2014 February

Entries from February 27th, 2014

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLXVII): IRELAND – Oscar WILDE (1856 – 1900): “At Verona”, “Verona”

February 27th, 2014 · 1 Comment · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

At Verona
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

HOW steep the stairs within Kings’ houses are
For exile-wearied feet as mine to tread,
And O how salt and bitter is the bread
Which falls from this Hound’s table,–better far

That I had died in the red ways of war,
Or that the gate of Florence bare my head,
Than to live thus, by all things comraded
Which seek the essence of my soul to mar.

‘Curse God and die: what better hope than this?
He hath forgotten thee in all the bliss
Of his gold city, and eternal day’–
Nay peace: behind my prison’s blinded bars
I do possess what none can take away,
My love, and all the glory of the stars.

Poetry in translation (CCLXVI): Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Italy/Tuscany: “Poem”, “Poem”

February 26th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXVI): Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Italy/Tuscany: “Poem”, “Poem” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Poem
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)

Sedus de aparenţe orbitoare,
Încurajat de bucurii ascunse,
Vreau sufletu-mi să zboare către soare,
Dar căile sunt lungi si nepătrunse.

Din bolta cerului divin, sclipiri pierdute
Ne scaldă in a Domnului lumină,
Facând din vis o dragoste deplină,
Pe culmi de nesperat si neştiute.

Când dragostea in piept sălăşluieşte,
Iar drumul lung e fratele ispitei,
Icoana ei, din ceruri, mă priveşte
Cu ochi de neuitat, a prea-iubitei.

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

Poetry in translation (CCLXV): Taras SHEVCHENKO (1814-1861, UKRAINE): “It Makes No Difference To Me ”, “Nu-mi pasă”

February 25th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXV): Taras SHEVCHENKO (1814-1861, UKRAINE): “It Makes No Difference To Me ”, “Nu-mi pasă” · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

De voi trăi în ţara mea,
Sau dacă veţi gândi cumva
De mine, ca străin,
Vă zic că-mi pasă prea puţin.

Iobag, născut printre străini,
Jelit de fraţi, fără suspin,
Şi, chiar iobag de voi muri,
Îmi pasă prea puţin.

Mormântul meu va fi demult uitat
În ţara unde m-am născut,
Dar cărei n-am aparţinut.
Dar când tătâne-miu, neîncetat,
Îmi va cânta-n genunchi, o rugăciune,
Tu miluieşte-i Doamne-al său tribut,
Căci am murit pe roată, pentru tine.

Imi pasă-acuma prea puţin.
De-mi vei rosti vre-o rugăciune.
Dar zic, căci este crezul meu,
Când oameni fără Dumnezeu,
Afurisi-vor al tău nume,
Ca să-l despoaie de trecut.
E greu, aşa, să fi crezut!

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

Poetry in translation (CCLXIV), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Fantasia Caprese secondo lo stile di Eugenio Montale”, “Capri – o fantezie in stilul lui Eugenio Montale”

February 24th, 2014 · 1 Comment · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

(at Capri, along the cypress avenue,
Baron von Gloden parades
his gilded coach
led by a liveried Cossack,
lashing his silver whip
on the rump of
a Calabrian stallion)

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Poetry in translation (CCLXIII), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Anghinare, sau Carciofo alla Giudia – o Reţetă Evreiască din Roma”

February 23rd, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXIII), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Anghinare, sau Carciofo alla Giudia – o Reţetă Evreiască din Roma” · Books, Diaspora, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Dar necazul nu s-a sfârşit aici,
Căci, apoi, tot părul i s-a smuls din cap,
Lăsându-i doar sufletul, gol-golut,
Acoperindu-şi ruşinea, cu un sos de maioneză.

Când s-a privit în oglindă,
Nici nu i-a mai venit să creadă,
Strigând, cu mânie, şefului bucătar
:
– Cândva, Io am fost, chiar, ‘Vodă prin lobodă’
Iar acum, nici nu mai ştiu cum mă cheamă!
La care Şefu’ i-a răspuns, sec:
– Carciofo alla Giudia!

Poetry in translation (CCLXII), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Carciofo alla Giudia – a Roman Recipe”

February 23rd, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXII), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Carciofo alla Giudia – a Roman Recipe” · Diaspora, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Yet my terror was greater still,
When all my hair was plucked out,
To leave my bare soul covered
Only by a few leaves,
Decorating the bottom of my heart.
I could not believe the state I was in
And cried bitterly, reproaching Chef:
– Once upon a time
I was the King of the Castle:
Now, look what has become of me!

To this, Chef answered, glibly:
– Carciofo alla Giudia!

Poetry in translation (CCLXI): Francesco GABELLINI (b. 1962, Emilia Romagna, Italy): “Timpul care îl dai”, “The Time you give”

February 21st, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXI): Francesco GABELLINI (b. 1962, Emilia Romagna, Italy): “Timpul care îl dai”, “The Time you give” · Books, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Timpul care îl dai
(The Time You Give)
Francesco GARBELLINI
(b. 1962, Riccione, Emilia Romagna)

Timpul care îl dai, timpul
care îl iei, grăunte de nisip,
care îţi orbeşte ochiul.
Frăgezimea jocului şi pielea ta
albă cu parfum de pâine proaspătă
din zorii zilei.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLX), SPAIN, Gustavo Adolfo BÉCQUER (1836, Sevilla – 1870): “Los suspiros “, “Suspine”, “Sospiri”, “Sighs”,

February 20th, 2014 · 1 Comment · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

“Los suspiros son aire y van al aire!
Las lágrimas son agua y van al mar!
Dime, mujer, cuando el amor se olvida
¿sabes tú adónde va?

Suspinele sunt o adiere de aer ce se pierde în aer!
Lacrimile sunt doar o apă ce curge la vale!
Spune-mi, muiere: când dragostea e pierdută,
Ştii unde se duce?

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLIX), AUSTRIA, Alfred BRENDEL (b. 1931) : “Über mich selbst gebeugt”, “Bent over myself ”, “Privindu-mă mai atent”

February 18th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLIX), AUSTRIA, Alfred BRENDEL (b. 1931) : “Über mich selbst gebeugt”, “Bent over myself ”, “Privindu-mă mai atent” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Alfred BRENDEL

Über mich selbst gebeugt
sehe ich
unscharf
mein fremdes Gesicht

THREE POEMS IN TRANSLATION, (CCLVI-CCLVIII), GREECE, George SEFERIS (1900 – 1971): `’Epitaf”, “Epitaph”, “Duminică”, “Sunday”, “Bitter Moments”, “Clipe amare”

February 14th, 2014 · Comments Off on THREE POEMS IN TRANSLATION, (CCLVI-CCLVIII), GREECE, George SEFERIS (1900 – 1971): `’Epitaf”, “Epitaph”, “Duminică”, “Sunday”, “Bitter Moments”, “Clipe amare” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

George Seferis

Coals in the fog
were roses rooted in your heart
and the ashes covered your face
each morning.
Plucking cypress shadows
You left a summer ago.

Centre for Romanian Studies