Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Krešimir Bagić

The Palm Sways

The palm sways, so too the olive
Jacques Chirac and I have the same tie.
His round his neck, mine in my pocket.

I won’t tell you my name,
because if you don\'t know me
there’s no helping you.

The palm sways, so too the sea.
Jacques Chirac and I read the same paper.
He reads about politics, I read the sport.

When I was conceived my father got drunk
with chagrin, and mother punched her own belly.
I came out pretty well, despite everything.

The palm sways, so too the gull.
Jacques Chirac and I enjoy the same yoghurt.
Him in the evening, me in the morning.

Like any unwanted child
I learned the language of the streets straight off,
the speech of sailors, harbour girls and dollars.

The palm sways, so too the tiger.
Jacques Chirac and I come out with the same statements.
Him on the right, me on the left.

The Slovene guy put it well:
the communists sat at the same tables
as everyone else. And used the same stairs.

The palm sways, so too the Vélodrome.
Jacques Chirac and I don’t know one another.
He supports the PSG, I\'m an OM fan.

On match day first I fire the sea,
and then the stands. I’m a pyromaniac
feeding off the gulls’ cry and the roar of lions.

The palm sways, so too the pyromaniac.
Why did I mention Jacques Chirac anyway?
Out of compassion, and native decency.

Because: I’m perfect, I\'m a genius,
The Americans are studying my brain
for a new generation of computers.

The palm is waving, so too the genius.
When I sweep the Champions League with OM
this continent will bear my name.

I shan’t tell you I’m called Rolland Courbis,
because if you don’t know already
there’s no helping you.

Palma se njiše

Palma se njiše

Palma se njiše, maslina s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja nosimo iste kravate.
On oko vrata, ja u džepu.

Neću vam reći kako se zovem,
jer onaj tko me ne prepozna
vrijedan je svakog prezira.

Palma se njiše, more s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja čitamo iste novine.
On politiku, ja sport.

Kada sam začet, moj se otac napio od tuge,
a majka se bijesno tukla po stomaku.
Unatoč svemu, ispao sam jako dobar.

Palma se njiše, galeb s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja volimo isti jogurt.
On navečer, ja ujutro.

Poput svakog neželjenog djeteta,
i ja sam odmah naučio jezik ulice,
jezik mornara, lučkih žena i dolara.

Palma se njiše, tigar s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja dajemo iste izjave.
On desno, ja lijevo.

Lijepo je rekao onaj Slovenac:
i komunisti su sjedili na istim stolicama
kao i drugi ljudi. I koristili ista stubišta.

Palma se njiše, Vélodrome s njom.
Jacques Chirac i ja se ne poznajemo.
On druka za PSG, ja sam duša OM-a.

Na dan utakmice najprije zapalim more,
pa tribine. Piroman sam koji se hrani
kliktanjem galebova i rikom lavova.

Palma se njiše, piroman s njom.
Zašto sam uopće spominjao Jacquesa Chiraca?
Zbog milosrđa i urođene dobrote.

Jer: ja sam savršen, ja sam genij,
Amerikanci mi proučavaju strukturu mozga
za novu generaciju kompjutera.

Palma se njiše, genij s njom.
Kada s OM-om osvojim Ligu prvaka,
ovaj će se kontinent zvati mojim imenom.

Neću vam reći da se zovem Rolland Courbis,
jer onaj tko me još nije prepoznao
vrijedan je svakog prezira.
Close

The Palm Sways

The palm sways, so too the olive
Jacques Chirac and I have the same tie.
His round his neck, mine in my pocket.

I won’t tell you my name,
because if you don\'t know me
there’s no helping you.

The palm sways, so too the sea.
Jacques Chirac and I read the same paper.
He reads about politics, I read the sport.

When I was conceived my father got drunk
with chagrin, and mother punched her own belly.
I came out pretty well, despite everything.

The palm sways, so too the gull.
Jacques Chirac and I enjoy the same yoghurt.
Him in the evening, me in the morning.

Like any unwanted child
I learned the language of the streets straight off,
the speech of sailors, harbour girls and dollars.

The palm sways, so too the tiger.
Jacques Chirac and I come out with the same statements.
Him on the right, me on the left.

The Slovene guy put it well:
the communists sat at the same tables
as everyone else. And used the same stairs.

The palm sways, so too the Vélodrome.
Jacques Chirac and I don’t know one another.
He supports the PSG, I\'m an OM fan.

On match day first I fire the sea,
and then the stands. I’m a pyromaniac
feeding off the gulls’ cry and the roar of lions.

The palm sways, so too the pyromaniac.
Why did I mention Jacques Chirac anyway?
Out of compassion, and native decency.

Because: I’m perfect, I\'m a genius,
The Americans are studying my brain
for a new generation of computers.

The palm is waving, so too the genius.
When I sweep the Champions League with OM
this continent will bear my name.

I shan’t tell you I’m called Rolland Courbis,
because if you don’t know already
there’s no helping you.

The Palm Sways

The palm sways, so too the olive
Jacques Chirac and I have the same tie.
His round his neck, mine in my pocket.

I won’t tell you my name,
because if you don\'t know me
there’s no helping you.

The palm sways, so too the sea.
Jacques Chirac and I read the same paper.
He reads about politics, I read the sport.

When I was conceived my father got drunk
with chagrin, and mother punched her own belly.
I came out pretty well, despite everything.

The palm sways, so too the gull.
Jacques Chirac and I enjoy the same yoghurt.
Him in the evening, me in the morning.

Like any unwanted child
I learned the language of the streets straight off,
the speech of sailors, harbour girls and dollars.

The palm sways, so too the tiger.
Jacques Chirac and I come out with the same statements.
Him on the right, me on the left.

The Slovene guy put it well:
the communists sat at the same tables
as everyone else. And used the same stairs.

The palm sways, so too the Vélodrome.
Jacques Chirac and I don’t know one another.
He supports the PSG, I\'m an OM fan.

On match day first I fire the sea,
and then the stands. I’m a pyromaniac
feeding off the gulls’ cry and the roar of lions.

The palm sways, so too the pyromaniac.
Why did I mention Jacques Chirac anyway?
Out of compassion, and native decency.

Because: I’m perfect, I\'m a genius,
The Americans are studying my brain
for a new generation of computers.

The palm is waving, so too the genius.
When I sweep the Champions League with OM
this continent will bear my name.

I shan’t tell you I’m called Rolland Courbis,
because if you don’t know already
there’s no helping you.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère