Saturday, 9 May 2009

the reason to remember the reason to forget












Ne-om aminti cândva târziu
de-această întâmplare simplă,
de-această bancă unde stăm
tâmplă fierbinte lângă tâmplă.


De pe stamine de alun,
din plopii albi, se cerne jarul.
Orice-nceput se vrea fecund,
risipei se dedă Florarul.


Polenul cade peste noi,
în preajmă galbene troiene
alcătuieşte-n aur fin.
Pe umeri cade-ne şi-n gene.


Ne cade-n gură când vorbim,
şi-n ochi, când nu găsim cuvântul.
Şi nu ştim ce păreri de rău
ne tulbură, pieziş, avântul.


Ne-om aminti cândva târziu
de-această întâmplare simplă,
de-această bancă unde stăm
tâmplă fierbinte lângă tâmplă.


Visând, întrezărim prin doruri -
latente-n pulberi aurii –
păduri ce ar putea să fie
şi niciodatã nu vor fi.



Risipei se ded
ã florarul

by Lucian Blaga



We shall remember once, too late,
This simple happening, so fine,
This very bench where we are seated,
Your burning temple next to mine.


From hazel stamens, cinders fall
White as the poplars that they land on,
Beginnings want to be fecund,
May gives itself with sweet abandon.


The pollen falls on both of us,
Small mountains made of golden ashes
It forms around us, and it falls
On our shoulders and our lashes.


It falls into our mouths when speaking,
On eyes, when we are mute with wonder
And there’s regret, but we don’t know
Why it would tear us both asunder.


We shall remember once, too late,
This simple happening, so fine,
This very bench where we are seated
Your burning temple next to mine.


In dreams, through longings, we can see—
All latent in the dust of gold
These forests that perhaps could be—
But that will never, ever, grow.


May Gives Itself with Sweet Abandon

tr. Cristina Hanganu-Bresch
















my favourite folk singer, Tudor Gheorghe, singing the poem


Notes:


1. I thank Bent for reminding me of Blaga's birthday and for celebrating a poet dear to my heart by publishing such excellent translations on his exquisite sites.

2. I have stolen the title of this post from the Black Sun , i am a poor title giver, yes i know this, ffflaneur :-)

3. for those of you interested in translation problems, please go here and read the translator's explanations about this poem.

Thursday, 7 May 2009

her flower bath 2, when the night gets darker and wilder and the pastel is all gone












there were planes crashing from the sky
around us
when we first met
he said from a distance
i wonder how you remembered
as i don't remember anything
except the bitter edge
of your lips
ravishing the muddy waters
of my body
in search of the flower
to crush it




















































Wednesday, 6 May 2009

The Hyacinth Girl






It is like this that you walked through my body once: ruthlessly, with the pale concentration of the archer who draws the bow and aims at the already bloodless deer.

The god's lover was punished because he was too beautiful, the ancient say. It is unwise to yearn for too much, I hear this from centuries' mouth. Oh tell me, you whose dark face dwells in the seeds of my grapes, is it because of a strange abundance, a similar over measure of my caged being that I am silenced now at the bottom of this troubled sea of memory?



Was my hair too long?
Was my skin too soft

or my will too strong?

Were my breasts too firm?

Were my nets too heavy?

Were my eyes too green?

Was my heart too misty?

Was my hunger too wild?

Was my mind too bright?

Was my tongue too sharp?

Were my bangles too round?

Was my waist too fickle

or my rain too drunk?



Before with muddy steps you walk out of this poem into the night, turn around, just this once. Dip your fingers through the thousand miles of useless words and pull me out to the surface, once more. Unshell my fragrance for the last time. Hyacinth will grow out of every touch, like spears through my spring.


























































Tuesday, 5 May 2009

perhaps someone is dreaming me






Poate că mă visează cineva -
De aceea gesturile

Îmi sunt atât de moi

Şi de neterminate,

Cu scopul uitat

La jumătatea mişcării,

Grotesc,

De aceea contururile mi se şterg

Secundă cu secundă

Şi faptele mi se topesc...
Şi poate cel ce mă visează
E smuls din când în când
Din somn,
Trezit,

Purtat cu sila-n viaţa lui

Adevărată,

De aceea mă-ntunec

Suspendată uneori

Ca de-un fir care se topeşte de nea,

Fără să ştiu

Dacă va mai adormi vreodată

Ca să mi se mai întâmple

Ceva.



Poate că mă visează cineva


Ana Blandiana



Perhaps someone is dreaming me -

That's why my gestures

Are so soft
And unfinished,

With their aim forgotten

Half-way,

Grotesquely,

That's why my outlines get blurred

Second by second

And my deeds melt...

And perhaps the one who's dreaming me

From time to time is plucked

From sleep,
Awoken,

Carried by force into

His true life,

That's why I darken

Suspended sometimes

As from a thread that melts with snow,

Without knowing

If he will fall asleep again
So that something might happen to me

Again.



Perhaps Someone is Dreaming Me


trans Peter Jay and Anca Cristofovici

(thanks swiss)




Sunday, 3 May 2009

monk in the lonely hut






What are your thoughts tonight, my monk sheltering the world in your lonely hut?


The Monk Daichi-zenji answers:


1.
I have lived alone
in this hut
For twenty years,

Never going
to the village below
with begging bowl.

Carrying a basket,
I picked ripened fruit
from a thousand trees

And after eating,
sleep on a stone pillow
by the mountain creek.

2.
I burn incense
and sit alone in zazen
under a tall pine tree.

Wind blows cold dew
and wets my robe.

In the fifth watch,
I get up, go down
to the two ravines,

And bring back a pitcher
containing the moon.

3.
Far and near,
mountains wreathed
by haze,

Unfolding
like a sumi-e painting
in subtle shades.

Above and beyond,
mind is calm
and clear

So difficult to express
to those not seeking
the Way.


The Monk Henjo answers:



Let the winds of heaven

Blow through the paths among the clouds

And close their gates.

Then for a while
I could detain

These messengers in maiden form.



Can it be that they are one and the same?

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

moon hymn









































Moon Hymn

by Roxana & Roxana :-)


(version 2)



























Saturday, 25 April 2009

more hope for Manuela







and another perspective: leaving point despair, leaving point hope - for the point life, that is now.



early spring in the woods



















Thursday, 23 April 2009

ghostly tea party










































i used to make tea for you
my brother, dearest one
do you remember, my night

and my goal, do you

the freshly sweet leaves

known only to you
the first-flush of my blood
won't you come
for the second one too
sip me now
i am still strong
i am still bitter
make me the threshold
to your pale vice


my beautiful friend
lower the blinds
no tea is left
the guests have come
they roam the rooms
like quiet shadows
they lift the cup
my hair the net
holding the clay
together in dream
with hidden smiles
polite evasions
they pretend to drink
the invisible brew
out of pity
out of contempt
for me who is
roaming the shadow
pervading the curtain
the mellow door
pretending as well
that my first-flush pain
has ceased to carry
you within
won't the second one come
to put my dark-green blood
my richest, to sleep