“Poetry in Translation”

Entries Tagged as '“Poetry in Translation”'

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXIII): Sophia PARNOK (1885-1933) RUSSIA: “Today I do not want you”, “Astăzi nu vă vreau”

February 12th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXIII): Sophia PARNOK (1885-1933) RUSSIA: “Today I do not want you”, “Astăzi nu vă vreau” · Books, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Don’t seduce me down dark alleys,
To the places left behind –
To the bold or to the timid
Lips I’ve kissed so many times.
Nu mă-mbia să merg pe căi de noapte,
Spre locuri ce-am lăsat demult departe.
Celui mult prea timid, sau prea adept
De sânuri, ce demult am strâns la piept.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXII): Marina TSVETAEVA (1892-1941) RUSSIA: “A kiss on the forehead”, “Sărut pe frunte”

February 12th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXII): Marina TSVETAEVA (1892-1941) RUSSIA: “A kiss on the forehead”, “Sărut pe frunte” · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Sărut pe frunte
Marina TSVETAEVA
(1892-1941)
Un sărut pe frunte – şterge mizeria.
Iţi sărut fruntea.
Un sărut pe ochi – şterge insomnia
Iţi sărut ochii.
Un sărut pe buze – e-un pahar cu apă.
Iţi sărut buzele.
Un sărut pe buze – iţi şterge memoria.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXI): Rosalia de CASTRO (1837-1885) SPAIN/GALICIA: “He Who Weeps Goes Not Alone”, “Cel ce plange nu-i singur ”

February 9th, 2016 · 1 Comment · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Cel ce plânge nu-i singur mereu,
Voi, lacrimi, să curgeţi din plin!
O singură jale este mult prea puţin;
Căci ferice să fi este greu.

Când destinul hain, mă-nconvoaie din plin,
Sufletul e pierdut pe cărare;
Resemnată păşesc spre destinul divin:
Când amarul mă-ndreaptă spre zare.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXX): Jordi DOCE (b. 1967), SPAIN/GALICIA: “Somewhere”, “Undeva”

February 8th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXX): Jordi DOCE (b. 1967), SPAIN/GALICIA: “Somewhere”, “Undeva” · Books, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations

You live in a city where the map of the side streets dangerously resembles that of your heart. A city where the stains and chips in the walls are windows that follow your steps, doors that no one dares to enter. Where the hung laundry sends coded messages and the glassy eyes of fish exchange glances of recognition with the copper coins of the servants.
Trăieşti într-un oraş a cărui hartă a mahalalelor arată incomod de asemănătoare cu o hartă a inimii. Un oraş unde petele şi cioburile din pereţi şi ferestre îţi urmăresc paşii acolo unde nimeni nu vrea să intre. Unde rufele atârnate pe frânghie trimet mesaje codificate, unde ochii sticloşi ai peştilor schimbă priviri asemănătoare bacşişului mărunt al servitorilor.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXIX): Roald DAHL (1916 – 1990), UK/ENGLAND: “Hot and Cold”, “Cald şi Frig”, “Chaud et Froid”

February 7th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXIX): Roald DAHL (1916 – 1990), UK/ENGLAND: “Hot and Cold”, “Cald şi Frig”, “Chaud et Froid” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

A woman who my mother knows
Came in and took off all her clothes.
Said I, not being very old,
‘By golly gosh, you must be cold!’
Ma belle voisine, elle est venue
Un jour, d’emblée, se mettre nue.
Étant trop jeune et sans émoi,
Lui dis-je: Mon Dieu, vous aurez froid!
Mais, pas du tout! même au contraire!
Je suis à voile et à vapeur…
‘No, no!’ she cried. ‘Indeed I’m not!
I’m feeling devilishly hot!’

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXVIII): James FENTON (b. 1959, Lincoln) UK/ENGLAND: “In Paris With You ”, “La Paris cu tine”

February 1st, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXVIII): James FENTON (b. 1959, Lincoln) UK/ENGLAND: “In Paris With You ”, “La Paris cu tine” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Do you mind if we do not go to the Louvre
If we say sod off to sodding Notre Dame,
If we skip the Champs Elysées
And remain here in this sleazy
Old hotel room
Doing this and that
To what and whom
Learning who you are,
Learning what I am.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXV): Pablo NERUDA (1904 – 1973) – CHILE “Sonet XVII”, “Soneto XVII”

January 25th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXV): Pablo NERUDA (1904 – 1973) – CHILE “Sonet XVII”, “Soneto XVII” · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, Translations

Te amo sin saber como, ni cuándo, ni de donde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,

sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.

La tine, în genunchi, fără apel,
Mă-ndrept lăsând uitat orgoliul greu…
Te-ador ne mai crezând într-un alt fel.

Căci dorul nu mai pot să-l stăvilesc,
Cuprinsă-aşa de strâns la trupul meu,
Privirile-ţi în vis îmi înfloresc.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXII), ROMANIA/GERMANY, Alexandru LUNGU (1924 Cetatea Alba, Bessarabia, Romania – 2008, Bonn, Germany): “Margini”, “Limit”

January 9th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXII), ROMANIA/GERMANY, Alexandru LUNGU (1924 Cetatea Alba, Bessarabia, Romania – 2008, Bonn, Germany): “Margini”, “Limit” · Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Reviews, Translations

Leave me this limit
of the world
ultimate frontier uncertain space
sufficient to stop sliding
this lonely traveler’s foot
sufficient to stop my head
falling off the clouds.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXI), RUSSIA, Alexander PUSHKIN (1799, Moscow – 1837 St. Petersburg): “Friendship”, “Prietenie”

January 5th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXI), RUSSIA, Alexander PUSHKIN (1799, Moscow – 1837 St. Petersburg): “Friendship”, “Prietenie” · Communist Prisons, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, Translations

What’s friendship? The hangover’s faction,
The gratis talk of outrage,
Exchange by vanity, inaction,
Or bitter shame of patronage.

Prietenia, ce e? Ecou de facţiune,
O vorbă ieftină, cu spirit de ultraj,
Cocktail de vanitate şi inacţiune,
Păcatul unui mare patronaj.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXX), Mexico, Víctor TERÁN (b. 1958, Mexico): “I Know Your Body”, “ Îţi cunosc trupul tău”

January 3rd, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXX), Mexico, Víctor TERÁN (b. 1958, Mexico): “I Know Your Body”, “ Îţi cunosc trupul tău” · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

There is no part of your body that I do not know, there is no
part that I do not like. I want to keep being
the light stunned at the look of your white
roundness of flesh. I want to keep
living
in the beautiful city
that you are.

Nu a mai rămas nici o parte a corpului tău care să nu o cunosc, nici o
parte care să nu îmi placă. Aşi vrea să fiu de-a pururi
lumina înmărmurită, privind sideful
rotund al corpului tău. Aşi vrea de-a pururi
să trăiesc
în această cetate splendidă
care eşti Tu.

Centre for Romanian Studies