poetry

Entries Tagged as 'poetry'

Poetry in translation, (CCLXX): Charles BAUDELAIRE (1821 -1867), FRANCE: “Le chat”, “Il gatto”, “Felina”

March 4th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation, (CCLXX): Charles BAUDELAIRE (1821 -1867), FRANCE: “Le chat”, “Il gatto”, “Felina” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Poetry in translation, (CCLXX): Charles BAUDELAIRE (1821 -1867), FRANCE: “Le chat”, “Il gatto”, “Felina”
Lorsque mes doigts caressent à loisir
Ta tête et ton dos élastique,
Et que ma main s’enivre du plaisir
De palper ton corps électrique,

Je vois ma femme en esprit. Son regard,
Comme le tien, aimable bête
Profond et froid, coupe et fend comme un dard,

Et, des pieds jusques à la tête,
Un air subtil, un dangereux parfum
Nagent autour de son corps brun.

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLX), SPAIN, Gustavo Adolfo BÉCQUER (1836, Sevilla – 1870): “Los suspiros “, “Suspine”, “Sospiri”, “Sighs”,

February 20th, 2014 · 1 Comment · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

“Los suspiros son aire y van al aire!
Las lágrimas son agua y van al mar!
Dime, mujer, cuando el amor se olvida
¿sabes tú adónde va?

Suspinele sunt o adiere de aer ce se pierde în aer!
Lacrimile sunt doar o apă ce curge la vale!
Spune-mi, muiere: când dragostea e pierdută,
Ştii unde se duce?

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 (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 (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 (CCXLIV): Pierre REVERDY, (1889 – 1960), FRANCE, “Tard dans la vie”, “Late in life”, “Amurgul vieţii”

January 24th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLIV): Pierre REVERDY, (1889 – 1960), FRANCE, “Tard dans la vie”, “Late in life”, “Amurgul vieţii” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Reviews, Translations, Uncategorized

Je suis dur
Je suis tendre
Et j’ai perdu mon temps
A rêver sans dormir
A dormir en marchant
Partout où j’ai passé
J’ai trouvé mon absence
Je ne suis nulle part
Excepté le néant

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLI): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “The Fallen Subaltern”, “Soldatul-Erou”

December 23rd, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXLI): Herbert ASQUITH, (1881-1947), ENGLISH Poet, “The Fallen Subaltern”, “Soldatul-Erou” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

The Fallen Subaltern
Hebert Asquith
(1881-1947)

The starshells float above, the bayonets glisten;
We bear our fallen friend without a sound;
Below the waiting legions lie and listen
To us, who march upon their burial-ground.
Soldatul-Erou
Herbert Asquith
(1881-1947)

În cânt de clopote şi în sclipiri de săbii
Tovaraşul de arme-l îngropăm,
Iar în ţărână suflete-adormite
Ascultă cum păşim mormântul lor.
Rendered in Romanian by: Constantin ROMAN,
© 2013, Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXVIII): British Anonymous Poet, “Non mi tangere”, “Nu mă atinge”

December 13th, 2013 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCXXXVIII): British Anonymous Poet, “Non mi tangere”, “Nu mă atinge” · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations

Non mi tangere
(ANONYMOUS BRITISH)

I need air to kindle the flame of my Desire
I need the reflection of your face coming out of the shadows,
I need so much and feel that I receive so little
To quench this insatiable thirst of you,
To smother you in my embrace and hold you tight to my breast.
To feel your halting breath enveloping my body,
That tactile dialogue of untold complicities.

I know that I am nurturing a hope of intangible dreams,
Of a surreal world, the product of my burning desire,
Devouring the secret corners of my soul,
Turning it to dust.

But I wished the embers of our Love
To cast a light for ever,
Upon the darkest hours of our World.
I want to sing a Hymn to the angels above
I want . . .
I want so much
To assuage the thirst of our Love,
To allay our deepest fears
That we may ever be parted!

But, of late, I came to realize this to be my quest of the Impossible,
A hopeless quest of bridging the ocean of our Expectations:
You, on one hand, with your youthful dreams
Of building castles in the air:
Who can blame you?
I, on the other hand, reaching the end of the road,
Consuming a hopeless Dream,
As you warned me:
“Non mi tangere! Non mi tangere piu!”
But in the twilight of the night I did not listen to you,
As you embraced another World…

I feel like a lark, trying to reach the Sun,
Only to turn to ashes,
For the temerity
Of its dreams…

Centre for Romanian Studies