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I really hate it when there are no tags in a community that boasts thousands of entries. How am I ever supposed to find anything specific? Read through all the entries one by one, on the chance that I'll find a few I like? I no longer have the time for reading like that.

Modra rijeka - The Deep Blue River

So there was talk some time ago about posting more in our native language on Dreamwidth, and I was all set to do just that, when we had to start renovation on our apartment. I had promised whatistigerbalm  to post some translations of Mak Dizdar's poetry, mostly translated by a friend and former professor of mine, Colleen B. London.

I'm going to post one poem today, The Deep Blue River along with its translation into English. I'll try to do it so it's side by side, so let me know if it turns out wonky for whatever reason. A few more poems will (hopefully) be posted in the next couple of days.

Modra rijeka         (Mak Dizdar) Nitko ne zna gdje je ona Malo znamo al’ je znano Iza gora iza dola Iza sedam iza osam I još huđe, I još luđe Preko mornih, preko gorkih Preko gloga, preko drače Preko žege, preko stege Preko slutnje, preko sumnje Iza devet, iza deset I još dublje i još jače Iza šutnje, iza tmače Gdje pjetlovi ne pjevaju Gdje se ne zna za glas roga I još huđe i još luđe iza uma iza Boga Ima jedna modra rijeka široka je duboka jest. Sto godina široka je Tisuć ljet duboka je. O duljini i ne sanjaj Tma i tmuša neprebolna. Ima jedna modra rijeka Ima jedna modra rijeka. Valja nama preko rijeke.

The Deep Blue River (translation by Colleen B. London) There is no-one who knows where this place is We know only there is this place where Behind the mountains, beyond the valleys After seven or more than eight Even worse and even harder Tougher, steeper, even farther Thru the hawthorns, thru the brambles Thru the drought and thru the torture Past suspicion, past hesitation After nine or more than ten Then still deeper and even stronger Beyond the silence, beyond the darkness Where there is no song of rooster Where there is no sound of horn And even worse, and even farther Beyond the mind and God the Father There exists a deep blue river It is wide and it is deep. A hundred years it is in width And a thousand in its depth. For its length you can’t imagine – Gloom and darkness agonizing. There exists a deep blue river There exists a deep blue river. We shall have to cross the river.