A few days ago, Serbian singer, composer, and lyricist Ðorđe Balasevic passed away from Covid-19 infection at the age of 67. Ðole has been a big star in all of former Yugoslavia for almost 4 decades.
We grew up with his songs, we lived our first loves with them, we cried with them and mostly we smiled with them. The great man who was adored by many is gone forever, but he left us a legacy of his timeless songs that we will listen to for a long time. I am happy that I took my daughter to his concert in Zagreb three years ago, and that is something I believe she will remember forever. Sara’s video clip from this concert is attached to this post. Here I have translated some of Ðole's quotations and also two of his songs. The first "Life is the sea" was created in the time of my early youth and followed me throughout my whole life. The second "Count on Us" also originated in my early youth and is probably one of Ðole's most popular songs, but also one of the most questioned, that many later resented because he sang about the oath to our late president Tito. I still think it’s an ingenious song that wonderfully enchants a time when we thought and felt healthy. I also translated that song with the help of my Sara, I hope it was successful.
Pred nekoliko dana preminuo je srpski pjevac, kompozitor I tekstpisac Ðorđe Balasevic. Ðole je bio velika zvijezda na citavom podrucju bivse Jugoslavije gotovo 4 desetljeca. Uz njegove smo pjesme odrastali, uz njih smo prozivljavali prve ljubavi, uz njih smo plakali I uz njih smo se najcesce smijesili. Veliki covjek kojeg su mnogi obozavali otisao je zauvijek, ali u nasljedje nam je ostavio svoje bezvremenske pjesme koje cemo jos dugo slusati. Sretna sam sto sam prje tri godine odvela moju kcer na njegov concert u Zagrebu, a to je nesto sto ce znam zauvijek pamtiti. Sarina snimka sa koncerta je u dodatku ovog clanka.
Ovdje sam prevela neke od Ðoletovih citata, jer on sam najbolje prica o seb,i kao I dvije njegove pjesme. Prva “Zivot je more” jer nastala u doba moje rane mladosti I pratila me kroz citav zivot. Druga “Racunajte na nas” je isto nastala u mojoj ranoj mladosti. To je vjerovatno jedna od najpopularnijih Ðoletovih pjesama, ali I jedna od najosporavanijih koji su mu mnogi kasnije zamjerali jer pjeva o zakletvu Titu. Ja mislim da je to genijalana pjesma koja divno ocarava jedno vrijeme u kojem smo zdravo mislili I osjecali. Prevela sam I tu pjesmu uz pomoc svoje Sare, nadam se uspjesno.
Ljubav/Love
“Cekati na nedocekano, nadati se beznadju, grliti se bez zagrljaja, ljubiti se bez poljubaca, prozimati se u mislima. I spoznaja da smo tu negde. Tako blizu, a tako daleko.”
"Waiting on the unexpected, hoping for hopelessness, hugging without hugs, kissing without kisses, passionately cuddling in thoughts. And the realization that we are here somewhere. So close, yet so far."
“Ali, ja sam sanjalica. Vjerujem u nestvarno. Vjerujem u ono “ali” svaki put kad mi kazu da se ne zavaravam. Jer nemoguce postaje moguce, ako dovoljno zelis.”
"But I am a dreamer. I believe in the unreal. I believe in that "but" every time they tell me not to be fooled. Because the impossible becomes possible, if you want enough.”
Zivot/Life
“Zivot? To ti je ono na grobu, pa kad pise godina rodjenja I godina smrti. E ona crtica izmedju, to je zivot.”
"Life? That is what is on your grave, so when it says the date of birth and the date of death. That line in between, that is life.”
“”Zauvek” je ipak samo rec…Velike reci obicno imaju malu greskui smanjuju se za mrvcak svaki put kadi h izgovoris. Ni od mog “zauvek” nije ostalo bog zna sta.”
“"Forever" really is just a word… Big words usually have a small mistake that is reduced a little every time you say it. Nor of my “forever” there does not remain God knows what."
Zivot je more
Zivot je more, pucina crna po kojoj tonu mnogi sto brode nije mi srce plasljiva srna ja se ne bojim velike vode Lome me vali, nose me struje oseka srece, a tuge plima siba me nebo bicem oluje al' jos se ne dam i jos me ima
U jutra rana plase me senke minulih dana secanja mutna kao u lazi, kao u snu ipak se borim, ipak se nadam sve manje letim, sve vise padam i sve su jace ruke sto me vuku dnu Mozda ce zena svilenog bedra koja me zove i pruza ruke uliti vetar u moja jedra do nove zene, do nove luke Zivot je more
Life is the sea
Life is the sea, open black,
on which sink many that sail.
My heart is not a timid doe
I am not afraid of big water.
Waves break me, currents carry me,
the low tide of happiness, and the high tide of sorrow.
The sky beats me with the whip of the storm,
but I'm not giving up yet and I'm still here.
In the early morning, the shadows of past days frighten me
memories blurred as in a lie, as in a dream.
Yet I struggle, yet I hope
I fly much less, I fall much more,
and the hands that drag me to the depths are getting stronger
Maybe a woman of silk thighs
who calls me and extends her arms,
pours the wind into my sails,
to a new woman, to a new port.
Life is the sea.
Racunajte na nas
U ime svih nas iz pedeset i neke za zakletvu Titu ja spevo sam stih. Ne spominjem proslost i bitke daleke, jer rodjen sam tek posle njih. Al' zivot pred nama jos bitaka skriva i preti nam, preti ko duboki vir. Ja znam da nas ceka jos sto ofanziva jer moramo cuvati mir. Racunajte na nas. Sumnjaju neki da nosi nas pogresan tok, jer slusamo ploce i sviramo rok. Al' negde u nama je bitaka plam i kazem vam sta dobro znam: 'Racunajte na nas. ' U ime svih nas iz pedeset i neke za zakletvu Titu sam spevala stih. Ne spominjem proslost i bitke daleke, jer rodjena sam posle njih. U nama je sudbina buducih dana i neki se mozda plase za nju. Kroz vene nam protice krv partizana i mi znamo zasto smo tu. Racunajte na nas. Sumnjaju neki da nosi nas pogresan tok, jer slusamo ploce i sviramo rok. Al' negde u nama je bitaka plam i kazem vam sta dobro znam: 'Racunajte na nas.
Count on us
In the name of all of us from fifty-something
for the oath to Tito I composed a verse.
I do not mention the past and the distant battles,
because I was born only after them.
But life ahead of us, still hides battles,
and threatens us, threatens as a deep whirlpool.
I know that another hundred offensives await us,
because we have to maintain the peace.
Count on us.
Some suspect that the wrong stream is carrying us,
because we listen to records and we play rock.
But somewhere in us is a flame of battles,
and I tell you what I know well:
'Count on us. '
In the name of all of us from fifty-something
for the oath to Tito I composed a verse.
I do not mention the past and the distant battles,
because I was born only after them.
Within us is the destiny of future days
and some may be scared for her.
Through our veins flows partisan blood
and we know why we are here.
Count on us.
Some suspect that the wrong stream is carrying us,
because we listen to records and we play rock.
But somewhere in us is a flame of battles,
and I tell you what I know well:
'Count on us. '
Kristina
Monday, February 22nd, 2021.
Comentários