The myth of Cupid and Psyche - Brendan Pelsue

Prevoditelj: Irma Komljenović Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

"Ljepota je prokletstvo", pomislila je Psiha

"Beauty is a curse," Psyche thought

as she looked over the cliff's edge where she'd been abandoned by her father.

dok je gledala preko ruba stijene na kojoj ju je napustio otac.

She'd been born with the physical perfection so complete

Rođena je tako fizički savršena

that she was worshipped as a new incarnation of Venus, the goddess of love.

da je štovana kao nova inkarnacija Venere, božice ljubavi.

But real-life human lovers were too intimidated even to approach her.

No ljudski su ljubavnici bili odveć uplašeni da bi joj prišli.

When her father asked for guidance from the Oracle of Apollo,

Kad je njen otac potražio savjet Apolonova proroka,

the god of light, reason, and prophecy.

boga svjetlosti, razuma i proročanstva,

He was told to abandon his daughter on a rocky crag

rečeno mu je da napusti svoju kćer na stjenovitoj litici

where she would marry a cruel and savage serpent-like winged evil.

gdje će se udati za okrutno, divlje, krilato, zmijoliko zlo.

Alone on the crag, Psyche felt Zephyr the West Wind

Sama na litici, Psiha je osjetila kako ju Zefir, zapadni vjetar,

gently lifting her into the air.

nježno podiže u zrak.

It set her down before a palace.

Spustio ju je pred palačom.

"You are home," she heard an unseen voice say.

"Doma si", čula je glas nekoga koga nije vidjela.

"Your husband awaits you in the bedroom, if you dare to meet him."

"Tvoj te muž čeka u spavaćoj sobi, ako se usudiš upoznati ga."

She was brave enough, Psyche told herself.

Psiha si je rekla da je dovoljno hrabra.

The bedroom was so dark that she couldn't see her husband.

Spavaća je soba bila toliko mračna da nije mogla vidjeti svoga muža.

But he didn't feel serpent-like at all.

No nije se činio zmijolik.

His skin was soft, and his voice and manner were gentle.

Njegova je koža bila mekana, a glas i ponašanje nježni.

She asked him who he was,

Upitala ga je tko je,

but he told her this was the one question he could never answer.

no rekao je da na to pitanje nikada neće moći dati odgovor.

If she loved him, she would not need to know.

Ako ga voli, neće biti potrebno to znati.

His visits continued night after night.

Njegovi su se posjeti ponavljali iz noći u noć.

Ubrzo je Psiha zatrudnjela.

Before long, Psyche was pregnant.

She rejoiced, but was also conflicted.

Bila je radosna, no zabrinuta.

How could she raise her baby with a man she'd never seen?

Kako će odgojiti dijete s muškarcem kojeg nikad nije vidjela?

That night, Psyche approached her sleeping husband holding an oil lamp.

Te je noći Psiha prišla svom uspavanom mužu noseći uljanicu.

What she found was the god Cupid

Otkrila je boga Kupida

who sent gods and humans lusting after each other

koji je u bogovima i ljudima budio požudu

with the pinpricks of his arrows.

ubodom svoje strelice.

Psyche dropped her lamp, burning Cupid with hot oil.

Psiha je ispustila svoju uljanicu opekavši Kupida vrućim uljem.

Rekao je kako je zaljubljen u Psihu otkad je njegova ljubomorna majka Venera

He said he'd been in love with Psyche ever since his jealous mother, Venus,

asked him to embarrass the young woman by pricking her with an arrow.

zatražila da osramoti mladu ženu pogotkom svoje strelice.

But taken with Psyche's beauty, Cupid used the arrow on himself.

Kupid, obuzet Psihinom ljepotom, pogodi samoga sebe strelicom.

He didn't believe, however, that gods and humans could love as equals.

Unatoč tome, nije vjerovao da bogovi i ljudi mogu podjednako voljeti.

Now that she knew his true form, their hopes for happiness were dashed,

Sada kad je saznala njegov pravi oblik, njihova je nada za srećom bila uništena,

so he flew away.

pa je odletio.

Psyche was left in despair until the unseen voice returned

Psiha je očajavala dok se skriveni glas nije vratio

and told her that it was indeed possible

i rekao joj kako je moguće da ona i Kupid budu jednaki u ljubavi.

for her and Cupid to love each other as equals.

Encouraged, she set out to find him.

Ohrabrena je krenula u potragu za njime.

But Venus intercepted Psyche and said she and Cupid could only wed

No Venera je presrela Psihu i rekla kako se ona i Kupid mogu vjenčati

if she completed a series of impossible tasks.

samo ako ispuni niz nemogućih zadataka.

First, Psyche was told to sort a huge, messy pile of seeds in a single night.

Prvo je Psihi rečeno da razvrsta ogromnu, neurednu hrpu sjemenki u jednoj noći.

Just as she was abandoning hope,

Kad je počela gubiti nadu,

an ant colony took pity on her and helped with the work.

kolonija mrava sažalila se nad njom i pomogla joj s poslom.

Successfully passing the first trial,

Uspješno prošavši prvi test,

Psyche next had to bring Venus the fleece of the golden sheep,

Psiha je potom Veneri morala donijeti vunu zlatne ovce

who had a reputation for disemboweling stray adventurers,

koja je bila poznata po paranju utrobe zalutalim avanturistima,

but a river god showed her how to collect

no riječni bog joj je pokazao kako sakupiti vunu

the fleece the sheep had snagged on briars,

koja je ovci zapela za grmove šipka

and she succeeded.

i uspjela je.

Konačno, Psiha je morala otputovati u Podzemlje

Finally, Psyche had to travel to the Underworld

and convince Proserpina, queen of the dead,

i uvjeriti Prozerpinu, kraljicu mrtvih,

to put a drop of her beauty in a box for Venus.

da stavi kap svoje ljepote u kutiju za Veneru.

Once again, the unseen voice came to Psyche's aide.

Psihi je ponovno pomogao skriveni glas.

It told her to bring barley cakes for Cerberus, the guard dog to the Underworld

Rekao joj je da donese kolače od ječma za Kerbera, psa čuvara Podzemlja,

and coins to pay the boatman, Charon to ferry her across the river Styx.

i novčiće kako bi platila lađaru Haronu da ju preveze preko rijeke Stiks.

With her third and final task complete,

Sa završenim trećim, finalnim, zadatkom

Psyche returned to the land of the living.

Psiha se vratila zemlji živućih.

Just outside Venus's palace, she opened the box of Proserpina's beauty,

Ispred Venerine palače otvorila je kutiju Prozerpinine ljepote,

hoping to keep some for herself.

nadajući se da će zadržati malo za sebe.

But the box was filled with sleep, not beauty,

No kutija je bila ispunjena snom, a ne ljepotom,

and Psyche collapsed in the road.

i Psiha se srušila na cestu.

Cupid, now recovered from his wounds, flew to his sleeping bride.

Kupid je, oporavljen od svojih rana, doletio do svoje uspavane mlade.

He told her he'd been wrong and foolish.

Rekao joj je da je bio u krivu i da je budalast.

Her fearlessness in the face of the unknown

Njena neustrašivost pred nepoznatim

proved that she was more than his equal.

dokazala je da su i više nego ravnopravni.

Cupid gave Psyche amborsia, the nectar of the gods, making her immortal.

Kupid je Psihi dao ambroziju, nektar bogova, učinivši ju besmrtnom.

Shortly after, Psyche bore their daughter.

Ubrzo nakon toga, Psiha je rodila njihovu kćer.

They named her Pleasure,

Nazvali su ju Užitak,

and she, Cupid, and Psyche, whose name means soul,

a otad ona, Kupid i Psiha, čije ime znači duša,

have been complicating people's love lives ever since.

kompliciraju ljubavne živote ljudi.