“Centre for Romanian Studies

Entries Tagged as '“Centre for Romanian Studies – London”'

THREE POEMS IN TRANSLATION, (CCLVI-CCLVIII), GREECE, George SEFERIS (1900 – 1971): `’Epitaf”, “Epitaph”, “Duminică”, “Sunday”, “Bitter Moments”, “Clipe amare”

February 14th, 2014 · Comments Off on THREE POEMS IN TRANSLATION, (CCLVI-CCLVIII), GREECE, George SEFERIS (1900 – 1971): `’Epitaf”, “Epitaph”, “Duminică”, “Sunday”, “Bitter Moments”, “Clipe amare” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

George Seferis

Coals in the fog
were roses rooted in your heart
and the ashes covered your face
each morning.
Plucking cypress shadows
You left a summer ago.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLIV), ENGLAND – Carol RUMENS, (b. 1944): “And if it was”, “Iar dacă…”

February 6th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLIV), ENGLAND – Carol RUMENS, (b. 1944): “And if it was”, “Iar dacă…” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

when we came, and I caught
the whiff of your sweat, like human sweat,
and your glow, saw your feathers and hair
flare like an Inca head-dress, though
no more than a match-flame, over and out, not catching
anyone’s fire but mine,

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLII & CCLIII): ENGLAND – Carol RUMENS and W. Leslie NICHOLLS, Epigram, Epigramă

February 5th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLII & CCLIII): ENGLAND – Carol RUMENS and W. Leslie NICHOLLS, Epigram, Epigramă · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Epigram
Carol Rumens (b. 1944, London)

I wander if Ecclesiasstes
Could have been cheered up by a glass of pastis,
And if a double brandy
Might even have made him feel randy.

Albrecht Dürer
Naturally, never heard of the Führer…
I wonder if the latter…
But that does not really matter!

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLI): FRANCE – Jean de LAFONTAINE (1621-1695): “Le Corbeau et le Renard”, “Corbul şi Vulpea”

February 4th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLI): FRANCE – Jean de LAFONTAINE (1621-1695): “Le Corbeau et le Renard”, “Corbul şi Vulpea” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Domnule, tu să ştii că-orice linguşitor,
Doar profită din munca celui ce îl ascultă:
Lecţia să-ţi servească, mult mai mult ca o brânză.
Domnul corb, ruşinat de o astfel de pildă,
Se jură, cam târziu, că n-o să-l mai prindă.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXL): SPAIN – Antonio GAMONEDA (1931 – 2006): “Pietre funerare”, “Gravestones”

February 3rd, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXL): SPAIN – Antonio GAMONEDA (1931 – 2006): “Pietre funerare”, “Gravestones” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

Nu mai e nici bunăstare, nici odihnă.
Fiara neagră vine pe aripă de vânt, iar oamenii sunt înfieraţi cu cifră de moarte.
Nu mai e nici bunăstare, nici odihnă.
Sub un soare torid, într-un vas de lacrimi, în suflet de visuri negre, un răcnet adânc creşte, ţesând cele mai triste fibre, iar în insomnia lor, mamele ce sălăşluiesc în inimă de fulger, îşi aţintesc privirea spre pădurea împietrită.

Do birds so groan?
All is blood soaked.
Deaf at the source of the music, ought I to insist anymore?
There is vigilance in the gardens placed between my spirit and the precision of the spies.
There is watching in the churches.

Beware of calcination and incest; I say, beware of your very self, Spain.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLIX): IRELAND – Oscar WILDE (1856 – 1900): “Sonnet On Approaching Italy”, “Sonet Italiei”

January 29th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLIX): IRELAND – Oscar WILDE (1856 – 1900): “Sonnet On Approaching Italy”, “Sonet Italiei” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLVIII): IRELAND – Oscar WILDE (1856 – 1900): “Sonnet On Approaching Italy”, “Sonet Italiei”

Sonnet On Approaching Italy
Oscar Wilde (1856, Dublin – 1900, Paris)

I reached the Alps: the soul within me burned,
Italia, my Italia, at thy name:
And when from out the mountain’s heart I came
And saw the land for which my life had yearned,

I laughed as one who some great prize had earned:
And musing on the marvel of thy fame
I watched the day, till marked with wounds of flame
The turquoise sky to burnished gold was turned.

The pine-trees waved as waves a woman’s hair,
And in the orchards every twining spray
Was breaking into flakes of blossoming foam:

But when I knew that far away at Rome
In evil bonds a second Peter lay,
I wept to see the land so very fair.
* * * * *

Dar când, în vechea Romă stau zăcând,
În fiare, sfinţii tăi fiind priponiţi,
Cu lacrimi, am văzut al tău temei.

Versiune în limba Română de Constantin ROMAN,
© 2014, Copyright Constantin ROMAN, Londra

[Read more →]

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLVIII): ENGLAND – Louis de BERNIÈRES (b. 1954): “Romance”, “Romanţă”

January 28th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLVIII): ENGLAND – Louis de BERNIÈRES (b. 1954): “Romance”, “Romanţă” · Books, International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

“Te iubesc!”- a spus ea, surprinsă să fi rostit-o prima oară,
Şi intrebându-se cum ar fi: a descoperit
O situaţie interesantă!

“Şi eu te iubesc!”- a răspuns el, repetând o frază obişnuită,
Plină de anticipări nefaste, şi sperând
Sa o îmbrobodească şi pe ea.

‘I love you’, she said, never having said it before,
And wondering what it was like; she found it
An interesting experience.

‘I love you too’, he said, having said it many times
For nefarious purpose, and hoping it would
Work with her as well.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLVII): Louis de BERNIÈRES (b. 1954, London), ENGLAND, “Le garçon maudit”, “The doomed Boy”

January 27th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLVII): Louis de BERNIÈRES (b. 1954, London), ENGLAND, “Le garçon maudit”, “The doomed Boy” · Books, International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Il n’aura jamais été vu dans les rues du port,
Avec ses lèvres idéales et ses membres idéales,
Tourbillonnant et dansant dans les boites de nuit,
Ou bien faisant le pied de grue, dans l’ombre,
Au coin des rues sombres, réchauffé brièvement par des joies passagères,
Voletant et glissant, un chapeau rabattu sur son visage
Comme tous les autres garçons beaux et maudits.
Version Française par :
Constantin ROMAN, Londres

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLV): Giuseppe Gioacchino BELLI (1791-1863), Italian Trasteverin Poet: “ “La scrupulosa”, “Scrupule”

January 24th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLV): Giuseppe Gioacchino BELLI (1791-1863), Italian Trasteverin Poet: “ “La scrupulosa”, “Scrupule” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

Inzomma, cazzo, se pò avé sto bbascio?
se pò ttastà un tantino er pettabbotto?
Ma nnun avé ppavura, che ffo adascio:
cuanto che ssento che cce tienghi sotto.

Ce naiba, n-o să-mi dai nici un sărut?
Nici sânul n-oi putea să ţi-l alint?
N-ai teamă, o s-am grije când te prind:
Doar vreau să aflu ce-ai pe dedesubt.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLII): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “A Dedication”, “Inchinare”

December 24th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLII): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “A Dedication”, “Inchinare” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

A Dedication
Herbert Asquith
(1881-1947)

FRIEND if all these verses die:
Soon will you, and soon will I
But, if any word should live,
Then that word to you I give.

Închinare

Ptietene, când versu-mi va muri,
Şi noi aşa ne-om duce.
Şi-o rimă, doar, de ar mai fi, –
La piept să-ţi fie cruce.

Centre for Romanian Studies