KATUNARIC, Dražen Dražen Katunaric, born in 1954 in Zagreb, is a poet, essavist and prose writer. He graduated in philosophy from the University of Humanities in Strasbourg. His poetry is published by literary magazines in Croatia and abroad. He is editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Most / The Bridge and Europski glasnik / Voice of Europe. So far he has published fifteen books, among them Psalms, 1990, House of Decadence, 1992, Heaven I Earth, 1993, Church, Street, The Zoo, 1994, Diocletian's Palače, 1997). He has received several awards, as well as the order of "Chevalier de la Litterature et des Arts", presented by the French Ministry of Culture in 1999. Dražen Katunaric, roden 1954 godine u Zagrebu, pjesnik, esejist, prozaik. Diplomirao je filozofiju 1978. godine na Sveučilištu humanističkih znanosti u Strasbourgu. Objavljuje u hrvatskim i inozemnim književnim časopisima. Glavni je urednik časopisa Most / The Bridge i Europski glasnik. Dosad je objavio petnaest knjiga, pored ostalih Psalmi, 1990, Kuča dekadencije, 1992, Nebo / Zemlja, 1993, Crkva, ulica, zoološki vrt, 1994, Dioklecianova palača, 1997. Dobitnik je više nagrada. Dodijeljen mu je red "Viteza umjetnosti i književnosti" francuskog Ministarstva kulture (1999). Sodobnost 2001 I 196 DRAŽEN KATUNARIĆ A Rose Certificate NEVER throiv away a rose whatever kind yet always a little rose never throw away a rose dry withered with petals, without petals darkened without fragrance hung depressed ill closed unclosed not even a black one / never throiv away a rose love loved one beloved red one never throiv a rose sin sin sin skip step over Sodobnost 2001 I 197 Dražen Katunarić never throiv a rose discovered found lost and wound round a cherry tree never throiv a rose prickly and very angry never throw an offered one never throiv a rose because if you do burdock will grow onits grave Sodobnost 2001 I 198 Dražen Katunarić UInloved You don't know me, my dear, not even when I hold your hand. Caressing your frozen frngers. The waiter caught us at it when he brought us red wine from sheer excitement. You don't know me, my dear, nor the old woman alone at the table because no one cares for her, except other old women who will come, only later, later ... to play cards. Can anyone kiss the way we can, knees touching? The waiter? Would anyone pity the old women, or want them passionately? The waiter? If I spilled red wine on the floor, you would let go of my hand, feeling unloved. You don't know me, my dear, but maybe even the old women sense that I love you, since they are so lively at cards, and the waiter dances carrying a platter of wine, which means he believes in our love, only you, you don't believe me, my dear, you have been unloved for too long, for a very long time. Sodobnost 2001 [ 199 Dražen Katunarić Psalm About the Infinite On the island I saw three hundred goats and thirty billy-goats, a wonder of sheep, four thousand bent sheep and hundreds of lively rams. Eighty she-asses and ten doleful donkeys seven hundred thirty five horses, two gallopping, their mules two hundred and forty-six. Herd upon herd, limitless. But not one shepherd. With a donkey I found myself face to face, we confronted each other in the darkness of the stable. After the vision I sang: I watch your island, God unknown kneeling before your work with my eyes I watch your red earth the work of your vvounded feet I watch your firm stalks the work of your fists and nails. You don't have to be ashamed of anything. Not of cemeteries, landslides, skeletons, useless gall-nuts. Not of barren fig-trees inside a stone enclosure. Not of cripples made kings. Not of bones that spring up from under the soil and sing praise to God. Not of donkeys who look straight in the eye alone with people, alone with you. Translated by Evald Flisar Sodobnost 2001 I 200 DRAŽEN KARINARIĆ Potvrda o ruži NIKAD ne odbaci ružu bilo kakvu ali ipak ružicu nikad ne odbaci ružu osušeno uvelu s laticama, bez latica potamnjelu bez mirisa obješenu klonulu bolesnu zatvorenu i nezatvorenu čak ni crnu / nikad ne odbaci ružu ljubav ljubu ljuvenu crvenu nikad ne baci ružu grijeh grijeh grijeh preskoči prekorači Sodobnost 2001 I 201 Dražen Katunarćč nikad ne baci ružu otkrivenu nadenu izgubljenu i spletenu oko trešnjina stabla nikad ne baci ružu trnovitu i dosta ljutu nikad ne odbaci ponudenu nikad ne baci ružu jer baciš li je čičak če izrasti na njezinu grobiču Nevoljena Ti me ne znaš, dušo, i kad te držim za ruku. Milujem po ozeblim prstima. Konobar nas je uhvatio na djelu donijevši crnog vina iz čistog žara. Ti me ne znaš, dušo, kao ni staricu, samu za stolom jer za nju nitko ne mari, osim drugih starica koje ce doci, samo kasnije, kasnije ... na kartanje. Zar se itko zna poljubiti kao mi, dotači koljenima? Konobar? Zar bi itko požalio starice, il strašno poželio ih? Konobar? Da sam prolio črno vino na pod, ti bi ispustila ruku, očutjela se nevoljenom. Ti me ne znaš dušo, a možda i starice slute da te volim, čim kartaju tako živahno, i konobar pleše noseč pladanj vina, znači vjeruje u našu ljubav samo ti, ti mi ne vjeruješ dušo, dugo, dugo bila si nevoljena Sodobnost 2001 I 202 Dražen Katunarić Psalam o nebrojenom Na otoku vidjeh tristo koza i trideset jaraca, čudo od ovaca, četiri tisuče pognutih i na stotine živahnih ovnova. Osamdeset magarica i deset tužnih magarca sedam stotina trideset pet konja, dva u kasu, mazga njihovih dvije stotine četrdeset i šest. Stada i stada neizmjerna. A nijednog pastira. S magarcem se nadoh licem u lice, bijasmo suočeni u tami staje. Nakon videnja, propjevah: gledam ti otok, nepoznati Bože i na koljenima klečim pred djelom očiju gledam ti zemlju crvenu djelo tvojih ranjenih tabana gledam ti stabla stamena djelo tvojih šaka i nokata. Ničega se ne moraš stidjeti. Ni groblja, odrona, skeleta, šišarki beskorisnih. Ni smokve besplodne u kamenjani. Ni bogalja zakraljenih. Ni kostiju što dršcu rasute ispod zemlje i pjevaju hvale Gospodu. Ni magaraca što gledaju se oči u oči nasamo s ljudima, nasamo s tobom. Sodobnost 2001 I 203