The myth of Cupid and Psyche - Brendan Pelsue

Mit o Kupidonu i Psihi - Brendan Pelu (Brendan Pelsue)

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

"Beauty is a curse," Psyche thought

"Lepota je prokletstvo", mislila je Psiha

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

dok je gledala preko ivice stene gde ju je otac ostavio.

She'd been born with the physical perfection so complete

Rođena je toliko potpuno fizički savršena

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

da su je obožavali kao novo otelotvorenje boginje ljubavi, Venus.

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

Ali ljudski ljubavnici iz stvarnog života su bili suviše zastrašeni da joj priđu.

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

Kad je njen otac zatražio savet od Apolonovog proročišta,

the god of light, reason, and prophecy.

boga svetlosti, razuma i proroštva.

He was told to abandon his daughter on a rocky crag

Rečeno mu je da napusti kćerku na litici

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

gde će da se uda za okrutno i divlje, zmijoliko, krilato zlo.

Alone on the crag, Psyche felt Zephyr the West Wind

Sama na litici, Psiha je osetila zapadni vetar zefir

gently lifting her into the air.

kako je nežno podiže u vazduh.

It set her down before a palace.

Spustio je blizu palate.

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

"Kod kuće si", čula je nevidljivi glas kako kaže.

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

"Tvoj muž te čeka u ložnici, ako se usuđuješ da ga upoznaš."

She was brave enough, Psyche told herself.

Psiha je sebi rekla da je dovoljno hrabra.

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

Soba je bila toliko mračna da nije mogla da vidi svog muža.

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

Ali uopšte se nije činio zmijolikim.

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

Koža mu je bila meka, a glas i maniri su mu bili nežni.

She asked him who he was,

Upitala ga je ko je on,

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

ali joj je rekao da je to jedino pitanje na koje nikad neće odgovoriti.

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

Ako ga voli, ne mora da zna.

His visits continued night after night.

Njegove posete su se nastavile iz noći u noć.

Before long, Psyche was pregnant.

Nije trebalo dugo da Psiha zatrudni.

She rejoiced, but was also conflicted.

Radovala se, ali je bila i u sukobu sa sobom.

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

Kako može da podiže bebu sa čovekom koga nikad nije videla?

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

Te noći, Psiha je prišla svom usnulom mužu, držeći uljanu lampu.

What she found was the god Cupid

Otkrila je da je on bog Kupidon,

who sent gods and humans lusting after each other

koji je slao bogovima i ljudima žudnju prema drugima

with the pinpricks of his arrows.

vrhom svoje strele.

Psyche dropped her lamp, burning Cupid with hot oil.

Psiha je ispustila lampu, opekavši Kupidona vrelim uljem.

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

Rekao je da je zaljubljen u Psihu otkad je njegova ljubomorna majka Venus

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

zatražila od njega da osramoti mladu ženu tako što će je pogoditi strelom.

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

Međutim, opčinjen Psihinom lepotom, Kupidon je strelu iskoristio na sebi.

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

Nije verovao, pak, da bogovi i ljudi mogu da vole kao da su jednaki.

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

Sad kad je znala njegov stvarni oblik, njihove nade za sreću su bile smrvljene,

so he flew away.

te je on odleteo.

Psyche was left in despair until the unseen voice returned

Psiha je ostala u očaju sve dok se nevidljivi glas nije vratio

and told her that it was indeed possible

i rekao joj da je uistinu moguće

for her and Cupid to love each other as equals.

da ona i Kupidon vole jedno drugo kao da su ravnopravni.

Encouraged, she set out to find him.

Ohrabrena, zaputila se da ga nađe.

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

Ali Psihu je presrela Venus i rekla da se ona i Kupidon jedino mogu venčati,

if she completed a series of impossible tasks.

ako završi niz nemogućih poduhvata.

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 semenja za jednu noć.

Just as she was abandoning hope,

Baš kad je napuštala nada,

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

kolonija mrava se sažalila na nju i pomogla joj u poslu.

Successfully passing the first trial,

Uspešno završivši prvu prepreku,

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

Psiha je potom morala da donese Venus runo zlatne ovce,

who had a reputation for disemboweling stray adventurers,

koja je imala reputaciju da kida utrobe zabludelim avanturistima,

but a river god showed her how to collect

ali rečni bog joj je pokazao kako da sakupi

the fleece the sheep had snagged on briars,

runo koje se ovci uplitalo po trnju,

and she succeeded.

i uspela je.

Finally, Psyche had to travel to the Underworld

Na kraju je Psiha morala da putuje u Podzemlje

and convince Proserpina, queen of the dead,

i da ubedi Prozerpinu, kraljicu mrtvih,

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

da stavi kap svoje lepote u kutiju za Venus.

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

Opet je Psihi u pomoć došao nevidljivi glas.

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

Rekao joj je da ponese ječmene kolače za Kerbera, psa čuvara Podzemlja,

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

kao i zlatnike da plati lađaru Haronu da je preveze preko reke Stiks.

With her third and final task complete,

Kada je završila treći, i poslednji, poduhvat,

Psyche returned to the land of the living.

Psiha se vratila u zemlju živih.

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

Baš ispred Venusine palate, otvorila je kutiju Prozerpinine lepote,

hoping to keep some for herself.

nadajući se da će malo sačuvati za sebe.

But the box was filled with sleep, not beauty,

Ali kutija je bila ispunjena snom, a ne lepotom

and Psyche collapsed in the road.

i Psiha se srušila na putu.

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

Kupidon, već oporavljen od rana, odleteo je do svoje uspavane mlade.

He told her he'd been wrong and foolish.

Rekao joj je da je pogrešio i bio budalast.

Her fearlessness in the face of the unknown

Njena neustrašivost pred nepoznatim

proved that she was more than his equal.

je dokazala da je ona više nego ravnopravna s njim.

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

Kupidon joj je dao ambroziju, nektar bogova, učinivši je tako besmrtnom.

Shortly after, Psyche bore their daughter.

Nedugo potom, Psiha im je rodila kćerku.

They named her Pleasure,

Nazvali su je Užitak,

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

a ona, Kupidon i Psiha, čije ime znači duša,

have been complicating people's love lives ever since.

od tad komplikuju ljudske živote.