Ivan Benak

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

Prigodne pjesme i posvete

Pjesnička udruga "Sveti Mihovil"

iz knjige Stihom kroz život (2010.)

Occasional verse and dedications

The Poets' Society "Sveti Mihovil"

from the book Through Life in Verse (2010)

Cvelferijo, odavno si znana,ljepota ti srcem ispisana,tvoji preci o ljepoti snili,centar svega Drenovci su bili.

Cvelferija, famed since olden time,by the heart your beauty's penned in rhyme;of such beauty dreamed your forebears here;Drenovci was the centre, far and near.

Tu poštuju stare običajepa se puno za kulturu daje.Pjesnika je ovdje želja bilaosnovati društvo "MIHOVILA".

Here they keep the old traditions true,so for culture much is given too.It was here the poets' wish and willto found the society "MIHOVIL".

Dvadeset i sedmog listopadadv'je tisuće četvrtoga ljetau Drenovci skupio je Andrić,jedno društvo ovdašnjih poeta.

On October's twenty-seventh day,in two thousand four, a date held dear,in Drenovci, Andrić gathered rounda company of local poets here.

Po zakonu klub su osnovalii svoj obol za kulturu dali,izabrali odbor i tajnika,a Iliju tad za predsjednika.

By the law they founded their own band,and gave their mite to culture in the land;then a board and secretary they named,and Ilija president proclaimed.

U svom radu sve rekorde ruše,knjigu pišu "DAR PJESNIČKE DUŠE".Već i druga u tisku je sada,vrijedno radi ta Udruga mlada.

Every record falls, and on they roll:they write a book, "GIFT OF A POET'S SOUL".And a second one's at the printer's now;this young Society works hard, and how!

Za to društvo, da bi drugi znali,dv'je uskršnje zabave su dali,Slavonijom cijelom putovali,svoje pjesme ponosno čitali.

So that all might know them far and wide,two Easter parties did the club provide,travelled all Slavonia side by side,and read their poems out aloud with pride.

Istog ljeta još izložba slikai književno druženje pjesnika,zatim složno i marljivo rade,da izgrade stazu "Dobre nade".

That same year there was an art show too,and a literary poets' rendezvous;then with one accord they work awayto build the path of "Good Hope", day by day.

Translator's note. Sveti Mihovil is Saint Michael. Cvelferija is the region along the Sava in the far east of Croatia, and Drenovci is its main village. The society was founded by Ilija Andrić, and its anthology is Dar pjesničke duše (Gift of a Poet's Soul).