Agon Shala translated Roger Waters’ “Amused to Death” track, “Nga,” for publication. The poem depicts a farmer’s wife observing the world from her window. The woman, nearing tea time, glances out, noting the absence of her imagined companion seated by the fence.
She doesn’t hear the sound of a passing motorcycle, but observes the technological sheen of a pilot’s cabin. Her gaze shifts to the radar screens displaying flight data. Amidst the routine, she examines instruments and smiles with a sense of security, contemplating the beauty of military life.
There is no concept of right or wrong; only the elements of conservation, gunpowder, and white rock. The sky remains cold, and the focus is on flight – continuous, unyielding flight. The poem emphasizes the simplicity of orders and the act of flying itself.
The farmer’s wife’s cold, bleak dream is filled with an eternal depiction of war, with her son perpetually reviewing military magazines.
