Zvezdara

Zvezdara

1

Na Zvezdaru sam se peo prelepog jednog dana,

jer Zvezdara je moja zemlja obecana,

tu stanem na vrh brega, a vidik sa cetiri strane

u moje sive oci ko u kolevku stane,

tu trazim godine prosle i jednu mladost zvezdanu,

tu zelim opet da sretnem devojku nasmejanu,

da uzleti ispod bagrenja, da mane belom rukom,

ja da je zovem pticom,

a ona mene hajdukom.

Sa Zvezdare je sloboda na sve cetiri strane,

na petoj, gore, vidim oblake razvejane,

tu Dunav lici na vrpcu iz devojacke kose,

palu u krilo zemlje, valjda umorio se,

a preko reke most je, vitak ko zmija sarka,

odavde, ja bih ga presao u tri moja koraka,

jer ja sam ovde velik, u moje narucje malo

bezbroj reka i polja

ko u gnezdo bi stalo.

8

A dole, grdno blizu, od sunca zut i beo,

na obalama reka grad se razapeo.

Koliko samo ulica, Boze, i kuca tu je,

sa svakog prozora na me grad se osmehuje,

rukama dimnjaka meni marame plave vija,

al cekaj pobratime, veseljak sam ti i ja,

u trubu sake svijam, dovikujem mu ime,

da bude moja ljubav,

da mnogo zavoli me.

Pred ovim gradom sam dete, pred njega padam nice,

u njemu su sve moje crkve, sve Studenice,

ako svetove zidam, ako plovidbe snujem,

ako se tuzno veselim, veselo rastuzujem,

vino li slavno pijem ili veceravam hleba,

samo su ovde moje zvezde, moja neba,

pa ako sanjam Parize i mramorne Sijene,

nad ovim su gradom

oci mi zamagljene.

Pa ruke pruzam gradu, pa se tesim

kako cu i ja jednom da se smesim.

ZVEZDARA

I climb Zvezdara on a lovely day 

for Zvezdara is my promised land 

and a view on all four sides 

fits into my grey eyes like into a crib 

while on the hill top I stand. 

I search for the past and my starry youth from here 

wishing to meet again the smiling girl, 

and whirl under the acacia waving her white hand 

I would be her brigand, and she my bird. 

There is freedom looking from Zvezdara on all four sides 

on the fifth, above, I see the clouds spread, 

from here the Danube looks like a girl’s hair-band, 

perhaps tired, fallen into the lap of the land. 

Across the river, bridge slim like a viper 

I could cross in three steps, 

from here I am big and on my chest 

many rivers and fields 

could fit like into a nest. 

Before this city, I am a child, falling on my knees 

in it all my churches are like Studenica, supreme 

if I build them, sailing the oceans, in my dream, 

sadly joyous, and joyously sad 

drinking good wine or dining just bread, 

only here my stars are, here my skies. 

If I dream Paris and marble of Sienna 

over this city only I get misty in my eyes. 

I reach toward this city, to comfort myself awhile 

with hopes that once, maybe, I too will get to smile. 

Passages from the poem “Zvezdara” (1969)

Translated from Serbian: Mirjana N. Radovanov-Mataric, 2010

Credit to Ratomir Damjanovich, poem from his personal collection of writings about Belgrade