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Entries Tagged as 'Famous People'

POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCCLXXXV): Pablo NERUDA (1904-1973), CHILE – “Ode to Age”, “Odă Bătrâneţii”

March 4th, 2016 · Comments Off on POETRY IN TRANSLATION (CCCLXXXV): Pablo NERUDA (1904-1973), CHILE – “Ode to Age”, “Odă Bătrâneţii” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations, Translations

I don’t believe in age.
All old people
carry
in their eyes,
a child.
Nu cred in vârstă.
Toţi bătrânii
poartă
în ochii lor,
un copil,
iar copiii
uneori
ne privesc
cu ochii înţelepţilor de demult.

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Constantin ROMAN – Book Review: Orwell behind the Iron Curtain

February 26th, 2016 · Comments Off on Constantin ROMAN – Book Review: Orwell behind the Iron Curtain · Books, Communist Prisons, Diary, Famous People, History, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, quotations, Reviews

Orwell behind the Iron Curtain
Margot Eftimiu,, my private French language teacher in Buchrest, was educated in Vevay, Switzerland and fell on hard times after being expropriated by the Communist regime. She borrowed these magazines and transcribed by hand the whole of Orwell’s 1984 novel- no mean feat and a labor of love. I had the privilege of being lent these notebooks when I was just 15 years of age, and found the reading fascinating.
As a teenager, during the dire Stalinist years I identified myself perfectly well with the character of Orwell’s book and with the whole atmosphere described by the author, as one which we were experiencing in Romania under a communist dictatorship.

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Isabela Vasiliu-Scraba, „Rinocerizarea” criteriului biografic la un istoric dilematic

February 23rd, 2016 · Comments Off on Isabela Vasiliu-Scraba, „Rinocerizarea” criteriului biografic la un istoric dilematic · Communist Prisons, Diary, Famous People, History, International Media, OPINION, PEOPLE, POLITICAL DETENTION / DISSENT, quotations

Isabela Vasiliu-Scraba, „Rinocerizarea” criteriului biografic la un istoric dilematic  Motto: „Gnosticism is a type of thinking that claims absolute cognitive mastery of reality […]. In marxism (its immanentizing form) gnosticism considers its knowledge not subject of criticism, relying (as it does) on a claim to gnosis, a special gift of a spiritual and cognitive elite”. […]

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXIV): Mikhail LERMONTOV (1814-1841) RUSSIA: “The Sail”, “Pânzele Albe”

February 14th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXIV): Mikhail LERMONTOV (1814-1841) RUSSIA: “The Sail”, “Pânzele Albe” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Când în albastrul, de-azur, orizont
Soarele-apare aşa minunat,
Oare de ce m-a împins a mea soartă
Spre mii de primejdii să fi înfruntat?

Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN,
© 2016 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

Below, a current azure bright,
Above, a golden ray of sun…
Rebellious, it seeks out a storm
As if in storms it could find peace!

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXIII): Sophia PARNOK (1885-1933) RUSSIA: “Today I do not want you”, “Astăzi nu vă vreau”

February 12th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXIII): Sophia PARNOK (1885-1933) RUSSIA: “Today I do not want you”, “Astăzi nu vă vreau” · Books, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Don’t seduce me down dark alleys,
To the places left behind –
To the bold or to the timid
Lips I’ve kissed so many times.
Nu mă-mbia să merg pe căi de noapte,
Spre locuri ce-am lăsat demult departe.
Celui mult prea timid, sau prea adept
De sânuri, ce demult am strâns la piept.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXII): Marina TSVETAEVA (1892-1941) RUSSIA: “A kiss on the forehead”, “Sărut pe frunte”

February 12th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXII): Marina TSVETAEVA (1892-1941) RUSSIA: “A kiss on the forehead”, “Sărut pe frunte” · Books, Diaspora, Famous People, History, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Sărut pe frunte
Marina TSVETAEVA
(1892-1941)
Un sărut pe frunte – şterge mizeria.
Iţi sărut fruntea.
Un sărut pe ochi – şterge insomnia
Iţi sărut ochii.
Un sărut pe buze – e-un pahar cu apă.
Iţi sărut buzele.
Un sărut pe buze – iţi şterge memoria.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXXI): Rosalia de CASTRO (1837-1885) SPAIN/GALICIA: “He Who Weeps Goes Not Alone”, “Cel ce plange nu-i singur ”

February 9th, 2016 · 1 Comment · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Cel ce plânge nu-i singur mereu,
Voi, lacrimi, să curgeţi din plin!
O singură jale este mult prea puţin;
Căci ferice să fi este greu.

Când destinul hain, mă-nconvoaie din plin,
Sufletul e pierdut pe cărare;
Resemnată păşesc spre destinul divin:
Când amarul mă-ndreaptă spre zare.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXIX): Roald DAHL (1916 – 1990), UK/ENGLAND: “Hot and Cold”, “Cald şi Frig”, “Chaud et Froid”

February 7th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXIX): Roald DAHL (1916 – 1990), UK/ENGLAND: “Hot and Cold”, “Cald şi Frig”, “Chaud et Froid” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

A woman who my mother knows
Came in and took off all her clothes.
Said I, not being very old,
‘By golly gosh, you must be cold!’
Ma belle voisine, elle est venue
Un jour, d’emblée, se mettre nue.
Étant trop jeune et sans émoi,
Lui dis-je: Mon Dieu, vous aurez froid!
Mais, pas du tout! même au contraire!
Je suis à voile et à vapeur…
‘No, no!’ she cried. ‘Indeed I’m not!
I’m feeling devilishly hot!’

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXVIII): James FENTON (b. 1959, Lincoln) UK/ENGLAND: “In Paris With You ”, “La Paris cu tine”

February 1st, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXVIII): James FENTON (b. 1959, Lincoln) UK/ENGLAND: “In Paris With You ”, “La Paris cu tine” · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

Do you mind if we do not go to the Louvre
If we say sod off to sodding Notre Dame,
If we skip the Champs Elysées
And remain here in this sleazy
Old hotel room
Doing this and that
To what and whom
Learning who you are,
Learning what I am.

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Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXVI & CCCLXXVII): Iulian BOLDEA (b. 1963) – TRANSYLVANIA / ROMANIA “Portrait d’une femme”, “In your body’s maze”, “Kant”, “Lex moralis”,

January 29th, 2016 · Comments Off on Poetry in Translation (CCCLXXVI & CCCLXXVII): Iulian BOLDEA (b. 1963) – TRANSYLVANIA / ROMANIA “Portrait d’une femme”, “In your body’s maze”, “Kant”, “Lex moralis”, · Books, Famous People, International Media, PEOPLE, Poetry, quotations, Translations

in your body’s maze
no wonder remains intact
no sadness could be surmised
within the concave mirror of your mind
only the unconsumed kisses
trickle in the corner of your lips
like a misinterpreted smile like
a disturbingly real
chimera.
Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN, London, 2016
© 2016 Copyright Constantin ROMAN, London

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