Centre for Romanian Studies

Poetry in Translation, (CCXCIII), Mihai CODREANU
(1875, Iaşi -1957, Iaşi), ROMANIA: “Corbii”, “The Ravens”

The Ravens
Mihai Codreanu
(1875-1957)

Above my battered soul, which is snowed-under
A flock of ravens fly above, in circle:
Just as my broken dreams are frozen-purple
And my entire self is torn asunder.

The ravens’ noise is traveling the valley,
Towards the ruins of my childhood home…
Now thousands more are gathering to roam
Filling the air with their distressing parley.

The sky is darkened and the stars are blinded
As whirlwinds cause my body to be bllighted…
With greater force I’m carried by the storm…

As ravens guessing that I am forlorn,
They dart straight to my heart, which is half-dead,
To quench their beastly thirst, of dragon’s head.

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

Corbii
Mihai Codreanu
(1875, Iaşi – 1957, Iaşi)

Din iarna sufletului meu porneşte
Un stol de corbi spre zările cernite:
Sunt dorurile mele nemplinite;
… Şi-n iarnă cugetarea-mi viscoleşte.

În gemete pustii se prelungeşte
Ca-n golul unei vetre părăsite;
Şi corbi sporesc în cete înmiite…
Şi stolul tot mai jalnic croncăneşte!…

Nu văd în zări nici urma unei stele;
Doar viscolul din gândurile mele
Tot mai pornit prin gerul lui mă poartă…

Iar corbii, presimţindu-şi trista pradă,
Spre inima-mi pe jumătate moartă
Îşi năpustesc sălbatica grămadă…

SHORT BIO: Lawyer, poet, playwright, and translator, Mihai Codreanu, (1876-1957) graduated in Law and Philosophy, concurrently with obtaining a degree in Music and Drama from the Iaşi Conservatoire.
He was elected a Corresponding Member of The Romanian Academy, received a Knighthood from the French Academy, as well as the French Legion of Honour for his translation of Cyrano de Bergerac.
Mihai Codreanu was a director of the National Theatre (Iaşi), Professor and Rector of the Iaşi Conservatoire of Dramatic Arts and a Director of the periodical “Insemnări Ieşene”. His house in Iaşi, the Moldavian capital, is now a memorial museum.