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Entries Tagged as 'Translations'

Poetry in Translation (LXV): Valeriu GAFENCU (1921-1952) – Poet of Romanian Prisons

October 14th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Poetry, Translations

HUNGER

Valeriu GAFENCU, 1921- 1952

(rendered in English by Constantin ROMAN)

My battered soul lives an eternal bliss
A lily’s flower in the Eden’s Garden
Its open chalice with a petal rim
Is holding tears and drops of holy water
For the redemption of Thy godly kiss.

When evil men will slander and abuse me
Their boiling anger, hatred will be pouring
The flower’s chalice will be overflowing
To cool the embers of my burning body
As Jesus Christ will cast on me His mercy.

REFRAIN

Pray, do not cry that I will be departing
Or that a rubbish heap will be my grave
With criminals a common pit I’ll brave
My life-long dreams the highest cost excising
Of a Golgotha on a martyr’s trail.
Under a heavy cross I stoop in silence
As from above archangels sent from Heaven
Will steel my humble spirit with Thy Faith.
From the defeat I’ll wrench the prize of Glory
To glisten gently in your sunshine rays.
As Christ the King will keep my creed unshaken

The shoots of wheat will come to life again

To celebrate with you eternal Grace.

(English version: Constantin Roman © 2009. All Rights Reserved)

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“Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women”: what the Readers say:

September 3rd, 2009 · 2 Comments · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, Poetry, Reviews, Translations

Constantin Roman invites us for a walk, during which he enjoins past and present alike, in a brisk coming and going of the narrative. It is a narrative that cannot suddenly end, but rather one which compels us to start all over again and revisit. It is a truly wonderful gift, a very happy surprise indeed of an inherently original book, which haunts us like the persistent music of those Romanian women’s voices.” (French Government Adviser, Paris)

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Poetry in Translation (LXIV): W.B. YEATS – In Memoria D-relor Eva Gore-Booth si Con Markiewicz

August 30th, 2009 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXIV): W.B. YEATS – In Memoria D-relor Eva Gore-Booth si Con Markiewicz · Poetry, Translations

In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz

The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Two girls in silk kimonos,both
Beautiful, one a gazelle.
But a raving Autumn shears
Blossom from the Summer’s wreath;
The older is condemned to death,
Pardoned, drags out lonely years
Conspiring among the ignorant.
I know not what the younger dreams-
Some vague Utopia-and she seems,
When withered old and skeleton-gaunt,
An image of such politics.
Many a time I think to seek
One or the other out and speak
Of that old Georgian mansion, mix
Pictures of the mind, recall
That table and the talk of youth,
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a gazelle.

Dear shadows, now you know it all,
All the folly of a fight
With a common wrong or right.
The innocent and the beautiful
Have no enemy but time;
Arise and bid me strike a match
And strike another till time catch;
Should the conflagration climb,
Run till all the sages know.
We the great gazebo built,
They convicted us of guilt;
Bid me strike a match and blow.

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Poetry in Translation (LXIII): Ada TYRRELL – MY SON – Fiul meu

August 24th, 2009 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXIII): Ada TYRRELL – MY SON – Fiul meu · Poetry, Translations

Ada Tyrrell (1854-1955), Anglo-Irish writer and socialite is best known for her poem “My Son” written during WWI. In the context of the current British engagement in Irak and Afghanistan it has a particularly poignant relevance. fregments of this poem are rendered into Romanian.

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Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians – an Anthology of Romanian Thought

June 23rd, 2009 · 4 Comments · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, Translations

Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians …………………………………………………………………………………….. An Anthology of Romanian Thought – selected and introduced by Constantin Roman. POSTFACE: A Conspiracy of Silence 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 […]

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Poetry in Translation (LVIII-LXII): Horia STAMATU – Five Translated Poems

June 14th, 2009 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LVIII-LXII): Horia STAMATU – Five Translated Poems · Poetry, Translations

In the company of Horia Stamatu, a poet and a pessimist like all Romanians, we were asking ourselves: is there any more to extract from the Romanian culture? Ionesco has said the essential, introducing into his theatrical writing material extracted from his origins: a genius of the absurd, of the derisory and of derision. His super-Romanian genius allowed him this tour de force of managing to express himself in French. Cioran has imprinted a new tonality on the classic French style, a scepticism filtered through a West-European culture. Vintilà Horia has introduced a certain Romanian ‘wisdom’ into French….
(Sanda Stolojan, in: “Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women”)

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GENDER STUDIES: Blouse Roumaine – Les femmes roumaines exceptionnelles, Avant propos de Catherine DURANDIN

May 17th, 2009 · Comments Off on GENDER STUDIES: Blouse Roumaine – Les femmes roumaines exceptionnelles, Avant propos de Catherine DURANDIN · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, Reviews, Translations

Catherine DURANDIN Professeure d’histoire (Inalco). Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women by Constantin ROMAN Foreword by Catherine Durandin Constantin Roman est, quand bien     même il se veut observateur et peut-être militant de l’anti- communisme, avant tout un artiste. Son ouvrage, récit ? étude ? hommage aux femmes ? “Blouse Roumaine – the […]

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ROMANIAN-JEWISH TOPICS: (Part two of two)

May 10th, 2009 · Comments Off on ROMANIAN-JEWISH TOPICS: (Part two of two) · Books, PEOPLE, quotations, Translations

ROMANIAN-JEWISH TOPICS: (PART TWO OF TWO) (continued from Part ONE) Quotations from an Alternative Anthology: “Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women” Presented and edited by Constantin Roman, Preface by Catherine Durandin, published by the Centre for Romanian Studies (London), 2009 1,100 pages, 160 biographies, 600 quotations, 4,000 references, performances & exhibition credit, […]

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Pourquoi Matisse?

May 6th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Books, Communist Prisons, Diaspora, Famous People, History, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Reviews, Translations

Après la chute de Ceausescu, l’image de la Blouse roumaine retrouva graduellement sa place, lentement, comme le réveil après un cauchemar surréaliste : est-ce que la transition existe ? Est-ce pour de vrai ? Le passé va-t-il se répéter ? Dans ce sens, une mise en garde fut émise par le porte-parole du Parlement polonais lorsqu’il déclara : « Il ne faut que quelques semaines aux Empires pour s’écrouler, mais la mentalité impérialiste a besoin de plusieurs générations avant de disparaître. »

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ROMANIA VAZUTA “ALTFEL”: ‘Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women’

April 26th, 2009 · Comments Off on ROMANIA VAZUTA “ALTFEL”: ‘Blouse Roumaine – the Unsung Voices of Romanian Women’ · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, quotations, Translations

In primul rand mesajul lucrarii NU este unul ‘oficial’, parafat de cei care ne dramuiesc adevarul. Autorul este constient de faptul ca traim intr-o perioada a nesfarsitei “Tranzitii” unde bajbaim inca, pe carari intortocheate, ca sa ne aflam identitatea, Pe aceleasi carari misuna ‘experti’, autoproclamati ‘boieri ai mintii’, care nu numai ca isi dau coate intre ei ca sa ramana in capul bucatelor, dar sunt gata ori si cand sa ne abureasca memoria si sa ne re-scrie istoria. Metodele sunt aceleasi care au fost folosite sub dictatura: o amnezie preprogramata, urmata de un facsimile cosmetizat atat de neverosimil incat tipa dela distanta.

Acest fenomen nu este unul propriu Romaniei ci se afla in speta in toate tarile ‘ex-comuniste’ fiind insumat perfect de simplu si plastic de catre un parlamentar Polonez cand a afirmat:

‘Imperiile se destrama doar in cateva saptamani, in timp ce mentalitatea imperiala are nevoie de cateva generatii ca sa dispara’.

Antologia de fata nu isi poate permite sa ‘corecteze’ dintr-un condei aceste aberatii care se impamantenesc, dar isi propane in schimb sa ofere cititorului o lucrare sub un unghi ‘alternativ’ si pe undeva neconformist, despre o realitate istorica perceputa ‘de partea cealalta a baricadei’.

In al doilea rand alegerea subiectului si al punctului de referinta, plasarea lui intr-un context istoric si social dar si intr-un cadru European, plaseaza antologia “Blouse Roumaine” intr-o categorie foarte diferita.

In al treilea rand, ca Forma, lucrarea se adreseaza nu numai specialistilor din Universitati dar si publicului larg, facand-o accesibila unei categorii mari de cititori romani si straini.

In acest context formatul Antologiei ofera pentru prima data cititorilor Anglo-Saxoni, nefamiliarizati cu Romania, posibilitatea de a intelege ca Romanii nu au fost doar simpli consumatori ale unor valori Euuropene dar au contribuit in mod substantial la cultura Europeana si de peste Ocean. Aici Antologia evoca o panoplie intreaga de voci de femei de profesii foarte diverse si uneori neasteptate evocand astfel imagini cu totul insolite si admirabile: femei ramase in Romania dar si femei desradacinate, care au luat drumul exilului sau care s-au nascut pe pamant strain doar pentru ca parintii sau bunicii lor s-au exilat, femei care au reusit in mod extraordinar sa isi pastreze valentele romanesti.

Pe parcursul cartii vom putea face o selectie dintre cele o suta saizeci de biografii critice sau ne vom putea delecta alegand dintre cele sase sute de citate, in majoritate traduse pentru prima oara in limba engleza. Aici se vor gasi nu numai citate in proza dar si versuri. Cei care ar dori sa aprofundeze unele aspecte specifice au la dispozitie o bibliografie de circa 4.000 referinte inclusiv situri web (URL), credite de spectacole, recitaluri si expozitii, inregistrari audio, s.a.
Iata de ce, fara nici un dubiu “Blouse Roumaine” se poate considera o carte “altfel”. o Antologie foarte diferita care ramane, totusi, o carte de capatai si poate un manual de studiu pentru aprofundarea subiectelor de interes mai specializat.
Cautarea selectiva este usurata considerabil de existenta a nu mai putin de sase Indexuri organizate pe profesii, subiecte de citate, localitati geografice, nume de familie, sau ordine alfabetica sau cronologic.

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