Jutro

Jutro (Dan jedan praznih očiju i zamagljena čela.)

Toga je jutra crna ptica pjevala u srcu mom:

bila je – bila! – tvoja mladost

i sve je prošlo s njom;

ne pohodi nas dvaput radost:

Crvljivo voće brzo zre;

a sužanj ne zna sunca ni neba

već brzo stari i brzo mre. –

Toga je jutra zlatna žica prepukla u srcu mom.

                                                                (1915)

Morning

(A day of empty eyes and blurry mind.)

That morn a black bird sang inside my heart:

gone – gone! – your youth

and with all else you must part;

we are happy only once, ‘tis truth:

Worm-filled fruits ripen fast;

and captives know no sun nor sky

so fast grow old and quickly die.

That morn the golden wire snapped inside my heart.

(Translated by Una Dimitrijevic; see translator's notes here)

Morning

(A day of empty eyes and blurred mind.)

At break of day the black bird’s song rang in my soul:

gone – gone! – your youthful days

and all else with it too,

for happiness does come but once.

As ripened fruits are home to worms,

so captives know no sun nor sky

but quickly age and quickly die.

The golden wire that morning snapped within my soul.

(Translated by Una Dimitrijevic; see translator's notes here)

Morning

(One morning with empty eyes and foggy mind.)

That morning a black bird sang in my heart:

it was – was! – your youth

and all that with it is gone:

happiness doesn't come around twice:

Worm-ridden fruit ripens quickly; 

while the prisoner knows no sun or sky

but quickly ages and quickly dies. -

That morning a golden wire broke in my heart.

                                                                (1915)

(Translated by Pavle Ninković)

Morning

(One morning with empty eyes and foggy mind.)

That morning in my heart a black bird’s song:

it was – was! – your youth

and all that with it is gone:

happiness doesn't come around twice:

While the prisoner knows no sun or skies

Worm-ridden fruit quickly ripens

And the prisoner quickly ages and quickly dies

That morning in my heart a golden wire broke.

(Translated by Pavle Ninković)