Centre for Romanian Studies

Centre for Romanian Studies header image 1

Entries Tagged as 'translation'

Poetry in Translation (LXXXIX): D.H. LAWRENCE – “Don’t Look At Me!” (Nu mă priviţi!)

September 19th, 2011 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXXXIX): D.H. LAWRENCE – “Don’t Look At Me!” (Nu mă priviţi!) · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Desi opera lui este cunoscuta in special pentru romanele cenzurate, pentru care a fost tarat in fata tribunalului de moravuri si apoi a fost silit sa se exileze intreaga viata, ca sa se stinga prematur pe pamant strain, Lawrence a fost un scriitor prolific care s-a manifestat in forme foarte diferite. In afara de romane, el a publicat nuvele, eseuri, piese de teatru, critica lirerara, carti de calatorii si peste opt sute de poezii, la inceput aparute sub pseudonim.

Fiul unui miner din Anglia, deci din punct de vedere Marxist de “origine sociala sanatoasa”, opera lui Lawrence a fost complect ignorata in Romania comunista, ceeace a reprezentat o pierdere pentru cei ce nu au putut sa il citeasca in original. Sub acest aspect este ironica simetria atitudinii sociale din Anglia anilor 1930 cu cea a Romaniei anilor comunisti, care au cenzurat asemenea opere literare dintr-o convergenta pe cat de curioasa pe atat de neasteptata – in Anglia datorita falsului puritanism, iar in republica populara si mai apoi socialista sub obrocul “moralei proletare”, impusa de talibanii semidocti.

Traducerea poemului de mai jos, aparut in vers liber, ilustreaza un stil care ar fi rezultat in asemenea reactii bipolare: iata inca un exemplu de convergenta extremelor – puritanismul burghez si cel asa-zis proletar.

D. H. LAWRENCE

Nu mă priviţi aşa, că-mi este frică
nu ştiu ce vreţi, dar asta n-o pot da.

Falusul meu modest, nu mai palpită
deloc, stimate Doamne,
deci cereţi altceva.

Cât despre-nnsămânţarea voastră, cum adică?
eu nu vă pot jigni cu fapta mea..

Dar Fiul Cel de Sus n-o să adăste
ca sa trimită-n schimb, pe fiica sa
pe câmp de luptă să culeagă sule.

căci eu tăiat am fost, de ani de zile.

Iar de urziţi, cumva, dragelor-dragi, ca bolta să vă cadă-n cap
ea e proptită doar pe stâlpi de sule
ce-o să vă ţină drepte, in proţap.

Versiune in limba Româna de Constantin ROMAN
Copyright © Constantin ROMAN, 2011

[Read more →]

Tags:···········

Poetry in Translation (LXXXVIII): Christina ROSSETTI – “Remember” (Pomenire)

September 12th, 2011 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXXXVIII): Christina ROSSETTI – “Remember” (Pomenire) · Poetry, quotations, Translations

REMEMBER me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.

POMENIRE
Nu mă uita, atunci când n-oi mai fi,
Plecat in veci pe un tărâm de plâns
Când pieptul meu nu-l vei mai ţine strâns
Dorind sa stau departe de cei vii.

Nu mă uita, asa cum sunt acum
Să-ţi povestesc de ce vom fi visat
Păstrează-mă in minte, ne-ntinat.
Când nu voi mai putea sa te indrum.

E lesne de-nţeles când n-oi mai fi
Va fi mai greu să iţi mai dau vre-un sfat
Si doar o clipă de-asi fi pregetat
Eu rogu-te-n genunchi. nu mă jeli.

Iar in mormânt de ar mai fi rămas
Doar o fărâmă din acel ce-am fost
Cu un surâs să stergi trecutul tot
Decât sa plângi cu lacrimi de pripas.

Romanian Version by Constantin ROMAN
copyright September 2011

[Read more →]

Tags:·······

Poetry in Translation (LXXXVII): U2 – “Peace on Earth”

August 31st, 2011 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXXXVII): U2 – “Peace on Earth” · International Media, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Peace
Heaven on Earth
we need it now
I’m sick of all of this
hanging around
Sick of sorrow
I’m sick of the pain
I’m sick of hearing
again and again
that there’s gonna be
peace on Earth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8PcvmRllis&feature=related

Pace

Tu, rai lumesc,
Te vreau acum
Sunt ostenit
S-astept in veci.
Etern ecou
Si-adanc suspin
Mereu s-aud
Un lung refren
De Rai lumesc
Pe-acest Pamant..

(Romanian version by Constantin ROMAN)
31 August 2011

[Read more →]

Tags:···············

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (LXXXVI): Patrick McGuinness -“Father and Son” (In Memoria Tatalui si Binevenirea Fiului meu)

July 16th, 2011 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (LXXXVI): Patrick McGuinness -“Father and Son” (In Memoria Tatalui si Binevenirea Fiului meu) · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Patrick McGuinness: Father and Son

(in memory of my father, and in welcome to my son)

In the wings there is one who waits to go on,
and another, his scene run, who waits to go.
I would like to think they met; if not here
then like crossed letters touching in the dark;

the blank page and the turned page,
the first and the last, shadows folding
over and across me, in whom they’re bound.

Published in Metre, Spring 2005

Tata si Fiu

(In Memoria Tatalui si Binevenirea Fiului meu)

In culise un om asteapta sa intre in scena,

iar altul, cu rolul terminat, asteapta sa plece.

asi vrea sa cred ca s-ar fi intalnit, cel putin aici,

daca nu, intocmai cuvintelor, trecand prin ceata;

o pagina alba si una intoarsa,

prima si ultima, umbre impaturite

peste mine si prin mine, o fibra din trupul meu.

(versiune in limba Romana © Constantin ROMAN, 16 Iulie 2011)

[Read more →]

Tags:·····

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (LXXXIV): Gabriel ARESTI (1933-1975) BASQUE Country – “Casa Stramoseasca” (My Father’s House)

July 14th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Diaspora, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

VATRA STRAMOSEASCA

(Gabriel ARESTI, 1963, “NIRE AITAREN ETXEA”)

Voi apara

Vatra stramoseasca

De haitele de lupi,

De seceta,

De camatari,

De Jude,

Voi apara

Vatra

Stramoseasca.

Voi pierde

Cireada

Livada

Si codrul de brazi.

Voi irosi

Dobanda,

Venitul

Si bruma de bani

Dar voi apara

Vatra

Stramoseasca.

Imi vor lua armele

Dar cu bratele goale voi apara

Vatra Stramoseasca;

Imi vor smulge

Bratele

Umerii

Si pieptul

Dar cu sufletul voi apara

Vatra stramoseasca.

Voi muri

Si suflul meu va pieri

Urmasii mei vor pieri

Dar vatra stramoseasca

Va dainui.

Inaltatoare.

[Read more →]

Tags:·······

Poetry in translation: Mihai Eminescu (LXXXIII) – Ai nostri tineri (The Nation’s Youth)

June 15th, 2011 · Comments Off on Poetry in translation: Mihai Eminescu (LXXXIII) – Ai nostri tineri (The Nation’s Youth) · Diaspora, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

The Nation’s Youth

(Mihai EMINESCU)

The Nation’s Youth, to Paris go to study

The art of tying round its neck a tie.

And so, to demonstrate at home the mindset,

Of being wiser than a half-baked pie.

*

In town, the down-and-outs look up astounded

To see them twist their whiskers in their carriage,

Or, gripping with their teeth a long Havana

When traipsing up and down, along the Passage.

*

Their nasal vowels smirk their clownish faces:

They prop the pillars of cafes and brothels

To show they do not earn a living, they parade it.

*

Yet all these air-heads vie for the impression

Expressed in their forgotten, native language

That they are our brightest constellation.

***

English Version by Constantin ROMAN

(All rights reserved, copyright, 2011)

[Read more →]

Tags:········

Poetry in Translation (LXXXII) – Miriam Waddington (1917-2004) Canadian Poet

June 7th, 2011 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXXXII) – Miriam Waddington (1917-2004) Canadian Poet · International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

Miriam Waddington (née Dworkin, 1917 – 2004) was a Canadianpoet, short story writer and translator.
She joined the English department at York University. She retired in 1983.
Waddington was part of a Montreal circle that included F.R. Scott, Irving Layton and Louis Dudek.
Some of her published poems and stories have been translated and published in Russia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Italy, South America and Romania – the latter `(see above) being translated by Constantin Roman.
An excerpt of her poem figures on the Canadian one-hundred dollar note:
“Do we remember that somewhere above the sky in some child’s dream, perhaps
Jacques Cartier is still sailing, always on his way always about to discover a new Canada?”

[Read more →]

Tags:····

Poetry in Translation (LXXXI): Lucian Blaga (1922-1985) – “To my Readers” (CĂTRE CITITORI)

March 30th, 2011 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (LXXXI): Lucian Blaga (1922-1985) – “To my Readers” (CĂTRE CITITORI) · PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

MOTTO (In Marea Trecere): Opreste trecerea. Ştiu că unde nu e moarte nu e nici iubire – şi totuşi to rog: opreste, Doamne, ceasornicul cu care ne măsuri destrămarea.
Lucian Blaga (1922-1985), Poetry in Translation (XIV), “To my Readers” (CĂTRE CITITORI)
Versiune Engleza de Constantin ROMAN (Londra)

1924
Motto
The Great Passage:
Halt the Great Passge. I know Mylord there is no Love without Death. And yet, Mylord, please stop the clock with which you measure our decay.

“Believe me, believe me one could speak endlessly about anything:

About Fate and the well-wishing Snake

About Archangels ploughing the Garden of Man

About the Sky which we hope to reach,

About Hatred and Fall, Sadness and Crucifixion…

But above all, about the Great Passage.

Yet words are nothing else than the tears

Of those who wished so much to cry, but couldn’t.

Bitter, so bitter are all words

And therefore

Let me walk in silence amongst you

Cross your way

Eyes-closed.

(Rendered in English by Constantin ROMAN)

Copyright Constantin Roman, 2011

[Read more →]

Tags:·············

Poetry in Translation ( LXXX) – William Butler YEATS – “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”

March 10th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Diaspora, Poetry, quotations, Translations

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

W.B. Yates (1865-1939)

” I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree.
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee loud glade.”

” But I, being poor, have only my dreams.
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.”

W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)

Insula de pe lacul Innisfree

(Traducere libera de Constantin ROMAN)

Voi invia din morti, sa zbor la Innisfree

Sa-mi fac in vis coliba din paie si chirpici

Pe dealul insorit printre stupi voi tanji

Sa traiesc solitar in zumzetul de-aici.

Dar sarac fiind sa fiu, doar un gand de pribeag

Mai ramane s-astern sub calcaiu-ti de vis

Peste doru-mi ai grije prea greu sa nu calci

Sa apari ca un fulg cand vei trece-al meu prag.

[Read more →]

Tags:···········

Poetry in Translation (LXXIX): Anna Vivanti Chartres (1868-1942) – “Ego”

November 1st, 2010 · 1 Comment · Diaspora, PEOPLE, Poetry, Translations

Anna Vivanti Chartres (1868-1942), born in London, the daughter of Anselmo Vivanti an Italian political exile from Mantua and of Anna Landau, coming from a German Jewish family with strong literary traditions, Anna Vivanti married Jack Smith Chartres (1862-1927), an Anglo-Irish barrister of strong Republican leanings, who negotiated together with Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith the Anglo-Irish treaty leading to the Independence of the Republic of Ireland.

Anna Vivanti Chartres was a close friend of Giosue Carducci and her poetry is regarded being part of the ‘decadent’ stream of the late Italian romantic poetry.

[Read more →]

Tags:·············