Books

Entries Tagged as 'Books'

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

June 13th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXVI), Diarmuid JOHNSON (b. 1965), IRELAND: “English”, “Engleza” · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

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 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

Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXV), Giacomo LEOPARDI (1798-1837), ITALY/MARCHE: “To The Moon”, “Luna”

June 13th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXV), Giacomo LEOPARDI (1798-1837), ITALY/MARCHE: “To The Moon”, “Luna” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Dar ce plăcut a fost, când, tânăr fiind,
Să sper într-un parcurs strălucitor,
Dar umbre din trecut nu m-au lăsat
Pe ele sa clădesc, căci triste sunt.

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

Poetry in Translation (CCCXXIX), Constantin ROMAN, GREAT BRITAIN/ENGLAND: “Chelsea Bridge” (Romanian version)

March 21st, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXXIX), Constantin ROMAN, GREAT BRITAIN/ENGLAND: “Chelsea Bridge” (Romanian version) · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

ne vom înşira amintirile în faţa focului, până seara târziu
ca să înfruntăm viscolul
ţinând piept furtunii
amândoi fiind
pustiiţi de vechile
visuri inimaginabile
de sentimente nemărturisite
în cătuşele trecutului nostru
ca să ne despărţim cu acelaşi zâmbet complice
conform scenariului dinainte stabilit
bine pus la punct
până la urmatoarea întâlnire ilicită
care poate nu va mai avea rost
niciodată.

Poetry in Translation (CCCXXVI), Eric Otto SIEPMANN (1903-1970) ENGLAND: “Epitaph”, “Epitaf”

March 2nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXXVI), Eric Otto SIEPMANN (1903-1970) ENGLAND: “Epitaph”, “Epitaf” · Books, Famous People, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Eric Otto SIEPMANN (1903-1970)
„Epitaph”

Here at my desk I mock my fate,
If help comes now, it comes too late,
The valued pictures in my mind,
My sheer neglect, have made me blind.

My dream deserved a steady look,
I failed to put it in a book,
And now, and now I cannot see,
My dream destroyed reality…

No fact consoles me for my flight,
No truth can give me back my sight,
No dream can make me think I see,
No life is left, so bury me.

Constantin ROMAN: “Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians” – Part 2 of 2

February 22nd, 2015 · 3 Comments · Books, Diary, Diaspora, Famous People, OPINION, PEOPLE, quotations

“His dutiful, zealous iconoclasm, his personal cultural revolution, his damage to Romania’s cultural heritage were all adequately recompensed by his masters, both overt and covert: Ceausescu’s shadow was cast large, well after his demise, it was functioning very well, according to the same tenets of “cultural demonology.”

Constantin ROMAN: “Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians” Postface (Part 1 of 2)

February 20th, 2015 · Comments Off on Constantin ROMAN: “Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians” Postface (Part 1 of 2) · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, quotations

“Now, I am a person who likes simple words. It is true, I had realised before this journey that there was much evil and injustice in the world that I had now left, but I had believed I could shake the foundations if I called things by their proper name. I knew such an enterprise meant returning to absolute naiveté. This naiveté I considered as a primal vision purified of the slag of centuries of hoary lies about the world.” (Paul Celan)

Poetry in translation (CCCXXII): Ion MINULESCU (1881– 1944), (ROMANIA) – “Rugă pentru Duminica Floriilor”, “Palm Sunday Prayer”

February 14th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCCXXII): Ion MINULESCU (1881– 1944), (ROMANIA) – “Rugă pentru Duminica Floriilor”, “Palm Sunday Prayer” · Books, Famous People, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

A glittering pearl necklace, made of sunflower seeds,
A double-winged Pegasus out of a humble bee …
Forgive me, though, dear Father, of this – mine foolish jest,
To have imagined Thee –
As I thought might be best…
But the World was too pallid, than I thought it might be.
My Lord, sprinkle my eyebrows, with drops of holly sea.
Chastise my sinful body,
Behold my tongue of python,
Remove the foolish demon, that pronounced the unheard.
Do give zest to my body, depicted in Your icon…
To forget I was ever beholden by Thy word!

Rendered in English from the original Romanian verse: by Constantin ROMAN, London
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

Poetry in Translation (CCCXVIII): Marjorie Lowry Christie PICKTHALL (1883-1922), ENGLAND/CANADA – “Marching Men”, “Soldaţi”

February 3rd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXVIII): Marjorie Lowry Christie PICKTHALL (1883-1922), ENGLAND/CANADA – “Marching Men”, “Soldaţi” · Books, Famous People, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Under the level winter sky
I saw a thousand Christs go by.
They sang an idle song and free
As they went up to calvary.

Careless of eye and coarse of lip,
They marched in holiest fellowship.
That heaven might heal the world, they gave
Their earth-born dreams to deck the grave.

With souls unpurged and steadfast breath
They supped the sacrament of death.
And for each one, far off, apart,
Seven swords have rent a woman’s heart.
În iarna cerului de plumb,
Văzut-am mii de sfinţi trecând.
Cântau un imn să uite-amarul,
Purtând, cu fruntea sus, calvarul.

Poetry in Translation (CCCXIII): Eric Arthur BLAIR, aka George ORWELL (1903 India – 1950 England), INDIA/ENGLAND – “Prostitution”, “Prostituţie”

January 13th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXIII): Eric Arthur BLAIR, aka George ORWELL (1903 India – 1950 England), INDIA/ENGLAND – “Prostitution”, “Prostituţie” · Books, Famous People, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations

When I was young and had no sense,
In far-off Mandalay,
I lost my heart to a Burmese girl
As lovely as the day.

Her skin was gold, her hair was jet,
Her teeth were ivory;
I said, “for twenty silver pieces,
Maiden, sleep with me”.

She looked at me, so pure, so sad,
The loveliest thing alive,
And in her lisping, virgin voice,
Stood out for twenty-five.

Poetry in Translation (CCCXII): T. S. ELIOTT (1888-1965), U.S.A. / ENGLAND – “Lune de miel”, “Luna de miere”

January 3rd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXII): T. S. ELIOTT (1888-1965), U.S.A. / ENGLAND – “Lune de miel”, “Luna de miere” · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Ils vont prendre le train de huit heures
Prolonger leurs misères de Padoue à Milan
Ou se trouvent le Cène, et un restaurant pas cher.

Apoi vor prinde trenul, la opt şi jumătate,
Târându-şi, greu, suflarea, din Sud înspre Milano,
La Cina cea de Taină şi un meniu mai ieftin.

Centre for Romanian Studies