The Wall That Climbs the Mountain

Today Polly goes to question the wall. It starts politely enough at the edge of town, then loses all restraint and charges straight up the bare ridge, tower after tower, like a stone staircase built for a giant in a hurry. Berta comes along as far as the first gate, then waves a paw and leaves the climbing to the one with wings.

Danas Polly ide ispitati zid. Počinje dovoljno pristojno na rubu grada, a onda izgubi svaku suzdržanost i jurne ravno uz goli greben, kula za kulom, poput kamenog stubišta sagrađenog za diva u žurbi. Berta pođe s njom do prvih vrata, zatim mahne šapom i prepusti penjanje onoj s krilima.

The story of the wall is older than almost anything else here. More than a thousand years ago, a Berber family called the Banu Razin made this town their own, gave it their name, and ruled a small kingdom from this rock. It was they who first raised these defenses, and the pale square watchtower at the very top has been standing guard on the ridge ever since.

Priča o zidu starija je od gotovo svega ostalog ovdje. Prije više od tisuću godina berberska obitelj zvana Banu Razin uzela je ovaj grad za svoj, dala mu svoje ime i vladala malim kraljevstvom s ove stijene. Oni su prvi podigli ove obrambene zidine, a blijeda četvrtasta stražarska kula na samom vrhu čuva stražu na grebenu sve otada.

Polly rides the warm morning air to the tower and lands on its rim. From up here the town looks like something poured into the river's loop and left to set, all pink rooftops and impossible lanes. An eagle owl dozes in a shaded corner of the stonework. Night shift, he explains, without fully opening one orange eye.

Polly jaše topli jutarnji zrak do kule i slijeće na njezin rub. Odavde grad izgleda kao nešto što je izliveno u petlju rijeke i ostavljeno da se stisne, sve sami ružičasti krovovi i nemoguće uličice. U sjenovitom kutu zida drijema ušara. Noćna smjena, objasni on, ne otvarajući sasvim jedno narančasto oko.

She stays a long while, watching cloud shadows slide across the sierra. A thousand years of watching, she thinks, and the view still changes every single minute. On the way down she thanks the wall for its service. The wall, being a wall, says nothing, but she is fairly sure it stands a little straighter.

Ostane dugo, promatrajući kako sjene oblaka klize preko gorja. Tisuću godina promatranja, pomisli, a pogled se i dalje mijenja svake minute. Na povratku se zahvali zidu na službi. Zid, budući da je zid, ne kaže ništa, ali prilično je sigurna da stoji malo uspravnije.