Ivan Benak

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

Da Vam budu ljepši satii dosada da se skrati,da nestane dnevnih briga,evo Vama moja knjiga,pa ju lijepo pročitajte,veselja si srcu dajte.ŽABLJI SASTANAK održali,STIHOM KROZ ŽIVOT prošetali.Hvala Vam za Vašu knjigu,koju ste Vi napisali,i POVRATAK SREĆI je nazvalii za poklon meni dali.S Vašom knjigom sretni bilii predivne snove snili.To Vam želi sve bez šaleautor ove knjige male.Bili sretni i veseli:Dragici i Franji želi!

So your hours may brighter runand your boredom soon be done,so your daily cares fly away,here's my book for you today;read it well and read it right,give your hearts some glad delight.May you hold THE FROGS' MEETING, too,stroll THROUGH LIFE IN VERSE right through.Thanks for your book, the one that youwrote together, just you two,named RETURN TO HAPPINESS, and yougave it me as a present, too.With your book may you be gladand dream the sweetest dreams you've had.This he wishes, no joke at all,the author of this booklet small.Happy, merry may you be,Dragica and Franjo, wishes he!

Valpovo, 29. 06. 2010.

Valpovo, June 29, 2010

Translator's note. Written in his book Stihom kroz život (Through Life in Verse); he weaves in the titles of his books Žablji sastanak (The Frogs' Meeting) and Stihom kroz život, and of the Kopeckis' own book, Povratak sreći (Return to Happiness).