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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXIII), ROMANIA, Adrian MUNTEANU (b. 1948, Brasov, Romania): “Sonet”, “Sonnet”

January 19th, 2016 · 1 Comment · Books, Famous People, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

My heart is melting, by the candlelight,
I’m just a pitiful, stray dog, without repose…
My body, torn to pieces, couldn’t fight.

My sins, which are untold, are worthless dross…
I’m loath and fearful of the coming spite:
You are my only Hope, my Holy Cross.

Rendered in English by Constantin ROMAN, London, 2016
© 2016 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

Isabela Vasiliu-Scraba: Receptarea românească A PRIMULUI SCRIITOR STRĂIN LAUREAT AL PREMIULUI GONCOURT

January 15th, 2016 · Comments Off on Isabela Vasiliu-Scraba: Receptarea românească A PRIMULUI SCRIITOR STRĂIN LAUREAT AL PREMIULUI GONCOURT · Books, Communist Prisons, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Reviews, Translations

Prin anii cincizeci Vintilă Horia reținea cu mai multă subtilitate un fapt caracteristic lumii desacralizate în care mulți sunt creștini doar cu numele: Anume că păgânismul care „controlează toate mijloacele eficace de propagandă” îndreaptă „voința de a aparține” nutrită de omul societății de azi către partide, secte, grupări totalitare” (Vintilă Horia, Speranța socialismului tragic, text publicat de Uscătescu în revista „Destin” nr. 8-9/ 1954, republicat în vol. Mihaela Albu & Dan Anghelescu, Eseistica lui Vintilă Horia – deschideri către transdisciplinaritate, Ed. Aius, Craiova, 2015, p.199). – See more at: http://www.romanianstudies.org/content/2016/01/isabela-vasiliu-scraba-receptarea-romaneasca-a-primului-scriitor-strain-laureat-al-premiului-goncourt/?preview_id=7030&preview_nonce=6b04855292&preview=true#sthash.SUZLPqIt.dpuf

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 (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.

Thirty five Years ago: Oriana Falacci interrogates Ayatollah Khomeini (1979)

December 31st, 2015 · Comments Off on Thirty five Years ago: Oriana Falacci interrogates Ayatollah Khomeini (1979) · Books, Diary, Famous People, History, OPINION, PEOPLE, quotations

Perhaps only one Western journalist ever managed to interview Ayatollah Khomeini twice. And from those long discussions we learned an enormous amount about the nature of the adamant theocracy that he was bent upon instituting. The second session was an achievement in itself, since Oriana had terminated the first one by wrenching off the all-enveloping chador she had been compelled to wear and calling it a:
“stupid, medieval rag.”
She told me that after this moment of drama she had been taken aside by Khomeini’s son, who confided in her that it had been the only time in his life that he had seen his father laugh.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXVIII), France, René DAUMAL (1908-1944): “Poème”, “Poem”

December 17th, 2015 · No Comments · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Reviews, Translations

Voyant qu’on n’a rien, on essaye de se donner,
Essayant de se donner, on voit qu’on n’est rien,
Voyant qu’on est rien, on désire devenir,
Désirant devenir, on vit.
Văzând că nu am nimic, încerc să ofer,
Încercând să ofer, văd că sunt un nimic,
Văzând că sunt un nimic, doresc să devin,
Dorind să devin, trăiesc.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXIII), Solomon ibn GABIROL aka AVICEBRON (ca 1021 – ca 1058), SPAIN / JEWISH ANDALUS: “Ask of Me”, “Cere-mi”

November 19th, 2015 · No Comments · Diaspora, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Ask of Me
Shlomo (Solomon) ibn GABIROL
Aka AVICEBRON
Ishmael’s offspring command
Back to his Arab land,
As his mother of old
To her mistress was told
To return and submit to her hand.

Şi precum Ismail l-a mânat
Să se-ntoarcă la câmpul arat,
Tot aşa muma lui, prea-bătrână,
Iubitei lui i-a strigat
Să se-ncline voinţei ei de stăpână.
Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN, London,
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCCLXII), Cristian PAŢURCĂ (1964, Bucharest – 2011, Bucharest), ROMANIA: “Imnul Golanilor”, “Hoodlum’s Song”

November 9th, 2015 · No Comments · Diary, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, quotations, Translations

Imnul golanilor (refren):
Cristian PAŢURCĂ

Mai bine haimana, decât trădător
Mai bine huligan, decât dictator
Mai bine golan, decât activist
Mai bine mort, decât comunist.

Hoodlum’s Song (refrain)
Cristian PAŢURCĂ

I’d rather be a hoodlum than be a nation’s traitor.
I’d rather be a vandal, than be a scum-dictator.
I’d rather be a punk, than Party activist.
I’d rather be long-dead, than rabid Communist!

Poetry in Translation (CCCLXI), Philip LARKIN (1922, Coventry, England – 1985, Hull, England), GREAT BRITAIN/ENGLAND: “This Be The Verse”, “Soroc”

October 20th, 2015 · No Comments · Books, Famous People, International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

This Be The Verse
PHILIP LARKIN
Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don’t have any kids yourself.

Căci omul moşteneşte din străbuni
Mizeria din sufletul adânc:
Să pleci din casa asta de nebuni,
Dar mai ales să n-ai cumva vre-un prunc!

Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN

Poetry in Translation (CCCLX), Paul CELAN (1920, Cernăuți, Bucovina, Romania – 1970, Paris, France), ROMANIA/FRANCE: “PANTA”, “La Pente”, “Die Halde”

October 10th, 2015 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Reviews, Science, Translations

Tu vis près de moi, telle que moi :
comme une pierre
dans la joue affaissée de la nuit.
…
Ô cet œil ivre
qui erre ici comme nous
nous confond à lui
et s’en étonne.

Exişti alături de mine, ca şi mine însumi:
ca o piatră
în obrazul supt al nopţii.

O, acest ochi beat
rătăcitor ca şi noi
ne confundă
şi este surprins.

Centre for Romanian Studies