Desanka Maksimović

Desanka Maksimović (1898–1993) poet, storywriter, and novelist was educated at the University of Belgrade and the Sorbonne. A teacher and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, her circle of friends included Miloš Crnjanski, Ivo Andrić, Isadora Sekulić, Branko Ćopić, and Mira Alečković. Maksimović was presented the Vuk Karadžić, Nejgoš, and AVNOJ awards in the course of her 70-year career during which she produced some 50 books. Selected collections of her poetry include Poems (1924), Green Knight (1930), New Poems (1936), Birds in a Faucet (1963), I Ask for a Pardon (1964), and I Have No More Time (1974).

Poem to Beograd

Beograd, municipality of Illyrians and Celts, Balkan’s and Slavic metropolis, dear and close you, generous citizen of the world live long and all violence oppose. You are our Messep, our Singidunum, our Ptuj and Prespa, Trogir and ancient Ras; the world’s freedom-lovers swear by your name faraway Korean as the Albanian neighbor, all the same.

You readily open your wide gates while your heart stays still concealed, you, ancient padlock with seven seals in the shade of towers, poplars and linden trees.

Live long to the age of rivers and planets, mountain, field, savannah and grassland, living citizen of the earth, overflowing with elan, poet of freedom, our city—partisan.

You are the nest of July and March upheavals, a hearth filled with sparks and injury marks, your temper like in the fiery god Perun and heart like in Strahinich Ban.

Permanently cocked, a rapid rifle a sword forever awake and alert igniting instantly when no matter where someone’s freedom and honor is hurt.

Beautiful White City, hilly and lushly green Beograd so close yet unforeseen and when the live men arrive to Mars be their guard, showered by stars.

Live long the age of rivers and planets mountain, field, savannah and grassland, generous resident of the globe, poet of freedom filled with élan, our city—partisan.

(1969)