Prvo pevanje

„Obreh se u nekoj mračnoj šumi“

Dante

To je bila šuma koja je pojela nebo

šuma iz koje kad izađoh videh

da nisam izašao da su me zveri pojele

i znah da će biti gorko da pričam

o tome šta sam video i nisam

video kad uđoh u njen mrak i ne izađoh

iz te šume što je zelenim čeljustima

pojela svoje staze i izgubila se u sebi

postoji jedna topla obala breg zelenila i jedna beatriča

ali su tri čeljusti tri makaze tri noža

da voleo bih povratak

išao sam ispred sebe po isplakanom

putu i pesak je ujedao za stopala

ko staklo i videh pse koji su grizli zemlju

videh grešnike kako ih vitla zli vetar

nebo što laje i kišu prokletstva tešku

i večitu

videh slepe vode stiksa i blato mržnje

videh grad u plamenu i žene čije su ruke zmije

videh zid plača bez zvezda

i čuh reči bola u vrtlogu

onih koji su postali drvo ili kamen

i ne mogu se smrti nadati

onih jadnih koji se nikada nisu rodili

videh videh videh i čuh i zaplakah

svirala od zemlje od šume

od krvi

dozivala drugu obalu

na kobnom žalu stajo narod i plako

o jao jao vama duše uklete

s balsamovanim rukama i usnama od krvi

videh videh videh čuh i padoh mrtav

o Aheronte Aheronte

sve strane sveta stiču se na tvojim obalama.

First canto

I found myself within a forest dark

Dante

It was a forest that ate the sky

the forest from which I came out to realize

that I did not come out that beasts have eaten me

and I knew that it will be bitter to tell

what I saw and didn't

see when I entered it's darkness and came out not

from that forest which ate its paths with green jaws

and got lost in itself

there is one warm shore hill of green and one

Beatrice

but there are three jaws three scissors and three knives

yes I would like to return

I went ahead of myself on the cried out road and sand was biting my feet

like glass and I saw dogs eating dirt

saw sinners being swung by the evil wind

sky that barks and rain of damnation heavy

and eternal

I saw blind waters of Stix and mud of hatred

I saw city in flames and women whose arms are snakes

I saw the wailing wall with no stars

and I heard words of pain in maelstrom

of those who became tree or a stone

and I can not hope for death

of those wretched that never've been born

I saw I saw I saw and heard and wept

flute of earth of forest

of blood

alluring the other shore

on the dire shore there stood people and wept

ay ay your damned souls

with balsamed arms and lips of blood

I saw I saw I saw and heard and fell dead

Oh Acheron Acheron

all sides of the world meet on your shores.

(Translated by Aleksandra Milanović)