That Black Guitar (Tista črna kitara)
Instead Of Whom A Flower Now Blooms (Namesto koga roža cveti)
Forget-Me-Nots (Spominčice)
Forget-Me-Nots (Spominčice) (Translation Paul Brown)
Joužek (Joužek)
Turn Over, Turn Over (Obrni, obrni)
One Morning, As Day Is Breaking (Nekega jutra, ko se zdani)
Your Morning (Tvoje jutro)
Stars of White (Zvezdice bele)
If I Had You (Če bi te imel)
White Sunday (Bela nedelja)
Ravens (Vrane)
Far From The Land Of My Birth (Daleč je moj rojstni kraj)
A Cry And A Shout (Vriskanje in jok)
Sheep (Ovce)
Dizzy from the height (Od višine se zvrti)
Not a political song (To ni političen song)
Bird (Ptič)
Little Gods (Mali bogovi)
Outcast Since a Child (Čuden si bil že kot otrok)
Thousand Years (Tisoč let)
Cheer and cry (Vriskanje in jok)
Path to Paradise (Pot v raj)
Until I Feel My Heart Beating (Dokler se srce ne ustavi)
All the wreaths lay drying (Vsi so venci vejli)
New, And The Newer, Now The Newest (Novo, novejše, najnovejše)
The Road (Cesta)Lyrics by Vlado Kreslin, English translations by Erica Johnson-Debeljak, except Forget-Me-Nots (Paul Brown), Sheep (Tomaž Lasič, Perth, Avstralija), Bird, Little Gods, Outcast Since a Child, Thousand Years, Cheer and cry, Path to Paradise, Until I Feel My Heart Beating, All the wreaths lay drying, New, And The Newer, Now The Newest, The Road (Tomaž Lasič), Dizzy From The Height, Not A Political Song (Vlado Kreslin).
THAT BLACK GUITARI was still Vladek
when always for feasts
they came
large-moustached Gypsies
to play in our house...
Father would join them
on his black guitar,
the one he had bought
with his first salary.Oh Sir, do you still have your guitar?
Yes Sir, I mean your old black guitar.
Yes Sir, that one was really good.They'd ask him
many years after
always when they asked for some change
when they played in the pub
and wetted their throats at the bar.
And also their women, they'd come to our door
asking for clothes we could spare, they'd say
Oh Sir, do you still have your guitar?
Yes Sir, I mean your old black guitar.
Yes Sir, that one was really good.Sometimes when I call on my folks,
and sit in the shade of a tree
drinking and drinking with friends
who still live there...
The Gypsies stop by,
to play at our table and ask
trustful and shy as children
Oh Sir, do you still have your guitar?
Yes Sir, I mean your old black guitar.
Yes Sir, that one was really good.
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INSTEAD OF WHOM A FLOWER NOW BLOOMSSome odd night when I sleep with the storks
In a lingering fog,
Standing still and not daring to move,
There in the moor.When the first beams bite in the mist
We wake up from our dreams
And the moor of new dreams
Sails up to the skies.Instead of whom a flower now blooms
Whose place have I taken now
What skin has the nicest of scents
Whose song would need my voice?And if the grass above me
Hosts a flower of two
It'll drop a tear into somebody's eye
And spare a bit of honey for some other.
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FORGET-ME-NOTSThere on the shore, shore of the lake
They're blooming again, blooming again
Forget-me-nots.There on the shore, deep in my heart,
Everything's gone, everything's gone,
But my memory.When the roses all faded
And the darkness is all I've got
Go and fetch me, oh, do fetch me
A blue nose-gay,
Forget-me-nots.
Forget-Me-NotsNow as before
By the lake, on the shore
Flowers in spots,
Clusters and lots...
Forget-me-nots.Spring passed me by
My heart's lake is dry
No flowers beget
Memories, yet...
I don't forget.Though the flowers
wilt and wither
All of it lives in my thoughts.On the spring day,
Send a bouquet
Forget-me-nots.
Forget me not .
JOUŽEK
The year '18
Guns go silent
Tiny fingers
Touch the strings.
And at 14 they are first hardened
In a musicians night -
The dew departs.These fingers trace
Tears of joy and pain.
Whether is king or beggar
Bride or idler,
These children's hands
Kociper's name.At gatherings
And in the big wide world -
Sometimes the priest
Sometimes the poet.
For only yesterday there was
Everyone still in the Band,
Now just gnarled
Fingers remain.These fingers trace
Tears of joy and pain.
Whether he is a king or beggar,
Bride or idler,
These gnarled hands,
A child's name.Your gnarled hands, the bass
And child's name
Joužek, wait for me
There at the end of the road!
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TURN OVER, TURN OVERWhere the ripples of the Mura
Are wrapped in mist,
Whirlpools draw us
To the depths.
The great roaring
Fills me with dark passion
And drowns out
My heart and head.The question in short
Erodes, and gives no answer:
On the bank,
Or in the water?
Either this or that
Tell me, my dear,
What should I do now,
How can I escape these
Forces so dark?Don't carry off to quickly,
Mura, my days;
Turn over, turn over
Another stone or two,
Or three.My love,
She turns her head away so gently,
And leaves me alone, alone with the water.
Where the waves of the Mura
Eat away their own banks,
The whispering whirlpools
Spin my body.Don'f carry off too quickly,
Mura, my days;
Turn over, turn over
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ONE MORNING, AS DAY IS BREAKINGThe first ray lifts its gaze from sleep,
And light has risen over the water!
When powers have left the last of us in darkness,
A thousand new ones find joy in the sun.One morning, as day is breaking
And heads are cooled,
Each goes his own way.
One morning, as day is breaking
And tears are drying,
One morning, as day is breaking.There by the old stove, like in those distant days
With a hat on the dresser and warm palms,
We remember the old song that belonged to us all,
And our laughter will be louder than gales.
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YOUR MORNINGNight shadows turn to day,
a foggy mill above watery stream,
the last of dreams fade away
back to beautiful memory.The first whistle cuts the air,
the beams are damp with dew
above the city roofs, in every mind,
in every heart and cellar,
a new day is waking too !New morning, new day!
Once in a while, some of the time
it just seems fine
to be alive,
that notning pains you,
that a beam damp with dew
when you open your eye
still comes to waken you.New morning, new day !
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STARS OF WHITEScattered 'cross the sky stars of white,
getting ready for the night.
Loaded in coaches large and small,
sent on their Milky Way.What's that, hiding there
white glitter above the hill ?Our destiny, white stars to us confide,
far across the dark and blackened sky
scorpio, acquarius, virgo, gemini,
winking at us night after night.What's that, hiding there
white glitter above the hill ?
There 'neath the water, there above
the hill ?
To the enchanted earth white glitter
does spill.White stars slip through my fingers
'til my eyes can no longer linger.
Tell me about December or May,
scorpio, aquarius, virgo, gemini,
tell me the beginning and end
of every day.
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IF I HAD YOUA stark red rose gives off an inviting
smell
between the thorns that pierce
the heart of the nightingale.
I would swim the Mura River
I would disavow my name
like a tick, I would remain
buried in your heart.I would give to you beautiful days,
days and mornings count for you,
I would save in my palm the morning
dew
if I had you
if I had you.I would cover any trace,
change the color of my face,
throw myself like a dog
at your feet.I would give to you beautiful days,
days and mornings count for you,
I would save in my palm the morning
dew,
if I had you
if I had you.
WHITE SUNDAYWhite Sunday,
no peace inside,
day and night shadows walk beside.
The scent af chrysanthemums
will wake you no more.
A black carriage
took you up the sky.
And I know that the angels
will not let you nigh.
But wont they allow
that I come to you now,
this Sunday.White Sunday,
shadows draw near,
my heart whispers,
let this end this very night.
And then
when tears and candles are alight,
sing to me of paradise
so I can hear you in the sky.
My darling
don't let my song
take your sleep away.
In the white silence
let us kiss one last time,
this Sunday.
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RAVENSRavens like to sit together
five up in a tree,
when there is a shot
and down falls one,
tell me, how many will there be
sitting there up in a tree.Hunters like to sit together
five upon a single stool,
when the wind blows alee
they all fall down,
tell me, how many will there be
sitting there upon the stool.If you can't guess ask the owl,
the owl who never sleeps !The raven never plucks out the eyes
of another
just as the hunter holds the stool for
his brother.Now the wolves are sweet
bitting sheep with gentle teeth
now the deer are slow
only snails rush and go
now the dormice to their den
lining up before the sun;
the clocks tick away
our fingers point and say;
tell me, how many will there be
sitting there up in the tree !The raven never plucks out the eyes
of another
just as the hunter holds the stool for
his brother.
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FAR FROM THE LAND OF MY BIRTHA picture already blurred,
a picture of you and yours.
Shoes, a new glove, a cake sweet
and tender,
and your mother,
sso pretty, so slender !Who is the man who sits by,
and the girl who holds you in her lap ?
now a new house stands here,
everything just like yesteryear,
what a sweet child you were !Far, far away, it is far,
now so distant it seems,
from the land of my birth
and my dreams.On the hilltop falls the night,
and now I must turn on the light
the years have washed away
the shine from my eyes,
and the picture each day
grows more faded and gray.Far, far away, it is far,
now so far away it seems,
from land of my birth and my dreams.
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A CRY AND A SHOUTYesterday a madman dead did fall,
the artist, the village fool, the don
a laughing stock for one and all
a mirror for the pride of everyone.With him, he carried only his smile,
a naive regard, the nerve of a child,
a beam in his eye that burned and shined.Let him hear them, let him, the cry
and the shout
that will accompany us all on our last
road out !Yesterday the sky died,
blue, untochable and wide
the dream that everyone desired
never attained, as distant as slumber.With it , it carried only its cry,
civ, civ, civ the lonely bird's sigh.
the last firefly in the night
that burns out and then takes flight.Let him hear them, let him, the cry and
a shout
that will accompany us all on our last road out.
SHEEP
Slovenščina English (poem)
Lepo da imamo tolko skupnega
lepo da smo enaki
Lepo da imamo tolko skupnega
lepo da smo vsi taki
Enaki smo potiho
enaki smo v en glas
Enaki smo potiho
enaki smo v en glas
It’s nice to cover so much common ground
It’s nice to be alike
It’s nice to cover so much common ground
It’s nice to look alike
Like one we keep all quiet
Like one we sound aloud
Like one we keep all quiet
Like one we sound aloud
Ko zjutraj vstanemo smo vsi
ko ležemo zvečer smo vsi
Lepo da imamo tolko skupnega
lepo da čuvajo nas dobri psi
Enaki smo potiho
enaki smo v en glas
Enaki smo potiho
enaki smo v en glas
When morning wakes us we are all here
When evening lays us we are all here
It’s nice to cover so much common ground
as good dogs keep us from the harm around
Like one we keep all quiet
Like one we sound aloud
Like one we keep all quiet
Like one we sound aloud
Vsi krothki, tihi, enaki...
nam bela volna je v okras !
Meek, quiet, same as required...
Of milky wool is what we’re proud.
DIZZY FROM THE HEIGHTNever more, oh, it just can't be true,
Never more, oh, it just can't be true
All my dreams have dissapeared from here
All my wings have burnt out from the fear,
And never will I know
Never will I know,
Never know how high it takes
Before you start to fly.Still my mother always used to say
From the heights you can't see your own way
And never will I know
Never will I know
Never know, how high it takes
Before you start to fly.When I'm dizzy from the height
Shelter me in your hands
In your little hands,
In your gentle hands !
Take me over to your side
Hide me in your hands
It doesn't matter, if I'm sad and blue
All I want is to be seen with you.
One step to the left-hand side,
one step to the right-hand side,
one step for the action,
another for reaction.Colour white belongs to snow,
colour black belongs to night,
ain't no reason to be tight,
'cause we all know what is fright.It's not a political song,
not a political song,
what they force gives no chance
it' s a song for dance.
Only once more sing to me
Colourful bird about your darling
Who in the wind is lulling free
In crystal water checks with gleeJust for this once more sing to me
Colourful bird about my darling
Whom gentle echoes touched away
Through the mist your song's array
Every night till the dayOver water every morning breaks a dawn
Counting winners and the victims
of the night dreams gone
Over water world is spinning ever free
And takes away
Dreams that you awoke in meOnly once more say to me
Lilly white flower in water murky
Your blossom's pretty flowery
For all days and nights to be
For all darlings now historyOver water every morning breaks a dawn
Counting winners and the victims
of the night dreams gone
Over water world is spinning ever free
And takes away
Dreams that you awoke in me
The little gods are getting smaller
they all pretend that in God they all believe
The little gods are speaking louder
so heavens could
hear just what they conceiveIt sometimes happens even
the most devoted
lose their tracks for none to see
The litle gods are there to promise new solutions
crooked ways with little dignityInflated bouncing way up into heaven high
plug their ears as pressure mounts up in the sky
With long thieving fingers and tiny eyes to see
little goods only
choose to see
what they feelThe little gods are getting smaller
they all pretend that in God they all believe
The little gods are speaking louder
so heavens could
hear just what they conceiveThey only curse and gossip holy saints all sly
pictures in the bible try to alter by
trip own faithfulls, little do they care
these little gods
only forgive
when it's square
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Is this the truth
Or thought astray
That my lights will
Be fading soon awayIs blood still flowing
Or water grey
Is it today
My strength has sapped awayPretty white socks wear still stay
Man will click don't look awayYou've been an outcast since a child
You hear their laughter, they go wild
And all you feel are tears in you to hide
You have been outcast since a childYou still lay dreaming
While awake they frownYou still arise
When they all sit down
Your eyes are still
Of colour much too brownPretty white socks wear still stay
Man will click don't look awayYou've been and outcast since a child
You hear their laughter, they go wild
And all you feel are tears in you to hide
You have been outcast since a child
back to the top
On the night we walked by
you uplifted me from bottom to the sky
Gave me strength of one's stand by
who respects and loves you even when you cryIs this all or little care?
Are we asking far too much or have we spare?Even in thousand years here I'll stand
Sun will provide my heart's pound
One of the thousand stars'll fit my hand
I'll carry her name aroundI'd love to sing and to chime
love to stay, take away
mighty power of the one
righteous unforgiving master we call timeA book, a soon and growing tree
I gave him, now
he demands my body and
my soulEven in thousand years here I'll stand
Sun will provide my heart's pound
One of the thousand stars'll fit my hand
I'll carry her name aroundAnd tomorrow it will be
again what yesterday brought me
And tomorrow it will be
again what yesterday we'd seenEven in thousand years here I'll stand
Sun will provide my heart's pound
One of the thousand stars'll fit my hand
I'll carry her name around
Last night a madman fell dead,
artist of village, short for mad,
crowd’s laughing stock, yes,
for all nice people to check own success.With him he took just a smile
cheekiness childish, naive little pry,
ray from his eyes,
glows up inside and wrings to cry.Now let’s hear it high
wonderful cheer and cry
let them follow us all
on final call.Yesterday sky came to die,
blue and never touched on by,
all people’s end aim
never quiet reached,
like dream all in vain.With it took only cry
Chiu, chiu, chiu, the lonely bird’s high
Night’s very last firefly
Glows up inside and flies into sky.Now let’s hear it high
wonderful cheer and cry
let them follow us all
on final call.
back to the top
Always in front of my eye
but I fail to see.
Slowly my sight occupy
all things glitteryNot even God’s aware,
or he acts doubtfully.
Or could be that God accidentally
sits like weNot even the mad anymore look eye to eye.
And my feet try to shuffle the tracks alien by.
Maybe there’s nothing here, maybe it’s all a gesture.
New road has covered olden empty path on pasture.Path to my paradise !
back to the top
Until I feel my heart beating
Till then I will sing
And carry the thoughts forbidding
My mind shouldn’t bringThere’s only a song to start with
With others to trail
The programme both funny, solemn
It was and it willIt’s not there was something special
The heaven would take
But then if I could just
A word or two
Backward I’d takePerchance I’d have left at times
And sometimes hung ‘round
But then I would not have seen all
I wouldn’t know nowUntil I feel my heart beating
Till then I will sing
And carry the thoughts forbidding
My mind shouldn’t bringBut when the voice announces
All time’s come to pass
I’ll sing you a song of flower
All blooming for us!
All the wreaths lay drying
Only mine still lone greensAs I keep it watered
With my tears undyingIf a tear of mine should
Ever fell on hard stoneStone would sliver into
Pieces two or in three
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NEW, AND THE NEWER, NOW THE NEWEST
Slowly, sliding day by day
The melodies are fading
That for centuries you’d sungSlowly, sliding day by day
The monikers are fading
That for some centuries you’d hungBut the river old’s taking its time
While slowly running by
New, and the newer, now the newestGouging away into our heads
Cheap, and the cheaper, now the cheapest
Is eroding our legsThere behind the seeming might, the seeming gods arising
Upward haughty to the skies
Under undetected light
The undetected presents
Keep fading into night*But the river old’s taking its time
While slowly running by
New, and the newer, now the newest
Gouging away into our headsCheap, and the cheaper, now the cheapest
Is eroding our legs
Long so long is the road from the small into big town
Long so long is the river from nappies to grown man
Full of holes and of wishful yearning
Of deepest springs and wishes burning
Long as only the night can be,
It’s a lengthy road
From somewhere to times seen.By the road places startling, population Masai
Look here down by the river, a girl in dress whitely
Hid entire world in her palm
Took me by her side under arm
World was all a shout yesterday
Now in every drop question mark is today.Take me to the world, you take me
So the question I spell
Take me back and home you bring me
So the answer I tell
Of Road lengthy,
River mighty.Long so long is the road from the big back to big town
Long so long is the river from the grown back to grown man
Full of holes and of wishful yearning
Of deepest springs and wishes burningLong as only the night can be,
It’s a lengthy road
From somewhere to times seen.