2014 March

Entries from March 30th, 2014

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXIX) – POLAND, Wislawa SZYMBORSKA (1923-2012): “Possibilities”, “Posibilităţi”

March 30th, 2014 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Prefer zodia insectelor decât cea a stelelor.
Prefer să bat în lemn.
Prefer să întreb cât timp şi când.
Prefer să consider că însăşi posibilitatea
existenţei îşi are raţiunea sa.

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

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXVIII) – BRASIL, Mario Raúl de Morais ANDRADE (1893-1945): “Rondeau for you”, “Rondou”

March 29th, 2014 · No Comments · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXVIII) – BRASIL Mario Raúl de Morais ANDRADE (1893-1945): “Rondeau for you”, “Rondou”

Together with your loveliness
The maddening charm and laughter
That you give me
It would be something if I too owned
What hides behind your face, Rose:
The thought, the soul, the grief
of you.

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXVII) – ITALY/SICILY, Mary BERTINO (b. 1949): “Mio caro”, “Iubite”

March 26th, 2014 · No Comments · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

MIO CARO.
(Mary BERTINO, n. 1949, Sicilia)

Come passano lente le ore,
L’orologio batte come il mio cuore
sulle strade del mondo
mio caro, ti ho smarrito
e tutte le sere
quando scende il sole
e i suoi raggi
incendiano di luce il cielo
ho nostalgia di te
che non torni piu sui passi tuoi
che cerchi altri aquiloni

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXVI) – BOSNIA, Nikola ŽILIC (b. 1987): “It’s just”, “Dincolo”

March 22nd, 2014 · 4 Comments · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Dincolo de celulele cenuşii ale cetăţii
Dincolo de conştiinţa noastră vie
Dincolo de privirile retrospective
De oroarea compătimitoare
Mai este încă
Mult
Mai
Mult

Beyond the grey ol’ cubes of cities
Beyond the knowledge in our heads
Beyond just stares back
Loathing pities,
So
Much
More

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXV) – FRANCE, Alfred de MUSSET (1810-1857): “Le rideau de ma voisine”, “Perdeaua vecinei mele”

March 14th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXV) – FRANCE, Alfred de MUSSET (1810-1857): “Le rideau de ma voisine”, “Perdeaua vecinei mele” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Le rideau de ma voisine
Se soulève lentement.
Elle va, je l’imagine,
Prendre l’air un moment.

On entr’ouvre la fenêtre :
Je sens mon coeur palpiter.
Elle veut savoir peut-être
Si je suis à guetter.

Mais, hélas ! ce n’est qu’un rêve ;
Ma voisine aime un lourdaud,
Et c’est le vent qui soulève
Le coin de son rideau.

Alfred de MUSSET (1810-1857)
Perdeaua vecinei mele
(după Goethe)

Perdeaua vecinei mele
Se ridică întrodoară.
Ea încearcă, îmi închipui,
Să vadă cum e-afară.

Fereastra se-ntredeschide.
În piept, inima-i bătândă:
Ea vrea să ştie unde
Eu pot să stau la pândă.

Dar m-am pripit: vecinei,
Îi place-o beizadea
Şi doar e vântul care
Îi suflă în perdea.

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXIV) – MEXICO, Octavio PAZ Lozano (1914– 1998): “Poet’s Epitaph”, “Epitaful Poetului”

March 13th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXIV) – MEXICO, Octavio PAZ Lozano (1914– 1998): “Poet’s Epitaph”, “Epitaful Poetului” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Epitaful Poetului
Octavio PAZ Lozano (1914– 1998)

A început să cânte, un cântec
ca să uite
adevărata sa viaţă de minciuni
şi să- şi aduc-aminte
minciunile adevăratei sale vieţi.

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

He tried to sing, singing
not to remember
his true life of lies
and to remember
his lying life of truths.

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXIII) – USA, Robert FROST (1874-1963): “A Question”, “Întrebare”

March 12th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXIII) – USA, Robert FROST (1874-1963): “A Question”, “Întrebare” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

A voice said, Look me in the stars
And tell me truly, men of earth,
If all the soul-and-body scars
Were not too much to pay for birth.

Ghiciţi-mi într-o ceaşcă de cafea
Şi spuneţi sincer, oameni din trecut,
Dacă necazul, tot, din viaţa mea,
N-a fost prea mult de a mă fi născut.

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXII) – ENGLAND, Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell (1887-1964): “Answers”, “Răspunsuri”

March 11th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXII) – ENGLAND, Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell (1887-1964): “Answers”, “Răspunsuri” · Art Collections, Books, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

Even when all small answers build up to
Protection of my spirit, still I hear
Big answers striving for their overthrow.
And all the great conclusions coming near.

Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXI): – ITALY, Annie Chartres VIVANTI (1888-1942): “Tra poco”, “Când dorul se va stinge”

March 7th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXI): – ITALY, Annie Chartres VIVANTI (1888-1942): “Tra poco”, “Când dorul se va stinge” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Tra poco, quando cesserò d’amarti,
Ritroverò il mio riso …impertinente,
Ritroverò le mie perfidie e l’arti
Di torturare e innamorar la gente.

Tra poco, quando cesserò d’amarti,
Serena, smemorata e senza addio,
Contenta di fuggire e di scordarti
Riprenderò il vagabondaggio mio.

Tra poco, quando cesserò d’amarti,
Scontrandoti per via smorto e severo,

Poetry in translation, (CCLXX): Charles BAUDELAIRE (1821 -1867), FRANCE: “Le chat”, “Il gatto”, “Felina”

March 4th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation, (CCLXX): Charles BAUDELAIRE (1821 -1867), FRANCE: “Le chat”, “Il gatto”, “Felina” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Poetry in translation, (CCLXX): Charles BAUDELAIRE (1821 -1867), FRANCE: “Le chat”, “Il gatto”, “Felina”
Lorsque mes doigts caressent à loisir
Ta tête et ton dos élastique,
Et que ma main s’enivre du plaisir
De palper ton corps électrique,

Je vois ma femme en esprit. Son regard,
Comme le tien, aimable bête
Profond et froid, coupe et fend comme un dard,

Et, des pieds jusques à la tête,
Un air subtil, un dangereux parfum
Nagent autour de son corps brun.

Centre for Romanian Studies