Jovan Jovanović Zmaj

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jovan Jovanović Zmaj (Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Јовановић Змај) (November 24, 1833 - June 3, 1904) is one of the best-known Serb poets.

Zmaj ("Dragon") was born in Sremska Kamenica. He finished elementary school in Novi Sad, secondary school in Bratislava and after that he studied in Budapest, Prague and Vienna. In 1870 he came back to Novi Sad to work as a doctor because his wife and children became sick of tuberculosis and later died.

He was writing in all genres of poetry: from love and lyric, over patriotic and political to youth's and educational. But he is most well known for his children's poetry. His nursery rhymes have entered national consciousness and people sing them to their children even without knowing who wrote them.

[edit] Some songs

Tell me, tell   Tell me, tell, How should I call you; Tell me, which Name I should give you, - Will I my "pride" Or my "strength" veneer, Or will I "treasure" Or "my little deer", Will I "soul", or "my dear" - Tell me, which name I should give you! Each of these is a sweet And beautiful name with which a Serb His gold will nickname; But I would spend One whole life Searching for a more beautiful, Prouder and sweeter, Dearer name, yet unheard by the world to call by it my flower yet furled.	Roses VII   Moonlight, - but without the moon; My sweet dear dreamt a green wreath here, And in sleep she laughed a little bit, - That's what made the midnight lit.
	How nice is...   How nice is this world around, here's a meadow, flowers abound; there's a field, and here a glade, there is sun, and here a shade! There is Danube, with gold laden, Here is grass, and here a garden, A nightingale sings its lullaby. We listen to it, my friend and I.	Plant a tree   Where you find a nice place, there you plant a tree! For a tree is generous, and so it will give.   It will give plentifully its sweet fruit and shade, it will give either to you or to your brother.

[edit] External links

• Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj (portrait; two children's songs in English, more songs in Serbian)
• Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj in South Slavic Literature Library (songs of various genres in Serbian)
• Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj: Decje Pesme (Children's songs in Serbian)
• Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj high school, Novi Sad (Web site of a high school named after Zmaj)