Ivan Benak

pučki pjesnik · folk poet  ·  Sopje 1933. – Valpovo 2015.Sopje 1933 – Valpovo 2015

Prigodne pjesme i posvete

Kad tambura srce dira

Occasional verse and dedications

When the Tambura Touches the Heart

Stekao sam prijatelja:Orešković Milan zvani.VJEČITI je OSMIJEH benda,što ga vodi Milan znani.

I have made a friend of late:Milan Orešković by name.Vječiti osmijeh — that's the band,led by Milan, known to fame.

Tamburicom kad zasvira,on je majstor svog zanatai kad note još napiše,ta mu svirka vrijedi zlata.

When he plays the tamburica,he's a master of his trade,and when he writes the score down, too,gold is every tune he's played.

Uglazbio moju pjesmu:hvala, Mile, zbog ljepote!Ja ću pjesme napisati,ti ih stavi sve u note.

He has set my song to music:thanks, Mile! It's lovely to the core!I'll go on and write the poems;you can set them all to score.

Još aranžman kada složii kad pjevač pjesmu poje.Na Požeškom festivalučuti će se ime moje.

When he's done arranging itand the singer sings it through,at the Požega festivalthey will hear my name there too.

Sviraj samo, prijatelju,novu glazbu svakog dana,pa će tvojim časnim radom,Valpovština biti znana!

Just keep playing, my good friend,some new music every day,so your honest work will makeValpovština known far away!

Valpovo, 24. 08. 2013.

Valpovo, August 24, 2013

Translator's note. Milan Orešković led the band Vječiti osmijeh (“Eternal Smile”) and set one of the poet's songs to music for the festival in Požega. Mile is a familiar form of Milan; Valpovština is the Valpovo district.