Ne daj se Ines [English translation]

Don't give in, Ines

Don't let years beat you, my Ines

With different moves and habits

Because your room is still warm

Cosy layout and rare items

You had more taste than me

Your room - splendor - your landlady is in the hospital

You had always distinguished

By the color of your letters' paper, by your gifts

You followed me the next morning around nine to the station

And the green bus is tearing down

Driven by autumn wind, like a leaf

Along some Belgrade downhill

I'm in my evening suit and

Surrounded by glances

Don't give in, my youth

Don't give in, Ines

Our acquaintance had been preparing for a long time

And then, suddenly, with hot brandy,

And a wish poorly concealed with just a couple of sentences

Your acting of a lady and cheeks of a country girl

My hoyden and noblewoman!

And then your breast, the bed

And my room hung in the air like an orange,

Like an orange lamp

Above the green and blue water of Zagreb

In the Street of Proleterian Brigades 39, at Grković

Bedraggled street away from the window and the noise of twilight trams

Beautiful moments of nostalgia, love and poverty,

Using shared bathroom

And - please, if someone is asking for me...

Don't give in, Ines, here I am

I'm getting up just to rotate the record

Is it rude in a moment like this

Mozart, Requiem, Agnus Dei

Still, the beginning is my favorite

I dispose with a million more of gentle and saucy information about our youth

Which is cheating on us and stealing from us and leaving us and all that in front of us

Don't give in, Ines

Rip the invitation, cancel the dinner

Cheat on your husband when going to brush your hair

At some better hotel

Touch me under the table with your knee,

My generation, my mistress

I know there will be more youth

But not like this one

Around 1938

I won't have anyone to stay young with

If everybody grows old

And that youth will be hard for me

And you're probably right

Because I'm alone on this coast

Which you all left and handed over listlessly

And it's starting to rain again

Like it's already raining on the islands in October

Sea made of lead and sky made of pine trees

Distant voices which mix:

Voice of the mother, friends, daughter, mistress, ship, brother

Laundry quickly picked up before the rain

And the light is gone with that whiteness

Jut a little bit of walk next to the sea and it's done

Don't give in, Ines

• Artist:Arsen Dedić