Barbaria, My Poor Land, I Mourn 'Cause There's No Amend (Sixty Six Humorous Sextets) – English Adaptation

This is from the Foreword. | Sirs, this book I had, naturally, no intention to write, but when, for one thing, our people protest, raise noise not knowing what exactly they want, yet make noise, and, for another thing, I have gained momentum in this jubilee for me year (I made 70), having written one after another (well, under different name) 5-6 poetical collections with various foolish things, by a month for a boo, and decided to produce something also under this name, and, for a third thing, I continue to have grudge against the entire Bulgarian public for this, that it, as we say, does not count me even for a plum, so that I meet every occasion for spitting with open arms and joy in my heart. And there, of course, are reasons to spit at everything and everybody in my country, because we, since the coming of the democracy, either sink further down, or stick to the mud, but there is no escaping it! Now we are absolutely a bit better than before 30 years, but /relatively/, compared with other near and far, post- or non- communist countries, we are always at the end, worse than in the third world, really! | Let me give you one comparison: I personally, scientific worker, ancestral intellectual, with more than 2 tertiary educations, got in 3 different countries, and having in my “sunset” good command over 3 foreign languages (plus my mother Bulgarian), having written only under this pseudonym for 3 years more than 30 different papers with valuable observations and propositions, which I have by my hand translated in 4 languages, still receive pension in amount of 4 (going to 5) ... bus /tickets/ daily for all expenses (and these are all my earnings). Or otherwise put, my pension equals 1/3 MMS (Minimal Monthly Salary), what is 7 times less than the average one (if we take it for 2 and 1/3 minimal ones), which is roughly 7 times worse than the average situation in Europe, or till here /only 50 times/ lower income than the minimal, yet I, after all, am not some nincompoop, so that I can with reasons say, that receive at least /100 times/ less than this what I deserve! Well, such like me have remained probably about hundred persons in the country, but these who live /below/ whatever limits of /misery/ (poverty is a nice word), despite the integration money that they receive [we have introduced even such wonders — because have done everything possible to /disintegrate/ the nation], so these people are of the order of 1 /million/ souls, gentlemen! |