MACEDONIAN
 
½a Φac, τaτo ╥a Φapo╨ █µo ╫c╓ea       For us, a nation which has
╨a ╧o o╪opß╙ cΘojoµ ╒╙µepaµ╫peΦ       succeeded in formulating its
ja╥╙τ ╨╫p╙ Θo ╓oc╒e╨Φ╙Θe              literary language in the course
╨e┘eΦ╙╙, öe ╬╙╨e ßΦo╧╫ ╓o╫┌Φo ╨a      of the last few decades, it
╥Φaeße τaτΘ╙ ╬╙╒e o╓█µo               would be very instructive to
ocΦoΘΦ╙µe τapaτµep╙cµ╙τ╙ Φa           know the nature of the
pa╥Θojoµ Φa ╒╙µepaµ╫pΦ╙µe ja╥╙┘╙      fundamental characteristics of
Θo c╒oΘeΦcτ╙oµ cΘeµ.                  the development of literary
                                      languages in the Slavic world.
 
 
                            ₧¼P¼«¼▓A
 
To je ╬╙o a╪p╙┌τ╙ c╒oΦ, jo█           The elephant came from Africa.
Φe╨opacµao, ß╒a╨ ╙ ╬╫jaΦ; ╬╙╒e        Young, snappy, and not yet fully
c╫ ß╫ µeτ ╨Θe ╧o╨╙Φe. »pe c╒oΦa       grown, he was but two years old.
cµ╙╧╒a je ╫ TpaΘΦ╙τ ╓p╙┌a o           These details, as well as other
■eß╫.                                 information, had preceded the
                                      elephant into Travnik.
 
                    IVO ANDRIC, The Vizier's Elephant.
 
                             CROATIAN
 
Suton je, Filip sedi i slu≤a          Thus Philip sat in the twilight
rodu na susjednom dimnjaku kako       and listened to a stork clapping
klepeδe kljunom kao kastanjetom,      its beak like a castanet on a
kako jasno odjekuju pastirski         neighboring chimney, to the
glasovi s potoka gdje se napaja       shepherds' voices echoing from
blago, kako lastavice                 the stream where they watered
pro⌡drljivo kru⌡e oko dimnjaka        their beasts, to the swallows
kao grabljivci, i osjeδa u sebi       greedily circling around the
prelijevanje tih ⌡ivotnih             chimney like birds of prey, and
odraza, ⌡ivo i zanosno.               vividly and rapturously he felt
                                      flowing into him those
                                      multidinous expression of life.
 
                            SLOVENIAN
 
Mra⌠ilo se je, s polja so se          Night was falling; villages and
vra⌠ali kmetje in posli.  Takrat      farmhands were coming home from
se je prikazal petelin na             the fields.  On Sitar's roof the
Sitarjevi strehi, rde⌠ in tenak       red cock suddenly appeared.  A
je ≤vignil visoko proti nebu.         tongue-shaped flame shot up
Nato se je prikazal petelin na        skywards; then another was seen
skednju, na hlevu, na ≤upi, na        on the stables, and yet another
obeh kozolcih; velik je bil           on the barn - and then on both
plamen, segal je silen od zemlje      sheds.
do nebes.
               -IVAN CANKAR, The Bailiff Yerney and His Rights.
 
 
                            ALBANIAN
 
Maletë me gurë                       Mountains and stones,
fusha me bar shumë,                  Lush meadows unshorn,
aratë me grurë,                      A river beyond,
më tutje një lumë.                   Fields full of corn.
 
Fshati përkarshi                     Out yonder, the village,
me kish'e me varre,                  Its church and its graves,
rotul ca shtëpi                      cottages here and there,
të vogëla fare.                      low under their eaves.
 
Ujët  të ftoftë,                     Chill water springs
era pun e madhe,                     A keen wind blows.
bilbili ia thotë                     The nightingale sings.
gratë si sorkadhe.                   And the women... they're like dows!
 
Burrat nën hie                       Idlers in the shade,
lozën, kuvëndojnë;-                  Kept by their wives;
pika që s'u bie                      A plague on them all
se nga gratë rrojnë!                 For wasting their lives!
 
                  -ANTON ZAKO ÇAJUPI, My Village