ravnica

Putnici oprezno sjedaju
na klupe od skaja odlažući kapute boje kupine i suhe trave
Vlak posrće u noć poput slijepog pastira

U kupeu iz uglova suklja mrak koji se hrani bezvoljom
Uskoro ćemo, za pola sata, svi ujedno sljubiti lica uz prozore
u vlasti čudne vjere
da uz vlak, kroz anonimnu šumu
prateći naše osjećaje, čežnje, trče srne, divlje ptice
i bića koja se bude iz stabala

Na znak dirigenta, izmučene utrkom utvara
glave klonu u san

Mekana i crna ravan
dobiva ispupčine na kojima cvatu
noćni električni gradovi.

© Ana Brnardić
De: Postanak ptica
Zagreb: Hrvatsko društvo pisaca, 2009
Producción de Audio: Croatian PEN Centre

FLATLANDS

Travellers sit carefully
On the fake leather benches taking off their coats with the colours
Of blueberry and dry grass
The train stumbles into the night like a blind shepherd
 
Darkness swiftly invades the compartment from all corners feeding itself
On our listlessness
Soon – in half an hour – we will glue our faces to the window panes
Overtaken by some strange belief
That through that anonymous forest
Following our desires and sentiments, roe deer, birds and other creatures awoken
Among the trees will be running along with our train
 
Upon the conductor’s sign, exhausted by this phantom race
Our heads will sink into sleep
 
The soft and black flatlands
Bears bumps budding with electric cities
Of the night.

Translated into English by Damir Šodan
Translation published in: www.versopolis.com