Bernard Johnson 
Translator

on Lyrikline: 4 poems translated

from: srbščina to: angleščina

Original

Translation

Под земљoм

srbščina | Miodrag Pavlović

На дашчаном зиду
дугоноги паук
лови у мрежу
своjу сенку

Низ труле степенице
жута свећа
пљуjе у подрум

Подрум jе далеко
и тоне све дубље
под влажне зидове

Jедна врата
затворила су неког
у поноћ

И jедан мрав
у виду човека
на дну степеница
дигао jе руку

Његов крик
не допире

© Миодраг Павловић
Audio production: 2005, M.Mechner / Literaturwerkstatt Berlin

UNDER THE GROUND

angleščina

On a wooden wall
a long-legged spider
casts its web
around its own shadow

Down rotting steps   
a yellow candle
spits into a cellar

The distant cellar
sinks further and further
under damp walls

At midnight
a door shuts
someone in

And a ant
in the guise of a man
at the foot of the steps
raises its arm

Its cry
cannot reach us

Translated by Bernard Johnson

Питања

srbščina | Miodrag Pavlović

Да се буде странaц
или
да се не отпутуjе

Да се окрене глава
или
да се ослепи

Да се затворе уста
или
да се падне на леђа

Неће jош дуго куцати сатови
пружи руку

Умрети
или
не родити се

препородити се

© Миодраг Павловић
Audio production: 2005, M.Mechner / Literaturwerkstatt Berlin

QUESTIONS

angleščina

Should one become a stranger
or
not go away

Should one turn one's head
or
go blind

Should one shut one's lips
or
fall one's back

The clocks won't go on ticking much longer give me your hand

To die
or
not to be born

To be reborn

Translated by Bernard Johnson

Dva sveta

srbščina | Matija Bećković

I uskoro ćemo, taj dan doći mora,
Uputiti molbe upravi zatvora –

Da nas liše straha, slobode i zime
I na robiju tešku da nas prime!

A kad nas u lance bace i povežu,
Nek svet izgubi sramnu ravnotežu!

I od dva sveta što svet ovaj čine,
Nek svet robijaša bude svet većine!

A čuvari nek nas, iz straha il' srama,
Jedne noći mole da budu sa nama!

© Matija Bećković
from: Tako je govorio Matija
Beograd: Prosveta, 1964
Audio production: Radio Beograd / Radio Belgrade

Two worlds

angleščina

And very soon the day must be near
we shall send a request to the prison governor

To preserve us from fear, freedom and cold
and accept us for penal servitude!

And when we are thrown into chains and servility
may the world at last lost its shameful stability!

And of those two worlds which this world embraces
may the world of prisoners become greatest.

And then may our guards out of shame or fright
ask to come over one night to our side.

Translated by Bernard Johnson

Kad bih znao da bih se ponosno držao

srbščina | Matija Bećković

Kad bih znao da bih se ponosno držao
Na robijama i pred sudovima:
Žario bih, palio i sve izdržao
I svemu se odupro golim udovima!

Kad bih znao da bih sto ispod stopala
Sam ćušnuo i sam omču namakao:
Večnosti bi se moja duša dokopala
A moj dželat bi za mnom zaplakao!

Al bojim se da bih počeo da molim
Da plačem, klečim i sve da izdajem,
da bih sačuvao samo život goli,
Na sve da pljunem na sve da pristajem.

© Matija Bećković
from: Tako je govorio Matija
Beograd: Prosveta, 1964
Audio production: Radio Beograd / Radio Belgrade

If I knew that I would hold myself proudly

angleščina

If I knew that I would hold myself proudly
In prison and before courts:
I would roast and burn but still bear all
Resisting everything with my bare limbs!

If I knew that I would push away
The table with my feet, myself put on the noose
My soul would earn itself eternity
And my hangman weep after me.

But I fear that I would entreat
And weeping, kneel, betraying all.
So as to keep at least my naked life
And spit on everything, agree to anything.

Translated by Bernard Johnson