Srebrenica 1995-2014
[Srebrenica, 7 de julio de 1995]
We don't forget. We won't forget.
"No nos permitís mirar al pasado.
No podemos mirarla, pero ella nos mira.
Nos decís: "¡Mirad al futuro!"
Poem to Srebrenica
Abdulah Sidran*
It’s better that she doesn’t exist
than that she does
than that she does
Such
that is today
our Srebrenica
that is today
our Srebrenica
Neither dead nor alive in her can live
Under leaden skies Of lead air
No one has ever Not learned
In lungs inhale
No one has ever Not learned
In lungs inhale
From her all flees
who has legs
with them can
and has somewhere
to run
who has legs
with them can
and has somewhere
to run
Orthodox Christians flee
Newcomers
and localsMuslims flee
Locals and newcomers
Newcomers
and localsMuslims flee
Locals and newcomers
And who was there
Somehow remained alive
He went and returned
Neither one winter with summer
Not compiled
Any fall
With spring
But have looked
As soon as possible again
From Srebrenica to move
Somehow remained alive
He went and returned
Neither one winter with summer
Not compiled
Any fall
With spring
But have looked
As soon as possible again
From Srebrenica to move
What happened
our neighbor a Catholic
our neighbor a Catholic
To them Srebrenica
hundreds of years
hundreds of years
Was lovely
and beautiful
Her good
noble association
and beautiful
Her good
noble association
Have left, a long time ago
Pointing to the
In their wisdom
They knew the time would come
In what will no longer be
A good Srebrenica
In their wisdom
They knew the time would come
In what will no longer be
A good Srebrenica
They tell us
For ten years they tell us
How the war in Bosnia
has ended
For ten years they tell us
How the war in Bosnia
has ended
They teach us
And written instructions they send
That in our country
Bosnia and Hercegovina
the war has ended
and how no one
should
look into the past
And written instructions they send
That in our country
Bosnia and Hercegovina
the war has ended
and how no one
should
look into the past
Do they
truly believe
that we are alive
the ones who stand here
and from this place
talk like that
truly believe
that we are alive
the ones who stand here
and from this place
talk like that
How do we really live
Do you think that’s called health
Do they think it is called sanity
What is left in us
Do you think that’s called health
Do they think it is called sanity
What is left in us
How are we truly, really alive
Do they think that’s called health
Do they think it is called sanity
What is left in us
From our former health and reason?
Do they not see, do they not hear
Do they not know, that we
What us remaining is, deader than all
Our dead, and that here today, with their voices,
the voices of our dead, from their throats,
Scream, and with their screams, we speak
Do they think that’s called health
Do they think it is called sanity
What is left in us
From our former health and reason?
Do they not see, do they not hear
Do they not know, that we
What us remaining is, deader than all
Our dead, and that here today, with their voices,
the voices of our dead, from their throats,
Scream, and with their screams, we speak
You don’t let us
Look into the past
We do not look into her, but she is looking into us
Look into the past
We do not look into her, but she is looking into us
You say:
Look into the future!
Look into the future!
But we
Nowhere
can see her
And we can’t see
that she with any eyes
into us look
Let alone that she sees us
and cares about us
Nowhere
can see her
And we can’t see
that she with any eyes
into us look
Let alone that she sees us
and cares about us
We have the present
In which the human eye
cannot see
In which the human eye
cannot see
We, the same
Of lead air
in our Srebrenica
Who does not exist
breathe with those
Whose eyes
Whose hands
Whose souls
are full of our blood
Of lead air
in our Srebrenica
Who does not exist
breathe with those
Whose eyes
Whose hands
Whose souls
are full of our blood
And only they
can rejoice
by your command
not to look into the past
can rejoice
by your command
not to look into the past
And what do we have besides her
In what else
than in her
can we look?
In what else
than in her
can we look?
Can you
say to a mother
not to look at her son?
can you
send commands
to a sister
not to look at her brother?
say to a mother
not to look at her son?
can you
send commands
to a sister
not to look at her brother?
Take our eyes -But do not teach us anymore,
do not send us more
Such advice, instructions and commands!
do not send us more
Such advice, instructions and commands!
Maybe it is, as you say
The war has ended! But to us, in our Srebrenica
The was has ended a little, while alone, during the day
We cheat, that it has ended
But in us, during both summer and winter,
and it is already seventeen years
like that! short days, and too long nights
The war has ended! But to us, in our Srebrenica
The was has ended a little, while alone, during the day
We cheat, that it has ended
But in us, during both summer and winter,
and it is already seventeen years
like that! short days, and too long nights
As soon as the first public dusk,
we our gatesclose, so that it does not come,
does not enter
He who recently came and entered, all our
beloved - parted from our lives
we our gatesclose, so that it does not come,
does not enter
He who recently came and entered, all our
beloved - parted from our lives
He, today, peace in Srebrenica keeps
How can a mother of Srebrenica sleep?
As soon as she closes her eyes, war is a the door,
that’s the minute
in which she saw how, under a cetniks knife,
parted, from his own body, the head of her son!
Only for her sometimes, of one thousand, recited
Yasins, God comforts her.
When He lowers a dream upon her eyes,
she, in her dreams, compiles the head with the body,
of her buried son.
How can a mother of Srebrenica sleep?
As soon as she closes her eyes, war is a the door,
that’s the minute
in which she saw how, under a cetniks knife,
parted, from his own body, the head of her son!
Only for her sometimes, of one thousand, recited
Yasins, God comforts her.
When He lowers a dream upon her eyes,
she, in her dreams, compiles the head with the body,
of her buried son.
How do we live in the present?
How do we not look into the past?
How do we not look into the past?
Our sister one is, among us she is not, but she is alive!
She has made herself a grave, from one, here, in Sarajevo
She has made herself a grave, from one, here, in Sarajevo
Apartment. The windows she does not open,
she doesn’t dare to look through them,
not to mention walking on the streets!
She has lost four children! If some boy or girl she met,
and one of them reminded her of her own - her heart woud break into,
four hundred pieces.
she doesn’t dare to look through them,
not to mention walking on the streets!
She has lost four children! If some boy or girl she met,
and one of them reminded her of her own - her heart woud break into,
four hundred pieces.
Is that peace?
Is that how war ends?
Is that how war ends?
When silent
iron weapeons stop
but
a mothers heart scream to the skies
iron weapeons stop
but
a mothers heart scream to the skies
When a criminal
changes his shirt
but in it
under our homes
under our windows
in our Srebrenica
keep our peace?
To you yours is
but to us
not at all
have our past gone!
changes his shirt
but in it
under our homes
under our windows
in our Srebrenica
keep our peace?
To you yours is
but to us
not at all
have our past gone!
Nor will it pass
neither can it pass
until the leaden sky
of silver
our Srebrenica covers
neither can it pass
until the leaden sky
of silver
our Srebrenica covers
While under her
from leaden sky
leaden air
from air snacks
we breathe and swallow
with those who have
changed their shirts
but the heart under their shirts
and the hatred within the heart
have they not changed
nor do they have the intention of changing
To you yours is
but to us
our past has not gone
from leaden sky
leaden air
from air snacks
we breathe and swallow
with those who have
changed their shirts
but the heart under their shirts
and the hatred within the heart
have they not changed
nor do they have the intention of changing
To you yours is
but to us
our past has not gone
Do not take us back
Do not take us back
in that and such
from lead
Srebrenica
Do not take us back
in that and such
from lead
Srebrenica
Rather
At least for a moment
look where in your
souls
books
lost a grain
of justice and truth
At least for a moment
look where in your
souls
books
lost a grain
of justice and truth
If in your heart
at least one
justice and truth
grain find
at least one
justice and truth
grain find
From good and silver
Silvery and good
beauty
return it to Srebrenica
Silvery and good
beauty
return it to Srebrenica
a crumb of justice
and grain of truth
find it!
and grain of truth
find it!
Srebrenica
Return it to Srebrenica!
Return it to Srebrenica!
And we will
With God’s help
That they live as dead
Immediately return to her
With God’s help
That they live as dead
Immediately return to her
Let
with the help of God
Flags and calmness
From all time
Srebrenicas soul
with the help of God
Flags and calmness
From all time
Srebrenicas soul
And
our soul
sorrowful and dead
our soul
sorrowful and dead
With living souls
All of our dead.
All of our dead.
(*) Abdulah Sidran (Sarajevo, 1944), más conocido por el seudónimo Avdo, es un poeta y escritor bosnio, autor al mismo tiempo de guiones cinematográficos.
