Tin Ujević is a famous croatian poet, a genius who wrote incredible poetry and translated from 10 foreign languages to croatian. He was the first one to translate the poetry of Walt Whitman, Arthur Rimabaud and Charles Baudelaire into croatian. He lived a boemic life, without owning anything exceps his poetry and his books. Helived lived in Paris for 12 years and was friend with Modigliani and Picasso. Tin Ujević was completely dedicated to poetry, lived as a “holy beggar” under the great influence of hinduism (he translated parts of Upanisad into croatian)….
The Blood – brotherhood of Persons in the Universe
Do not fear! you’ re not alone! there are others but you
who unknown to you live your life too.
And everything you were and heard and dreamed
with the same fire, beauty, cleanness burns in them.
Be not proud! your thoughts aren’ t yours alone! They live in others.
We’ ve gone the same paths in the dark,
we’ ve all gone astray the same way
searching, and we’ re all esteemed the same.
You share a bit with all, and many are the same.
Recall that’ s been the way since ancient times.
And we all repeat, both the great and the pure,
like childern who yet know not their names.
Others share our might and sins with us,
our dreams are from the common spring.
And our soul’ s food is from the common bowl,
the stamp of self lies in the centre of our brow.
We stand one against another, in the knowledge
that we are all better, together, all darkness,
and our blood, the defeat of all, in slaughter,
is again just one history of souls.
Awful to say this in the ear of arrogance,
but most happy for despairing fortune,
that we’ re all the same in malignity and joy
and that the freight of destiny rests upon our back.
I’ m there in some unknown, and on a star
far off, unravelled, and here in one thread,
in an extinguished flower, broken in the world that glides
and when will I, after all, be there in my being?
I am still myself, wilful even when I’ m absent,
The point from the peak forfeit in the mass;
oh universe! I love and die in all;
I tarry in my brothers of no name.
Tin Ujević, 05. 07. 1981 – 12. 11. 1955
