Krvava bajka

Krvava bajka

Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka

na brdovitom balkanu,

umrla je mucenickom smrcu

ceta djaka

u jednom danu.

Iste su godine

svi bili rodjeni,

isti su im tekli skolski dani,

na iste svecanosti

zajedno su vodjeni,

od istih bolesti svi pelcovani,

i svi umrli u istom danu.

Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka

na brdovitom Balkanu,

umrla je mucenickom smrcu

ceta djaka

u jednom danu.

A pedeset i pet minuta

pre smrtnog trena

sedela je u djackoj klupi

ceta malena

i iste zadatke teske

resavala: koliko moze

putnik ako ide peske...

i tako redom.

Misli su im bile pune

istih brojki

i po sveskama u skolskoj torbi

besmislenih lezalo bezbroj

petica i dvojki.

Pregrst istih snova

i istih tajni

rodoljubivih i ljubavnih

stiskalo se u dnu dzepova.

I cinilo se svakom

da ce dugo,

da ce vrlo dugo

trcati ispod svoda plava

dok sve zadatke na svetu

ne posvrsava.

Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka

na brdovitom Balkanu,

umrla je junačkom smrcu

ceta djaka

u istom danu.

Decaka redova celi

uzeli su se za ruke

i sa skolskog zadnjeg casa

na streljanje posli mirno

kao da smrt nije nista.

Drugova redovi celi

istog casa se uzneli

do vecnog boravista.

Bloody Fairy Tale

It happened in a land of farmers on

hilly Balkan 

far, far away; 

a troop of students 

died martyred 

on one single day. 

They were all born 

in the same year.

For all of them, the school days were the same: 

They were all taken 

to the same festivals with cheer, 

they were all vaccinated 

until the last name, 

and they all died on the same day. 

It happened in a land of farmers on 

hilly Balkan 

far, far away; 

a troop of students 

died martyred 

in one single day. 

And only fifty-five minutes 

prior the death moment, 

a small troop of fidgets 

sat beside their school desks 

solving the same hard math quest: 

“If a traveler goes by foot, 

how much time he needs to rest...”

and so on. 

Their thoughts were filled 

with same figures and tags 

and there was a countless amount 

of senseless As and Fs 

in their notebooks and in their bags.

They were squeezing 

a whole bunch of secrets that mattered--

either patriotic or a love letter-- 

on the bottom of their pockets. 

And everyone of them supposed 

that he would for a long time, 

for a very, very long time 

run under the blue sky-- 

until all math quests on the world 

were done and gone by.

It happened in a land of farmers on 

hilly Balkan 

far, far away; 

a troop of students 

died martyred 

on the same day. 

Whole rows of boys 

took each other’s hands 

and leaving the last school class 

went to the execution quietly, 

as the death was nothing but a smile.

All friends in rows were, 

at the same moment, 

lifted up to the eternal domicile.

(Translation: Dragana Konstantinovic)

A Bloody Fairy-tale

It came to pass in a land of peasants

in the hills of the Balkans

a martyr’s death was suffered by

a troop of pupils

in just twenty four hours.

They were all born

in the same year

their timetables were the same shape and size

they were all taken

to the same ceremonies

‘gainst the same maladies immunized

and all died on the same day.

It came to pass in a land of peasants

in the hills of the Balkans

a martyr’s death was suffered by

a troop of pupils

in just twenty four hours.

And just fifty five minutes

before the deathly toll

the tiny troop was sitting

at their desks in their rows

wrestling with the brain

exercises: from two stations

leave two trains...

and so it goes.

Their thoughts were full of

the same mysteries

and senselessly scattered

around the benches

were A’s and D’s.

Handfulls of shared dreams

and shared secrets

patriotic and romantic

were clenched tightly in their fists.

And each imagined

that for a long time,

for a really long time

they would run ‘neath the canopy blue

‘til all the exercises in the world

were through.

It came to pass in a land of peasants

in the hills of the Balkans

a hero's death was suffered by

a troop of pupils

in just twenty four hours.

Entire rows of boys

took each other by the hand

and from the last class at school

went calmly to their executions

as if death was nothing.

Entire rows of friends

in the same instant rose

to an eternal dwelling.

(Translated by Pavle Ninković)

A Bloody Fairytale

It was in a land of peasants

in the mountainous Balkans,

a company of schoolchildren

died a martyr's death

in one day.

They were all born

in the same year

their school days passed the same

taken together

to the same festivities,

vaccinated against the same diseases,

and all died on the same day.

It was in a land of peasants

in the mountainous Balkans,

a company schoolchildren

died a martyr's death

in one day.

And fifty-five minutes

before the moment of death

the company of small ones

sat at its desk

and the same difficult assignments

they solved: how far can a

traveler go if he is on foot...

and so on.

Their thoughts were full

of the same numbers

and throughout their notebooks in school bags

lay an infinite number

of senseless A's and F's.

A pile of the same dreams

and the same secrets

patriotic and romantic

they clenched in the depths of their pockets.

and it seemed to everyone

that they will run

for a long time beneath the blue arch

until all the assignments in the world

are completed.

It was in a land of peasants

in the mountainous Balkans,

a company of small ones

died a martyr's death

in one day.

Whole rows of boys

took each other by the hand

and from their last class

went peacefully to slaughter

as if death was nothing.

Whole lines of friends

ascended at the same moment

to their eternal residence.

(Translated by © 1999 Sarah O'Keeffe)

TALE OF VICTIMS

It was in a land of farmers

on the mountainous Balkan,

where troops of children died

martyr death

in one day.

They all were born

in the same year,

their school days were flowing similarly,

they participated

the same ceremonies,

they caught the same diseases,

and they all died on the same day.

It was in a land of farmers

on the mountainous Balkan,

where troops of children

died in heroic way

on the same day.

And fifty-five minutes

before the mortal moment

the whole group of children

were sitting in the school bench

and were solving

the same tasks difficult tasks,

And how is it possible that

they are going now in such queue.

They had much thoughts

and their notebooks in the school bags

useless there were countless

fives and twos. (= school marks)

They had the same dreams

and same secrets,

patriotic ones and loving ones,

same things in their pockets.

And it seemed to everybody

that they will run

under the blue sky

for long,very long time

until all tasks in the world

they will solve.

It was in a land of farmers

on the mountainous Balkan,

where troops of children

died in heroic way

on the same day.

And a row of children

holding the hands of each other,

from the last schol lesson

went to the execution, such peaceful

as the death were nothing.

And a row of friends

in the same hour

were sent to eternal rest.

VÉRES MESE

A hegyvölgyes Balkánon,

Lankás, termékeny tájon,

Kisiskolás gyerekek

Mártírhalált szenvedtek

Egy napon.

Mind egy évben születtek,

Iskolás napjaik hasonlóan teltek,

Az ünnepeken együtt szerepeltek,

S ugyanazon betegségekbe estek,

S meghaltak ugyanazon a napon.

A hegyvölgyes Balkánon,

Lankás, termékeny tájon,

Kisiskolás gyerekek

Hősi halált szenvedtek

Egy napon.

Egy órával a végzetes perc előtt,

Mindnyájan a padban ültek,

Nehéz feladatokon töprengtek,

S aztán hihetetlen módon

Egy sorban terelték ki őket.

Fejükben a sok jó ötlet,

Táskájukban az üzenőfüzet,

Ötösök és kettesek,

Mind feleslegesek lettek.

Álmaik és rejtett titkaik,

Hazafias és kedves gondolataik,

Zsebük mélyen rejlő kis tárgyak

Most már senkinek nem hasznosak.

S mindenki azt hitte,

Hogy még sokáig, örökre,

Futkoshatnak a kék ég alatt,

Míg a világ összes feladatát

Meg nem oldják.

A hegyvölgyes Balkánon,

Lankás, termékeny tájon,

Kisiskolás gyerekek

Hősi halált szenvedtek

Egy napon.

A gyerekek hosszú sorban,

Egymásba kapaszkodva,

Az utolsó tanóráról elindultak,

S békésen a halálba vonultak.

És a kis barátok mindnyájan,

Ugyanabban az órában

Örök pihenőre tértek.

Кровавая сказка (отрывок)

Это случилось в одном государстве балканском —

в горном, крестьянском.

Горькое там приключилось злосчастье

с группой ребят —

целым классом пали они в одночасье

смертью героев.

Все они были ровесники,

все — одногодки.

Вместе учились и вместе играли,

хором стихи наизусть повторяли.

Вместе ходили к врачам на прививки.

Все у них общее было:

уроки, болезни, привычки.

Вместе они и погибли.

. . .

Это случилось в одном государстве балканском —

в горном, крестьянском.

Горькое там приключилось злосчастье

с группой ребят —

целым классом пали они в одночасье

смертью героев.

За руки взявшись,

пошли они на смерть рядами.

Самые слабые дети и те не рыдали.

После уроков,

сложив аккуратно тетрадки,

шли на расстрел они поступью твердой

в полном порядке,

прямо и гордо.

За руки взявшись

прямо под пули

Эти ребята навстречу бессмертью шагнули.

~ КОНЕЦ ~

____

«Зеленый витязь». — Москва. Детская литература, 1977.