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Entries Tagged as 'Translations'

“Defying the Idiocracy” – Cambridge and Romanian Memoirs

May 24th, 2006 · Comments Off on “Defying the Idiocracy” – Cambridge and Romanian Memoirs · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, Reviews, Translations

“Defying the Idiocracy” Constantin ROMAN SYNOPSIS The world from which Constantin ROMAN emerges, is blurring gently through the lens of time. Once landed on the British Isles, the faraway country which he left behind is thoroughly destroyed by the bulldozers of Ceausescu’s cultural revolution and its ruins remain behind hostile frontiers. Being shipwrecked on a […]

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Poetry in Translation (XXIX – XXXIII): Flavia TEOC (b. 1971) – Five Poems

May 15th, 2006 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXIX – XXXIII): Flavia TEOC (b. 1971) – Five Poems · PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

THE SONG OF THE HAMSTER’S COAT

As of today
You are free to go downtown.
The trees’ green tops
Will bend like grass blades
The hot shoulder of the beautiful woman
Is only a passing idol
You, brown hamsters,
You will soon learn this thing
Like all real men do.

CANTECUL HAINEI DE HARCIOG

De azi
Aveti voie sa iesiti in oras.
Varfurile verzi ale copacilor
Se vor apleca asemeni firului de iarba
Umarul cald al femeii frumoase
E doar un idol de-o clipa
Voi, harciogii bruni
Veti invata acest lucru
Ca toti barbatii adevarati.

END OF SUMMER

The sleepy summer presses in its palm
My old cup of tea
With a chipped rim.
August is almost ancient
With his short-sighted eyes fixed on the hot
Brew, while its thoughts are already chasing
The hunt in the polar plains.
The sleepy summer could hardly
Suppress a yawn, as wide as the Blue
Sea.
From now on, thinking of herself,
She will be less talkative.

SFARSIT DE VARA

Somnoroasa vara strange-n palme
Ceasca mea de ceai
Cu buza plesnita.
August e aproape batran
Si-a fixat ochii miopi in licoarea
Fierbinte, dar gandul lui a inceput
Vanatoarea la poluri.
Somnoroasa vara abia si-a
Oprit un cascat, mare cat golful
Albastru.
Vorbind despre sine, de-acum
N-o sa mai fie atat de guraliva.

SUNDAY

It’s nine o’clock
The well-fed cat will fall asleep
Under the red sun.

Afternoon is a fragile realm
The block of butter is melting
In the hot pan.

At seven in the evening, I will bathe
In the pool of my chest my heavy face
Sulphur-like flaxen, lone as the mist.

At ten I say my prayers.
But till tomorrow
All will be forsaken.

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De 17 Martie, Ziua Sf. Patrick , Romania saluta Irlanada

March 15th, 2006 · Comments Off on De 17 Martie, Ziua Sf. Patrick , Romania saluta Irlanada · Diary, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

17 MARTIE – ZIUA SFANTULUI PATRICK DE ZIUA NATIONALA A IRLANDEI, ROMANIA SALUTA IRLANDA (Constantin Roman, Londra, Martie 2006) Patrick este cel mai obisnuit pronume al Irlandezilor cu echivalentul feminin de Patricia, amandoua folosind, acelasi diminutiv – Pat, oarecum confuz pentru identitatea genului. Cel mai vechi text din literatura Irlandeza este chiar documentul scris de […]

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Poetry in Translation (XXVI): Hector MCDONNELL (b.1947) – “Sf. Patrick”

February 18th, 2006 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXVI): Hector MCDONNELL (b.1947) – “Sf. Patrick” · PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

Patrick, cine esti Tu?
Te cautam prin versuri latinesti
Bezmetici prin noianul de nestiri

Cuvintele-ti ne scapa printre maini
Iar leaganul nu-ti este nicaieri
Erai in Mayo sau in Slemish Hill?
Si ce uriasi te-au strans la pieptul lor?

Aiurea,
L-ai strigat pe Dumnezeu
Ce-a coborat adanc in trupul tau
Sa-ti dea curaj sa-nvingi la drumuri noi

Care-a fost imparatul
Ce te-a-njosit? Unde-ai plecat?
Te cautam, dar inca nu te stim
Strajerii tai se uita-n varf de munti si-asteapta
Pasul tau.

(traducere de Constantin ROMAN, Feb. 2006)

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Poetry in Translation (XXV): Marta Petreu, (b. 1955) – “Psalm”

December 1st, 2005 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXV): Marta Petreu, (b. 1955) – “Psalm” · PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

To forget, I have no respite:
while phosphorous sleepless nights are licking my skin and eyes
with their rough tongue full of saliva
What a voluptuous and violent embrace

And what conceit:
as it is not in the power of God to wipe clean the past
(only to speed up disasters, through fulfilment)
(that is why
I would rather pray to you, instead,
the man to whom I gave myself that October birthday
please do me a small favour
and show a sign of subservience)

There is no anaesthetic, there is no sleep and therefore no forgiveness
I hold in my body the past and face up to the ashen future
There is no sleep, only that sharp transparency
(as we stand, face to face, I and the nothingness)
only this butcher’s tenderness, my blood that has fallen in love
popping up like champagne through the pores of my skin

The claw of which God will pluck me by the scruff of my neck?

O, Domine meo, it is not in your power to wipe clean not even for one night
the past
you cannot give either rest or forgetting
in me the puppies of fear grow
they multiply they strive and reach full maturity
You cannot give either rest or forgetting:
with rough phosphorous tongues they taste my skin my eyes
What a hungry pack and what a wonderful hunting feast
in the making

Rendered in English by Constantin ROMAN
(December 2005)

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Poetry in Translation (XXIV): Ion Caraion – “Seul au Monde” / “Singur pe lume”

November 12th, 2005 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXIV): Ion Caraion – “Seul au Monde” / “Singur pe lume” · Diaspora, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

– Où vous emmènnent-ils, Monsieur?
– Dans le jardin, mon rêve.
– Pour quoi faire, Monsieur?
– Pour me fusiller, mon rêve.
– Parce qu’ils ont des balles, Monsieur?
– Parce qu’ils ont le temps, mon rêve.
– Où vous enterreront-ils, Monsieur?
– Sous la neige, mon rêve.
– Avez-vous peur, Monsieur?
– Je trouve ça révoltant, mon rêve.
– Qui doit-on prévenir, Monsieur?
– Les feux de l’enfer, mon rêve.
– Ça va aller quand même, Monsieur?
– Il fera nuit, mon rêve.
– Qui est votre plus proche parent, Monsieur?
– Je suis seul au monde, mon rêve.
– Voulez-vous boire un verre, Monsieur?
– Qu’est-ce que ça va me coûter, mon rêve?
– Peu importe le prix, Monsieur.
– Le calice est-il empoisonné, mon rêve?
– Vous n’en voulez pas, Monsieur?
– Casse-le en mille morceaux, mon rêve!
– Doit-on vous pleurer, Monsieur?
– Inutile, mon rêve.
– Bonne nuit, Monsieur.
– Dormons ensemble, mon rêve!
– Je dors seul, Monsieur.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alone in the World

by Ion Caraion. Translated by Constantin Roman.

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Poetry in Translation (XXII): Sanda STOLOJAN (1919-2005) – “Three Trees”

August 22nd, 2005 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXII): Sanda STOLOJAN (1919-2005) – “Three Trees” · Diaspora, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

I
“The forest tree
Shakes its harvest
Silently in itself
Then into the outer world.

You too
Welcome winter
and you shall find under the deep snow
The path
the shroud
forever green.

II
The lonely tree
awaits the moment
which comes
and goes
Up there in the mist
Just a single apple
A possible sun.

III
Dying
to the highest
the coldest top
the tree which is thought
burns
seeking for the word
heaven.

(From the collection of poems entitled:
Sur les abîmes verts,
translated into English, from the original French
by Sanda Stolojan, 12 May 2003)

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Poetry in Translation (XXIII): Doris RUNEY (USA) – “Visul” (“The Dream”)

August 10th, 2005 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXIII): Doris RUNEY (USA) – “Visul” (“The Dream”) · PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

My father was born in Bucovina—Stanesti de Jos, and my mother is first generation American-Romanian, from Banat. Consequently I was raised with two languages, two cultures. I spoke Romanian before learning English in school.
I am the founder and artistic director of Tarancuta, a semi-professional Romanian folk dance and music ensemble. I am a published translator (Zalmoxis, 2000) and bilingual writer (“Zalmoxis’s Fireflies”, “The Mulberry Tree”), and currently visiting assistant professor of English at Oakland University. I live with my two sons in Troy, Michigan.

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Poetry in Translation (XXI): Rodica Draghincescu, (b. 1962) – “Nocturnal Embrace”

April 10th, 2005 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (XXI): Rodica Draghincescu, (b. 1962) – “Nocturnal Embrace” · Books, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

Nocturnal embrace (II)
(Caresse nocturne II)

Evening is set

I swim to the bottom of my inner self

like a sea creature

I avoid memory

Under the bridge of solitude

I steal more secretly than the night

when I go hungry of limbo

I derail amongst the calendar days

tattooing their bodies with embers

“whom amongst you

will come to look for me?”

(Translated from French by Constantin ROMAN)
April 2005

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Voices and Shadows of the Carpathians

April 7th, 2005 · Comments Off on Voices and Shadows of the Carpathians · Books, Diaspora, PEOPLE, quotations, Reviews, Translations

” ………………. Site Index Index: Table of Contents. Postface: A Conspiracy of Silence. “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 […]

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