@marko_radic_

3 months ago

This song has inspired me immensely, so here's my translation (it's not completely literal because it rhymes, but I tried to keep the original imagery and metrics as much as possible by singing along to the original lyrics): [Verse 1] There's no rest, no rest for me I am restless, I cannot sleep The night won't give way to dawn Doomed is the one who is alone. [Verse 2] It's as if underwater silence reigns I'm screaming, but you can't hear my pain Beyond the mountains the gleam is white Yet there's no end in sight 'Tis the path for the wounded. [Pre-chorus] And there's no one to guide me now Save the bright Danica* the Morning Star The world's a pyre burning each flower Where have they evanesced, those lilac** ramondae***? [Chorus] Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda. [Pre-chorus] And there's no one who would guide me For all the stars are sound asleep Saying prayers is of no avail Where have they evanesced, those lilac ramondae? [Chorus, break] Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda. [Chorus] Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda Lilac ramonda [Outro] From the ashes rises up a single lilac ramonda. * Danica is a feminine name personifying the morning star in Slavic mythology; it can be found in Serbian lyric poetry ** In this context, lilac is the pale purple colour, not the type of flower *** The title of this song references a flower called 'Ramonda serbica' in Latin, a species endemic to Serbia. The mountain called Rtanj is the home to this flower which was discovered in 1844 by a famous Serbian botanist Josif Pančić. Being a living fossil from the Tertiary period, it is capable of surviving extremely harsh conditions. Even if it is completely withered, just a few drops of water can revive it. Natalie's ramonda (Natalijina ramonda), the flower of the same genus, is very similar to 'Ramonda serbica'. It was named after Queen of Serbia Natalija Obrenović, and it is worn as an emblem on Armistice Day in Serbia. This flower, also known as the 'phoenix flower', symbolises the unprecedented suffering of the Serbian Army (during the Great Retreat) that managed to rise victoriously like a phoenix from the ashes that the World War I, in which Serbia lost one third of its population, had left behind. This song can be interpreted in different ways due to the universal symbolism of ramonda as the beacon of hope for people going through tough times (wars, natural disasters, disease, psychological problems, heartbreaks, etc.). According to my interpretation of the lyrics, the repetition of the line in which the lyric subject wonders where all the ramondae have disappeared represents the feeling of powerlessness and despair. However, the outro of the song reminds us that hope springs eternal. Despite all the atrocities occurring in the world, it is in human nature to never lose hope.

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