Sunday, March 15, 2009

Lacustrine

Meet on of my favorite poets from high-school. He is not exactly the best among the ones I read during those years ,does not compare to Rilke Rimbaud, Baudelaire or Apollinaire… But, unless you had been Mr./Mrs. Popularity during those years and enjoyed each and every day of high-school you are going to understand why …

George Bacovia , considered by most a symbolist poet, born in 1881 in Romania…

Here is where you can find an Wikipedia Biography – a start point for the ones that would like to learn more about him.

Lacustrine is one of his most known poems, and it is all about rain …

,



Lacustra

De-atitea nopti aud plouind,
Aud materia plingind...
Sint singur, si mă duce un gând
Spre locuintele lacustre.

Si parca dorm pe scinduri ude,
In spate mă izbeste-un val --
Tresar prin somn si mi se pare
Ca n-am tras podul de la mal.

Un gol istoric se intinde,
Pe-acelasi vremuri mă gasesc...
Si simt cum de atita ploaie
Pilotii grei se prabusesc.

De-atitea nopti aud plouind,
Tot tresarind, tot asteptind...
Sint singur, si mă duce-un gând
Spre locuintele lacustre.


Lacustrine


So many nights it had been raining

I hear the matter weeping…

I am alone and I go back thinking

Towards stilt houses.


Like I'd be sleeping on wet beams

A wave is thumping on my back –

I startl' awake, and now it seems

I haven't pulled the bridge from the bank.


This void of history's outstretched,

I find myself in times alike …

And under all this rain I sensed

How heavy stilts start crumble.


So many nights it had been raining

I'm startling still, still waiting

I am alone and I go back thinking

Towards stilt houses.


Note: you will find another translation here. And yet another one here:http://www.fantasypieces.net/translation/2007/10/george-bacovia-.html

I do not know if my translation is better, but I can't imagine it to be worse either…

note 2: and more poetry (original poetry) on the MondayPoetryTrain





















13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your translation is beautiful. I love this poem. I've seen another translation, but now I can't remember where.

But I like yours the best. I love that you use "stilt houses." For me, that gives a powerful visual. Thanks for another wonderful translation.

Tumblewords: said...

This is great - I rarely trust translations to be written as meant - however, this one feels exactly right!

Ana said...

Julie,

Thank you. I felt that “stilt houses” might be the right term after weighing some other options but I was not sure, I did not knew which term is mostly used in English. So I am glad you think the same…
Tumblewords,
This is too nice. thanks

anthonynorth said...

Translations are always a tricky issue, but this is great.

Anonymous said...

That is a beautiful if a little melancholy poem. The two translations hardly differ so yours must be expertly done.

gautami tripathy said...

I really liked you sharing this with us. I liked your translation. Infact I would call it transcreation!

lay in lace

Sherri B. said...

Just lovely...thanks so much for translating this for others to read.

to-morrow said...

Your translation sounds very nice. Here you can read another versiona on "Lacustra" in English:
http://www.respiro.org/Issue18/Poetry/poetry_George%20Bacovia.htm

Ana said...

Anthony,
They are tricky, and when it is meter and rhyme in the original it becomes even trickier…
Paul
“yours must be expertly done”. Well, many thanks…(it is a little bit to much, but I tried, indeed)
Gautami,
I do appreciate that you stopped by and read it (I really enjoy sharing a little about my culture)
Fledging,
Thank you for stopping by.
To-morrow
Thank you for sharing another translation…

Anonymous said...

Yes like Julia I loved the stilt houses--and the poem completely is charming. Thanks for sharing the poem and your translation with us!

Sepiru Chris said...

Anaïs,

Thank you so much for sharing this.

What a rich poem. I will have to delve deeper.

Tschuess,
Chris

Ana said...

Gwen,
I am glad you did like it, and I am glad I chose the right expression when translating(I mean stilt houses). For me it is a step ahead

Ana said...

Chris,
thank you for visiting