Damjana Savčić’s translation of her own poem: Teret Pjesnika – The Poet’s Burden (Serbo-Croatian to English)


Teret Pjesnika 


Nebeska paščad mi rasuše pogled 

Igra je trajala dovoljno dugo 

Da mi u zjenice baci poslednji plamen 

Sebe sam zašila za rukav 

Kuću ostavila 

Onu sa zidovima od tišine 

I pragom što pamti mrtve korake 

Sve dok se ognjište nije prehladilo 

Katkad mi štošta projuri kroz lobanju 

Bude tu i poneka misao 

Kičmu sam prebrazila u srp 

Da siječem sopstvene sjene 

Teret pjesnika je lagan za hartiju 

Težak za ljude sa jednim srcem 

Zubi moraju biti dovoljno jaki 

Da sažvaću neke riječi 

Iste ih znaju i slomiti

The Poet’s Burden 


Heavenly dogs scattered my gaze

The game lasted long enough 

To throw the last flame into my pupils 

I sewed myself to a sleeve I left the house 

The one with walls made of silence 

And a threshold that remembers dead steps 

Until the hearth caught a cold 

Sometimes things rush through my skull 

A thought or two ends up there as well 

I transformed my spine into a sickle 

To cut my own shadows 

The poet’s burden is light for paper 

Heavy for people with only one heart 

Teeth must be strong enough 

To chew through certain words 

The same ones know how to break them


Damjana Savčić is a poet from Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, born on May 16, 2006, in Foča.She is the author of the notable poetry collection titled Oklop jave (The Armor of Reality), which has established her as one of the most promising voices among the younger generation of writers in the region. Her talent has been recognized with the award for the Best Local Writer in Višegrad, and she was selected as part of a curated group of 45 top poets from the European Union and the Balkans. She is also the recipient of numerous other literary awards.Damjana has gained international recognition with her poetry published on prestigious literary portals, reaching audiences in the United States, Belgium, and Russia. Her work is regularly featured on digital poetry platforms.She holds a degree as a customs technician and continues to live and create in Višegrad.

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