Translation of poem by Branko Miljković

In Vain I Wake Her

I wake her because of the sun explaining itself through plants

because of the sky spread between fingers

I wake her because of words that chafe the throat

I love her with my ears

one must go to the ends of the earth and find the dew on the grass

I wake her because of distant things that resemble things here

because of people with no foreheads and names passing in the street

because of anonymous names of squares I wake her

because of manufactured landscapes of public parks

I wake her because of our planet which might be a mine in the bloody sky

because of smiles in stone, of friends who fell asleep between two battles

when the heavens were no longer a huge cage for birds, but an airport

my love is full of others; it is part of dawn

I wake her because of the dawn because of love because of myself because of the other

I wake her although that is more hopeless than calling to a bird grounded forever

For sure she has said: Let him look for me and see that I’m not there

That woman with the hands of a girl I love

that child who fell asleep not wiping off the tears I wake her

in vain in vain in vain

I wake her in vain

because her lips won’t be able to tell her

I wake her in vain

somebody’s face in the sand must be promised to the forgotten name

if not then cut off my hands and transform me to stone

Translated by Nick Benson and Kristina Vušković

poem by Branko Miljković (1934-1961)