Ibrica Jusic – Macka

U gradu, nije važno ime,
u praznoj sobi, kaže priča,
i usred ljeta, usred zime,
ja vidim tužnoga mladića.

On živi sam i ko zanesen
u svom svijetu od papira,
a vani sunce, kiša, jesen,
a vani vergl nešto svira.

No jednog dana šum kraj vrata,
to netko neznan ući želi
u njegov život, poput tâta,
da njegovu samoću dijeli.

A vani zima, vani sniježi,
i pored praga mačka leži,
on pruža ruke, kô da sanja,
a vani zora – svjetlost danja.

No, u tom času, u tom trenu
pred sobom vidje nagu ženu,
i on joj reče: budi moja,
a ona kaže: ja sam tvoja.

I sve što ima mladić skupi
i stavi trgovcu na vagu,
da prstenje od zlata kupi
i haljinu za svoju dragu.

Da, zlato želi, al’ ne haje
za skromnu halju što joj daje,
i tužni mladić svako veče
u novu krađu opet kreće.

Jer, on je želi, on je ljubi,
i volio bi da je mazi,
a zna da svoju ljubav gubi
bez darova i ruku praznih.

I riješi sada, još ove noći,
u zadnju krađu on će poći,
i u zoru se mladić vrati
da strašnim novcem ljubav plati.

I donese joj dragi kamen
u svijetu najveći od sviju,
u kom se, kao jedan plamen,
sve vatre ovog svijeta kriju.

I vidje – žena ruke pruža
i ljubi kamen kao muža,
i kao što njega nikad nije
uz tijelo hladan kamen grije.

I dok se njemu lice grči
u sobu uđe miš i trči,
i kao mačka skoči žena,
na plen se baci istog trena.

I stiže ga, a njeni zubi
već traže meso koje peče,
i ženi koju mladić ljubi
sa kuta usne krv poteče.

U strahu mladić oči sklopi –
te strašne slike neka odu,
on vidje lađu što se topi,
i svoju ljubav na tom brodu.

A kada opet nađe snage
on digne vjeđe – žene nema,
i tada mjesto svoje drage
on vidje mačku kako drijema.

Kroz prozor uđe svjetlost danja,
on pruža ruke, kô da sanja,
sad opet samo mačku ima,
a vani studen, snijeg i zima.

English Translation

A Cat

In a city, the name doesn’t matter,
in an empty room, the story goes,
and in the mid summer, in the mid winter,
I see a sad lad.

He lives alone and like he’s lost
in a paper world of his own,
while outside there’s sun, rain, autumn,
while outside a street organ is playing a tune.

But one day, a noise from the front door,
that’s someone strange trying to get
into his life, like a thief,
to share a piece of his loneliness.

While outside there’s winter, outside is snowing,
and a cat is lying by the threshold,
he’s reaching out, as if he’s dreaming,
while, outside, there’s dawn – daylight.

But, in that moment, in that instant
in front of him he saw a naked woman,
and he said to her: be mine,
and she said: I am yours.

So the young man gathered all of his belongings
and put them on a merchant’s scale,
to buy rings made of gold
and a dress for his fling.

Yes, it’s gold that he wants, but doesn’t mind
the modest dress that he’s giving her,
so, every night, the sad lad
sets off for a new rip-off.

Because, he wants her, he loves her,
and would like to caress her,
but he knows that he’s losing his love
without gifts and empty handed.

So he decided, as soon as that night,
for the last rip-off he would set off,
and at dawn the lad returned
to pay for love with the dreadful fund.

So, he brought to her a precious stone
the biggest of all in the world,
concealing inside, like one flame,
all the fires of this world.

And he saw – the woman reaching out
and kissing the stone like it’s her husband,
and in a way she has never kissed him
warming up the cold stone with her body.

And while his face was screwing up
a mouse entered the room running,
and like a cat the woman jumped,
in the same moment onto the prey.

And she caught him, and her teeth,
already craving for burning flash,
so the woman that the lad loved
had blood running from the corner of her mouth.

In fear, the young man closed his eyes –
let the horrible images leave,
he saw a ship sinking,
and his love with it.

And when he regained his strength
he lifted his eyebrows – the woman was gone,
and then instead of his darling
he saw a cat napping.

Through the window, came the daylight,
and he’s reaching out, like he’s dreaming
now, again, he has only a cat,
while outside there’s winter, cold, and it’s snowing.