NIHAD NIHO MESIC WITH POEMS IN BOSNIAN AND ENGLISH

BIODATA OF NIHAD NIHO MESIC

Nihad Mešić River was born in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1965. Under the nom de plum River, he started to publish poetry in 2002. He published 11 books of poetry and prose and authored and co-authored many joint books of poetry, prose and articles related to human rights, being as well a part of different collections and anthologies. Mešić received many awards for his work. Among other his poem “Andric, Travnik and I” was rewarded as “the best poem in category of poetry inspired by Travnik” in October 2011 in Travnik, at competition dedicated to the Nobel Literature Prize Winner Ivo Andrić. In 2017 his book “Čekajući dogledno vrijeme” was proclaimed the best poetry book of the year in Rijeka, Croatia. In 2021, in Macedonia he received “Ohrid Pearls: for his poem “Night and Day” His works were translated to English, German, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian and French and presented in radio and TV programs. Nihad lives and works in Tuzla.

POEMS BY NIHAD NIHO MESIC

PORUKE IZ BOCE

Dosadi praviti se jakim.
Umori ne pokazivati slabost.
Nekako se othrvati sebi.
Nadati se.
Pjevati zaboravljene pjesme.
Smirivati bure.

Poruke iz zamišljene boce,
izvađene iz mora,
pamtiti.

MESSAGES IN A BOTTLE

It gets boring pretending to be strong
. It’s quite weary showing no weakness.
Fighting off yourself somehow.
Hoping.
Singing forgotten songs.
Calming down inner storms.

Remembering
Messages from an imaginary bottle
taken from the sea.

Translated by Alma Omeragić.

PODOH LI GDJE LJUBAV ME VODI?
Pođoh li putem Ilije Ladina,
gdje ljubav me vodi?,
Znam li zaista voljeti bližnjeg
roditelja, ženu, prijatelja?
Ili sam samo sobom okupljen
u sebe utopljen, opor i gluh
za one prave osjećaje,
za one prave ljude?
Zar nisu svi pravi?

Volim li ih zaista
ili se samo pravim
hineći dobrodušnost i dobrohotnost
ne bih li izgledao
sebi i drugima bolje?
Jesam li zaista fleksibilan toliko
koliko se sebi hvalim?

Razumijem li onoliko
koliko mi se pričinja
i prihvatam li zaista ljude
onakve kakvi jesu:
bez obzira s kim se družili,
koliko para imaju,
s kim spavaju,
kako govore,
kako se Bogu mole ili ne,
u kakve su škole hodili,
kakvu muziku slušaju,
čitaju li šta?

Prihvatam li te zaista, o, čovječe?

DO I GO WHERE LOVE LEADS ME?

Have I really followed the path of Ilija Ladin,
where love leads me?
Do I really know how to love the ones close to me
A Parent, a woman, a friend?
Or, am I only absorbed with myself
Drawn within, bitter and deaf
For the real feelings, for the right people?
Aren’t all they right?

Do I really love them or I just pretend to,
Acting generosity and goodness
In order to look better to
Myself and others?
Am I really as flexible as I brag?

Do I understand as much as it seems to me
And accept people as they really are:
Regardless with whom they socialise,
How much money they have,
With whom they sleep with,
How they speak,
How they pray to God, or not,
Which schools they attended,
What kind of music they listen to,
Are they reading at all?
Do I accept you, really, Oh! Human!

Translated to English by Nihad Mešić River and Anthony Castro