Cantecul nebunului / The fool’s song

POSTED IN classic poetry, translated Romanian-English August 26, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cantecul nebunului / The fool’s song

Ei sunt cuminti…
Eu sunt nebun…
Dar cum Eu sunt ce-am fost mereu —
Poate ca ce-l cuminte-s Eu —
Desi de cite ori le-o spun,
Eu pentru Ei… sunt tot nebun…

Ei mă urasc ca nu-s ca Ei…
Eu îi iubesc ca nu-s ca Mine…
Ei beau
Si mint fără rusine —
Si-n ochii prienenilor mei
Trec drept nebun.. ca nu-s ca Ei…

Lor nu le place amanta Mea…
Mie nu-mi place amanta Lor…
Ei vad cu ochii tuturor
Femeia…
Eu n-o pot vedea
Decât cu-ai mei —
Amanta Mea…

Dar cum din Ei toti numai Eu
Nu sunt ca Ei,
Am să mă duc
De voia mea la balamuc —
Si fiindca nu-mi va parea rău,
Cumintele voi fi tot Eu!…

ION MINULESCU

………………………………

The fool’s song

They are the wise…
I am the fool…
But since I’m who I’ve always been –
Maybe the wise one’s me therein-
Though everytime I’d tell them full
For them I’m still and always fool.

They hate me for like them I’m not…
I love them for they’re not like me…
They drink
And then lie shamelessly —
And in the eyes of my friends’ lot
I’m still fool… for like them I’m not…

My lover they don’t like at all…
I do not like their lover either…
With everyone’s eyes they see her
The woman…
I can’t see her soul
Except with my own eyes
My all…

But since of them all only I
am not like them,
I’ll go tranquille
to madhouse of my own free will–
And since I won’t be sorry, aye,
The wise one will be still me..I…

 

Translation, Maria Magdalena Biela