SIDRAN, Abdulah
Abdulah Sidran, born in 1944 in Sarajevo, is a poet, prose writer and author of screen-plays. He studied at the Faculty for Arts in Sarajevo and edited journals and magazines for young people. Until the outbreak of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina he worked for Bosnian TV as "leading dramaturg". His best-known collections of poetry are Chess-base, 1970, Bone and Flesh, 1976, Sarajevan Collection, 1979, Sickness ofthe Soul, 1988, and Sarajevan Open Coffin, 1993. For his poetry he has received a number of important awards. For the Sarajevan Open Coffin he was awarded the exceptional Freedom Prize by the French P.E.N. Centre (previous vvinners were Solzhenitsvn, Saharov, Havel). Abdulah Sidran is one of the most important names in ex-Yugoslav cinematography (he is the author of screenplays for Do you Remember Dolly Bell? and Father is Away on a Business Trip, both directed by Emir Kusturica, and many others). He is a member ofthe Academy of Arts and Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and lives in Sarajevo.
Abdulah Sidran, roden u Sarajevu 1944. godine, pjesnik, prozaik i filmski scenarist, pohadao Filozofski fakultet u Sarajevu i uredivao omladinske listove i časopise. Do početka rata u Bosni i Hercegovini bio zaposlen na TV BiH kao "vodeči dramaturg". Važniji pjesnički naslovi: šahbaza, 1970, Kost i meso, 1976, Sarajevska zbirka, 1979, Bolest od duše, 1988, Sarajevski tabut, 1993. Za svoje pjesničke knjige nagradivan najznačajnijim književnim priznanjima. Njegova knjiga Sarajevski tabut nagradena je izuzetnim priznanjem, "Nagradom slobode", francuskog PEN - centra (prethodni laureati Solženjicin, Saharov, Havel). Jedan je od najznačajnijih filmskih autora (scenarista) u eks-jugosla-venskoj kinematografiji (Sječaš ti se Doli Bell, Otac na službenom putu, itd.). Član je Akademije nauka i umjetnosti Bosne i Hercegovine. Živi u Sarajevu.
Sodobnost 2001 I 332
ABDULAH SIDRAN Why Venice Sinks
To Peter Weir
I look at the sky above Venice.
Nothing has changed for the last
seven billion years. Above, there is God. He
created the Universe, and in this Universe seven billion
worlds, in each world countless peoples, a multitude
of languages, and one, only one - Venice.
Nations he created different, whispering into their ears: "Now get to know each other." He gave them many languages to learn from one another, to know each other through them, and this has made everybody richer and better. Venice he gave us, like the birds and the fish, so that people and nations would believe in Him - marvelling at His works.
/ I look at the sky above Venice. Above, and everywhere, there is - God. One and only. Who created the Universe, seven billion worlds in the Universe, in each world many nations and languages, and one Venice. And one little nation, in one of the worlds, on a piece of land called Europe, in the flame of Southern Slavs. Here there is Border. Bosnia, Bosnia, Bosnia. They touch you, and beat you, Eastern cross and Western cross, born from one Cross. But the Bosnian nation is gentle. Thatfs why it accepts the hand of the Third Faith: in One God, Who is not born, nor has given birth, yet is the Master of the worlds and the Ruler of Judgment Day.
Sodobnost 2001 I 333
Abdulah   Sidran
I look at the sky above Venice. Earthly
masters have decided that the Bosnian nation - does not exist.
Venice sinks. Europe sinks. The cradle sinks, and
with it the baby. Continents sink. The rose in a vase
made of murano glass sinks. Murano sinks. The hotel room sinks,
and The Society ofDead Poets. Why shouldn't there be
in the world the Bosnian nation? Among colours -
one colour, among smells - one smeli less?
Why shouldn't there be in the world - this Venice?
Among many wonders - one wonder less?
I look at the sky, above the Earthly world.
One star, in a long are, is vanishing into the fathomless
Universe. As if falling into the middle of Canal Grande.
The Earthly world, one of the seven billion cosmic
worlds, wants to remain poorer for one whole
nation. Such is the will of earthly masters.
In the Universe, then, one star is falling. That is why
Venice sinks. The Universe will be poorer - for one
whole world. Such is the will of the Masters of the worlds.
Such is the will of the Ruler of Judgement Day.
(Venice /Sarajevo, August / September 1993)
Translated by Evald Flisar
Sodobnost 2001 I 334
Abdulah   Sidran
Planet Sarajevo
(an accompaniment to Schubert string auartet "Death and the Maiden")
Listen
to the breathing
of Planet Sarajevo
Listen
to the Girl crving:
"Death, don't take me along!"
How many times have we
whispered
in tears
our ardent pravers for peace?
But Death cares not for the girl's
tears,
Death cares not for the human
pravers.
Listen
to the breathing
of Planet Sarajevo
Observe
howfull of bloom Planet Sarajevo is.
Can you hear
the blood
rushing inexorably through its veins?
People go -
to have their teeth filled.
Sodobnost 2001 I 335
Abdulah   Sidran
People go -
to take children for a haircut.
People go -
and buy newspapers.
The one over there breeds pigeons!
This one, here,
cannot live
without crossword puzzles.
See
how people move along
carried away with work!
See howall ofthem
have aged overnight!
What has made them, ali of them,
suddenh/ - so beautiful?
On Planet Sarajevo
I saw a man -
smoking a pipe - and rushing by!...
On Planet Sarajevo I saw a man eating - and crying!
I saw a little girl,
on Planet Sarajevo,
in the park which was not
picking flowers which were - not!
Death is a thorough reaper, in vain the ghTs tears, in vain every prayer for peace!
In the universe
- it's name is Bosnia -
a little girl,
Sodobnost 2001 I 336
Abdulah   Sidran
with the hand she has not, picking the flowers which are not!
This is not war
- in a war, there are flowers everywhere -this is the Struggle from the Beginning ofTime!
In it, two principles are fighting
- from the Beginning ofTime to the Judgement Day -
the principle of Good and the principle of Evil!
Let there never be an end
to the struggle between Good and Evil!
Should Good
disappear from this Earth
Should the Girl
kiss the hand
of Death the Reaper?
Don't you hear her crving:
"Death, please don't take me along!"?
Don't cry, my girl,
don't cry, my beautiful daughter!
Never, never
will there be an end
to the struggle between Good and Evil.
(Sarajevo, 1 Februarj 1994)
Translated by Bili Tribe
Sodobnost 2001 I 337
ABDGLAH SIDRAN
Zašto tone Venecija
Piteru Viru
Gledam u nebo iznad Venecije. Nista se promijenilo nije, posljednjih sedam miljardi godina. Gore, ima Bog. On stvorio je Svemir, u Svemiru sedam milijardi svjetova, u svakom svijetu bezbroj naroda, mnoštvo jezika, i po jednu, jednu - Veneciju.
Narode stvorio različitim, na uho im šapnuo: "Sada upoznajite jedni druge." Sijaset jezika dao, da ih uče, jedni od drugih, kroz jezike da se upoznaju, i svi, od toga - bivaju bogatiji, i bolji. Veneciju dao, kao ticu i ribu sto je dao, da ljudi i narodi vjeruju u Njega - čudeči se Njegovim djelima.
Gledam u nebo iznad Venecije. Gore, i posvuda, jeste - Bog. Jedan. Sto stvorio je Svemir, sedam milijardi svjetova u Svemiru, u svakom svijetu puno jezika i naroda, i po jednu Veneciju. I jedan malehni narod dao, u jednome svijetu, na kopnu sto ga zovu Evropom, u plamenu Južnih Slavena. Tu je Granica. Bosna. Bosna. Bosna. Dodiruju se tu, i tuku, Istočni križ i Zapadni križ, od jednog Križa nastali. A bošnjački narod je pitom. Zato prihvati raku Treče Vjere: u Jednog Boga, Koji nije roden, niti je rodio, a Gospodar je svjetova, i Vladar Sudnjega Dana.
Sodobnost 2001 I 338
Abdulah   Sidran
Gledam u nebo iznad Venecije. Zemaljski su gospodari namjerili da bošnjačkog naroda - nema. Venecija tone. Evropa tone. Tone kolijevka, i dijete u kolijevci tone. Tonu kontinenti. Tone ruža u važni od stakla murano. Tone Murano. Hotelska soba tone i Društvo mrtvih pjesnika tone. Zašto ne treba na svijetu da ima naroda bošnjačkog? Medu bojama - jedna boja, medu mirisima - jedan miriš manje? Zašto ne treba svijetu da ima - ova Venecija? Medu čudima - jedno čudo manje?
Gledam u nebo, iznad Zemaljskog svijeta. Jedna se zvijezda, u dugome luku, ruši u bezdan Svemira. Kao da pade - posred Kanala Grande. Zemaljski svijet, medu sedam milijardi vasionskih svjetova, hoče da ostane siromašniji za cio jedan narod. Takva je volja zemaljskih gospodara. U Svemiru, tada, jedna zvijezda pada. Zato tone Venecija. Svemir bude siromašniji - za cio jedan svijet. Takva je volja Gospodara svjetova. Takva je volja Vladara Sudnjega Dana.
(Venecija /Sarajevo, avgust /septembar 1993.)
Planeta Sarajevo
(Uz Subertov gudački kvartet "Smrt i djevojka")
Poslušajte        * kako diše Planeta - Sarajevo.
Poslušajte
kako plače Djevojka:
"Smrti, nemoj me uzeti!"
Koliko smo puta
plačuči
kazivali
naše žarke molitve za mir?
Sodobnost 2001 I 339
Abdulah   Sidran
Ne haje Smrt za djevojačkom suzom, ne haje Smrt za Ijudskom molitvom.
Poslušajte kako diše Planeta Sarajevo.
Pogledajte kako cvate Planeta Sarajevo!
Čujete li
kako njenim žilama
krv neumitno kola?
Ljudi, eno, idu -popravljaju zube.
Ljudi, eno, idu -djecu vode na šišanje.
Enu, ljudi idu -kupuju novine.
Onaj, vidi, uzgaja golubove!
Onaj, pogledaj ne može da živi -bez ukrštenih riječi.
Vidi
kako ljudi idu
zaneseni poslom!
Kako su samo prekonoč ostarjeli! Od čeg su se, tako naglo, svi od reda - proljepšali?
Na Planeti Sarajevo, vidio sam čovjeka -puši lulu - i žuri!
Sodobnost 2001 I 340
Abdulah   Sidran
Vidio sam,
na Planeti Sarajevo,
jedan čovjek jede - i plače!
Vidio sam djevojčicu,
na Planeti Sarajevo,
u parku kojeg nema, bere cvijece kojeg - nema!
Nije ovo rat
- u ratu, posvuda, ima cvijeca -
- ovo je Borba od Iskona! U njoj se biju dva načela
- od Iskona
do Sudnjeg dana -načelo Dobra i načelo Zla!
Neka nikad ne prestane izmedu Zla i Dobra borba!
Zar da nestane sa Svijeta Dobro?
Zar da Djevojka u ruku ljubi Kosca Smrtonosca?
Cujete li kako plače: "Smrti, nemoj me uzeti"?
Ne plači, djevojko, ne drhti, kčeri njepa!
Nikad i nikad
prestati neče
izmedu Zla i Dobra borba.
(Sarajevo, 01. 02. 1994)
Sodobnost 2001 I 341