Matija Beckovic
OVO I ONO
(Bilo Ovo i Ono pa se prepirali):

Bolje je ovo,
                                   Nije nego ono.

Da nije onoga,
ne bi bilo ovoga.
                                   Moglo je da bude ovo,
                                   a da ne bude ono.

Ovo nikad nije bilo!
                                   I hteli ste ono
                                   što nikad nije bilo.

Ovo niko ne pamti!
                        Sad je dve što niko ne pamti!

Ovo se nece preziveti!
                                   Niko vas i ne tera da zivite,
                                   Sve sami hocete.

Nikad nije bilo bolje!
                                   Ali do zore moze biti
                                   da nikad nije bilo gore!

Bilo bi bolje
da je pola gore!
                                   Nema ništa gore
                                   nego slušati da je ovo bolje.
                                   Samo to da chujem –
                                   eto, dosta mi jada.

Crkli ste za ovo,
sad bi hteli ono!
                                   Kukachete za ovim,
                                   ako dodje ono.

Ono je bolje
pa neka ga nema!
                                   Neche ga ni biti,
                                   ali biche ljudi!

Nece ni ono biti ono
ako ovo produzi ovo!
                                    Ovo neche dugo!

(prva polovina pesme)

Matija Beckovic
THIS AND THAT
(THIS and THAT were arguing):

THIS is better !           
No, THAT is !

If it weren’t for THAT
THIS would never be  
It might have been THIS
But THAT might have not 

 

THIS never was before!
And you wanted something
That never was before!

Nobody remembers THIS! 
Now, it's all that nobody remembers

THIS, one cannot survive!
Nobody is forcing you to live
It’s you, who want all that

It was never better!
But before dawn it may turn out
That it never was worse! 

It would be better
If it were half worse
There is nothing worse
Than hearing THIS is better.
If only I could hear it
Well, I’ve had enough of it 

You were dying for THIS
And now you want THAT 
You 'll weep for THIS 
If THAT comes

THAT is better
Even non-existent!  
And it will never be,
But there will be men!

 

Even THAT won't be THAT
If THIS  continues THIS
THIS won't last long!

(the first half of the poem)