Poezijski rad kroz život
A Life's Work in Poetry
Prijatelji i pjesnici,topli pozdrav Vama želipjesnik ove promocijeVašem dolasku veseli.
Friends and poets, here assembled,warmest greetings I extend;I, the poet of this evening,welcome you, each guest and friend.
Dobro došli dragi ljudi,krasan provod i veselje,uživajte ovo veče',iskrene su moje želje.
Welcome, welcome, dearest people,have a lovely time and cheer;may you all enjoy this evening:these my wishes, most sincere.
Ima jedan divan razlogzašto smo se okupili.Da bi moju šestu knjigusvi zajedno proslavili.
There is one delightful reasonwhy we've gathered, one and all:so my sixth book, all together,we can toast here in the hall.
Da biste me upoznalii o meni nešto znali,reći ću vam ime mojei podatke dati svoje.
So that you may know me better,learn about me to the letter,I will give my name to youand my personal details too.
Ivan Benak mi je ime,pjesnik koji piše rime.Još od mojih školskih dana,poezija mi je hrana.
Ivan Benak is my name,poet: rhyming is my aim.Since my days at school began,poetry has fed this man.
Šezdeset je ljeta prošlo,od kada sam napisao:„NE BUDI ME, MAJKO, RANO,JOŠ SE NISAM NASPAVAO“.
Sixty summers now have passedsince I wrote, so long ago:"MOTHER, DO NOT WAKE ME EARLY,I AM NOT YET RESTED, NO."
Godine su prolazile,napisat se pjesma znala,da bih knjigu objavio,ta je šansa bila mala.
Years went by, and now and thenI would write a poem, yetto bring out a book in printwas a chance I'd hardly get.
I onda se desi čudo!Pedesetak ima ljeta,u radničkim novinama,često moja pjesma cvjeta.
Then a miracle occurred!Fifty summers back or so,in the workers' newspapersoften did my poems grow.
U Belišću, KAZALIŠTU,često njihov gost sam bio.Na radiju VALPOVŠTINIpuno puta nastupio.
At the THEATRE in BelišćeI was often made their guest;on the RADIO VALPOVŠTINAmany times I gave my best.
Osamdeset osmog ljeta,dogodi se obrat novi,te godine štampana jedječja knjiga "MALI SNOVI".
In the year of eighty-eightcame a turn, a new event:LITTLE DREAMS, my children's book,was that year to printing sent.
Tisuću i devetstote„ZEKINA“ je došla „SREĆA“.„VALPOVAČKI“ taj „BEĆARAC“Da mi radost bude veća.
In one thousand nine hundred…BUNNY'S LUCK arrived for me;then THE VALPOVO BEĆARAC,so my joy would greater be.
I četvrta knjiga kuca,divni „ODJEK“ iz mog „SRCA“,zatim žabe doplivalei „SASTANAK ODRŽALE“.
Then a fourth book came a-knocking,lovely ECHOES OF THE HEART;then the frogs swam over, greeting,and they held THE FROGS' MEETING.
Nastala i šesta knjiga,„STIH KROZ ŽIVOT“ njeno ime.Šest knjiga sam iznjedrio,ponosan sam ja sa time.
Then a sixth book came to be,THROUGH LIFE IN VERSE is its name.Six whole books I've brought to light,and I'm proud to make that claim.
I na Splitskom festivalu,puno mi je sreće dano,uglazbljena mi je pjesma„NE BUDI ME, MAJKO, RANO“.
At the festival in SplitI had luck like no other:there they set my song to music,"DON'T WAKE ME EARLY, MOTHER".
Na Požeškom festivalu,tamo gdje se pjesme roje,izvedena moja pjesma„ZELENE SU OČI TVOJE“.
At the festival in Požega,where the songs swarm out by scores,they performed my song, the one called"GREEN ARE THOSE EYES OF YOURS".
Napisao Lukić glazbu.Tek godina prođe dana,uglazbljena treća pjesma„POD GRANAMA JORGOVANA“.
Lukić wrote its music. Hardlyhad a year gone by, and nowa third song was set to music:"BENEATH THE LILAC BOUGHS".
Još Renato uglazbio„ZAR JE SVE TO BILA ŠALA?“I note je napisao,da bi se ljepotom zvala.
And Renato also set"WAS IT ALL JUST A JOKE?",and he wrote its notes, a beauty,as it's called by all the folk.
Dječja pjesma „VRTIĆ MAZA“.Ta je pjesma vrlo fina,pa se pjeva po VRTIĆU,jer njihova to je himna!
Children's song: "MAZA KINDERGARTEN".It's a fine song, and you'll hearit sung round the KINDERGARTEN,for it is their anthem dear!
„DJEDA MRAZ“ je dječja pjesma,Topić note napisao.Jedanput je izvedena,u ZAMP-u je pohranjena.
"GRANDFATHER FROST", a children's song,Topić wrote the notes for it.It was sung once, then it slept,safe in ZAMP, where it is kept.
Svojim radom ukrasio,mnoge pjesme rimovao,razne knjige darovao,Slavonijom nastupao.
With my work I've added grace,rhymed my poems, not a few,many books I've given you,read my verse Slavonia through.
Za kulturu obol dao,bio sam na puno sijela,mnoge ljude radovao,uzdignuta uvijek čela.
To our culture I gave my part,went to sijela far and wide;gladdened many a human heart,with my head held high in pride.
I starački došli dani,nema zdravlja kao prije,ali srce moje gordo,ukrotila starost nije.
Now the days of age are here,and my health is not the same,yet my heart, as proud as ever,age has never learned to tame.
Već pedeset sedam ljeta,zajednica bračna cvjeta.Žena mi je dobra bila,dvoje djece podarila.
For full fifty-seven yearsmarried life has bloomed, my dears.My wife has been good and true,and she gave me children two.
I još nešto važno ima,reći ću vam sada svima.Od preksutra svako veče',SEDAMDESET OSMA TEČE!
Something else important, too,I will now tell all of you:two days hence, as night draws near,starts my SEVENTY-EIGHTH YEAR!
Valpovo, 18. 07. 2010.
Valpovo, July 18, 2010