translation

Entries Tagged as 'translation'

Poetry in translation (CCLXV): Taras SHEVCHENKO (1814-1861, UKRAINE): “It Makes No Difference To Me ”, “Nu-mi pasă”

February 25th, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXV): Taras SHEVCHENKO (1814-1861, UKRAINE): “It Makes No Difference To Me ”, “Nu-mi pasă” · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

De voi trăi în ţara mea,
Sau dacă veţi gândi cumva
De mine, ca străin,
Vă zic că-mi pasă prea puţin.

Iobag, născut printre străini,
Jelit de fraţi, fără suspin,
Şi, chiar iobag de voi muri,
Îmi pasă prea puţin.

Mormântul meu va fi demult uitat
În ţara unde m-am născut,
Dar cărei n-am aparţinut.
Dar când tătâne-miu, neîncetat,
Îmi va cânta-n genunchi, o rugăciune,
Tu miluieşte-i Doamne-al său tribut,
Căci am murit pe roată, pentru tine.

Imi pasă-acuma prea puţin.
De-mi vei rosti vre-o rugăciune.
Dar zic, căci este crezul meu,
Când oameni fără Dumnezeu,
Afurisi-vor al tău nume,
Ca să-l despoaie de trecut.
E greu, aşa, să fi crezut!

Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN, London,
© 2014 Copyright Constantin ROMAN)

Poetry in translation (CCLXII), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Carciofo alla Giudia – a Roman Recipe”

February 23rd, 2014 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation (CCLXII), Constantin ROMAN (ENGLAND): “Carciofo alla Giudia – a Roman Recipe” · Diaspora, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Yet my terror was greater still,
When all my hair was plucked out,
To leave my bare soul covered
Only by a few leaves,
Decorating the bottom of my heart.
I could not believe the state I was in
And cried bitterly, reproaching Chef:
– Once upon a time
I was the King of the Castle:
Now, look what has become of me!

To this, Chef answered, glibly:
– Carciofo alla Giudia!

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?

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLIX), AUSTRIA, Alfred BRENDEL (b. 1931) : “Über mich selbst gebeugt”, “Bent over myself ”, “Privindu-mă mai atent”

February 18th, 2014 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCLIX), AUSTRIA, Alfred BRENDEL (b. 1931) : “Über mich selbst gebeugt”, “Bent over myself ”, “Privindu-mă mai atent” · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Alfred BRENDEL

Über mich selbst gebeugt
sehe ich
unscharf
mein fremdes Gesicht

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.

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Centre for Romanian Studies