Opsednuti grad

Vergilije, IV bukolika

„I biće nanovo poslat pod Troju veliki Ahil“,
I biće nanovo pronađena Troja
Na svakom mestu na kome se
Veliki Ahil pretvarao
U dete svoga gneva,
U roditelja svoje mahnitosti.
I biće ponovo skovano oružje,
Blesnuće svet na jutru štita,
Nemo gvožđe progovoriće na trgovima,
I biće nanovo gradovi utvrđeni opsadom,
U opsednutim gradovima menjaće se
Dan za noć, i dani za godine,
Kraljevstva za pokornost,
I biće ponovo srušeni bedemi,
Da bismo se, najzad, vratili kući,
Među nepoznate ukućane,
Da bi se opet podigao opsednuti grad.


Besieged City

Virgil, Eclogue IV

“And once again great Achilles to Troy shall be sent,”
And once again Troy shall be discovered
In every place where
Great Achilles turned
Into the child of his anger,
Into the parent of his madness.
And once again arms shall be forged,
The world shall shine in the shield’s morning,
Mute iron shall begin to speak in the squares,
And once again shall cities be besieged,
In the besieged cities one shall exchange
Days for nights, and days for years,
Kingdoms for submissiveness,
And once again walls shall be torn down,
So that we can, finally, return home,
Among the unknown household members,
So that the besieged city be built once again.

Translated: Dragan Purešić