Monika Bulaj: The hidden light of Afghanistan

Prevoditelj: Mislav Ante Omazić - EFZG Recezent: Tilen Pigac - EFZG

My travels to Afghanistan

Moja putovanja u Afganistan

began many, many years ago

počela su prije puno, puno godina

on the eastern border of my country,

na istočnoj granici moje zemlje,

my homeland, Poland.

moje domovine, Poljske.

I was walking through the forests

Hodala sam kroz šume

of my grandmother's tales.

bakinih priča.

A land where every field hides a grave,

Zemljom u kojoj se na svakom polju krije grob,

where millions of people

gdje su milijuni ljudi

have been deported or killed

deportirani ili ubijeni

in the 20th century.

u 20. stoljeću.

Behind the destruction,

Iza destrukcije,

I found a soul of places.

našla sam dušu mjesta.

I met humble people.

Upoznala sam skromne ljude.

I heard their prayer

Čula njihove molitve

and ate their bread.

i jela njihov kruh.

Then I have been walking East for 20 years --

Onda sam hodala istočno 20 godina --

from Eastern Europe to Central Asia --

od istočne Europe do centralne Azije --

through the Caucasus Mountains,

kroz planine Kavkaza,

Middle East,

srednjeg Istoka,

North Africa,

sjeverne Afrike,

Russia.

Rusije.

And I ever met more humble people.

I stalno sam sretala sve skromnije ljude.

And I shared their bread and their prayer.

I dijelila sam njihov kruh i molitve.

This is why I went to Afghanistan.

Zato sam otišla u Afganistan.

One day, I crossed the bridge

Jednog dana, prelazeći most

over the Oxus River.

preko rijeke Oxus.

I was alone on foot.

Bila sam sama, pješice.

And the Afghan soldier was so surprised to see me

I afganistanski vojnik je bio toliko iznenađen što me vidi

that he forgot to stamp my passport.

da je zaboravio poštambiljati mi putovnicu.

But he gave me a cup of tea.

Ali mi je dao šalicu čaja.

And I understood

I razumjela sam

that his surprise was my protection.

da je njegovo iznenađenje bila moja zaštita.

So I have been walking and traveling,

Tako sam hodala i putovala,

by horses, by yak, by truck, by hitchhiking,

konjima, jakovima, kaminonima, autostopirajući,

from Iran's border

od iranske granice

to the bottom, to the edge of the Wakhan Corridor.

do dna, do ruba Wakhan koridora.

And in this way

I na tom putu

I could find noor, the hidden light of Afghanistan.

mogla sam pronaći noor, skriveno svjetlo Afganistana.

My only weapon

Moje jedino oružje

was my notebook and my Leica.

je bila moja bilježnica i moja Leica.

I heard prayers of the Sufi --

Čula sam molitve Sufija --

humble Muslims,

skromnih Muslimana

hated by the Taliban.

koje mrze Talibani.

Hidden river,

Skrivena rijeka,

interconnected with the mysticism

isprepletena s misticizmom

from Gibraltar to India.

od Gibraltara do Indije.

The mosque where the respectful foreigner

Džamija u kojoj je poštovani stranac

is showered with blessings

okupan blagoslovom

and with tears,

i suzama,

and welcomed as a gift.

i pozdravljen kao poklon.

What do we know

Što znamo

about the country and the people

o zemlji i ljudima

that we pretend to protect,

koji se prave da štite,

about the villages

sela

where the only one medicine

u kojima je jedini lijek

to kill the pain and to stop the hunger

koji ubija bol i zaustavlja glad

is opium?

opijum?

These are opium-addicted people

To su ovisnici o opijumu

on the roofs of Kabul

na krovovima Kabula

10 years after the beginning of our war.

10 godina nakon početka našeg rata.

These are the nomad girls

Ovo su nomadske djevojke

who became prostitutes for Afghan businessmen.

koje su postale prostitutke za afganistanske poslovnjake.

What do we know about the women

Što znamo o ženama

10 years after the war?

10 godina nakon rata?

Clothed in this nylon bag,

Obučene u najlonske vrećice,

made in China,

proizvedene u Kini,

with the name of burqa.

s imenom burka.

I saw one day,

Vidjela sam jednog dana

the largest school in Afghanistan,

najveću školu u Afganistanu,

a girls' school.

žensku školu.

13,000 girls

13.000 cura

studying here

studira ovdje

in the rooms underground,

u podzemnim sobama,

full of scorpions.

punim škorpiona.

And their love [for studying]

I njihova ljubav [za studiranjem]

was so big that I cried.

je bila toliko velika da sam zaplakala.

What do we know

Što znamo

about the death threats by the Taliban

o smrtnim prijetnjama Talibana

nailed on the doors

naljepljenim na vrata

of the people who dare to send their daughters to school as in Balkh?

ljudi koji su se usudili poslati svoje kćeri u školu kao u Balkhu?

The region is not secure, but full of the Taliban,

Regija nije sigurna, i puna je Talibana,

and they did it.

ali su oni to učinili.

My aim is to give a voice

Moj cilj je dati glas

to the silent people,

tihim ljudima,

to show the hidden lights

pokazati skriveno svjetlo

behind the curtain of the great game,

iza zavjesa velike igre,

the small worlds ignored by the media

malih svjetova koje mediji ignoriraju

and the prophets of a global conflict.

kao i propovjednici globalnog sukoba.

Thanks.

Hvala.

(Applause)

(Pljesak)