Sunset / Zalazak sunca

The sky, like copper in the furnace, shines,

The river crimsons in the evening glow;

And now, from that dark wood of ancient pines

Does not a stealthy flame begin to show?

And listen - somewhere in the distance, turns

The waterwheel, with droning hoarse and deep;

But while the heaven above the valley burns,

The mayfly on the water lies asleep.

Another evening!...in my mind I see

Beyond three oceans, in some land afar,

In the first hush of sunset, mournfully

Sitting, where shadowy emerald mountains are,

Pale as Desire, a woman I do not know,

Thinking of me, and crowned, and shining bright;

Heavy, perpetual, boundless in her woe,

There, on the verge of stillness, gloom, and night.

Before the garden lies the sea outspread;

The dark-blue gulls fly off, a scattered throng,

And in the rosebush, withered now and dead,

Once more the wind is murmuring its sad song;

And two huge sphinxes face the golden sky

And keep their mute and voiceless watch, while she

Weeps, and the tired sun slowly from on high

Sinks down behind the vast and spacious sea.

To me her name, her features, are unknown;

Yet, standing here, I fill her every thought;

For those pale lips declare true faith alone,

Faith mighty as death, as love that hopes for naught.

- Ah, never tell me it's not so, nor say

That my poor heart on lies itself hath fed;

For I should weep, for ever and a day;

No never again should I be comforted!


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ZALAZAK SUNCA

Još bakarno nebo raspaljeno sija,

i crveni reka od večernjeg žara;

još podmukli požar kao da izbija

iz crne šume starih četinara.

Negde daleko čuje se gde hukti

vodenički točak promuklijem glasom

al' nad dolinama dok još nebo bukti,

cvet vodeni već je zaspo nad talasom.

Opet jedno veče...I meni se čini,

negde daleko, preko triju mora,

pri zalasku sunca, u prvoj tišini,

tužna u senci smaragdovih gora

- bleda kao čežnja, nepoznata žene,

s krunom i u sjaju, sedi, misleć na me...

teška je, beskrajna večna tuga njena

na domaku noći, tišine i tame.

Pred vrtovima okean se pruža,

razleće se modro jato galebova;

šumori vetar tužnu pesmu snova.

Dva grdna Sfinksa prema nebu zlatnom

stražare nemo i bezglasno tako,

dok ona plače...A za morskim platnom

umorno sunce zalazi polako.

I ja kom ne zna imena ni lica

sve njene misli ispunjavam tade.

Vernost joj zbori sa bledih usnica,

silna kao smrt, k'o ljubav bez nade...

Ah! ne reci mi nikad: nije tako,

ni moje srce da to laže sebi;

jer ja bih plak'o, ja bih večno plak'o

i nikad se utešio ne bi'.

Jovan Dučić