Prijatelju Ivanu Čajkovcu
Occasional verse and dedications
To My Friend Ivan Čajkovac
Poštovani prijatelju,hvala što si knjigu dao!Zbog ljepote sadržaja,sve sam pjesme pročitao.
Thank you, my respected friend,for your book, a gift well meant!I've read all its poems throughfor the beauty they present.
Za dobroga pjesnika sam,ja za Tebe davno znao,zato sam Ti dragi, Ivo,sa ponosom knjige dao.
I have long known you to bea good poet, through and through;that is why, dear Ivo, proudlyI have given my books to you.
"ZEKINU ti SREĆU" davno,mali zeko je donio,a "BEĆARAC VALPOVAČKI",rado sam Ti poklonio.
Long ago the "BUNNY'S LUCK"a little bunny brought to you,and "THE VALPOVO BEĆARAC"I was glad to give you too.
"ODJEK SRCA", jednog dana,do Tebe je odjeknuo.A "STIHOM KROZ ŽIVOT", Ivo,od mene si sam odnio.
"ECHOES OF THE HEART", one day,echoed till it reached your ear;and "THROUGH LIFE IN VERSE", dear Ivo,you took home yourself from here.
Jedanput sam usred bare,na "SASTANKU ŽABA" bio,a zapisnik sa tog skupa,još Ti nisam dostavio.
Once, amid the marsh, I satat "THE FROGS' MEETING", present there;but the minutes of that sessionI've not sent you yet, I swear.
Na skupu je utvrđeno:"SASTANAK ti ŽABA" falii najdraže meni knjige,moj prvijenac: "SNOVI MALI".
At the meeting it was notedyou lack "THE FROGS' MEETING", it seems,and the book I love the dearest,my first-born one, "LITTLE DREAMS".
"MALIH SNOVA" više nemam.Da bih propust ispravio,a "SASTANAK mojih ŽABA",sada bih Ti poklonio.
"LITTLE DREAMS" I have no more.So, to mend my oversight,then "THE MEETING of my FROGS"I would give you now outright.
Valpovo, 10. 01. 2011.
Valpovo, January 10, 2011