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Entries Tagged as 'POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT'

Poetry in Translation (CCCLIII), Heberto PADILLA (1932-2000), CUBA/ U.S.A.: “Out of the Game”, “În afara jocului”

September 2nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLIII), Heberto PADILLA (1932-2000), CUBA/ U.S.A.: “Out of the Game”, “În afara jocului” · Books, Communist Prisons, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Heberto Padilla
Out of the Game

The poet! Kick him out!
He has no business here.
He doesn’t play the game.
He never gets excited
Or speaks out clearly.
He never even sees the miracles.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXIX), Herta MULLER (b. 1953), ROMANIA-BANAT/GERMANY: “Colour Grey”, “Gri”

June 15th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXIX), Herta MULLER (b. 1953), ROMANIA-BANAT/GERMANY: “Colour Grey”, “Gri” · Communist Prisons, Diary, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Reviews, Translations

I was nice to him
He was nice to me
Only
Our doors, our windows
Kept closed
Lest we smell each other.

Nu mă gândesc la tine
Dar când pământul aprig îmi va cuprinde pieptul
Voi visa tot mai mult la acele zile.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCXXVII), Grażyna CHROSTOWSKA (1921-1942), POLAND: “I would wander”, “Mă-ntreb…”, (Wędrowałabym…)

March 13th, 2015 · 1 Comment · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

Then, we will go out into the winter storm
To walk against the wind,
As we always do, as we did before,
Then we part – happily, just with a smile,
Till the next rendezvous – after quite a while.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCXVII): Constantin ROMAN (b. 1941), ROMANIA/ENGLAND – “Abbot Kir”, “Abatele Kir“

February 1st, 2015 · 2 Comments · Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

Epigram

Our good Abbot Kir
Had a dream rather queer,
Even though, he agreed, somewhat vain…
To his flute of Champagne
He would add some cassis
And he found the result utter bliss!

Când Abatele Kir, de acel renume,
S-a trezit din vis,
Turnând şampanie-n casis,
N-a crezut de fel,
Că acest cocktail,
Îi va duce o faimă în lume.

author/autor: Constantin ROMAN

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Poetry in Translation (CCCXV): Alexandru Osvald (A. O.) TEODOREANU, aka “Pastorel” (1894-1964), ROMANIA – “CALIGULA ”, “CALIGULA ”

January 24th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXV): Alexandru Osvald (A. O.) TEODOREANU, aka “Pastorel” (1894-1964), ROMANIA – “CALIGULA ”, “CALIGULA ” · Communist Prisons, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

CALIGULA
Pastorel TEODOREANU
(1894-1964)

Caligula, omnipotent
Rode his horse to Parliament.
Ceausescu more sinister
Made his ass a Minister.

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

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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.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCXI): Radu GIR (1905-1975), ROMANIA – Poet of the Romanian Communist Prisons, “Întrebare ”, “Question”

January 2nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXI): Radu GIR (1905-1975), ROMANIA – Poet of the Romanian Communist Prisons, “Întrebare ”, “Question” · Communist Prisons, Famous People, History, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations

Radu GYR
Poet of the Romanian Communist Prisons
Mă-ntorc spre ea cu sânge în cuvânt
Şi-n ochii lui Iisus e numai pace.
Întreb: -Tu eşti? Şi umbra spune: -Sânt.
I turn to it, with all my hope, reborn,
As Jesus Christ inspires utter Peace…
I ask: that’s you, Milord? He says: I am, my Son!

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

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Poetry in Translation (CCCX): Attila ILHAN (1925-2005), TURKEY: “Illicit love”, “Iubire ilicită”

January 2nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCX): Attila ILHAN (1925-2005), TURKEY: “Illicit love”, “Iubire ilicită” · Famous People, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

come through my other door you cannot open this
come with your former eyes come at the time to kill
and be vigilant lest someone should follow you

vino prin uşa cealaltă, nu vei putea deschide uşa asta
vino cu ceilalţi ochi vino când vei avea timp destul
şi fii atent ca nu cumva să te urmărească cineva

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Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXXIII) – Yiannis RITSOS, (1909-1990), GREECE: “Singur pe lume”, “Moonlight Sonata” , “Solo”, “Seul au monde ”

April 11th, 2014 · No Comments · Books, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

Singur pe lume
Yiannis RITSOS, (1909-1990)

Ştiu că fiecare dintre noi este singur în dragoste,
Singur în faţa Soartei şi a Morţii.
Eu o ştiu. Am încercat-o. Nu ajută la nimic.
Lasă-mă, dar, să vin cu tine!

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Poetry in Translation, (CCLXXX) – ROMANIA, Radu GYR (1905-1975): “We say no more”, “Tãcem din gurã “

April 1st, 2014 · 2 Comments · History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

“We say no more”,
by Radu GYR
(poem from the Communist prisons – fragment)
The frost had found its deepest home,
like hunger biting to the bone,
as night and day the wound is sore,
we clench the teeth to say no more.
6.
I’m silent like the doorway lock
And like the inmates in the dock.
At night, in all the prison cells,
I hear the friends’ tormented wails.
7.
But from afar I hear a thunder
as if the walls do fall asunder
and heavy chains break on the floor…
we clench the teeth and say no more.
(Aiud political prison)
Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN
© 2014 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

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