SMRT FILOZOFA

Nikada nisam o tebi razmišljala sve dok nisi otišao
Sto je počišćen   čaša prazna    a tanjir
Pun grešaka     samo si skliznuo kroz       vrata
su bila zatvorena      neko je na njih kucao
udjite rekoh
vetar ih je širom otvorio
a na njima starica izbrazdanog lica
pljuvala je krv     donekle usamljena   odevena
majci nalik    ličila je na mene
osmehnula mi se i uputila mi
bezubu kletvu:   Ja sam tvoja smrt, reče ona,
znaš šta, uzdahnula sam, nisam još spremna
nije mi još trenutak, treba da pročitam sve Stoike
da postignem Budino prosvetljenje…
spremi se brzo, prosiktala je, a ja sam je odgurnula, zalupila vrata
i pala na pod, zatim se probudila prekrivena užasnim znojem

upalila  radio i slušala Baha
živela sa ljudima koji mrze poeziju
otkrića bejahu u modi             glupost u trudnoći

I tu ti prsti Glena Gulda…
Jednom prilikom, reče on, susreo sam Boga
Kontrapunkt je najveća stvar, u muzici a i životu,
Pričao je on i zviždukao Bahove vesele varijacije
Peglao bore kristalnoj jasnoći      zalivao leje domaćem životu
Hranio kućne miševe uzvitlanim očekivanjima
Koja nisu bila ni velika   ni čvrsta niti pak hladna
Ona bejahu samo tihi odjeci glasnog
Stakata njene ludosti     nesnosnog arpedja njegove veselosti
Tog gadnog kontrapunkta njegovog vašljivog obećanja…

© Nina Živančević
Produção de áudio: Radio Belgrade 2

PHILOSOPHER’S DEATH

Never did I think of you before you were gone

The table was clean the glass empty the plate 

 full of my mistakes and you just slid through

 the door was closed and someone was knocking at it

Come in I said

The wind pushed it open

That was an old woman with a ragged face

Spitting blood was somewhat lonely was dressed

Like my mother and looked like me

She smiled at me and toothless curse had reached

Me there, I am your death she said, oh I am not ready

Not ready right now have to read a lot of Stoics have to acquire my Buddha hood

Get ready she hissed and I pushed her away, slammed the door and fell down

Woke up covered with Gothic sweat



I turned on the radio and listened to Bach

Lived with some people who hated poetry

Serendipity in fashion stupidity in labour


Speedy fingers of Glen Gould

At one occasion he claimed he encountered God

Counterpoint is everything, like in music like in life

He said while humming along Bach’s exuberant variations

Ironing wrinkles of serenity  sprinkling the lawns of domesticity

Feeding house mice thrilling expectations

They were not great they were not solid they were not cold

They were just miniscule whispers of that loud

 staccato of her insanity      that unbearable arpeggio of his complicity

that bloody counterpoint of his lousy promise



Translated by the author