I’ve never been to Zrenjanin

Vinko Kalinić 21:50:00 0 comments Moje pjesme Poems (english) Translated by Darko Kotevski Vinko Kalinić

I’ve never been to Zrenjanin
Oh God, I’ve never been to that town
and his name comes to me, echoing like my own
alone, from the darkness the streets grow, our steps resonate
and everything is weaved of dreams, in that town
where one boy grew,
where one angel lives

I’ve never been to Zrenjanin
Oh God, I’ve never been to that town
but I see it like on the palm of my hand – every night
I ‘m rebuilding it, turning over my thoughts
digging them away like the cobweb, pulling thin threads out
and I stack them like the bricks, like Lego blocks
so, I sew them like a silken cloak
and suddenly all is full of moonlight,
but the hands tremble, full of longing, and distance
and desires swing like the shadows of a dry weeping willow,
in some park over an empty bench,
in the fire of passion my body crumbles,
like night lamps, even my bones are burning

I’ve known that forever, today I know even more:
towns are like people, and people are like towns
but I didn’t know, not even slightly, from all towns
that Zrenjanin will be the pure reflection of my soul


I’ve never been to Zrenjanin
Oh God, I’ve never been to that town
but I saw his eyes, big clear eyes
- no town hides such powers! -
I swam for days in those eyes, drowning, emerging
and again immersing, dying and re-emerging,
for months I’ve been looking into those eyes
and today I see, when I’m miles away:
the light browse in those eyes
some sloppily light
the light that liquefies,
from which sparkles
the last atom of air

I saw his face, the face as pure as the dawn -
brighter than all towns I’ve ever visited,
warmer than all people I’ve ever met

I’ve never been to Zrenjanin
Oh God, I’ve never been to that town
but my heart stayed there
heart – of my own

October 21th, 2009

Vinko Kalinić

(Translated 
by Darko Kotevski)

Nikada nisam bio u Zrenjaninu 

Nikada nisam bio u Zrenjaninu
Bože, nikada nisam bio u tom gradu
a ime mi njegovo dolazi, odzvanja kao rođeno
same, iz mraka rastu ulice, odjekuju naši koraci
i sve je od snova satkano, u tom gradu
gdje je odrastao, gdje živi
jedan dječak, jedan anđeo

nikada nisam bio u Zrenjaninu
Bože, nikada nisam bio u tom gradu
a vidim ga kao na dlanu - svake noći
ponovno ga gradim, prevrćem svoje misli
razgrćem ih kao paučinu, iz njih vadim tanke niti
pa ih slažem kao cigle, kao lego kocke
pa ih šijem kao plašt od svile
i odjednom sve je puno mjesečine,
a ruke drhte, pune čežnje, i daljine
i želje se njišu kao sjene suhe vrbe,
u nekom parku iznad prazne klupe,
u ognju strasti rastače se moje tijelo,
kao noćne lampe, čak i moje kosti plamte

oduvijek sam znao, danas znam još više:
gradovi su kao ljudi, i ljudi su kao gradovi
ali nisam znao, ni slutio nisam, od svih gradova
baš Zrenjanin da će biti čisti odraz moje duše


nikada nisam bio u Zrenjaninu
Bože, nikada nisam bio u tom gradu
ali vidio sam njegove oči, velike bistre oči
- nema grada koji krije takve moći! –
danima sam u njima plivao, utapao se, izranjao
i opet uranjao, umirao i ponovno se rađao,
mjesecima sam samo u njih gledao
i danas vidim, i kad sam miljama daleko:
u njima se razlistava svjetlost
žitka neka svjetlost
svjetlost od koje se topi,
od koje blista
i posljednji atom zraka

lice sam njegovo vidio, lice čisto kao svitanje -
svjetlije od svih gradova u kojima sam ikada bio,
toplije od svih ljudi koje sam ikada susreo

nikada nisam bio u Zrenjaninu
Bože, nikada nisam bio u tom gradu
a srce mi je tamo ostalo
srce - moje rođeno

Vinko Kalinić