Sergio Raimondi
AUTHOR (ALS PRODUZENT, DER)
The era doesn’t demand our spirits, comrades
of the Institute for the Study of Fascism:
it demands we move our diaphragms.
For that reason I bring a concrete example
(today the concrete examples are Russian!)
of what a literarily and politically correct
work is. Here you have Comrade Tretiakov.
How does Comrade Tretiakov write?
He attends the Kolkhoz committees
organises collections to buy tractors
he asks all around so as to find out
the best horse collars and sparkplugs
he explains Yakovlev’s thesis and calms
the mothers arguing in the nursery
finds mounts for the teachers’ travel
inspects reading groups and sends
three, ten, as many letters as needed
to demand a visit from the mobile cinema
he documents minutely sowing and reaping
click click click with his camera everywhere.
Yes, he also writes and publishes reports
in the Moscow newspapers on what’s done
and edits the Kolkhoz paper with instructions
on preparing the land and the planned
activities for the Revolution’s anniversary.
What? I’m sorry? What’s all that got
to do with literature? Ah, literature . . .
But comrades. Can’t you understand
that the world can change? What’s more:
you fight day after day for change
but demand that literature stays the same?
AUTOR (ALS PRODUZENT, DER)
Deze tijd verlangt geen zielenroerselen, kameraden
van het Instituut voor de Studie van het Fascisme:
wat hij van ons verlangt is schuddebuiken.
Daarom zal ik u met een concreet voorbeeld
(concrete voorbeelden zijn heden Russisch!)
laten zien wat een literair en politiek correct
werk behelst. Neem dat van Tretjakov.
Hoe schrijft onze kameraad Tretjakov?
Hij gaat naar de kolchosevergaderingen
zamelt geld in voor de aanschaf van tractoren
vraagt wat rond om te weten te komen
welke halsjukken en bougies de beste zijn
hij legt de stellingen van Jakovlev uit en ook
kalmeert hij kibbelende crèchemoeders
hij regelt paarden om onderwijzers te vervoeren
inspecteert de leesclubs en stuurt brieven
drie, tien, of hoeveel maar nodig om de
komst van de reizende bioscoop te eisen
documenteert exact wat men zaait en oogst
en klik klik klik zijn camera is overal.
Ja, hij schrijft en publiceert ook rapporten
over al dat werk in Moskouse dagbladen
en hij leidt de kolchosekrant met informatie
over het klaarmaken van de grond en de geplande
activiteiten rondom de revolutieviering.
Hoe zegt u? Ik verstond u niet. Wat dit alles met
literatuur van doen heeft? Ach, de literatuur . . .
Kameraden, allen gelooft u dat de wereld
kan veranderen, sterker nog: u streeft
er elke dag opnieuw naar dat het echt gebeurt
en nu eist u een onveranderlijke literatuur?
AUTHOR (ALS PRODUZENT, DER)
La época no nos exige espíritu, camaradas
del Instituto para el Estudio del Fascismo:
nos exige movimientos del diafragma.
Por eso les traigo un ejemplo concreto
(¡hoy los ejemplos concretos son rusos!)
de lo que es una obra literaria y política-
mente correcta. Ahí lo tienen a Tretiakov.
¿Cómo escribe el camarada Tretiakov?
Está en las reuniones directivas del koljós
organiza colectas para el pago de tractores
pregunta por acá y por allá para averiguar
cuáles son las mejores colleras y bujías
explica las tesis de Yakovlev y ahora calma
a las madres que se pelean en la guardería
obtiene caballos para el viaje de los maestros
inspecciona los clubes de lectura y envía
tres, diez y cuántas cartas sean necesarias
para exigir el arribo del cine ambulante
documenta con minucia siembra y cosecha
clac clac clac con su cámara en todos lados.
Sí, también escribe y publica informes
de lo hecho en los periódicos de Moscú
y dirige el diario del koljós con información
sobre cómo preparar la tierra y las actividades
previstas para el aniversario de la revolución.
¿Cómo? No oí bien. ¿Que qué tiene todo esto
que ver con la literatura? Ah, la literatura…
Pero camaradas, ¿son capaces de entender
que el mundo puede cambiar, es más: luchan
día a día para que efectivamente cambie
y exigen una literatura siempre igual a sí misma?
AUTHOR (ALS PRODUZENT, DER)
The era doesn’t demand our spirits, comrades
of the Institute for the Study of Fascism:
it demands we move our diaphragms.
For that reason I bring a concrete example
(today the concrete examples are Russian!)
of what a literarily and politically correct
work is. Here you have Comrade Tretiakov.
How does Comrade Tretiakov write?
He attends the Kolkhoz committees
organises collections to buy tractors
he asks all around so as to find out
the best horse collars and sparkplugs
he explains Yakovlev’s thesis and calms
the mothers arguing in the nursery
finds mounts for the teachers’ travel
inspects reading groups and sends
three, ten, as many letters as needed
to demand a visit from the mobile cinema
he documents minutely sowing and reaping
click click click with his camera everywhere.
Yes, he also writes and publishes reports
in the Moscow newspapers on what’s done
and edits the Kolkhoz paper with instructions
on preparing the land and the planned
activities for the Revolution’s anniversary.
What? I’m sorry? What’s all that got
to do with literature? Ah, literature . . .
But comrades. Can’t you understand
that the world can change? What’s more:
you fight day after day for change
but demand that literature stays the same?
AUTHOR (ALS PRODUZENT, DER)
The era doesn’t demand our spirits, comrades
of the Institute for the Study of Fascism:
it demands we move our diaphragms.
For that reason I bring a concrete example
(today the concrete examples are Russian!)
of what a literarily and politically correct
work is. Here you have Comrade Tretiakov.
How does Comrade Tretiakov write?
He attends the Kolkhoz committees
organises collections to buy tractors
he asks all around so as to find out
the best horse collars and sparkplugs
he explains Yakovlev’s thesis and calms
the mothers arguing in the nursery
finds mounts for the teachers’ travel
inspects reading groups and sends
three, ten, as many letters as needed
to demand a visit from the mobile cinema
he documents minutely sowing and reaping
click click click with his camera everywhere.
Yes, he also writes and publishes reports
in the Moscow newspapers on what’s done
and edits the Kolkhoz paper with instructions
on preparing the land and the planned
activities for the Revolution’s anniversary.
What? I’m sorry? What’s all that got
to do with literature? Ah, literature . . .
But comrades. Can’t you understand
that the world can change? What’s more:
you fight day after day for change
but demand that literature stays the same?
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