Great wise night
Under the city walls
You pull me out of
The monster's socket
...
In the storage of all things
with a soft paw
she keeps pushing off the mask
...
I dream how on a flat surface
I set down knives of various
shapes and sizes.
Already there are so many of them
...
Novica Tadić (Smriječno, Plužine, 17 July 1949 – Belgrade, 23 January 2011) was a Serbian poet. He was born in a small village in Montenegro and spent most of his life in Belgrade. His work was supported by many United States poets including Charles Simic, who translated Night Mail: Selected Poems, Maxine Chernoff, Paul Hoover, David Baratier and Andrei Codrescu.)
Night Passes
Poor us, we are all kings
when we gaze at the starry sky.
2.
The noise of the crowd grows faint
on the town square and in our blood.
3.
The voice will re-enter the angel's trumpet.
Once again hell will rise on its feet.
Translated from the Serbian by Charles Simic