Indonesian literature goes to Bulgaria

Indonesian literature goes to Bulgaria

By Johannes Simbolon

JAKARTA (JP): Bulgaria is one continent away from Indonesia,
but in terms of culture the distance has to some wonderful extent
been bridged by a Bulgarian poet named Krassin Himmirsky.

Early this year, the 65-year-old launched an anthology of
poems by Indonesian modern poets which he translated along with a
group of Bulgarian leading poets. The work represents a wide
range of poets from the first generation like Amir Hamzah and
Chairil Anwar, to the younger generation like Sitok Srengenge.

Previously he translated a number of Indonesian folklores,
including Si Kabayan, Joko Linglung, Calon Arang; and a play by
the late Utuy Tatang Sontani Bunga Rumah Makan.

He is now preparing to publish an anthology of Indonesian
short stories

To Bulgarians, who recanted communism in 1989, it means that
they can now widen their outlook on life with the cultural
expressions of an Asian country so far away, which only few of
them might have visited or ever heard of.

As for Himmirsky himself, as an author he feels he has
followed the path that many great writers walked in the past,
that is, the "journey to the archipelago".

"Many world great authors from the West once sought
inspirations from the archipelagic regions. British short story
writer Somerset Maughaum, American novelist Ernest Hemingway were
among them," he said in Bahasa Indonesia during a recent
discussion, attended by a horde of Indonesian authors, at Taman
Ismail Marzuki Arts Center.

For Indonesians, who are mostly ignorant about Bulgaria -- we
know its soccer star Hristo Stoichkov but don't even know that
the famous slave in Rome, Spartacus, was from there -- it is
difficult to pass judgment on Himmirsky's literary position in
his country.

All we know is that he has written, in Bulgarian, three books
of poems and a compilation of short stories. At present he
teaches literature at three prominent universities in his
country. We may get a glimpse of his literary achievement his
short book entitled Open Up, Sir, published in 1986 when he was
cultural attache at the Bulgarian embassy in the U.S. The book
sold 10,000 copies within a week in his motherland.

Above all, what Himmirsky, who also speaks English, French,
Spanish and Russian, has done for Indonesian literature is strong
evidence of his obsession with Indonesia.

Obsession

"The first time I visited his house in Sofia I was impressed
with the plentiful exotic sculptures and ornaments from Indonesia
there. I said to myself `This man is so obsessed with
Indonesia'," recalled his wife Natalia Klyova, a noted painter
and arts lecturer in Sofia, who later shared her husband's
obsession.

Natalia, whose works have been collected by a number of
museums around the world, is now exhibiting her graphic art and
paintings through June 20 at the Jakarta Arts Institute. The
exhibition, sponsored by the Indonesian embassy in Bulgaria, is
part of Indonesia's 50th year of independence celebrations.

Himmirsky's obsession with Indonesia dates back to the
sixties, when as a young man he served as the cultural attache at
the Bulgarian embassy in Indonesia for four and a half years. He
had just received his doctoral degree in literature from the
University of Moscow, majoring in American literature. During
that time he took a brief course in Bahasa Indonesia.

"I just felt it useful to know an Asian language and opted for
Bahasa Indonesia," he said.

His placement in Indonesia provided him with a lot of
opportunities to deepen his knowledge of the language and
befriend many of its prominent literary figures. He whiled away
his spare time translating Indonesian poems, but they all
remained in manuscripts until they were published early this
year.

"I translated Aku from Chairil Anwar thirty years ago. The
work is very touching," he said.

He left Indonesia for many years but still keeps in touch with
what goes on in the country and the Himmirskys' house in Sofia is
a hangout for Indonesians. It was Ramadhan Pohan, a Jawa Pos
daily correspondent in Bulgaria, who kept prodding him to publish
the poems.

That is not all that he has done for Indonesia. He teaches
Indonesian at the course opened by the embassy and, along with
others, lobbied for the language to be included in the programs
at Sofia University. Together with 150 diplomats, academics and
businessmen, he is also active in the lovers of Indonesia club in
Sofia, the biggest club of its kind in the country.

"He is in the forefront of promoting Indonesia in Bulgaria.
Our embassy intensively uses him," said poet Hamid Djabbar.

After all, Himmirsky is still the son of his motherland, and
as such has a dream that Indonesians also know about his country,
which is now economically in dire straits and culturally
experiencing the transition from communism to democracy.

During his current visit here, he is trying to persuade fellow
writers that Bulgarian literary works be published here.

"When I asked the publishers in Bulgaria to publish my
Indonesian poetry book, they said `Okay, but also publish our
poems in Indonesia'," he recalled.

During the discussion at Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center,
some authors who were present seemed pessimistic about the plan,
saying that they themselves now face financial difficulties in
publishing their works.

Should a man like Himmirsky go home empty-handed? There must
be a way for Indonesians to answer the kind gestures from him
with equal gratitude. Besides, we would really like to know more
about Bulgaria.