embassy in Seoul unveiled the Korean edition of the Uzbek novel "The Days Gone By" on Monday.
Originally published in 1926 and authored by Abdulla Qodiriy, "The Days Gone By" is a foundational work of modern Uzbek literature.
The Korean edition of the novel has been translated through a comparison of three English versions, a German translation, and the original Uzbek text for linguistic accuracy and cultural depth, according to the embassy.
Qodiriy is regarded as the father of modern Uzbek prose. Nationalism, enlightenment ideals, and the Jadid movement — a reformist wave among Muslim intellectuals across Central Asia between the 1880s and 1920s — inspired his writings.
The term Jadid, meaning "new" or "modern" in classical Persian, advocated educational reform, social renewal and cultural revival.
Tragically, Qodiriy was executed in Tashkent in 1938 after being labeled an 'enemy of the people' during Joseph Stalin's rule, but posthumously he was rehabilitated in 1956 and later honored with Uzbekistan's National Award in 1991 and the Independence Order in 1994.
'Qodiriy's literary treasures, preserved through blood and sacrifice, remind us that what is transmitted is not merely text, but culture itself,' Uzbek Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov said in his remarks at the event.
The ambassador also lauded the Korean translation, noting that the research undertaken using original sources in multiple languages captures historical and cultural layers of the novel.
Set in the 19th-century Kokand Khanate, the novel portrays the realities of Uzbek society under Russian expansion, oppressive structures of traditional Islamic life, and a tragic love story. The novel has themes of identity, modernity and resistance, with insight into national trauma and cultural resilience.
The event also highlighted historical parallels between Korea and Uzbekistan, underscoring their deep-rooted cultural ties, with speakers highlighting that King Sejong and Alisher Navoi lived during the same era, as did King Taejo of Joseon and Amir Timur.
