132
Mnogo je tajni kojima se ne možemo ni približiti, a kamoli ih razjasniti. A možda je najveća tajna smrt, tajna i užas. I kad ne mislimo na nju, ona misli na nas.
There are many mysteries that we cannot even approach, let alone clarify. And perhaps the greatest mystery of all is death, a mystery and a terror. And when we are not thinking about it, it is thinking about us.
By Meša Selimović, Yugoslav writer
This quote reflects on the profound and unsettling nature of death as one of the greatest mysteries of existence. It emphasises how death is an unavoidable reality that remains ever-present in our lives, even when we try to avoid thinking about it.
133
Umjetnost je slobodna transpozicija stvarnosti, bez unaprijed određenog društvenog cilja i htijenja, svojevrsna igra duha, u kojoj umjetnik zrači svojom ličnošću.
Art is a free transposition of reality, without a predetermined social purpose or intention, a kind of play of the spirit, in which the artist radiates his personality.
By Meša Selimović
This quote suggests that art is an expression of the artist and their personal vision, and that it does not need to serve a defined social goal or expectations.
21
Što ne boli – to nije život, što ne prolazi – to nije sreća.
What doesn't hurt - is not life; what doesn't pass - is not happiness.
By Ivo Andrić, Yugoslav author and diplomat, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961.
23
Čudno je kako je malo potrebno da budemo sretni, i još čudnije: kako nam često baš to malo nedostaje.
It is strange how little it takes to be happy, and even stranger how often just that little bit is missing.
By Ivo Andrić
22
Toliko je bilo u životu stvari kojih smo se bojali. A nije trebalo. Trebalo je živjeti.
There were so many things in life we were afraid of. But we shouldn't have been afraid. We should have lived.
By Ivo Andrić
297
Čudno je kako je malo potrebno da budemo srećni a još čudnije kako često baš to malo nedostaje
It's strange how little is needed for us to be happy, and even stranger how often that little bit is missing.
By Ivo Andrić, Nobel Prize-winning writer
Happiness often requires only small, simple things, yet these seemingly minor elements are frequently the very things that we neglect or are absent in our lives, preventing us from feeling fulfilled.