Ivan Benak

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

Domoljubne i zavičajne

Šokački običaji

iz knjige Stihom kroz život (2010.)

Homeland and native region

Šokac Customs

from the book Through Life in Verse (2010)

Volim tamburicu kad joj žica cikne,u dušu me takne kada vodim kolo.Srce zatreperi kad mi dika vikne:u kijer mi dođi moj voljeni lolo!

I love the tamburica when its string rings high,it touches my soul when I'm leading the kolo;my heart starts to flutter to hear my dear cry:"Come into my chamber, my beloved lolo!"

Volim kad se ljubav sokacima vodi.Volim škripu đerma i seosku viku.Volim kada mjesec sa zvijezdama hodi,na toj mjesečini volim svoju diku.

I love when the lanes see the lovers go by,I love the well-sweep's creaking, the village's call,I love when the moon strolls with stars through the sky,in that moonlight I love my sweetheart best of all.

Volim prela, sijela, šokačke divane,i maškare volim, kada se opreme,svu ljepotu volim u svatovske dane,divne običaje što žive kroz vrijeme.

I love prela, sijela, the Šokac yarns they spin,I love the maškare, when dressed up they appear,I love all the beauty when wedding days begin,the wonderful customs still living year on year.

Nema više konja da dvorištem njište,mjesto njih traktori sokacima bruje.Nema mladih snaša da u kolu vrište,sve je utihnulo, ništa se ne čuje.

There are no more horses in farmyards to neigh,in their place, only tractors go droning down lanes;no young wives in the kolo now whooping away,all has fallen silent, and no sound remains.

Sada televizor zamjenjuje prela.Sokaci su pusti, ne igra se kolo,ni bećara nama da obiđu sijela.Ničeg više nema, moj voljeni lolo!

The television has now replaced the prela,the lanes are deserted, none dances the kolo,no bećars are left now to go round the sijela.Nothing's left any more, my beloved lolo!

Valpovo, 09.04.1994.

Valpovo, April 9, 1994

Translator's note. Prela (spinning bees) and sijela were the village's winter evening gatherings; the maškare are carnival masqueraders; "lolo" is a girl's word for her sweetheart.