Korčula Is the Pearl of the Sea
- Artist: Ivan Šegedin
- Song: Korčula je biser mora
- Translation: Croatian → English
- Submitted by
jezici on Sat, 18/08/2012 - 22:17
Korčula je biser mora
bili se moj otok, kao brod na moru.
vikovima plovi, sve daje i daje.
valovi ga tuku kiše i oluje
ali on se nikad, nikom, ne pridaje.
i da pisme nije, nebi ga ni bilo.
tko ne vidi njega, nevidi ni kraja.
putniče u noći, ti mornaru stari.
što nas isto more, vikovima spaja.
korčulanske moje vale, od tri porta do lumbarde.
lipe bande od defora, korčula je biser mora.
korčulanske moje vale, borovi i maslinade.
u konobi starog vina, to je moja djedovina.
Korčula Is the Pearl of the Sea
My island in white, like a ship on the sea.
For centuries sailing, giving and giving everything.
Waves, rain, and storms batter it
but it itself is never surrendered to anyone.
And that is not a song, nor would it ever be.
Who doesn't see it, doesn't see that it has no end.
Passengers in the night, you old seafarer.
What connects us, and also the sea, for centuries.
My Korčula's bays, from three ports to Lumbarda.
Beautiful coast of Defora [Bay], Korčula is the pearl of the sea.
My Korčula's bays, pine and olive groves.
In the vintage wine cellar, it is the land of my forefathers.
My Croatian is okay but I am not fluent, so I apologize in advance for the rough translation. It could be just a good starting point. 
I'm completely guessing on "vikovima" from context only.
Please comment and help me improve my translations!
| thanked 1 time |
Hi, dear Jezici.
The text is written in Ikavian dialect of the Croatian.
Therefore here:
1) bili = bijeli = white/to be seen in white/to have white color
2) vikovima = vjekovima = for centuries
3) pisma = pjesma = song/poem
4) lipa = lijepa = nice/good/beatiful
Some other dialect words:
banda = strana = side/coast
pridati = predati = to surrender/to pass/to give
Best wishes, Sergej
Thank you Sergej! This explains a lot--and I know of the other dialects, but I (obviously) don't know any of the actual dialect.
"Through the generations" was a decent guess for "vikovima"; I've changed it to the correct "for centuries" now, and incorporated your other suggestions too.
Thank you, Jo
More remarks
1) phrase "korčulanske moje vale, borovi i maslinade." uses plural and exactly is 'My Korchula's bayS, pineS and olive groveS"
maslinada = olive grove, NOT single olive tree.
2) Djedovina = zemlja djedova = country/land of grandfathers = (in the essense) Homeland.
3) phrase "korčulanske moje vale, od tri porta do lumbarde'' is
exactly "the bayS of my Korchula, from 3 ports to Lumbarde".
4) in the text 'pisma' is 'song'.
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