The Language of the Birds

In a certain city there was a merchant and his wife and their son, who was wise beyond his years; he was called Vasíli. Once all three were lunching together, and in a cage there was a Nightingale singing over the table, singing so woefully that the merchant could not bear it, and he said, “If there ever were a man who could really tell me what that Nightingale is saying and the doom he is foreboding, I should like to meet him: I would give him in my life half of my possessions, and after my death I would bequeath him many goods.”

Di sebuah kota tertentu, hiduplah seorang saudagar bersama istri dan putranya, yang bijaksana melebihi usianya; ia dipanggil Vasíli. Suatu kali mereka bertiga sedang makan siang bersama, dan di dalam sebuah sangkar ada seekor Burung Bulbul bernyanyi di atas meja, bernyanyi dengan begitu sedih hingga sang saudagar tidak tahan mendengarnya, dan ia berkata, "Jika ada orang yang benar-benar dapat memberitahuku apa yang dikatakan Burung Bulbul itu dan malapetaka apa yang ia ramalkan, aku ingin bertemu dengannya: aku akan memberinya setengah dari hartaku selama hidupku, dan setelah kematianku aku akan mewariskan kepadanya banyak harta benda."

Then the little boy, who was only six years old, looked his father and mother fixedly in the eyes and said, “I know what the Nightingale is singing, only I am frightened of saying it.”

Kemudian anak lelaki kecil itu, yang baru berusia enam tahun, menatap tajam ke mata ayah dan ibunya dan berkata, "Aku tahu apa yang dinyanyikan Burung Bulbul itu, hanya saja aku takut untuk mengatakannya."

“Speak out openly,” said the mother and father.

"Katakan saja terus terang," kata sang ibu dan ayah.

And then Vasíli said with tears, “The Nightingale is foretelling that a time and season is coming when you will be my servants, when father will draw me water and mother will give me the towel to wipe my face and hands.”

Lalu Vasíli berkata sambil menangis, "Burung Bulbul itu meramalkan bahwa akan datang suatu masa dan musim ketika kalian akan menjadi pelayan-pelayanku, ketika ayah akan menimba air untukku dan ibu akan memberiku handuk untuk mengusap wajah dan tanganku."

These words made the merchant and his wife very angry, so they decided to get rid of their child; they built a little boat, and in the dark of night, put the sleeping boy into it and let it sail into the open sea.

Kata-kata ini membuat sang saudagar dan istrinya sangat marah, sehingga mereka memutuskan untuk menyingkirkan anak mereka; mereka membuat sebuah perahu kecil, dan dalam kegelapan malam, meletakkan anak yang sedang tidur itu ke dalamnya dan membiarkannya berlayar ke laut lepas.

Just then the prophetic Nightingale flew out of its cage into the boat and sat on the boy’s shoulder. Then the boat came to the seashore, and a ship came to meet it with all its sails spread. The master of the ship saw the boy, pitied him, adopted him, asked him questions, promised to keep and love him as if he were his own son.

Tepat saat itu, Burung Bulbul yang meramal itu terbang keluar dari sangkarnya masuk ke dalam perahu dan bertengger di bahu si anak. Kemudian perahu itu tiba di tepi laut, dan sebuah kapal datang menyambutnya dengan semua layarnya terkembang. Nakhoda kapal itu melihat si anak, merasa kasihan padanya, mengangkatnya sebagai anak, menanyainya berbagai hal, dan berjanji untuk merawat dan menyayanginya seolah ia anaknya sendiri.

Next day the boy said to his new father, “The Nightingale foretells that a storm is brewing which will break the masts and shatter the sails. You must go back to the haven.”

Keesokan harinya si anak berkata kepada ayah barunya, "Burung Bulbul meramalkan bahwa badai sedang mengumpul yang akan mematahkan tiang-tiang kapal dan merobek layar-layarnya. Kita harus kembali ke pelabuhan."

But the master of the ship would not go. And a storm arose at once, and the masts were shattered, and the sails torn down. It was no good, what is ended cannot be mended, so new masts were built and new sails were rigged. And they sailed on further.

Namun nakhoda kapal tidak mau kembali. Dan badai pun segera muncul, tiang-tiang kapal patah, dan layar-layarnya robek. Tidak ada gunanya, apa yang sudah berakhir tidak dapat diperbaiki lagi, maka tiang-tiang baru dibangun dan layar-layar baru dipasang. Dan mereka berlayar lebih jauh lagi.

Again Vásya said, “The Nightingale sings that there are twelve ships coming to meet us, all pirate ships, and they will take us prisoner.”

Sekali lagi Vásya berkata, "Burung Bulbul bernyanyi bahwa ada dua belas kapal datang menyambut kita, semuanya kapal bajak laut, dan mereka akan menawan kita."

This time the master of the ship believed him, and returned to the island, and he saw the twelve bold pirates go sailing by. So the master of the ship waited as long as need be, and then sailed further.

Kali ini nakhoda kapal mempercayainya, dan kembali ke pulau itu, dan ia melihat kedua belas bajak laut yang berani itu berlayar melewatinya. Maka nakhoda kapal menunggu selama yang diperlukan, dan kemudian berlayar lebih jauh lagi.

Some time went by, not too much, not too little, and the ship arrived at the city of Khvalynsk; and, for very many years, in front of the palace of the King of Khvalynsk, a Crow, with his wife and child, had been flying and screeching, giving no rest either by day or night. Whatever they did, whatever gins they might set, they could not drive them off from the window. Small shot was not any good. And so that King ordained that at every cross-road and at all the harbours this notice should be exhibited:

Beberapa waktu berlalu, tidak terlalu lama, tidak terlalu singkat, dan kapal itu tiba di kota Khvalynsk; dan, selama bertahun-tahun lamanya, di depan istana Raja Khvalynsk, seekor Gagak, bersama istri dan anaknya, telah terbang dan menjerit-jerit, tidak memberi ketenangan baik siang maupun malam. Apa pun yang mereka lakukan, perangkap apa pun yang mereka pasang, mereka tidak dapat mengusirnya dari jendela. Tembakan kecil pun tidak ada gunanya. Maka Raja itu memerintahkan agar di setiap persimpangan jalan dan di semua pelabuhan dipasang pengumuman ini:

“IF ANY MAN CAN DRIVE AWAY THE CROW, WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILD, FROM THE ROYAL WINDOWS, THE KING WILL GRANT HIM AS A REWARD HALF OF HIS KINGDOM, AND HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER AS WIFE—BUT IF ANY SHALL UNDERTAKE THE WORK AND SHALL NOT FULFIL IT HE SHALL FORFEIT HIS HEAD.”

"JIKA ADA ORANG YANG DAPAT MENGUSIR GAGAK ITU, BESERTA ISTRI DAN ANAKNYA, DARI JENDELA-JENDELA ISTANA, RAJA AKAN MEMBERINYA HADIAH SETENGAH DARI KERAJAANNYA, DAN PUTRI BUNGSUNYA SEBAGAI ISTRI—TETAPI JIKA ADA YANG MENYANGGUPI TUGAS INI DAN TIDAK BERHASIL MENUNAIKANNYA IA AKAN KEHILANGAN KEPALANYA."

Very many were the hunters eager to become kinsmen of the King, and all of their heads had been hewn off and hung on stakes.

Sangat banyak pemburu yang bersemangat untuk menjadi kerabat Raja, dan kepala mereka semua telah dipenggal dan digantung di tiang-tiang pancang.

Now Vasíli heard of this, went up and asked the master of the ship, “Let me go to the King; possibly I can chase away the Crow and his wife.”

Kini Vasíli mendengar tentang hal ini, ia menghadap dan bertanya kepada nakhoda kapal, "Izinkan aku pergi menemui Raja; mungkin aku bisa mengusir Gagak itu dan istrinya."

They endeavoured to deter him, but failed. “Very well, go. And if you come by any harm, put the blame on yourself!”

Mereka berusaha mencegahnya, tetapi gagal. "Baiklah, pergilah. Dan jika kau tertimpa kemalangan apa pun, salahkan dirimu sendiri!"

So Vasíli came into the palace, told the King, and ordered the windows to be opened in front of which the Crows were flying. He then listened to what the birds were saying, and told the King, “Your Majesty, you see that there are three flying here, the Crow, Madam Crow, and Master Crow: the Crow is disputing with his wife as to which of them the son belongs, whether to the father or to the mother; and they are asking for a decision. Your Majesty, decide to whom it is the son belongs.”

Maka Vasíli masuk ke dalam istana, memberitahu Raja, dan memerintahkan agar jendela-jendela di depan tempat para Gagak itu terbang dibuka. Ia kemudian mendengarkan apa yang dikatakan burung-burung itu, dan memberitahu Raja, "Yang Mulia, Anda lihat bahwa ada tiga ekor yang terbang di sini, Gagak, Nyonya Gagak, dan Tuan Muda Gagak: sang Gagak sedang bertengkar dengan istrinya tentang milik siapakah anak itu, apakah milik ayah atau ibu; dan mereka meminta sebuah keputusan. Yang Mulia, putuskanlah kepada siapa anak itu menjadi milik."

The King answered, “To the father.”

Raja menjawab, "Kepada sang ayah."

As soon as the King had said this, the Crow with Master Crow sailed to the right, but Madam Crow to the left.

Segera setelah Raja mengatakan ini, sang Gagak bersama Tuan Muda Gagak berlayar ke kanan, sedangkan Nyonya Gagak ke kiri.

After this the King took the youth unto himself, and he lived at the royal court and received the greatest kindness and honour, grew up and became a youth of youths, married the Princess, and received half of the kingdom as a dowry.

Setelah ini Raja mengambil pemuda itu sebagai miliknya sendiri, dan ia tinggal di istana kerajaan serta menerima kebaikan dan kehormatan terbesar, tumbuh besar dan menjadi pemuda di antara para pemuda, menikahi sang Putri, dan menerima setengah kerajaan sebagai mas kawin.

One day he thought he would like to journey to foreign parts and see strange lands, view the folks of the world, and show himself. So he set out to roam through the world. In one city he stayed for a night, passed the night there, got up in the morning and said he wished to wash. So the master brought him water and the mistress brought him the towel. The King’s son spoke with them, and then saw that they were his father and mother, wept for joy, and fell at the feet of his parents. Afterwards he took them with him to his own city of Khvalynsk, and they lived together long, and lived to enjoy good.

Suatu hari ia berpikir ingin bepergian ke negeri-negeri asing dan melihat tanah-tanah yang aneh, memandang rakyat dunia, dan menampakkan dirinya. Maka ia pun berangkat mengembara ke dunia. Di sebuah kota ia menginap semalam, melewati malam di sana, bangun di pagi hari dan berkata bahwa ia ingin mencuci muka. Maka tuan rumah membawakannya air dan nyonya rumah membawakannya handuk. Putra Raja itu berbicara dengan mereka, dan kemudian melihat bahwa mereka adalah ayah dan ibunya, menangis karena bahagia, dan tersungkur di kaki orang tuanya. Setelah itu ia membawa mereka bersamanya ke kotanya sendiri, Khvalynsk, dan mereka hidup bersama untuk waktu yang lama, dan hidup menikmati kebaikan.