Dust if you must

POSTED IN contemporary poetry, translated English-Romanian May 23, 2017

Dust If You Must

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

Rose Milligan

……………………………………………………………………………….

Sterge praful de vrei

Sterge praful de vrei, insa n-ar fi mai bine
Sa pictezi ori sa scrii cuiva despre tine,
Sa faci un tort, sa plantezi o samanta ;
Intre « vreau » si « trebuie » sa faci diferenta.

Sterge praful de vrei, insa nu sunt ani multi,
In rauri sa-noti, sa te cateri pe munti;
Muzica sa asculti si carti sa citesti ;
Sa-ti faci prieteni, viata s-o traiesti.

Sterge praful de vrei, insa lumea ti-e cantul
Cu soarele-n ochi si prin plete cu vantul ;
Un zbor de fulgi, o ploaie de vara,
Asta zi nu mai vine iara si iara.

Sterge praful de vrei insa tine minte
Batranetea vine si nu-i prea cuminte.
Iar cand tu vei pleca ( si aici n-ai de-ales)
In urma-ti ramane doar praf, s-a-nteles..

Romanian version,  Bielka