KRVAVA BAJKA / BLOODY FAIRYTALE
	 DESANKA MAKSIMOVIC


Krvava bajka
Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu,
umrla je mucenickom smrcu
ceta daka
u jednom danu.
 
Iste su godine
svi bili rodeni,
isto su im tekli školski dani,
na iste svecanosti
zajedno su vodeni,
od istih bolesti svi pelcovani,
i svi umrli u istom danu.
 
Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu,
umrla je mucenickom smrcu
ceta daka
u jednom danu.
 
A pedeset i pet minuti
pre smrtnog trena
sedela je u dackoj klupi
ceta malena
 
I iste zadatke teške
rešavala:koliko može
putnik ako ide peške...
i tako redom.
 
Misli su im bile pune
istih brojki,
i po sveskama u školskoj torbi
besmislenih ležalo bezbroj
petica i dvojki.
 
Pregršt istih snova
i istih tajni
rodoljubivih i ljubavnih
stiskali su u dnu džepova.
 
I cinilo se svakom
da ce dugo,
da ce vrlo dugo,
trcati ispod svoda plava
dok sve zadatke na svetu
ne posvršava.
 
Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu
umrla je junackom smrcu
ceta daka
u istom danu.
 
Decaka redovi celi
uzeli se za ruke
i sa školskog poslednjeg casa
na streljanje pošli mirno
kao da smrt nije ništa.
 
Drugova redovi celi
istog casa se uzneli
do vecnog boravišta.
 

 Bloody Fairytale

It happened in a country of peasants
in the mountainous Balkans
a troop of schoolchildren
died a martyr's death
in one day.
 
In the same year
they all were born,
their school days went on the same way
to the same celebrations
they were taken together
vaccinated against the same ilnesses
and all died on the same day.
 
It happened in a country of peasants
in the mountainous Balkans
a troop of schoolchildren
died a martyr's death
in one day.
 
And fifty five minutes
before the moment of death
the little troop
was sitting in the school benches.
 
And the same difficult exercises
they were solving: how much can
a traveler going on foot...
and so on.
 
Their minds were full
of the same numbers,
and exercise books in school bags
contained a meaningless abundance
of A's and D's.
 
A handfull of the same dreams
and the same secrets
both of patriotism and of love
they were clenching at the bottoms of their pockets.
 
And it seemed to everyone
that they will for a long time
that they will for a very long time
be running beneath the blue firmament
until they finish
all the exercises in the world.
 
It happened in a country of peasants
in the mountainous Balkans
a troop of schoolchildren
died a heroic death
in one day.
 
Whole rows of boys
took each other's hands
and from their last class at school
went peacefully to the firing squad
as if death was nothing.
 
Whole rows of friends
ascended at the same time
to their eternal resting place.