Ivan Benak

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

Prigodne pjesme i posvete

Zahvala Dragi Graceku

Occasional verse and dedications

A Thank-You to Drago Gracek

Dok podatke čekam sada,od Granjaša Načelnika,nazvao sam ja Graceka,što mi bila čast i dika.

While I wait now for the detailsMayor Granjaš will provide,I rang Gracek up, and thatwas my honour and my pride.

Drago mi je preporuku,za Šantaka Jozu dao,te adresu i podatke,kako bih za njega znao.

Drago gladly recommendedJozo Šantak, and he senthis address and all his details,so I'd know just whom he meant.

Zato javno, ovim putem,ja ti kažem, Drago, hvala!Jer malenkost moja tada,za Šantaka nije znala.

So, in public, by this means,Drago, thank you, I declare!For my humble self, back then,of Šantak was unaware.

Valpovo, 20. 11. 2010.

Valpovo, November 20, 2010

Translator's note. In the second stanza "Drago mi je" means both "Drago has (given) me" and "I am glad", a pun on Gracek's first name; the English keeps a hint of it with "Drago gladly".