WRONG USE OF PUNCTUATION IN NAVAI'S WORKS

This article discusses the issues arising from the incorrect use of punctuation marks in the works of the great figure of Uzbek language and literature, Mir Alisher Navoi, particularly in the example of Khazoyin-ul-Maoniy (volumes 3-6) from the Mukammal Asar Tarjimai (Complete Works) published between 1988 and 2003. It highlights how the improper use of punctuation has made it more difficult to read and understand these works, and how this issue has led to a separation between Navoi's works and the Uzbek readership. Consequently, contemporary readers are forced to read Navoi's works in "translation" (prose expression). The article examines specific examples to uncover the reasons for this challenge. By reviewing the incorrectly used punctuation marks in Navoi's works, the article concludes that insufficient attention was given during the publication process. Scholars involved in preparing the manuscripts for print did not follow the syntactic structure and meaning of the verses when inserting punctuation. Instead, they adhered to a general rule, placing a comma at the end of the first hemistich of each verse and a period at the end of the second. In many cases, simple sentences within compound sentences were not properly separated by commas, leading to ambiguity in interpretation. This resulted in the false perception that "Navoi is a poet of the elite, and only a few specialized scholars can read and understand his works