(See below the translation on Serbian)

The soldier stood and faced his God

Which must always come to pass

He hoped his shoes were shining

Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and

said, "No, Lord, I guess I ain't

Because those of us who carry guns

Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays

And at times my talk was tough,

And sometimes I've been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny

That wasn't mine to keep...

Though I worked a lot of overtime

When the bills got just too steep,

And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear,

And sometimes, God forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place

Among the people here,

They never wanted me around

Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,

It needn't be so grand,

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don't, I'll understand."

There was a silence all around the throne

Where the saints had often trod

As the soldier waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God,

"Step forward now, you soldier,

You've borne your burdens well,

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell."

To all that serve ...

Author Unknown

***

Vojnik

Stajao je vojnik pred svojim Bogom

Kraj koga je obavezno morao da prodje.

Nadao se da su mu cizme sjajne

Bas kao i njegov obraz.

"Pridji sada vojnice,

kako da s’ tobom postupim?

Da li si uvek okretao drugu stranu obraza?

Da li si iskren bio prema mojoj Crkvi?"...

Vojnik je stao mirno i rekao:

"Ne Gospode, verujem da nisam,

Jer mi koji nosimo oruzje

Nikada ne mozemo biti sveci.

Morao sam da radim cak i nedeljom

A i grubo sam se obracao mnogima.

Ponekad sam bio surov

Jer svet je uzasno nemilosrdan.

Ali, nikada nisam uzeo ni peni

Koji nije pripadao meni....

Radio sam prekovremeno

Ali su i pristigli racuni bili preveliki,

No nikada se nisam tuzio i molio za pomoc,

Iako sam mnogo puta

Bio sledjen od straha,

A ponekad, Boze oprosti mi,

Izazivao prolivanje nevidjenih suza...

Znam da ne zasluzujem mesto kraj tebe

A ovi ljudi ovde,

Nikada me nisu zeleli medju sobom

Sem da njihove strahove smirim.

Da li imas mesta za mene, Gospode,

Ne mora da bude nista posebno,

Nikada nisam ocekivao ili imao previse.

Ali ako ga nemas, razumecu...’’

Zavladala je tisina svuda oko trona

Gde se sveci cuju cesto

A, vojnik je cutke cekao

Na sud svog Boga.

"Pridji vojnice,

Svoj krst si casno nosio.

Podjimo mirno kroz nebeske ulice

Jer svoje zemaljske dane si u paklu proveo."

Svima koji sluze....

Nepoznati autor

NAPOMENA:

Prepevala na srpski jezik – Danijela Slavnic

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