An Anthology of Croatian Literature

Stanko Vraz (1810-51)

Stanko Vraz (1810–51) First of the nineteenth century Croatian Romantic poets, Vraz was in fact a Slovene who so deeply believed in “Illyrianism,” the movement to unite all South Slavs, that he abandoned his native tongue to write in what he considered would become the common language of all South Slavs, the “što” dialect of the Croats and Serbs. For this he was castigated by Slovenia’s national poet, Francè Prešeren, but warmly welcomed in Croatia. He helped found Croatia’s first literary journal, Kolo, and promoted the publication of South Slavic folk poetry. The poem below is from Anthology of Croat Verse 1450–1950, ed. and trans. A. Bonifačić (Chicago: n.p., 1981): 100. It has been emended for publication here. 56 An Anthology of Croatian Literature Ghazal The cranes fly to the warm south—in the fall, But I must travel towards the north—in the fall. On the mountainside the shepherd guards his gentle flocks, And then returns home singing—in the fall. The gardener gathers the fruit of his sweat, golden peaches, And red, sweet apples—in the fall. Because he labored greatly at it during the summer, The winegrower picks his grapes—in the fall. And so everyone gathers, picks and enjoys, Rejoicing, the fruit of their toil—in the fall. But what, Stanko, is the fruit of your care and toil? Bitter fruit, pain and tears—in the fall. ...