Centre for Romanian Studies

Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXVI), Diarmuid JOHNSON (b. 1965), IRELAND: “English”, “Engleza”

English
Diarmuid JOHNSON (b. 1965)

English is the language of war
Its constituents are civilian hostages
In dim cells, adjectives are beaten senseless.
English is the language of war
The dissident lexicon has been deported
Semanticide has devastated
A continent of thought.
English is the language of war
We cannot say what we mean any more.
In English there are words
For all things which cast a shadow:
Do not translate these words.
English is the language of war:
Do not speak it.
* * * * * * *

Engleza
Diarmuid JOHNSON (b. 1965)

Engleza este limba războiului
Cuvintele ei sunt prizonieri civili
În celule de închisoare, adjective bătute la sânge.
Engleza este limba războiului
Lexiconul disident a fost deportat
Semanticidul a devastat
Un continent de gândire.
Engleza este limba războiului
Nu mai putem spune ce gândim nicidecum.
În Engleză sunt cuvinte
Pentru orice obiect care proectează o umbră
Nu traduce aceste cuvinte.
Engleza este limba războiului
Nu o vorbi!

Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN, London
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

* * * * * * *

SHORT BIO: Diarmuid Johnson was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1965. He moved to Ireland aged three and was educated in Galway. From 1989 until 1996 he lectured in Celtic languages and literature in France, Germany and Ireland. Since 1997 he has worked predominantly as a freelance writer, translator and editor, both in print and in television, through the media of Irish, English and Welsh. He was editor of Cuisle, the national Irish language monthly, from 1999-2000. Among the prizes he has been awarded is the Dún Laoghaire International Poetry Festival Prize (2000). His work has been published in An Chéad Chló (First Flush) (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 1997), and Fearann Pinn (The Pencil Acre) (ed. Ó Dúill, Coiscéim, 2000), a selection of 20th cen. Irish verse. In 1994, together with Jean-CLaude Lozac’hmeur, he published Dafydd ap Gwilym, petite anthologie d’un grand poète (WODAN, Amiens 1994), a selection in French of an important 14th cen. Welsh poet. Súil Saoir (The Trained Eye), a selection of poems in Irish, is forthcoming from Cló Iar-Chonnachta. Coinnigh do Mhisneach, a translation of Shoned Wyn Jones novel Yfory Ddaw (Come Tomorrow) was published this year (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2004). Diarmuid Johnson is editor of Transcript, and is a member of the Welsh Literature Abroad (WLA) team.