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Blog

"Little Slaves" by Yodgar Obid

10/19/2009

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Little Slaves

Bitter frost and biting wind at their backs

How it howls and wails;

Weakened and bent, they trudge with their sacks

Little hands, little slaves

Torn galoshes and worn out clothes

They dream of warm sunny days;

Shaking from cough they tremble as they go

Little hands, little slaves

Childish thoughts, sweet dreams

All of them perish, dead and gone;

In their native land they go like prisoners

Little hands, little slaves

Row after row, sack after sack

With tears and consumptive wheeze;

Stunted lives, a horrible tale,

Little hands, little slaves


The English translation is based on this line-by-line Russian rendering, by Nadezhda Ataeva:

Построчный перевод* **

Сухой мороз. Колючий ветер.

Так и воет… Так и воет...

Идут с торбой, изнуренные от слабости

Маленькие руки. Маленькие рабы.

Рваные калоши. Убогая одеженка.

С мечтою скорее согреться на солнышке…

Захлебываются от кашля, идут и дрожат -

Маленькие руки. Маленькие рабы.

Несозревшие умы, сладкие мечты

Всё гибнет. Гибнет всё.

В родном краю идут наказанные -

Маленькие руки. Маленькие рабы.

Грядка за грядкой. Торба за торбой.

Со слезами в глазах. С тяжелым дыханием [1]... Недозрелая жизнь - ужасная сказка...

Маленькие руки. Маленькие рабы.

# #

[1] Дыхание, характерное для больных туберкулезом

The original Uzbek:

* **

Қора совуқ. Аччиқ шамол-

Зап увуллар... Зап увуллар...

Этак тутиб борар беҳол-

Жажжи қўллар. Жажжи қуллар.

Йиртиқ калиш. Энгил - юпун.

Тезроқ чиқа қолсайди кун...

Титраб борар ўҳтин- ўҳтин-

Жажжи қўллар. Жажжи қуллар.

Мурғак ўйлар. Ширин хаёл-

Бари завол. Бари завол.

Ўз элида ўзи увол-

Жажжи қўллар. Жажжи қуллар.

Эгат- эгат. Этак- этак.

Чаноқ тилган қонли билак.

Мурғак умри - мудҳиш эртак...

Жажжи қўллар. Жажжи қуллар.




# #

16 октября 2009г.

Habib Usmon's Russian version:

Терзал детей мороз, рвал ветер.

И вой был гимном той ходьбы.

И дрожь ручонок так заметна.

В колонне[1] – юные рабы

Зияют дыры обуви галошной

Рвань на плечах, как мрачный перст судьбы

И кашля треск  понять не сложно

В колонне – юные рабы

Незрелый ум, надежды сладость.

Погибло все. Ушли мечты.

В конце пути как мало их осталось.

В колонне – юные рабы.

Над грядкой рук полет короткий

Да слезный лед не скроют пустоты

Той жизни, вмиг убитой хлопком.

В колонне – юные рабы.

[1] В данном контексте слово «колонна» означает образ хлопковой грядки, которая выстраивает хлопкорабов друг за другом - в ряд.

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CONTACT: Cotton Campaign Coordinator - c/o International Labor Rights Forum, 1634 I Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. 
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  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Uzbekistan's Forced Labor Problem >
      • Reports
      • Chronicle of Forced Labor
      • Photos/Video
      • FAQs
    • Turkmenistan's Forced Labor Problem >
      • Reports of Forced Labor in Turkmenistan's Cotton Sector
    • Forced Labor Cotton in Other Countries
    • Contact
  • Countries
    • Turkmenistan
    • Uzbekistan >
      • Uzbek Forum Key Findings 2020
    • Governments >
      • What other governments can do
    • International Organizations >
      • What the World Bank and Asian Development Bank can do
      • What the International Labor Organization can do
    • Companies >
      • What companies operating in Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan can do
      • What companies that use cotton can do
      • What investors can do
  • Take Action
  • Media
    • Press Releases >
      • A Changing Landscape in Uzbek Cotton Production
      • Bennett Freeman Remarks at ILO Roundtable
    • News
    • Videos
  • Blog