— Keby som prikázal niektorému generálovi, aby lietal z kvetiny na kvetinu ako motýľ, alebo aby napísal tragédiu, či aby sa premenil na morského vtáka, a ten generál by rozkaz nevykonal, kto by to zavinil, on, alebo ja?

“If I ordered a general to fly from one flower to another like a butterfly, or to write a tragic drama, or to change himself into a sea bird, and if the general did not carry out the order that he had received, which one of us would be in the wrong?” the king demanded. “The general, or myself?”

— Boli by ste to vy, — pevne odpovedal Malý princ.

“You,” said the little prince firmly.

— Správne. Od každého treba žiadať len to, čo môže dať, — pokračoval kráľ. — Autorita sa zakladá predovšetkým na rozume. Ak prikážeš svojmu ľudu, aby sa šiel hodiť do mora, urobí revolúciu. Ja mám právo vyžadovať poslušnosť, pretože moje rozkazy sú rozumné.

“Exactly. One must require from each one the duty which each one can perform,” the king went on. “Accepted authority rests first of all on reason. If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into the sea, they would rise up in revolution. I have the right to require obedience because my orders are reasonable.”

— A čo ten môj západ slnka? — pripomenul mu Malý princ, ktorý nikdy nezabúdal na otázku, keď ju už raz položil.

“Then my sunset?” the little prince reminded him: for he never forgot a question once he had asked it.

— Budeš mať ten svoj západ slnka. Vyžiadam si ho. Ale vo svojej vladárskej múdrosti počkám, kým budú priaznivé podmienky.

“You shall have your sunset. I shall command it. But, according to my science of government, I shall wait until conditions are favorable.”

— A kedy to bude? — zaujímal sa Malý princ.

“When will that be?” inquired the little prince.

— Hm, hm! — zamumlal kráľ a najprv nazrel do hrubé ho kalendára. — Hm, hm, bude to asi… asi… bude to dnes večer asi o tri štvrte na osem. A uvidíš, ako presne sa plnia moje príkazy.

“Hum! Hum!” replied the king; and before saying anything else he consulted a bulky almanac. “Hum! Hum! That will be about — about — that will be this evening about twenty minutes to eight. And you will see how well I am obeyed!”

Malý princ zívol. Ľutoval, že prišiel o západ slnka. A už sa aj trochu nudil.

The little prince yawned. He was regretting his lost sunset. And then, too, he was already beginning to be a little bored.

— Nemám tu už čo robiť, — povedal kráľovi. — Idem za sa ďalej!

“I have nothing more to do here,” he said to the king. “So I shall set out on my way again.”

— Neodchádzaj, — povedal kráľ, veď bol taký pyšný, že má poddaného. — Neodchádzaj, vymenúvam ťa za ministra!

“Do not go,” said the king, who was very proud of having a subject. “Do not go. I will make you a Minister!”

— Za ministra čoho?

“Minister of what?”

— Za ministra… za ministra spravodlivosti!

“Minster of — of Justice!”

— Ale tu niet koho súdiť!

“But there is nobody here to judge!”

— To sa nevie, — odpovedal mu kráľ. — Ešte som nevy konal cestu okolo svojho kráľovstva. Som už veľmi starý, nemám tu miesto pre koč, a chôdza ma unavuje.

“We do not know that,” the king said to him. “I have not yet made a complete tour of my kingdom. I am very old. There is no room here for a carriage. And it tires me to walk.”

— Och! Ale ja som ho už celé videl, — povedal Malý princ a naklonil sa, aby sa ešte raz pozrel na druhú stranu planéty. — Ani tam na druhej strane nikto nie je…

“Oh, but I have looked already!” said the little prince, turning around to give one more glance to the other side of the planet. On that side, as on this, there was nobody at all…

— Budeš teda súdiť sám seba, — odpovedal mu kráľ. — To je najťažšie. Je oveľa ťažšie súdiť samého seba ako svojho blížneho. Ak sa ti podarí samého seba dobre súdiť, bude to znamenať, že si ozajstný mudrc.

“Then you shall judge yourself,” the king answered. “that is the most difficult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom.”

— Súdiť samého seba môžem hocikde, — vravel Malý princ. — Nemusím bývať práve tu.

“Yes,” said the little prince, “but I can judge myself anywhere. I do not need to live on this planet.”

— Hm, hm! — zamumlal kráľ. — Myslím, že na mojej planéte musí byť niekde stará myš. Počujem ju v noci. Môžeš súdiť tú starú myš. Z času na čas ju odsúdiš na smrť. Tak bude jej život závisieť od tvojej spravodlivosti. Ale ty jej za každým udelíš milosť, aby ti ostala. Je tu len jedna jediná.

“Hum! Hum!” said the king. “I have good reason to believe that somewhere on my planet there is an old rat. I hear him at night. You can judge this old rat. From time to time you will condemn him to death. Thus his life will depend on your justice. But you will pardon him on each occasion; for he must be treated thriftily. He is the only one we have.”

— Ja nemám rád, keď sa odsudzuje na smrť, — odpove— dal Malý princ, — a naozaj si myslím, že odídem.

“I,” replied the little prince, “do not like to condemn anyone to death. And now I think I will go on my way.”

— Nie, — povedal kráľ.

“No,” said the king.

Ale Malý princ bol už pripravený, a pretože nechcel starého vládcu zarmútiť, povedal:

But the little prince, having now completed his preparations for departure, had no wish to grieve the old monarch.

— Ak si vaše veličenstvo želá, aby ho presne poslúchali, mohlo by mi dať rozumný rozkaz. Mohlo by mi, napríklad, prikázať, aby som odišiel skôr ako o minútu. Zdá sa mi, že podmienky sú priaznivé…

“If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed,” he said, “he should be able to give me a reasonable order. He should be able, for example, to order me to be gone by the end of one minute. It seems to me that conditions are favorable…”

Pretože kráľ neodpovedal, Malý princ najprv váhal, potom so vzdychom odchádzal.

As the king made no answer, the little prince hesitated a moment. Then, with a sigh, he took his leave.

— Menujem ťa svojím vyslancom, — poponáhľal sa vtom zakričať kráľ.

“I make you my Ambassador,” the king called out, hastily.

Tváril sa veľmi vznešene.

He had a magnificent air of authority.

„Dospelí sú veľmi čudní,“ vravel si Malý princ počas svojej cesty.

“The grown-ups are very strange,” the little prince said to himself, as he continued on his journey.

XI

XI

Na druhej planéte býval márnivec.

The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man.

— Ach, ach! Prišiel ma navštíviť obdivovateľ! — vykríkol, len čo v diaľke zazrel Malého princa.

“Ah! Ah! I am about to receive a visit from an admirer!” he exclaimed from afar, when he first saw the little prince coming.

Pretože márnivci vidia v ostatných ľuďoch svojich obdivovateľov.

For, to conceited men, all other men are admirers.

— Dobrý deň, — povedal Malý princ. — Máte čudný klobúk.

“Good morning,” said the little prince. “That is a queer hat you are wearing.”

— Mám ho preto, aby som mohol pozdravovať, — odpovedal mu márnivec. — Aby som mohol pozdravovať, keď ma s jasotom vítajú. Bohužiaľ, tadiaľto nikdy nikto nejde.

“It is a hat for salutes,” the conceited man replied. “It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me. Unfortunately, nobody at all ever passes this way.”

— Ach, naozaj? — povedal Malý princ, ktorý mu neporozumel.

“Yes?” said the little prince, who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about.

— Zatlieskaj, — poradil mu teda márnivec.

“Clap your hands, one against the other,” the conceited man now directed him.

Malý princ zatlieskal. Márnivec nadvihol klobúk a skromne pozdravil.

The little prince clapped his hands. The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute.

„Toto je zábavnejšie ako návšteva u kráľa,“ vravel si v duchu Malý princ. A opäť zatlieskal. Márnivec znova dvíhal klobúk z hlavy a pozdravoval.

“This is more entertaining than the visit to the king,” the little prince said to himself. And he began again to clap his hands, one against the other. The conceited man again raised his hat in salute.

Jednotvárnosť takejto hry Malého princa po piatich minútach unavila.

After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew tired of the game’s monotony.

— Čo treba urobiť, aby klobúk spadol? — spýtal sa.

“And what should one do to make the hat come down?” he asked.

Ale márnivec ho nepočul. Márnivci počujú iba chválu.

But the conceited man did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but praise.

— Naozaj ma veľmi obdivuješ? — spýtal sa Malého princa.

“Do you really admire me very much?” he demanded of the little prince.

— Čo znamená obdivovať?

“What does that mean — ‘admire’?”

— Obdivovať znamená uznať, že som najkrajší, najlepšie oblečený, najbohatší a najinteligentnejší človek na planéte.

“To admire means that you regard me as the handsomest, the best-dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent man on this planet.”

— Ale veď si na svojej planéte sám!

“But you are the only man on your planet!”

— Urob mi tú radosť. Aj tak ma obdivuj!

“Do me this kindness. Admire me just the same.”

— Obdivujem ťa, — povedal Malý princ, pokrčiac trochu plecami, — no ako ťa to len môže zaujímať?

“I admire you,” said the little prince, shrugging his shoulders slightly, “but what is there in that to interest you so much?”

A Malý princ odišiel.

And the little prince went away.

„Dospelí sú rozhodne veľmi čudní,“ vravel si v duchu počas cesty.

“The grown-ups are certainly very odd,” he said to himself, as he continued on his journey.

XII

ХII

Na ďalšej planéte býval pijan. Táto návšteva bola veľmi krátka, ale Malý princ bol po nej veľmi skľúčený.

The next planet was inhabited by a tippler. This was a very short visit, but it plunged the little prince into deep dejection.

— Čo tu robíš? — spýtal sa pijana, ktoré ho našiel, ako mlčky sedí pred radom prázdnych a radom plných fliaš.

“What are you doing there?” he said to the tippler, whom he found settled down in silence before a collection of empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles.

— Pijem, — odpovedal pijan s pochmúrnymvýrazom.

“I am drinking,” replied the tippler, with a lugubrious air.

— Prečo piješ? — pýtal sa ho Malý princ.

“Why are you drinking?” demanded the little prince.

— Aby som zabudol, — odpovedal pijan.

“So that I may forget,” replied the tippler.

— Aby si zabudol? A na čo? — vyzvedal Malý princ, lebo ho už ľutoval.

“Forget what?” inquired the little prince, who already was sorry for him.

— Aby som zabudol, že sa hanbím, — priznal pijan a ovesil hlavu.

“Forget that I am ashamed,” the tippler confessed, hanging his head.

— Za čo sa hanbíš? — vypytoval sa Malý princ, lebo mu chcel pomôcť.

“Ashamed of what?” insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.

— Hanbím sa, že pijem! — dodal pijan a načisto sa od mlčal.

“Ashamed of drinking!” The tippler brought his speech to an end, and shut himself up in an impregnable silence.

A Malý princ celý zmätený odišiel.

And the little prince went away, puzzled.

„Dospelí sú rozhodne veľmi, veľmi čudní,“ vravel si v duchu počas cesty.

“The grown-ups are certainly very, very odd,” he said to himself, as he continued on his journey.

XIII

XIII

Štvrtá planéta patrila biznismenovi. Ten človek bol taký zaujatý, že pri príchode Malého princa ani hlavu nezdvihol.

The fourth planet belonged to a businessman. This man was so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at the little prince’s arrival.

— Dobrý deň, — povedal mu Malý princ. — Vyhasla vám cigareta.

“Good morning,” the little prince said to him. “Your cigarette has gone out.”

— Tri a dva je päť. Päť a sedem dvanásť. Dvanásť a tri pätnásť. Dobrý deň. Pätnásť a sedem dvadsaťdva. Dvadsať dva a šesť dvadsaťosem. Nemám čas znova ju zapáliť. Dvadsaťšesť a päť tridsaťjeden. Uf! Robí to teda päťstojeden miliónov šesťstodvadsaťdvatisíc sedemstotridsaťjeden.

“Three and two make five. Five and seven make twelve. Twelve and three make fifteen. Good morning. Fifteen and seven make twenty-two. Twenty-two and six make twenty-eight. I haven’t time to light it again. Twenty-six and five make thirty-one. Phew! Then that makes five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one.”

— Päťsto miliónov čoho?

“Five hundred million what?” asked the little prince.

— Čože? Ty si ešte tu? Päťstojeden miliónov… už ne viem čoho… Mám toľko práce! Ja som vážny človek, ne zabávam sa táraním hlúpostí! Dva a päť sedem…

“Eh? Are you still there? Five-hundred-and-one million — I can’t stop… I have so much to do! I am concerned with matters of consequence. I don’t amuse myself with balderdash. Two and five make seven…”

— Päťstojeden miliónov čoho? — opakoval Malý princ, pretože sa nikdy v živote nevzdal otázky, ktorú už raz položil.

“Five-hundred-and-one million what?” repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question once he had asked it.

Biznismen zodvihol hlavu:

The businessman raised his head.

— Za päťdesiatštyri rokov, čo bývam na tejto planéte, ma vyrušili len tri razy. Po prvý raz to bolo pred dvadsiatimi dvoma rokmi, keď sem spadol bohvieodkiaľ chrúst. Hrozne bzučal a ja som urobil štyri chyby pri spočítaní.

“During the fifty-four years that I have inhabited this planet, I have been disturbed only three times. The first time was twenty-two years ago, when some giddy goose fell from goodness knows where. He made the most frightful noise that resounded all over the place, and I made four mistakes in my addition.

Po druhý raz to bolo pred jedenástimi rokmi, keď som mal reumatický záchvat. Chýba mi pohyb. Nemám čas na prechádzky. Ja som vážny človek. A po tretí raz… práve teraz! Vravel som teda päťstojeden miliónov…

The second time, eleven years ago, I was disturbed by an attack of rheumatism. I don’t get enough exercise. I have no time for loafing. The third time — well, this is it! I was saying, then, five-hundred-and-one millions — ”

— Miliónov čoho?

“Millions of what?”

Biznismen pochopil, že nemá nijakú nádej na pokoj.

The businessman suddenly realized that there was no hope of being left in peace until he answered this question.

— Miliónov tých malých vecí, ktoré niekedy vidíme na oblohe.

“Millions of those little objects,” he said, “which one sometimes sees in the sky.”

— Múch?

“Flies?”

— Ale nie, tým malých vecí, čo sa trblietajú.

“Oh, no. Little glittering objects.”

— Včiel?

“Bees?”

— Ale nie. Tých malých zlatých vecí, o ktorých plano rojčia povaľači. No ja som vážny človek! Ja nemám čas na rojčenie.

“Oh, no. Little golden objects that set lazy men to idle dreaming. As for me, I am concerned with matters of consequence. There is no time for idle dreaming in my life.”

— Ach! Hviezd?

“Ah! You mean the stars?”

— To je ono. Hviezd.

“Yes, that’s it. The stars.”

— A čo robíš s tými päťsto miliónmi hviezd?

“And what do you do with five-hundred millions of stars?”

— S päťstojeden miliónmi šesťstodvadsaťdvatisíc sedemstotridsaťjeden hviezdami. Ja som vážny človek, ja som presný.

“Five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one. I am concerned with matters of consequence: I am accurate.”

— A čo robíš s tými hviezdami?

“And what do you do with these stars?”

— Čo s nimi robím?

“What do I do with them?”

— Áno.

“Yes.”

— Nič. Vlastním ich.

“Nothing. I own them.”

— Ty vlastníš hviezdy?

“You own the stars?”

— Áno.

“Yes.”

— Ale ja som už videl kráľa, ktorý…

“But I have already seen a king who — ”

— Králi nevlastnia. Oni vládnu nad. To je veľký rozdiel.

“Kings do not own, they reign over. It is a very different matter.”

— A čo z toho máš, že vlastníš hviezdy?

“And what good does it do you to own the stars?”

— Robí to zo mňa boháča.

“It does me the good of making me rich.”

— A čo z toho máš, že si boháčom?

“And what good does it do you to be rich?”

— Môžem si kúpiť iné hviezdy, ak niekto nejaké objaví.

“It makes it possible for me to buy more stars, if any are discovered.”

„Tento človek,“ vravel si v duchu Malý princ, „mudruje skoro ako ten môj opilec.“

“This man,” the little prince said to himself, “reasons a little like my poor tippler…”

Aj tak mu ešte položil ďalšie otázky:

Nevertheless, he still had some more questions.

— Ako môžeme vlastniť hviezdy?

“How is it possible for one to own the stars?”

— A komu patria? — odsekol nevrlo biznismen.

“To whom do they belong?” the businessman retorted, peevishly.

— Neviem. Nikomu.

“I don’t know. To nobody.”