Centre for Romanian Studies

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXIX): Roald DAHL (1916 – 1990), UK/ENGLAND: “Hot and Cold”, “Cald şi Frig”, “Chaud et Froid”

Roald DAHL
(1916 – 1990)

Hot and Cold

A woman who my mother knows
Came in and took off all her clothes.

Said I, not being very old,
‘By golly gosh, you must be cold!’

‘No, no!’ she cried. ‘Indeed I’m not!
I’m feeling devilishly hot!’

* * * * * *

Roald DAHL
(1916 – 1990)

Cald şi Frig

Vecina mea, fără sfială,
S-a despuiat în pielea goală.

I-am zis eu, fiind timid şi mic:
Vai, Doamne, o să-ţi fie frig!

Nu, nu! mi-a spus, pe-un ton profund:
Chiar simt un foc arzând în fund!

Versiune în limba Română de Constantin ROMAN, Londra
© 2016 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

* * * * * *

Roald DAHL
Chaud et Froid

Ma belle voisine, elle est venue
Un jour, d’emblée, se mettre nue.

Étant trop jeune et sans émoi,
Lui dis-je: Mon Dieu, vous aurez froid!

Mais, pas du tout! même au contraire!
Je suis à voile et à vapeur…

Version Française par Constantin ROMAN, Londres
© 2016 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

* * * * * *

SHORT BIO: Roald DAHL (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British writer, of Norwegian stock, born in Wales.
Having started his career in the 1930s, as an employee of Shell Oil Company , during WWII he enrolled in the RAF. This period inspired his first-published story, “Shot Down Over Libya”.
This event marked the beginning of a literary career, full of wild ideas, intended to help children to learn to love books: in the process Dahl became one of the world’s most popular children’s writers.
Many of his books and stories have been made into films and TV shows of world repute, such as: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Witches, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox , and Kiss Kiss. Some of his children’s books are illustrated by Quentin Blake. He died on 23 November 1990 in Oxford, aged 74.

Dahl’s house in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, is now the “Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre”.