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Barbara Korun

Barbara Korun was born in 1963 in Ljubljana, where she received a degree in the Slovene language and comparative literature at the university and where she taught literature to high school students. She also worked at Slovene National Theatre in Ljubljana as a language advisor. Currently, she works as a free-lance writer. Her first poetry collection (The Edge of Grace, 1999) received the National Book Fair Award for a debut collection. For her fourth book (I’ll be right back, 2011) she received the Veronika’s Award (for the best poetry collection of that year) and Golden Bird (for outstanding achievements in literature). Her book of poems Songs of Earth and Lights was published in English translation at Southwords edition in Cork, Ireland 2004.

By Barbara Korun

As in childhood

by Barbara Korun

Translated by

Barbara Jurša

as in childhood I trust only the simple things water air light water always finds a way it circumvents every obstacle it widens every crack the invisible air lets itself be seen in the motion of branches and twigs in the spray of waves it uncovers roofs breaks down trees only the light has

Spring 2018

The smell of humans

by Barbara Korun

Translated by

Barbara Jurša

for days I’ve been mulling over my report on my work with refugees by no means can I put it on paper this smell this smell of humans of the human being this sharp and sweetish smell a mixture of urine vomit menstrual blood blood feces scared people’s sweat for days I’ve been mulling over

Spring 2018

Out of one whole

by Barbara Korun

Translated by

Barbara Jurša

I. Out of one whole step twowholes. And each splinterson into other wholes.Nothing but circles, spheres,everything is a closed circuit. A waterdrop divides intotwo drops. And more. And more still.The drops become a rain.Dully pounding on thepane. It’s warm. It’s only me who is gasping out ofa dream, out of my seemingseparateness. I touchobjects

Spring 2018

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