the regained splendour of summer: her other apple (3)

Când şarpele intinse Evei mărul, îi vorbi
c-un glas ce răsună
de printre frunze ca un clopot de argint.
Dar s-a întâmplat că-i mai şopti apoi
şi ceva la ureche
încet, nespus de încet,
ceva ce nu se spune în scripturi.

Nici Dumnezeu n-a auzit ce i-a şoptit anume
cu toate că asculta şi el.
Şi Eva n-a voit să-i spuna nici lui Adam.
De-atunci femeia ascunde sub pleoape o taină
şi-şi miscă geana parca-ar zice
că ea ştie ceva,
ce noi nu ştim,
ce nimenea nu ştie,
nici Dumnezeu chiar.

Eva, by Lucian Blaga

When the snake showed Eve the apple, he spoke

in a voice that resounded

like a silver bell among the leaves.

But it also happened that he whispered

something in her ear

in a low, very low voice,

something left unmentioned in scriptures.

Not even God could hear what exactly he whispered,

although he was listening too.

And Eve didn’t want to tell Adam either.

Since then, the woman has a mystery hidden in eyelids,

and moves her brow as if saying

that she knows something

that we don’t,

that nobody does,

not even God.

(trans. Lori Tiron-Pandit)

Bonus: Adam, by Marin Sorescu :-)

Cu toate că se află în rai,
Adam se plimbă pe alei preocupat şi trist
Pentru că nu ştia ce-i mai lipseşte.

Atunci Dumnezeu a confecţionat-o pe Eva
Dintr-o coastă a lui Adam.
Şi primului om atât de mult i-a plăcut această minune,
Încât chiar în clipa aceea
Şi-a pipăit coasta imediat următoare,
Simţindu-şi degetele frumos fulgerate
De nişte sâni tari şi coapse dulci
Ca de contururi de note muzicale.
O nouă Eva răsărise în faţa lui.
Tocmai îşi scosese oglinjoara
Şi se ruja pe buze.
“Asta e viaţa !” a oftat Adam
Şi-a mai creat încă una.
Şi tot aşa, de câte ori Eva oficială
Se întorcea cu spatele,
Sau pleca la piaţă după aur, smirnă şi tămâie,
Adam scotea la lumină o nouă cadână
Din haremul său intercostal.

Dumnezeu a observat
Această creaţie deşanţată a lui Adam.
L-a chemat la el, l-a sictirit dumnezeieşte,
Şi l-a izgonit din rai
Pentru suprarealism.

Although he was in Heaven,

Adam was walking on the alleys preoccupied and sad

Because he didn't know what he was missing.

Then God created Eve

From one of Adam's ribs.

And the first man liked this miracle so much

That right that moment

He touched his next rib,

Feeling his fingers beautifully struck

By hard breasts and sweet thighs

Like shapes of musical notes.

A new Eve appeared in front of him.

She had just taken out her mirror

And was putting on lipstick.

"This is life!" - sighed Adam

And created another one.

And so on, every time the official Eve

Turned her back

Or left to the market for gold, myrrh and frankincense

Adam would bring to light a new odalisque

From his intercostal harem.

God noticed

This libertine creation of Adam’s

Called him, cursed him, in a Godly way,

And banished him from heaven

On grounds of surrealism.


(trans. Lori Tiron-Pandit)

Note:

i didn't take these pictures thinking about Eve's story, we just played with the red apple we had found in the shadowy garden - and eventually ate it, though those shots didn't turn out well :-)
I just remembered these poems later...