Simon Gregorčič is one of Slovenia’s best-loved poets, and a significant figure in the 19th-century struggle for national rights. He is considered to be the first lyric poet of the Slovenian realist poetry and the most melodical Slovenian poet. Gregorčič’s most famous poem is “Soči”—“To the Soča”—describing the progress of the Soča river from its mountain source to the plains of Trieste. At the beginning, the turquoise water is fast and vigorous. But when the river reaches the exposed plain, it grows sluggish, sensing its vulnerability. Gregorčič foresaw a day when it would be filled with blood, surrounded by a “hail of lead”, and would need to burst its own banks to “draw the foreigners ravenous for lands to the bottom of your foaming waves.” Simon Gregorčič’s “To the Soča” has practically become a folk tale in the light of World War I, when a bloody front ran along the length of this beautiful river. In this version, it is accompanied by the masterful illustrations by Damijan Stepančič and two prefaces – one by the illustrator, and the other by one of Gregorčič’s greatest connoisseurs, Iztok Ilich. The former discusses the creative process and research behind the illustrations, whereas the latter provides an overview of the historical background of the poem, its importance to the Slovenian nation, and the mystery behind some missing verses.
SOČI
