exile

Entries Tagged as 'exile'

Poetry in Translation (CCCLVIII), Nina CASSIAN (1925-2014), ROMANIA/USA: “Donna Miraculata”, “Donna Miraculata”

September 26th, 2015 · No Comments · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Since you betrayed me I am more becoming
A body’s carcass glowing in the dark
My fragile self, invisible, yet stark,
With frozen looks and body which is pining.

My wretched fingers can’t feel any more
My useless walk, is pining with desire…
My cruel stare invisible, yet sore –
The halo of my body still on fire.

Rendered in English by Constantin ROMAN,
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

Poetry in Translation (CCCLIII), Heberto PADILLA (1932-2000), CUBA/ U.S.A.: “Out of the Game”, “În afara jocului”

September 2nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLIII), Heberto PADILLA (1932-2000), CUBA/ U.S.A.: “Out of the Game”, “În afara jocului” · Books, Communist Prisons, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Heberto Padilla
Out of the Game

The poet! Kick him out!
He has no business here.
He doesn’t play the game.
He never gets excited
Or speaks out clearly.
He never even sees the miracles.

Poetry in Translation (CCCLI), Constantin Virgil GHEORGHIU (1916-1992) ROMANIA, FRANCE: ”Sonnet”, “Sonet”

August 22nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLI), Constantin Virgil GHEORGHIU (1916-1992) ROMANIA, FRANCE: ”Sonnet”, “Sonet” · Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Virgil Gheorghiu, Sonet (fragment):
Asemeni lui, purtând un vis în minte,
Poeţii îşi ating desăvârşirea
Zidind iubirea vieţii în cuvinte.
Now minstrels sing his praise and utter Glory
The good and great will bring his fame abroad:
His monument to Love enshrines his Story.
Rendered in English by Constantin ROMAN,
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

Poetry in Translation (CCCXLV), James KIRCUP (1918-2009) UK/ENGLAND: “No Men Are Foreign”, “Nimeni nu e străin”

July 11th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXLV), James KIRCUP (1918-2009) UK/ENGLAND: “No Men Are Foreign”, “Nimeni nu e străin” · Diaspora, Famous People, History, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Reviews, Translations

No Men Are Foreign
James KIRCUP (1918-2009)
Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
Nimeni nu e venetic
James KIRCUP (1918-2009)
Străine, ia aminte, nimeni nu e venetic, iar glia nu-i străină.
Sub orice uniformă acelaşi trup zvâcneşte,
Asemeni cu al nostru; iar câmpul bătăliei, cuprins de fraţii noştri,
E-aidoma cu al nostru, sub care-om zace morţi.
în limba Română de Constantin ROMAN, Londra
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN

Poetry in Translation (CCCXLIV), James FENTON (n. 1949, Lincoln), UK/ENGLAND: “The Song of the General”, “Cântecul Generalului”

July 8th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXLIV), James FENTON (n. 1949, Lincoln), UK/ENGLAND: “The Song of the General”, “Cântecul Generalului” · Famous People, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, quotations, Translations

James FENTON
I serve an unjust lord.
Exile is an early tomb.
The heart bleeds dark.
Death is a journey home.
By the bright dew on the hill,
By the sharp blade of the moon,
I shall wake my grieving men.
I shall make that journey soon

“Cântecul Generalului”
Înrolat în război, de pripas,
Exilul îi pare-un mormânt
Inima-i e sângerândă s-ajungă devreme acas’…
Fiindcă Moartea-i de veghe, mergând.
Luna luceşte pe spadă.
Roua, pe frunza deasă
Voi deştepta soldaţii mei, în grabă;
Curând mă voi întoarce-acasă.
Versiune în limba Română de Constantin ROMAN, Londra
© 2015 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXIX), Herta MULLER (b. 1953), ROMANIA-BANAT/GERMANY: “Colour Grey”, “Gri”

June 15th, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCXXXIX), Herta MULLER (b. 1953), ROMANIA-BANAT/GERMANY: “Colour Grey”, “Gri” · Communist Prisons, Diary, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Reviews, Translations

I was nice to him
He was nice to me
Only
Our doors, our windows
Kept closed
Lest we smell each other.

Nu mă gândesc la tine
Dar când pământul aprig îmi va cuprinde pieptul
Voi visa tot mai mult la acele zile.

Constantin ROMAN: “Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians” Postface (Part 1 of 2)

February 20th, 2015 · Comments Off on Constantin ROMAN: “Voices & Shadows of the Carpathians” Postface (Part 1 of 2) · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, quotations

“Now, I am a person who likes simple words. It is true, I had realised before this journey that there was much evil and injustice in the world that I had now left, but I had believed I could shake the foundations if I called things by their proper name. I knew such an enterprise meant returning to absolute naiveté. This naiveté I considered as a primal vision purified of the slag of centuries of hoary lies about the world.” (Paul Celan)

Poetry in Translation (CCCX): Attila ILHAN (1925-2005), TURKEY: “Illicit love”, “Iubire ilicită”

January 2nd, 2015 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCX): Attila ILHAN (1925-2005), TURKEY: “Illicit love”, “Iubire ilicită” · Famous People, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

come through my other door you cannot open this
come with your former eyes come at the time to kill
and be vigilant lest someone should follow you

vino prin uşa cealaltă, nu vei putea deschide uşa asta
vino cu ceilalţi ochi vino când vei avea timp destul
şi fii atent ca nu cumva să te urmărească cineva

Poetry in Translation (CCX): Jorge Luis BORGES, (24 August 1899, Buenos Aires – 14 June 1986, Geneva), ARGENTINA, “Simplicity ”, “Simplitate”

August 24th, 2013 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCX): Jorge Luis BORGES, (24 August 1899, Buenos Aires – 14 June 1986, Geneva), ARGENTINA, “Simplicity ”, “Simplitate” · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations, Uncategorized

Simplitate
Jorge Luis Borges
(1899, Buenos Aires –1986, Geneva)

Îmi deschide poarta dinspre grădină
cu îngăduinţa unui servitor
al cărui devotament este nesigur
dar odată înăuntru privirea mea
nu are nevoie să fixeze obiectele
care au rămas, precis, în memorie.
Recunosc obiceiurile și spiritul –
acel dialect al aluziilor,
acea pânză ţesută de fiecare grup.
Eu nu am nevoie să vorbesc
nici să–mi asum vre-un fals privilegiu;
cei care mă înconjoară aici, mă știu prea bine,
știu bine suferințele și slăbiciunea mea.
Aceasta este poate treapta cea mai înaltă
care Cerul poate ne va acorda:
nu să fim admirați în victorie
ci pur și simplu să fim îngăduiţi
ca parte a unei realități inconturnabile,
ca și pietrele și arborii.
Versiune în limba Română
Constantin ROMAN, Londra,
© 2013, Copyright Constantin ROMAN

Romanian Dictionary of Quotations, Selected & Translated by Constantin ROMAN: Letter ‘E’

July 20th, 2013 · No Comments · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, quotations, Translations

Eternity:
“I too have taken a few steps on the sands of Eternity.”
Constantin BRANCUSI

Exile:
“I cry, with Psalm 136, the captivity of Babylon. For me, like for the Jews deported to Babylon, it is no longer imaginable to write poems in exile. I lost my country, my people is captive. The exile shuts the mouth”
Virgil GHEORGHIU,
Exile:
“You are suffering for being far away from your kith and kin, from the sky and the land where you were born. You should know that one and the same sky covers our wounded land and that your exile is only an initiation. Do not be sad during your stay in Tomis, rather prepare yourself for the life beyond, the eternal life, which is not far, where suffering is unknown, as the time finds its meaning only within the confines of suffering.”
Vintila HORIA

Centre for Romanian Studies