contemporary poetry
The laughing heart / Inima care rade
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, translated English-Romanian November 8, 2017
The laughing heart / Inima care rade
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.Charles Bukowski
…………………………………………………………….
Inima care rade
Viata ta e doar a ta
n-o lasa lovita In supunere umilitoare.
fii atent.
exista cai de iesire.
exista lumina undeva.
n-o fi chiar multa lumina insa
e oricum mai buna decat bezna.
fii atent.
zeii iti vor da sanse.
cunoaste-i.
cuprinde-i.
nu poti birui moartea insa
poti birui moartea in viata, uneori.
si cu cat mai des vei invata sa o faci
cu atat va fi mai multa lumina.
viata ta e doar a ta.
cunoaste-o atata vreme cat o ai.
tu esti minunat.
zeii asteapta sa se bucure
in tine.Romanian version, Maria Magdalena Biela
Powers of reason
POSTED IN contemporary poetry October 31, 2017
Powers of reasonI was walking down the street one day,
in a metaphoric truth,
when all at once and out of the blue,
an idea came into view,
Aha! says I, That’s it … Yes!I considered and pondered, thought a bit,
Feels right, says I, This is it!
I thought awhile about the possibilities,
to explore its potentiality,
reflect upon its practicalityTurned a corner, to my surprise,
A prime example before my eyes,
A perfect illustration of the insight which transpired
In those few moments before I conspired
to change direction in my real imagine area…That’s what I’m talking about, thought I
This is but one way this can be viewed:
I reflected and searched.
I reflected searchingly.
I searched reflectively.Oh.. yeah! I heard some angels sigh,
And turned my gaze towards the sky,
It’s like a cloud, moving from east to west,
dissipating and dispensing a sustaining grace
upon this unawareness unaware-necessarilyComparatively obvious, one could surmise
a relatively blatant indication
if considered under balancing conditions
under one-to-one, corresponding situations
All other factors equal – it would be assumedIn contrast, an air of subtlety
hanging in a coolish casual mystery
disguised, a disguise in dark shades, no doubt
not to not see naught from the inside out
but because naught is seen, ‘less allowedAs well, as well I may have guessed,
there was a simple reason for all of this:
a primal source of that phenomenon
lying in a shadow, lain, consequent
to virtue of a foreknown, fateful consequenceThough its ultimate reality could not be told,
namelessness its pre-existent indication,
still, mercifully, there were ways to point the way
and its passing plentifully traced
or, but not and, resurrections portrayedIn fact, enumerating its appearance
would be a virtual impossibility;
even casual attention to its deportments
reveal a sympathetic harmony of movements
which might be likened to flickers of realityImmensely, appropriately qualified
as evidenced by anything that’s true
having unnumbered circumstantial application
independently possessed of its own justification
unencumbered by materialistic folly, it stood.And so it was that this story came to be;
a walkabout come to a destiny
a dance around the circle of reality,
seven steps, or three, or four:
each a repetition of one step into eternity.
Garnet Shaw Robbie
Roll the dice
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, translated English-Romanian October 24, 2017
Roll the dice
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.
go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.
do it, do it, do it.
do it.
all the way
all the way.
you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, it’s
the only good fight
there is.
Charles Bukowski
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Arunca zarul
Daca ai de gand sa incerci
mergi pana la capat..
altminteri, nici macar sa nu incepi.
Daca ai de gand sa incerci
mergi pana la capat.
asta ar putea insemna sa pierzi iubite,
sotii, rude, munca si
poate chiar mintile.
Mergi pana la capat.
Poate fi sa nu mananci 3 sau 4 zile,
poate fi sa tremuri de frig
pe o banca in parc.
Poate fi inchisoare,
poate fi luare luare in ras,
batjocura,
izolare.
Izolarea este darul,
toate celelalte sunt un test
al rabdarii tale,
al staruintei
cat de mult vrei sa o faci cu adevarat
si o vei face
in ciuda respingerii si a celor mai nefavorabile sanse
si va fi mult mai bine decat orice
altceva
iti poti imagina.
Daca ai de gand sa incerci
mergi pana la capat.
Nu exista alt sentiment de comparat.
Vei fi singur cu zeii
si noptile vor arde in flacari.
Da-i bataie !
Pana la capat
Pana la capat.
Vei calari viata drept
pana la rasul perfect,
este singura lupta adevarata
care exista.
Romanian version, Maria Magdalena Biela
Bluebird
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, translated English-Romanian October 24, 2017
Bluebird
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Pasarea albastra
E-o pasasre albastra-n inima mea, care
vrea sa iasa
insa mi-s mai tare decat ea
spun, stai acolo, nu am de gand
sa las pe nimeni.
sa te vada.
e-o pasare albastra-n inima mea, care
vrea sa iasa
insa eu torn whiskey peste ea si inhalez
fum de tigara
si tarfele si barmanii
si casierii
habar n-au
ca ea
este in mine.
e-o pasare albastra-n inima mea, care
vrea sa iasa
insa mi-s mai tare decat ea
spun
stai jos, vrei sa ma zapacesti?
vrei sa-mi faci toata munca de belea?
vrei sa-mi arunci pe apa sambetei
vanzarea de carte in Europa?e-o pasare albastra-n inima mea, care
vrea sa iasa
dar sunt prea smecher, o las sa iasa
doar noaptea uneori
cand toti dorm
spun, stiu ca esti acolo,
asa ca
nu fi trista.
apoi o pun indarat
si ea canta nitel
acolo, nu am lasat-o
chiar sa moara.
si dormim impreuna
asa
cu pactul nostru secret
si asta-i suficient
sa faca un barbat
sa planga, insa eu nu plang.Tu ?
Romanian version, Maria Magdalena Biela
Charles Bukowski
Signore
POSTED IN contemporary poetry October 21, 2017
Signore
Signore,
tu lo senti ch’io non ho voce
piu per ridere il tuo canto segreto.
Signore,
tu lo vedi ch’io non ho occhi
piu per i tuoi cieli,
per le nuvole tue consolatrici .
Signore,
per tutto il mio pianto,
ridammi una stilla di Te
ch’io riviva .
Perche tu sai,
Signore,
che in un tempo lontano
anch’io tenni nel cuore
tutto un lago,
un gran lago,
specchio di Te.
Ma tutta l’acqua mi fu bevuta,
o Iddio,
ed ora dentro il cuore
ho una caverna vuota,
cieca di Te.
Signore,
per tutto il mio pianto,
ridammi una stilla di Te,
ch’io riviva .
Antonia Pozzi………………………………………………………………………..
Doamne,
Tu auzi că mai mult nu am voce
ca să ma bucur de cântecul tău secret.
Doamne,tu vezi că mai mult nu am ochi
pentru cerurile tale toate,
pentru norii tai mângâietori.
Doamne,
pentru toate lacrimile mele,
dă-mi o licărire de-a Ta
ca să pot s-o iau de la capăt.
Căci, Doamne,
tu stii că într-un timp îndepărtat
inima mea era toata un lac ,
un mare lac,
oglindă a Ta.
Dar toată apa mi-a fost băută,
o, Dumnezeule,
și acum în inimă
am o peșteră goală,
oarbă de Tine.
Doamne,
pentru cât am plâns
dă-mi un strop de la Tine
ca să pot s-o iau de la capăt.
Romanian version, Catalina Franco
Many zeros
POSTED IN contemporary poetry October 19, 2017
Many zeros
The teacher rises voiceless before a class
Of pale, tight-lipped children/
The blackboard behind him as black as the sky
Light-years from the earth.It´s the silence the teacher loves,
The taste of the infinite in it.
The stars like teeth marks on children´s pencils.
Listen to it, he says happily.
Charles Simic
……………………………………….
Fără voce se ridică profesorul în fața
copiilor palizi cu buzele strânse.
Tabla din spate – la fel de neagră ca cerul
cu ani – lumina departe de pământ.E tăcerea pe care profesorul o iubește,
având gustul infinitului .
Stelele – semne de dinți pe creioanele copiilor.
Ascultați-o, spune fericit.
Romanian version, Catalina Franco
Ohjaustyön opas
POSTED IN contemporary poetry October 11, 2017
Ohjaustyön opas
One of those books which help you understand why you love your profession of counselor with such a passion…
Maria Magdalena Biela
A child’s prayer
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, Stories September 11, 2017
A child’s prayerPlease, let me live, give me a chance
of life on Earth to have a glance,
Let me grow roots and let me shine
on this blue planet in decline.
When I was born into this Light
you all blessed me with great delight,
you all were filled with greedy thoughts:
“Our child will have money loads”!
You ripped this planet with blind eyes
you cut its trees, darkened its skies,
you killed the life to which you’re bound
searching for money all around.
Mothers and fathers please, redeem!
Listen to your children scream!
Life is a gift to receive once.
Do not destroy fragile balance!
I need not money to sleep tight,
to have fresh air and starry night,
serene to listen to birds’ song,
to feel that here I do belong!
Please let me live, let me grow old!
Stop searching for leprechaun’s gold!
Stop your greed, your badness, lust,
for me to have in Future trust.
For me to see the moon, the sun,
with birds and flowers to have fun,
for me to see a heaven blue,
to grow old kind, and good, and true.
Protect me from your evil deeds!
Stop lying! You don’t know my needs.
Do you want me to show you how?
For me, please, save the Planet now!
Maria Magdalena Biela
Do not stand at my grave and cry
POSTED IN contemporary poetry August 20, 2017
Do not stand at my grave and cry
Sa nu plangi la mormantul meu.
Nu zac acolo in somn greu.
Sunt mii de vanturi respirand.
Sunt diamant de nea, lucind.
Sunt soarele din coptul grau.
Sunt ploaia Toamnei, tandru brau.
In dimineti, cand te trezesti,
iti sunt o soapta la feresti,
de pasari prinse-n zbor tacut.
O stea luncind in noapte-ti sunt.Sa nu plangi la al meu zenit.
Nu sunt acolo. N-am murit.
From Zuzi
Romanian version, Maria Magdalena Biela
A Friend Like You
POSTED IN contemporary poetry July 26, 2017
A friend like you
There’s lots of things with which I’m blessed,
My problems have been few,
But of all, this one’s the best:
To have a friend like youIn times of trouble friends will say,
“Just ask, I’ll help you through it.”
But you don’t wait for me to ask,
You just get up and do it!And I can think of nothing more
That I could wisely do,
Than know a friend, and be a friend,
And have a friend like you.A Friend
