BREDA SLAVINEC

 

BREDA SLAVINEC

 

 

Jasmine Summer

(Ciclus of poems)

 

JASMINOVO POLETJE

(ciklus pesmi)

 

You remind me of

jasmine summer

and a translucent palm

caressing

words uttered with silent breaks.

You are like a marsh flower

needing the morning sun

to enhance

thy beauty.

 

Spominjaš me

na Jasminovo poletje

in na prosojno dlan

ki boža

s premolkom izrečene besede

Si kot slezov cvet

ki potrebuje jutranje sonce

da si nadihne

svojo lepoto

 

*

Now we are empty

like the forgotten garden of a provincial lady.

We have never reached the day

when I could bring you

a full lap of daises

as promised.

 

*

Sedaj sva prazni

kot pozabljen vrt malomeščanke

Nikoli nisva dohiteli dneva

da bi ti prinesla

polno naročje marjetic

kot sem obljubila

 

*

You should know,

my dear girl,

you cannot pick those flowers

frozen long ago.

 

 

*

Polagam ti na dušo

dekle moje

Ne moreš trgati cvetja

ki je že lansko leto zamrznilo

 

*

You may never forget

my wane

so you will live

your autumn

the way you used to

with me.

 

 

*

Menda ne boš nikoli pozabila

mojega zatona

in na najin način

boš živela

vse preostale jeseni

z menoj

 

*

On those days

when my breath was colder

you knew the way

to give this fog a blush.

 

 

*

So bili dnevi

ko se je moj dih ohladil

znala si mu dati

meglico ki je zardela

 

 

 

*

 

You are my summer of jasmine

and

as wrinkles grow

on my face

you vanish slowly.

As I gently fell in love with you

I began to hate you.

From dawn to dawn

I throw up

those burnt daises

as the last gift to you.

 

*

Ti si moje Jasminovo poletje

in kakor

da se delajo gube

na mojem obrazu

se počasi izgubljaš

Tako nežno kot sem te vzljubila

te pričenjam sovražiti

iz mraka v mrak

bruham

ožgane marjetice

tebi

v zadnji dar

 

*

In those years

barely left,

both of us will be on our own

with cymbal dreams

that we shall bury.

You – your white avenues,

and me – my family.

 

*

V teh letih

kar je še ostalo

bova vsaka na svojem koncu

ob sanjah cimbal

pokopavali

ti svoje

bele drevorede

jaz svojo rodbino

 

 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION: SABINA HVASTIJA

 

BREDA SLAVINEC

 

BREDA SLAVINEC Slovenia. Graduated at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Maribor, Slovenia. Publications: Poetry book: Pajčevine (Cobwebs), Maribor literary society, Maribor, 1994; Literary cassette: Simeon, Youth cultural center, Maribor, 1996; Paučine (Cobwebs), (translated poetry collection Cobwebs into Croatian language), Students' Club of South Slavic Studies A-302, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, 2013; In the project Rockers Sing Poets (CD, 2014), her poem was recorded in a punk version. Her poems have been translated into English, Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, German. She writes poetry for the fourth decade already. She has published poetry in national and foreign daily and literary magazines. She was awarded. She is a columnist for online Primus magazine. Breda Slavinec works as the head of the Public Fund for cultural activities of a Regional Branch Office in Lenart. She lives in Benedict, Slovenia. Life motto: Let’s do it a little differently.