Woman Alone on the Road/Sama jena na pqt

    Blaga Dimitrova

     
    There is danger and frustration Tova e risk i neudobstvo
    in this world still ruled by males. vqv toya svyat vse oshte mqjki
    Round every corner wait concealed Zad vseki qgql te prichakva
    ludicrous confrontations. zasada ot nelepi sreshti.
    And the streets too are probing you I ulicite te pronizvat
    with prying, prurient glares. sqs lyubopitni pogledi.
    Woman alone on the road. Sama jena na pqt.
    The one defensive means you have Edinstvenata ti zashtita
    is your defencelessness. E tvoyta bezzashtitnost.
     
    You never have used any man Ti ne prevqrna nikoy mqj
    as a crutch to lean upon him, v proteza, za da se opresh
    or as a tree-trunk to support you vqv dqner, za da se oblegnesh,
    or as a wall for shelter. vqv zid - na zavet da se sviesh.
    You have not trampled on a man Ne stqpi vqrhu nikoy mqj
    or used him as a bridge or springboard. Kato na most ili tramplin.
    You went alone on the road, Sama poe na pqt,
    to meet him there as an equal za da go sreshtnesh kato raven
    and then to love him truly. i istinski da go obichash.
     
    Whether you reach far destinations Dali shte stignesh nadaleche,
    or sullied, fall on the way. ili okalyana shte padnesh
    or would you be blinded by vast open spaces ili shte oslepeesh ot prostor,
    you don't know, yet you carry on. ne znaesh, no si uporita.
    But even though you may be hindered, Dori da te slomyat sred pqt,
    the very starting on this journey samoto tvoe trqgvane
    is an achievement too. e veche stigane do neshto.
    Woman alone on the road. Sama jena na pqt.
    And on and on you go ahead I vse pak ti vqrvish.
    and more and more refuse to stop. I vse pak ti ne spirash.
     
    No man alone Ne moje nikoy mqj
    can ever be as alone taka da bqde sam
    as she. kato sama jena.
    Darkness lets down before you Pred tebe mrakqt spushta
    a locked and bolted door. zaklyuchena vrata.
    And in the night you never go I noshtem nikoga ne trqgva
    all alone on the road. sama jena na pqt.
    And like a warden, morning sun A slqnceto kato klyuchar
    unlocks for you wide open views. v zori prostora ti otklyuchva.
     
    But you also walk in darkness, No ti vqrvish i v tqmninite,
    and are not afraid. ne se ozqrtash plaho.
    And every step you take I vsyaka tvoya krachka
    shows confidence and faith zalog e za doverie
    in the obscure man kqm tqmniya chovek,
    with whom they frightened you so often. s kogoto dqlgo sa te plashili.
    Your steps resound off the stones. Otekvat stqpkite po kamqk.
    Woman alone on the road. Sama jena na pqt.
    The softest and the bravest steps Nay-tihite i hrabri stqpki
    on humiliated mother earth, po unizenata zemya,
    who also is koyato sqshto e
    a woman alone on the road. sama jena na pqt.
    (1970s)
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