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Poetry in Romanian (CCCVII): Siegfried SASSOON (1886-1967), ENGLAND, “Suicide in the Trenches”, “Moarte în tranşee”

November 19th, 2014 · No Comments · PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Poetry in Romanian (CCCVII): Siegfried SASSOON (1886-1967), ENGLAND, “Suicide in the Trenches”, “Moarte în tranşee”

Sigfried Sassoon

Sigfried Sassoon

Suicide in the Trenches
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)

I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you’ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

Moarte în tranşee
Siegfried SASSOON (1886-1967)

Ştiam, odată, un copil-erou,
Ce surâdea la luptă, în război…
Dormind un somn de visuri, în tranşeu,
Fiind dimineaţa, treaz, la lupte noi.

Când iarna, prin noroaie, năucit,
De schije şi păduchi, pătruns cumplit,
Şi-a tras un glonte-n creier, disperat…
Iar lumea, dintr-odată, l-a uitat.

Voi, oameni serbezi şi cu ochi lucind,
Sărbătorind soldaţii de pe front,
Întoarceţi-vă-acas’, neştiutori,
De soarta fraţilor ce au pierit, în zori.

Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN, London
© 2014 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

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