Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu,
umrla je mucenickom smrcu
ceta djaka
u jednom danu.

Iste su godine
svi bili rodjeni
isto su im tekli školski dani,
na iste svecanosti
zajedno su vodjeni,
od istih bolesti svi pelcovani,
i svi umrli u istom danu.

Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu,
umrla je mucenickom smrcu
ceta djaka
u jednom danu.

A pedeset i pet minuti
pre smrtnog trena
sedela je u dackoj klupi
ceta malena
i iste zadatke teške
rešavala: koliko moze
putnik ako ide peške...
i tako redom.

Misli su im bile pune
istih brojki
i po sveskama u školskoj torbi
besmislenih lezalo bezbroj
petica i dvojki.

Pregršt istih snova
i istih tajni
rodoljubivih i ljubavnih
stiskali su u dnu dzepova.
i cinilo se svakom
da ce vrlo dugo
trcati ispod svoda plava
dok sve zadatke na svetu
ne posvršava.

Bilo je to u nekoj zemlji seljaka
na brdovitom Balkanu,
umrla je junackom smrcu
ceta djaka
u istom danu.

Decaka redovi celi
uzeli se za ruke
i sa školskog zadnjeg casa
na streljanje pošli mirno
kao da smrt nije ništa.

Drugova redovi celi
istog casa se uzneli
do vecnog boravišta.

It was in a land of peasants
in the mountainous Balkans,
a company of schoolchildren
died a martyr's death
in one day.

They were all born
in the same year
their school days passed the same
taken together
to the same festivities,
vaccinated against the same diseases,
and all died on the same day.

It was in a land of peasants
in the mountainous Balkans,
a company schoolchildren
died a martyr's death
in one day.

And fifty-five minutes
before the moment of death
the company of small ones
sat at its desk
and the same difficult assignments
they solved: how far can a
traveler go if he is on foot...
and so on.

Their thoughts were full
of the same numbers
and throughout their notebooks in school bags lay an infinite number
of senseless A's and F's.

A pile of the same dreams
and the same secrets
patriotic and romantic
they clenched in the depths of their pockets.
and it seemed to everyone
that they will run
for a long time beneath the blue arch
until all the assignments in the world
are completed.

It was in a land of peasants
in the mountainous Balkans,
a company of small ones
died a martyr's death
in one day.

Whole rows of boys
took each other by the hand
and from their last class
went peacefully to slaughter
as if death was nothing.

Whole lines of friends
ascended at the same moment
to their eternal residence.