Selected Croatian prose - poems translated by Carolyn Owlett Hunter

http://www.studiacroatica.org/jcs/28/2808.htm

Fran Mažuranić (1859-1928)

Što sam mislio umirući

Bilo mi je osam godina, kad se je novljanska luka gradila.

U toj dobi znade većina primorske djece plivati, — ja još nisam znao.  Igrajuć se po luci, padnem u more. Potonem. — Voda me digne. Vidim na zidu, vrh sebe, djece. - - Pružam ruke, — Hoću da vičem, - - ne mogu! Gutam more, tonem - - Izgubljen sam! Taj tren proletih sav svoj život. Svi grijesi mladanog vijeka došli mi na pamet: slador sam uzimao, brata tukao, lagao, na voću bio - - - Zadnja misao mi bijaše: "Idem u pakao!" — te se onesvijestih - -Izvukoše me, — a čemu?

WHAT WAS I THINKING WHILE DYING?

I was eight years old when they built the port in Novi. At that age most children know how to swim — I didn't know how yet.  While playing about the harbor I fell into the sea. I sank. The water buoyed me up. I saw the children above me on the wall. — I extended my hands, — tried to shout, — I couldn't! I was swallowing sea water, — I was sinking, — I was lost! In that instant I flew through my entire life. All the sins of my young life appeared again before me: I was stealing sugar, I was beating my brother, I was lying, I was climbing the fruit tree — My last thought was: "I was descending into Hell!" — and I lost consciousness. They got me out — and for what?