Simonides, King of Pentapolis

As one of the sailors in Pericles
I stood in front of St Sophia
In the year of 1986 
On the eve of it all
Following Gower
Who had risen from the grave

We survived the horrors of Antioch
Came out of the tempest alive
Only to hear how then
Amidst the knights’ tournament
In Pentapolis
At the court of the King Simonides 
Everything for a moment
Came to a halt
The play
The tournament
Shakespeare
And the whole world

Simonides
King of Pentapolis
Miloš Tripković
Brilliant actor 
Abruptly parted with his character
Forgotting the story along with his lines

And the prompter Beba
The knights and the lords
The beautiful Thaisa, the daughter of Simonides
All motioned to him in vain

But the oblivious king
Just stood there
Silent
And here I am
Nineteen years later
In front of the Church of St Sophia searching for
I don’t know what I am searching for
Only to finally realise that I am looking for
That very same silent pause

Thinking
What would have happened
Had we not tried to bring Simonides the King
At all costs
Back into the plot
Into the play
Into the text 

If we had only let him stand there silent
Even for nineteen years
If needs be
There in front of St Sophia
So everything could remain in peace
The play
The actors
The audience
And all the rest

Simonides
The King of Pentapolis 
Miloš Tripković the actor
Would still have been alive
And even Shakespeare 
And St Sophia
Would not have let him
Die like a dog

Simonid, kralj Pentapolisa

Simonid, kralj Pentapolisa

Kao mornar u Periklu dođoh
Pred Svetu Sofiju
U predvečerje svega
Osamdeset šeste
Prateći Gowera
Što iz groba je ustao tad

Preživjeli smo Antiohije užas
Pregrmjeli oluju na moru
A onda
Usred viteškog turnira
U Pentapolisu
Na kralja Simonida dvoru
Zaustavilo se sve
U trenutku
I predstava
I turnir
I Shakespeare
I svijet

Simonid
Kralj Pentapolisa
Miloš Tripković
Odličan glumac
Najednom se rastao s likom
Izgubio i radnju i tekst

Uzalud šaptačica Beba
Uzalud dvorjani i vitezovi
Uzalud Taida lijepa
Kralja Simonida kći

Kralj stao
Pa stoji
I šuti
I ja evo
Devetnaest godina poslije
Pred crkvom Svete Sofije tražim
Ne znam što tražim
Pa napokon shvatim
Da tražim isti taj muk

I razmišljam kako bi bilo
Da kralja Simonida nismo
Pošto-poto vraćali
U radnju
U predstavu
U tekst

Da smo ga pustili da šuti
I devetnaest godina
Ako treba
Pred Svetom Sofijom
Da sve stoji
I predstava
I glumci
I publika
I sve

Simonid
Kralj Pentapolisa
Miloš Tripković
Živ bio bi glumac
Ni Shakespeare
Ni Sveta Sofija ne bi
Dopustili
Da umre ko pas