SELMA KOPIĆ

 

SELMA KOPIĆ

 

You Owe Me A Morning In Nice

 

We have our mornings to remember in hotels on the beach,

in vineyards, in the center or in the suburbs.

We have our sunsets over the olive groves,

over the castles, over the open sea.

We drove from one to the other like two fugitives.

We stole romantic moments in the ancient alleys,

in the gardens of the restaurants, under the blossoming trees.

I loved opening  the windows wide in the morning,

while you are tired still sleeping on crumpled beds.

But, the morning in Nice is missing in that story.

As we, one late night, approached a brightly lit city,

the phone began to ring.

The worried voices of my friends asked if we were okay,

they heard about the bombing in Nice on the news.

I'm lying to them that we passed Nice a long time ago,

that we have already arrived in Italy.

And your wife called,

she didn't know about the attack,

but she knew how to attack and didn't spare a word.

We spent the night in a romantic village on the coast.

The next day, as we drove on,

it was written on all the traffic lights:

Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

I don't  know French, but I understand the message well.

I didn't  feel fear with you and I didn't care,

whatever happens, let it happen with you,

just so this journey doesn’t  end.

And with every mile, we were getting further and further

away from Nice,

and getting closer to parting.

Saying goodbye to you, a few days later,

I also said goodbye to my Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

For me, it is possible, only with you.

 

 

Duguješ mi jutro u Nici

 

Mi imamo svoja jutra za pamćenje, u hotelima na plaži,

u vinogradima, u centru ili predgrađu.

Imamo svoje zalaske sunca nad maslinicima,

nad zamkovima, nad pučinom.

Vozili smo se od jednog do drugog kao dva bjegunca,

krali smo romantične momente u drevnim uličicama,

u baštama restorana, ispod rascvjetalih stabala.

Voljela sam ujutro otvoriti širom prozore

dok ti umoran još spavaš na izgužvanim krevetima.

Ali jutro u Nici nedostaje u toj priči.

Dok smo se približavali, jedne kasne noći,

blještavo osvijetljenom gradu,

telefon je počeo da zvoni.

Zabrinuti glasovi mojih prijatelja pitali su jesmo li dobro.

Za bombaški napad u Nici čuli su na vijestima.

Lažem im da smo davno prošli Nicu,

da smo već stigli u Italiju.

I tvoja žena je zvala,

nije znala za napad,

ali je znala napasti i nije štedila riječi.

Prenoćili smo u romantičnom seocetu na obali.

Sutradan, dok smo se vozili dalje,

na svim semaforima je pisalo

Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

Ne znam francuski, ali poruku dobro razumijem.

Uz tebe nisam osjećala strah i bilo mi je svejedno,

što god da se desi, neka se desi s tobom,

samo da ovo putovanje ne završi.

A svakim kilometrom bili smo sve dalje od Nice,

i sve bliži rastanku.

Rekavši zbogom tebi, par dana kasnije,

oprostila same se i od svojih Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

Za mene, to je moguće, samo uz tebe.

 

 

 

I'm Not Ashamed

 

I'm not ashamed

and I dontt regret it.

My love is blind.

But now I know with whom

I picked the forbidden fruit

and the lesson remains

forever learned.

With cheek, heart, soul ...

heavily paid.

 

How miserable are we?

How much love are we hungry for?

 

In the shoes I chose,

he takes you out in the evening

and in the pants he tried on

while I waited for him

in front of the locker room,

he hugs you,

gets into your neck and face

with a devilish smile.

 

I have the same photos, dear,

but you have the paper

that he belongs to you.

 

And maybe

that paper means something to you:

a regular income

and a house without breakdowns,

sometimes a photo

for the villains to sigh and,

God forbid,

the "seducers" withdraw.

 

I'm not losing anything.

You can't lose what wasn't yours.

 

I will cross some dream,

I will sleep over some day,

I will go back

to the memories of the time

when he "loved" me ...

I did that before this controversial now,

before, when there was hope.

 

And what are you going to do?

 

You will still make idyllic shots

for the buddies to see,

for me to see.

 

And as soon as the car goes

behind the bend,

you will no longer know

who will choose his shoes

in the future.

 

You will no longer know,

when he leaves,

whether he will return.

 

And there is no peaceful sleep.

 

And just by the way

we've reached the bottom,

by that miserable anticipation

of this irresistible Virgin,

the two of us could be friends.

 

Ja se ne stidim

 

Ja se ne stidim

i ne kajem.

Moja je ljubav slijepa.

Ali sada

ja znam s kim sam

zabranjeno voće brala

i lekcija zauvijek ostaje

naučena.

Obrazom, srcem, dušom...

debelo plaćena.

 

Kako smo jadne?

Koliko ljubavi smo gladne?

 

U cipelama

koje sam ja izabrala,

izvodi te uvečer

i u hlačama koje je probavao

dok sam ga ja čekala

ispred svlačionice,

zagrli te,

unosi ti se u vrat i lice

sa osmijehom vraga.

 

Iste takve fotke

i ja imam, draga,

al' ti imaš papir

da ti pripada.

 

I možda ti taj papir

nešto i znači:

redovan prihod

i kuću bez kvarova,

ponekad fotku

da uzdahnu zlobnici

i, daj bože,

povuku se ''zavodnice''.

 

Ja ništa ne gubim.

Ne možeš izgubiti ono

što i nije bilo tvoje.

 

Prekrižit ću koji san,

prespavat ću koji dan,

vraćati se uspomenama

na vrijeme kada me ''volio''...

To sam radila i prije

ovog spornog sada,

prije,

kad postojala je nada.

 

A šta ćeš ti?

 

Pravit ćeš i dalje

idilične snimke

da vidi raja,

da vidim ja.

 

I čim auto zađe iza okuke,

više nećeš znati

koja će mu ubuduće

cipele birati.

 

Više nećeš znati,

kad ode,

da li će i da se vrati.

 

I nema mirnog sna.

 

E samo po tome,

koliko smo dotakle dna,

po tom jadnom iščekivanju

ove neodoljive Djevice,

mi bismo mogle biti

i prijateljice.

 

 

 

When We Met

 

It was a long time ago,

yet the images are still clear in my head.

I wasn't a rich girl,

but I bought expensive suede boots,

just because you said they were beautiful.

That winter the snow fell almost to the waist.

People in my area

don’t remember the colder winter.

I dress up and put a plastic bag on my feet

and put on the most beautiful boots in town.

And I'm rushing through the snow tunnels

because you're waiting for me.

You take a frozen rose

out of the inside pocket of your jacket

and I become the happiest girl on the planet.

You didn't know my feet were wet,

but you could feel my heart burning.

You held my hand

as we walked down the avenue.

It was a fierce winter when we met,

but my body burned until it melted,

those days when I was loved.

And every time it snows,

my love is reborn and grows.

I want to walk the snowy trails again,

with hand in hand, as with you then.

And I wouldn't mind

if my feet were frozen now,

if I could get you to walk with me,

like it used to be.

But I don't know how…

Even today, as they pour pearl flakes,

for one walk with you

I would do whatever it takes.

 

 

 

Love Without An Ugly Word

 

Maybe we should break up

like all normal people,

arguing for days,

saying ugly words

that sting like a sword.

 

You would yell, I would cry

like most other women.

After days, maybe longer,

I would be angry

and look for reasons

why I shouldn't love you.

 

Thus,

we parted

with a long and tender embrace,

without quarrel and tears,

in silence.

You had to leave,

I knew you had to leave.

And that is it.

 

Now

I have no reason to hate you,

to think or say bad things.

I just know

I love you even more.

 

We will meet,

again,

one day,

one way or another.

And our hearts will dance

because they will know

how happy we are

to have us.

Isn't that the love

that everyone wants to experience,

to taste?

Love without an ugly word ever.

 

 

Ljubav bez ružne riječi

 

Možda smo trebali prekinuti

kao i svi normalno ljudi,

svađali se danima,

govorili ružne riječi

koje bodu poput mača.

 

Ti bi se derao, ja bih plakala

kao većina drugih žena.

Poslije bih danima, možda i duže,

bila ljuta

i tražila razloge zbog kojih

i ne treba da te volim.

 

Ovako,

rastasmo se uz dug i nježan zagrljaj,

bez svađe i suza,

u tišini.

Ti si morao otići,

ja sam znala da moraš da odeš.

I to je to.

 

Sad

nemam razloga da te mrzim,

da mislim ili govorim loše stvari.

Samo znam da te još više volim.

 

Srest ćemo se,

opet,

jednoga dana,

na ovaj ili onaj način.

I naša srca će zaigrati

jer bilo je lijepo imati nas.

 

Zar nije to

ljubav koju svi žele doživjeti, okusiti?

Ljubav bez ružne riječi ikada.

 

 

 

My Star

 

Far away, so far,

there is only my star.

She's alive, so bright,

for her the poems I write.

In the evening I wait

for her to come near,

to whisper in my ear:

-        He still love you, my dear.

 

And so, day by day,

I know that my star

will bring me to sleep.

Even though I have

a heart with a scar,

in every possible way

my love is so deep.

Beyond the sky

is someone

my thoughts fly by.

And I know that,

whenever he looks

into the night sky,

he will see my teary eyes

which only for him

shines.

 

SELMA KOPIĆ

 

SELMA KOPIĆ is a professor of Bosnian language and literature, born in 1962 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is the author of two textbooks and one workbook for primary school. She has worked and is working as a coach, reviewer, proofreader ... Her stories and poems have been awarded and entered anthologies in BiH and around the world.