SARAJEVO

v knjižnici že dva tisoč let knjige načrti
v plamenih liste odnaša iz spomina veter
črke in strani zleplja kri v otrplih prstih

drhte peresa ko se prisluškujočim oglašajo sfere
le še s komentarji se upirajo smrti
stoletje drveč za strelom v srce od odmeva zadeto v sarajevu

tone z eno tistih ladij s seznama v spevu
prvine razpadajo voda mezi v kužno sparino
plameni kamnijo v pepel in mraz

kamen prhni v prah blato ga golta v globino
scefran zrak vsesavajo ostudne ustnice špranj
na krajih kjer so rasla drevesa jok je ponižan v slino

stoletje drveč za strelom v srce od odmeva zadeto v sarajevu
tone z eno tistih ladij s seznama v spevu
oslepljeni v razstrelitvi letnih časov preživeli pisarji

brskajo za okruški črk in cunjami pergamentov
zapisali bodo kratko kar so že stari
ponavljali v strašni skrivnosti fragmentov

za preživetje beseda se s smrtnim mesom spari
stoletje drveč za strelom v srce od odmeva zadeto v sarajevu
tone z eno tistih ladij s seznama v spevu

                                               november 1993

Veno Taufer: VUKVAR

I had an apparition of Vukovar and I took a walk for a few
    streets -
around the block - with my hands frozen - up to the tobacco shop
and on returning I thought so that's the way they used

to sail back again into the damp - illuminated coldly
and precisely by the European streetlights -
those travellers around the world who were believed

dead straight - about food recipes - about people's mysteries
- about doors to treasures and about absolutely all the numbers -
yet everyone remained misunderstood and broken to the end

because of the story about the wolfish eyes
dazzled by white glare - a guard
of life and death - perhaps the very live death already -

and so you yourself came home - and for this relentless gift
relentless to the last breath - unaccepted in languages of Europe
from the stones of Ireland to the Caucasian stones - it's in vain

repeating to the European tobacconists this merchants with the
    globe's
civilities that now the storm's approaching - which is the storm
of silence - and how with meteorological accuracy piles of news

from day to day will be picked up out of hands
together with ashes and rain mud and snow by the wolfish silence
from everywhere to everywhere Vukovar Vukovar Vukovar Vukovar


October 14th 1991 (for the third day humanitarian aid was prevented from reaching people in ruined Vukovar).


                             Translated by Jo Shapcott           
                             Klaonica, Anthology of war poetry,
                                           Bloodaxe, 1993