2013 December

Entries from December 27th, 2013

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLIII): Cecco ANGIOLIERI, (1260 – ca. 1312), Italian-Tuscan Poet, “S’i’ fosse foco….”, “If I were Fire…”, “De-aşi fi un Foc de pară…”

December 27th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLIII): Cecco ANGIOLIERI, (1260 – ca. 1312), Italian-Tuscan Poet, “S’i’ fosse foco….”, “If I were Fire…”, “De-aşi fi un Foc de pară…” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

S’i’ fosse Cecco, com’ I’ sono e fui,
torrei le donne givani e leggiadre;
le zoppe e laide lasserei altrui.

True to Myself, as I had always been,
I’d keep in tow the loveliest of girls,
And leave the ugliest of them, to others.

De aşi fi eu-însumi, ca întodeauna,
M-aşi veseli cu fetele frumoase,
Iar slutele – să tragă doar ponoase!

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLII): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “A Dedication”, “Inchinare”

December 24th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLII): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “A Dedication”, “Inchinare” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

A Dedication
Herbert Asquith
(1881-1947)

FRIEND if all these verses die:
Soon will you, and soon will I
But, if any word should live,
Then that word to you I give.

Închinare

Ptietene, când versu-mi va muri,
Şi noi aşa ne-om duce.
Şi-o rimă, doar, de ar mai fi, –
La piept să-ţi fie cruce.

Rendered in Romanian by: Constantin ROMAN,
© 2013, Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLI): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “The Fallen Subaltern”, “Soldatul-Erou”

December 23rd, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLI): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “The Fallen Subaltern”, “Soldatul-Erou” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

The Fallen Subaltern
Hebert Asquith
(1881-1947)

The starshells float above, the bayonets glisten;
We bear our fallen friend without a sound;
Below the waiting legions lie and listen
To us, who march upon their burial-ground.
Soldatul-Erou
Herbert Asquith
(1881-1947)

În cânt de clopote şi în sclipiri de săbii
Tovaraşul de arme-l îngropăm,
Iar în ţărână suflete-adormite
Ascultă cum păşim mormântul lor.
Rendered in Romanian by: Constantin ROMAN,
© 2013, Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXL): British ANONYMOUS, “Love of Yesteryear”, “Lament”

December 19th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXL): British ANONYMOUS, “Love of Yesteryear”, “Lament” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Love of Yesteryear
(British Anonymous)

As love of yesteryear is gone,
Lost in a dream of smoke,
Now I am sad and feel forlorn
With what I have to cope.
I dreamt of castles in the air
To share a love so true,
But now am lost and in despair
To have believed in you.
Gone are the nights of dreams so smug
For us a home to share:
I’d give a Kingdom for a hug,
Should you have one to spare.

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POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXIX): Giuseppe Gioacchino BELLI, (1791 – 1863), Italian Poet of Trastevere Dialect, “Er mortorio de Leone Duodescimosiconno”, “The Funeral of Pope Leo XII”, “Papa Ludovic XII”

December 16th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXIX): Giuseppe Gioacchino BELLI, (1791 – 1863), Italian Poet of Trastevere Dialect, “Er mortorio de Leone Duodescimosiconno”, “The Funeral of Pope Leo XII”, “Papa Ludovic XII” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXIX): Giuseppe Gioacchino BELLI, (1791 – 1863), Italian Poet of Trastevere Dialect, “Er mortorio de Leone Duodescimosiconno”, “The Funeral of Pope Leo XII”, “Papa Ludovic XII” Giuseppe Gioacchino BELLI, (1791 – 1863), Er mortorio de Leone Duodescimosiconno Jerzera er Papa morto c’è ppassato propi’avanti, ar cantone de Pasquino. Tritticanno la testa sur […]

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POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXVIII): British Anonymous Poet, “Non mi tangere”, “Nu mă atinge”

December 13th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXVIII): British Anonymous Poet, “Non mi tangere”, “Nu mă atinge” · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations

Non mi tangere
(ANONYMOUS BRITISH)

I need air to kindle the flame of my Desire
I need the reflection of your face coming out of the shadows,
I need so much and feel that I receive so little
To quench this insatiable thirst of you,
To smother you in my embrace and hold you tight to my breast.
To feel your halting breath enveloping my body,
That tactile dialogue of untold complicities.

I know that I am nurturing a hope of intangible dreams,
Of a surreal world, the product of my burning desire,
Devouring the secret corners of my soul,
Turning it to dust.

But I wished the embers of our Love
To cast a light for ever,
Upon the darkest hours of our World.
I want to sing a Hymn to the angels above
I want . . .
I want so much
To assuage the thirst of our Love,
To allay our deepest fears
That we may ever be parted!

But, of late, I came to realize this to be my quest of the Impossible,
A hopeless quest of bridging the ocean of our Expectations:
You, on one hand, with your youthful dreams
Of building castles in the air:
Who can blame you?
I, on the other hand, reaching the end of the road,
Consuming a hopeless Dream,
As you warned me:
“Non mi tangere! Non mi tangere piu!”
But in the twilight of the night I did not listen to you,
As you embraced another World…

I feel like a lark, trying to reach the Sun,
Only to turn to ashes,
For the temerity
Of its dreams…

The Rev. Canon Patrick Comerford on the Centenary of the Anglican Church, Bucharest: 1913 – 2013

December 10th, 2013 · Comments Off on The Rev. Canon Patrick Comerford on the Centenary of the Anglican Church, Bucharest: 1913 – 2013 · Diary, Diaspora, History, OPINION, PEOPLE

In 1900, the British Minister or Ambassador, Sir John Gordon Kennedy (1836-1912), obtained the grant of a piece of land at the junction of Strada Pictor Verona and Strada Xenopol, in the corner of the Gradina Icoanei (The Park of the Icon) from the Commune of Bucharest in a deed of gift dated 2 December 1900.
The cornerstone of the church was laid 100 years ago today on 20 October 1913. The external fabric was completed by 1914, and the interior furnishings had been ordered from England. However, building work was interrupted with the outbreak of World War I.

The first service was held in the new church on Easter Day, 4 April 1920, and it was soon completed, and was dedicated by the Bishop of Gibraltar on 5 November 1922.

Poetry in Translation (CCXXXVII): W. H. AUDEN, (1907, York – 1973, Vienna): “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone”, “Oprește orologiul”

December 9th, 2013 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCXXXVII): W. H. AUDEN, (1907, York – 1973, Vienna): “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone”, “Oprește orologiul” · PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Poetry in Translation (CCXXXIV – CCXXXVI): Ion CAROIAN (1923, Romania – 1986, Switzerland): “Hope”, “Snow” and “You are weary Wanderer”

December 7th, 2013 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCXXXIV – CCXXXVI): Ion CAROIAN (1923, Romania – 1986, Switzerland): “Hope”, “Snow” and “You are weary Wanderer” · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations

“You are weary, wanderer”
Ion CAROIAN (1923-1986)

“You are weary, wanderer,
As we are filing in a single line, hooded,
(a fistful of nothingness).
They – the ignorant retainers,
Digested through the stomach of time.
They – the decent rabble.
Give Caesar his dues!
As for the rest, to Hell!”

Poetry in Translation (CCXXXIII): Hélène VACARESCO (Elena Văcărescu, b. 1866 Bucharest – d. 1947, Paris): “Romania”

December 5th, 2013 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCXXXIII): Hélène VACARESCO (Elena Văcărescu, b. 1866 Bucharest – d. 1947, Paris): “Romania” · Diaspora, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

You may well recognise in these qualities Romania, land of suffering, land of enlightenment and of valour placed across the promontory against the dredge of Asian invasions and like a beacon being mightily conscious of defending the civilization, which gave it its people and its laws”.

(Hélène Vacaresco, Diplomat, Poet,
addressing the Societe des Nations,
Paris, 27th April 1925)

Centre for Romanian Studies