Janez Menart

This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message )

Janez Menart (pronunciation

Due to poor social circumstances Janez and his older sister lived almost from the beginning of schooling in the boarding schools. Janez was able to enter grammar school only because he won one of the four scholarships offered by Drava Banovina in 1940. Having finished it he attended the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Ljubljana where he graduated in Slovene philology and in comparative literature studies.

After compulsory military service he was at first a

Then he employed himself as the editor of drama editorial board at

Janez Menart was one of the most popular Slovene poets in the second half of the 20th century. Over four hundred of his individuals poems have been translated to about 25 foreign languages and over half of these translations were published in independent editions. Over one hundred of his poems and chanson lyrics have been set to music, some of them have also been recorded on cassettes and discs.

Menart began seriously writing songs when he was 15 and had first of them published in the last two years of attending grammar school. He gradually published them in a continuously larger number of literary journals and by radio. His career of a prominent literate began in 1953 when he published the collection Poems of the Four (Pesmi štirih) in collaboration with Kajetan Kovič, Tone Pavček and Ciril Zlobec. His poetry is traditionally confessional, the narration realistic and satirical while the form rests on traditional meter with romantic images and everyday reality. Also well known are his epigrams.

Menart complemented original poetry by translating foreign language literature. Slovenes have to thank him for, among others, the excellent translations of

Although mainly known as a poet and translator, Menart also wrote scripts for puppet and documentary films and television plays. He was also the first in Slovenia to publish a CD audiobook, with his poems largely interpreted by him himself.

In music

In 1975, his poem "Homeland" (Slovene: Domovina), translated by the Croatian poet Zvonimir Golob, was used as lyrics for the song "Domovina" sung by the Croatian rock and folk musician Drago Mlinarec.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Janez Menart.

• "Poet and Translator Janez Menart Dies". Slovenia News. 2004-01-22. Archived from the original on 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
• Berta Golob, Srce ustvarja roka piše,
  COBISS 13528577
• Muris Idrizović, Otroška in mladinska književnost v Jugoslaviji,
  COBISS 14526721
• Polona Hanžek Novak, V srcu mladi,
  COBISS 216673536