Centre for Romanian Studies

Poetry in Translation (CL): Sándor Petőfi (1823-1849), Hungary, “Fa Leszek ”, “I’ll be a tree”, “De-aşi fi un pom”

Fa Leszek (I’ll Be a Tree)
Sándor Petőfi, (1823-1849)

Fa leszek, ha fának vagy virága.
Ha harmat vagy: én virág leszek.
Harmat leszek, ha te napsugár vagy…
Csak, hogy lényink egyesüljenek.

Ha, leányka, te vagy a mennyország:
Akkor én csillagá változom.
Ha, leányka, te vagy a pokol: (hogy
Egyesüljünk) én elkárhozom.

I’ll Be a Tree
Sándor Petőfi, (1823-1849)

I’ll be a tree, if you are its flower,
Or a flower, if you are the dew-
I’ll be the dew, if you are the sunbeam,
Only to be united with you.

My lovely girl, if you are the Heaven,
I shall be a star above on high;
My darling, if you are hell-fire,
To unite us, damned I shall die.

De-aşi fi un pom
Sándor Petőfi, (1823-1849)

Un pom aşi fi, dac-ai fi floarea lui,
Sau o floare, dac-ai fi roua.
Aşi fi rouă, dacă soare vei fi,
Să ne ne iubim în fiecare zi.
Iubito, de ai fi cer înstelat
O stea voi fi, fără s-aştept
Şi chiar de-ai fi o flacără de iad
Tot te voi strânge l-al meu piept.

(Rendered in Romanian
by Constantin ROMAN, Londra,
© 2012, Copyright Constantin ROMAN)

Sándor Petőfi 1845

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:
Sándor Petőfi (1823-1849)is considered Hungary’s national poet, and was one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. He is the author of the Nemzeti dal (National Poem), which is said to have inspired the revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary that grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire.