Maryia Bialkovich

A JEW                 אההה… כמה טוב שרכשנו את מושג האומה…

Oh, God bless the concept of a nation introduced by humankind! 

Everyone laughs.

A BELARUSIAN Але ж палякаў шкада. Шкада, што ўва ўсім заўжды вінавацяць палякаў. 

But I feel really sorry for the Poles. They are always blamed for everything. 

A JEW             נוווו, מה לומר, בהכל ותמיד…

Well, I wouldn’t say that they’re always blamed for everything…

A BELARUSIAN Вам да іх далёка… 

But you can’t even compare to them. 

A JEW     ואתה?

Really? Can you

A UKRAINIAN Дорогі товариші! Перші націонал-екзистенційні ігри оголошуються відкритими!

Dear comrades! The first national existential games are declared open! 

Everyone laughs. 

A BELARUSIAN Але ж не самае належнае выкарыстанне панятка «экзістэнцыяльны»…

However, that’s not really the correct use of the term “existential”. 

A UKRAINIAN Так мені до сракі.  

I don’t give a fuck. 

Everyone laughs. They sit in silence for a while. 

A JEW           נסנסים יהודי, בלארוסי ואוקראינית למסעדה ושם אומרים להם:…                          

A Jew, Belarusian and Ukrainian enter a restaurant and hear…

A UKRAINIAN (перебивая) Розстріляти!

(interrupts the Jew) “Shoot them down!”

Everyone laughs.

A BELARUSIAN (сур’ёзна) Толькі б лагер. 

(seriously) I wish they took us to the concentration camp.