Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission, Having never set eyes on the land he was called to partition Between two peoples fanatically at odds, With their different diets and incompatible gods. “Time,” they had briefed him in London, “is short. It’s too late For mutual reconciliation or rational debate: The only solution now lies in […]
Muharem Bazdulj, born in 1977, is one of the leading writers of the younger generation to appear in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. He writes in a wide variety of genres, including novels, short stories, poetry, and essays; he is also active as a journalist and a translator. One of his short story collections has appeared in English (The […]
The times are terrible, dark, and heavy, Like a damned soul in disgrace; On Golgotha is hanging the victim From Nazareth, that wretched place! In His nest is expiring now That wounded white dove. Eli! Eli! Lama sabachthani? – His last breath is heard from above. O, Lord, to You I am bringing now, In front of Your tree of […]
Outside of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the poet Mak Dizdar is relatively unknown. Modern anthologies from Croatia and Serbia seldom include the poet. While Dizdar is included in the anthology, Contemporary Yugoslav Poetry, he is refered to as “a Croatian poet.” Dizdar was born in 1917 in Stolac, Bosnia-Herzegovina and died in 1971. His pen-name, Mak, meaning “poppy,” is a pseudonym, which he […]
For a long time it was thought That it is was circular, As it was thought That the Earth was flat It is not a straight line, It comes out of the forefinger. It is everywhere And everything has it. If the cosmos were To have a meridian There, it would be similar. You do not take it In order […]
––Why are you not like parrots or horses at least, so that you mechanically memorize the road, or some isolated word by those chosen by God— more intelligent than us?— said the professor in passing. Translated by Omer Hadžiselimović and Keith Doubt – © 2009 Omer Hadžiselimović