Poem
Krešimir Bagić
The Palm Sways
The palm sways, so too the oliveJacques Chirac and I have the same tie.
His round his neck, mine in my pocket.
I won’t tell you my name,
because if you don\'t know me
there’s no helping you.
The palm sways, so too the sea.
Jacques Chirac and I read the same paper.
He reads about politics, I read the sport.
When I was conceived my father got drunk
with chagrin, and mother punched her own belly.
I came out pretty well, despite everything.
The palm sways, so too the gull.
Jacques Chirac and I enjoy the same yoghurt.
Him in the evening, me in the morning.
Like any unwanted child
I learned the language of the streets straight off,
the speech of sailors, harbour girls and dollars.
The palm sways, so too the tiger.
Jacques Chirac and I come out with the same statements.
Him on the right, me on the left.
The Slovene guy put it well:
the communists sat at the same tables
as everyone else. And used the same stairs.
The palm sways, so too the Vélodrome.
Jacques Chirac and I don’t know one another.
He supports the PSG, I\'m an OM fan.
On match day first I fire the sea,
and then the stands. I’m a pyromaniac
feeding off the gulls’ cry and the roar of lions.
The palm sways, so too the pyromaniac.
Why did I mention Jacques Chirac anyway?
Out of compassion, and native decency.
Because: I’m perfect, I\'m a genius,
The Americans are studying my brain
for a new generation of computers.
The palm is waving, so too the genius.
When I sweep the Champions League with OM
this continent will bear my name.
I shan’t tell you I’m called Rolland Courbis,
because if you don’t know already
there’s no helping you.
© Translation: 2007, Kim Burton
Palma se njiše
Palma se njiše
Palma se njiše, maslina s njom.Jacques Chirac i ja nosimo iste kravate.
On oko vrata, ja u džepu.
Neću vam reći kako se zovem,
jer onaj tko me ne prepozna
vrijedan je svakog prezira.
Palma se njiše, more s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja čitamo iste novine.
On politiku, ja sport.
Kada sam začet, moj se otac napio od tuge,
a majka se bijesno tukla po stomaku.
Unatoč svemu, ispao sam jako dobar.
Palma se njiše, galeb s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja volimo isti jogurt.
On navečer, ja ujutro.
Poput svakog neželjenog djeteta,
i ja sam odmah naučio jezik ulice,
jezik mornara, lučkih žena i dolara.
Palma se njiše, tigar s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja dajemo iste izjave.
On desno, ja lijevo.
Lijepo je rekao onaj Slovenac:
i komunisti su sjedili na istim stolicama
kao i drugi ljudi. I koristili ista stubišta.
Palma se njiše, Vélodrome s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja se ne poznajemo.
On druka za PSG, ja sam duša OM-a.
Na dan utakmice najprije zapalim more,
pa tribine. Piroman sam koji se hrani
kliktanjem galebova i rikom lavova.
Palma se njiše, piroman s njom.
Zašto sam uopće spominjao Jacquesa Chiraca?
Zbog milosrđa i urođene dobrote.
Jer: ja sam savršen, ja sam genij,
Amerikanci mi proučavaju strukturu mozga
za novu generaciju kompjutera.
Palma se njiše, genij s njom.
Kada s OM-om osvojim Ligu prvaka,
ovaj će se kontinent zvati mojim imenom.
Neću vam reći da se zovem Rolland Courbis,
jer onaj tko me još nije prepoznao
vrijedan je svakog prezira.
© 2001, Krešimir Bagić
From: Jezik za svaku udaljenost
Publisher: Naklada MD, Zagreb
From: Jezik za svaku udaljenost
Publisher: Naklada MD, Zagreb
Poems
Poems of Krešimir Bagić
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The Palm Sways
The palm sways, so too the oliveJacques Chirac and I have the same tie.
His round his neck, mine in my pocket.
I won’t tell you my name,
because if you don\'t know me
there’s no helping you.
The palm sways, so too the sea.
Jacques Chirac and I read the same paper.
He reads about politics, I read the sport.
When I was conceived my father got drunk
with chagrin, and mother punched her own belly.
I came out pretty well, despite everything.
The palm sways, so too the gull.
Jacques Chirac and I enjoy the same yoghurt.
Him in the evening, me in the morning.
Like any unwanted child
I learned the language of the streets straight off,
the speech of sailors, harbour girls and dollars.
The palm sways, so too the tiger.
Jacques Chirac and I come out with the same statements.
Him on the right, me on the left.
The Slovene guy put it well:
the communists sat at the same tables
as everyone else. And used the same stairs.
The palm sways, so too the Vélodrome.
Jacques Chirac and I don’t know one another.
He supports the PSG, I\'m an OM fan.
On match day first I fire the sea,
and then the stands. I’m a pyromaniac
feeding off the gulls’ cry and the roar of lions.
The palm sways, so too the pyromaniac.
Why did I mention Jacques Chirac anyway?
Out of compassion, and native decency.
Because: I’m perfect, I\'m a genius,
The Americans are studying my brain
for a new generation of computers.
The palm is waving, so too the genius.
When I sweep the Champions League with OM
this continent will bear my name.
I shan’t tell you I’m called Rolland Courbis,
because if you don’t know already
there’s no helping you.
© 2007, Kim Burton
From: Jezik za svaku udaljenost
From: Jezik za svaku udaljenost
The Palm Sways
The palm sways, so too the oliveJacques Chirac and I have the same tie.
His round his neck, mine in my pocket.
I won’t tell you my name,
because if you don\'t know me
there’s no helping you.
The palm sways, so too the sea.
Jacques Chirac and I read the same paper.
He reads about politics, I read the sport.
When I was conceived my father got drunk
with chagrin, and mother punched her own belly.
I came out pretty well, despite everything.
The palm sways, so too the gull.
Jacques Chirac and I enjoy the same yoghurt.
Him in the evening, me in the morning.
Like any unwanted child
I learned the language of the streets straight off,
the speech of sailors, harbour girls and dollars.
The palm sways, so too the tiger.
Jacques Chirac and I come out with the same statements.
Him on the right, me on the left.
The Slovene guy put it well:
the communists sat at the same tables
as everyone else. And used the same stairs.
The palm sways, so too the Vélodrome.
Jacques Chirac and I don’t know one another.
He supports the PSG, I\'m an OM fan.
On match day first I fire the sea,
and then the stands. I’m a pyromaniac
feeding off the gulls’ cry and the roar of lions.
The palm sways, so too the pyromaniac.
Why did I mention Jacques Chirac anyway?
Out of compassion, and native decency.
Because: I’m perfect, I\'m a genius,
The Americans are studying my brain
for a new generation of computers.
The palm is waving, so too the genius.
When I sweep the Champions League with OM
this continent will bear my name.
I shan’t tell you I’m called Rolland Courbis,
because if you don’t know already
there’s no helping you.
© 2007, Kim Burton
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