Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Winter translation

Decembre
G.Bacovia

Te uita cum ninge decembre,
Spre geamuri, iubito, priveste -
Mai spune s-aduca jaratec
Si focul s-aud cum trosneste.

Si mana fotoliul spre soba,
La horn sa ascult vijelia,
Sau zilele mele - totuna -
As vrea sa le-nvat simfonia.

Mai spune s-aduca si ceaiul,
Si vino si tu mai aproape, -
Citeste-mi ceva de la poluri,
Sa ninga ... zapada ne-ngroape.

Ce cald e aicea la tine.
Si toate din casa mi-s sfinte, -
Te uita cum ninge decembre ...
Nu rade ... citeste-nainte.

E ziua si ce intuneric ...
Mai spune s-aduca si lampa -
Te uita, zapada-i cat gardul,
Si-a prins promoroaca si clanta.

Eu nu mai duc azi acasa ...
Potop e-napoi si-nainte,
Te uita cum ninge decembre,
Nu rade, citeste-nainte.




and my translation:

Decembre

You see the way Decembre snows…
Just look out the window, my love –
May you send for more coals
Then I shall hear the fire crackle.

May you move my armchair near the mantle…
By the chimney I’d listen to the thunder
Or my days- doesn’t matter-
If I only were their symphony to discover.


May you send for the tea as well
Why then,you come too, and sit closer,-
Read me a book on the arctic pole,
Let the snow fall … snow us over.

It feels so warm within these walls.
As all your household were sacred for me,-
You see the way Decembre snows…
Keep on reading…please do not chuckle.

It’s daytime yet what darkness…
May you light now the candle –
You should see the snow pillars outside,
And the frost as it seized the door handle.

Today I shan’t be going back home…
The deluge washed out before and after,
You see the way Decembre snows…
Keep on reading…please do not chuckle.


Now it is decided that I will take grammar classes in the summer, but by then a winter poem belongs to an winter post. I'll have to re-edit it once I become more familiar with the subjunctive though...

5 comments:

Paul said...

Ahh, the never ending mysteries of translation. Your translation is beautiful poem, with a real warmth and tenderness.

Ana said...

thank you Paul,
it still needs work, but I thought that a December poem can only belong in a December post :)
Plus it gives you a rough idea about the way the Romanian poetry sounded at the end of the 19th beginning of 20th century.

simonacratel said...

La Multi Ani!

Ana said...

multam, si tie la fel...

Julie said...

Oh, how beautiful! I love the setting in the beginning and the warmth of the fire, but I especially love the last two stanzas. "And the frost as it seized the door handle" is a wonderful line. The image of frost "seizing" is so immediate and powerful.

Happy New Year, Ana! I hope this year brings you many good experiences and happy moments.