[I did not really appreciate the full force of the loathsomeness of Akos Kovacs‘s jaded jingo jingle, below, until I translated it into English (stilted, so as to match the original: no effort at prettification here). Note the three lines starting with *asterisks, added to obfuscate, or on the advice of attorneys, or as yet another symptom of how deeply this vicious, paranoid delusion has wormed its way into the Hungarian psyche. To find the people of vengeance Hungarians need go no further than their mirrors.]
A Bosszú Népe — The People of Vengeance
Ákos Kovács
[Kovacs is a recipient of Hungary’s Kossuth Prize — a once-prestigious award now being cheapened by the Orban regime, which has lately tried (unsuccessfully) to rescind from a past recipient, Akos Kertesz, who sought and was granted asylum in Canada because he was being persecuted in Hungary for having condemned the very trait — in Hungarians — that Akos Kovacs is floridly exhibiting in his hate-lyrics. Kovacs also wrote the sound-track for Maria Schmidt’s Budapest “House of Terror”, a monstrously distorted memorial bemoaning Hungary’s victimhood while obscuring and obfuscating Hungary’s own responsibility for the horrors.]
A bosszú népe — The people of vengeance
Úgy tenne jégre, — Would so dispose of you
Hogy ne is vedd észre, — That you wouldn’t even notice
Hogy elpusztít — You were being destroyed
A lélek üressége, — Emptiness of spirit
A mérce kettőssége, — Double standards
Egy bosszúálló isten — A vindictive god’s
Torzult tükörképe — Distorted mirror-image
E szorgos nép, ha perbe fog, — This sedulous people, if it pursues you
Téged elevenen tűzre dob, — Throws you alive into the fire
A harag réme, a béke vége, — A reign of terror, the end of peace
Tombol a bosszú népe. — Wreacks the people of vengeance
A bosszú népe — The people of vengeance
Úgy tenne jégre, — Would so dispose of you
Hogy ne is vedd észre, — That you wouldn’t even notice
Hogy elpusztít — You were being destroyed
Ne szabadkozz: Te szabad vagy, — Don’t beg pardon, you are free
A hatalmad magadnak akartad, — You wanted the power for yourself,
Hát szabad-e hagynod, hogy fúrja-tépje — So why should the people of vengeance be free
Hazádat folyton a bosszú népe? — To tear and shred your homeland?
Félnek tőled, rettegnek, — They fear you, they cower,
És inkább elevenen esznek meg, — And rather eat you alive
Csak nehogy el tudd mondani végre, — Just so you shouldn’t be able to tell
Hogyan gyülöl a bosszú népe. — How the people of vengeance hate you
A bosszú népe — The people of vengeance
Úgy tenne jégre, — Would so dispose of you
Hogy ne is vedd észre, — That you wouldn’t even notice
Hogy elpusztít — You were being destroyed
A gyűlölet rabja — The slaves of hatred
Majd kiforgatja — Will turn upside down
Minden szavamat és átkoz — My every word, and will curse
*Mert aki brancsoknak tagja, — Because those who are members of the branch
*Az ukázba kapja, — Are trained in the Ukase
*Hogy üssön, ha nem tartozol a párthoz. — To beat you if you are not in the party.
A bosszú népe — The people of vengeance
Úgy tenne jégre, — Would so dispose of you
Hogy ne is vedd észre, — That you wouldn’t even notice
Hogy elpusztít — You were being destroyed
Dúdold ezt a dalt, — Croon this song
És aki gyűlöl majd érte, — And those who hate you for it:
Az lesz a bosszú népe! — Those are the people of vengeance!