Poems by Mircea Alexandru Popa
English translations from the Romanian: Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
Photographs by Gabriel Ivanescu
Design by Florin Stancu
Motto:
Stop, where are you going?
The world is round.
Opreste-te, unde fugi?
Lumea e rotunda.
ROMANCE OF LIGHT
With lips of fog
the town kisses me
I’m looking for the flower
of relative light
No
it’s not too much moisture
for the beard
of King Lear
ROMANTA LUMINII
Cu buze de ceata
orasul ma saruta
eu caut floarea
relativei lumini
nu
nu-i prea multa umezeala
pentru barba
Regelui Lear
THE BURDEN
-to my father-
There was a man
with hands and feet
tied with gold chains
he carried
a patch of clear sky
in a gold bowl
on his shoulders
I wanted to help him
but he showed
my hands
my feet
and my shoulders
POVARA
-tatalui meu-
Era un om
cu mainile si cu picioarele
legate cu lanturi
de aur
ducea pe umeri
un petic de cer senin
intr-un vas tot de aur
am vrut sa-l ajut
dar mi-a facut semn
catre mainile
picioarele
si umerii mei
HOLOCAUST
On our street
the florist tells a story
about saints
and razor wire
about numbered souls
and gassing rooms
the florist tells her story
and the flowers
become sadder
in a sick universe
separating the light from the darkness
though drops of truth
the florist gives me
a bouquet of flowers -
numbered souls rising
among the bars of my soul
smiling the old florist
opens her withered palms
and her life line
begins to dance
with the Star of David
HOLOCAUST
Florareasa din coltul strazii
imi spune o poveste
despre sfinti
si sarma ghimpata
despre suflete numerotate
si camere de gazare
florareasa imi povesteste
si florile
se strang parca mai singure
intr-un univers bolnav
despartind lumina de intuneric
prin picaturi de adevar
florareasa imi intinde
buchetul de flori
suflete numerotate rasarite
printre zabrelele sufletului meu
zambind batrana florareasa
deschide palmele-i vestejite
lasand sa valseze
cu linia vietii
Steaua lui David
BITTER
In the tree of life
bitter fruits
our hands are picking
bitter peels
of bitter light
AMAR
Din pomul luminii
fruct amar
mainile culeg
cojile amare
de lumina amara
STREET
The street is flashing
gloom
the moon
(an open eye)
is lying in wait for
the hesitation of my steps
STRADA
Strada fulguieste
bezna
Luna
- ochi deschis -
imi pandeste
sovaiala pasilor
FORBEARANCE
I use to make
kites of sunlight
I’m worried about
each of them
“1 + 1 = 2
you and me
never backwards”
shouts the crazy hunter of
kites of sunlight
my God
what a habit
creators and hunters
Your faithful copies
INGADUINTA
Neobosit construiesc mereu
zmee din petice de lumina
tremur pentru fiecare
dintre ele
“unu si cu unu fac doi
eu si cu tine
niciodata inapoi”
asa-mi striga nebunul vanator
al zmeelor din petice de lumina
Doamne
rau ne-ai invatat
eu constructor si el vanator
copiile Tale fidele
INVOCATION
“Mother
do not die”
a child was begging
“look at the sun hiding among the trees
of the promised garden
look at the leafs
discreetly rustling
an unseen choir is praying for you
mother
do not die
the night will come
and I am afraid of the darkness
take me with you among the stars
we would live unperturbed in our house of light
and every morning I would put together
the flowers of recollection”
INVOCATIE
“Sa nu mori
maicuta mea”
se ruga un copil
“uite cum soarele se ascunde printre
copacii din gradina promisa
auzi frunzele fosnind usor
un cor nevazut se roaga
sa nu mori
maicuta mea
se lasa noaptea si mi-e frica
ia-ma cu tine
acolo printre stele
vom locui singuri
in casa noastra de lumina
voi culege in fiecare dimineata
florile aducerii-aminte”
AVE CAESAR
I said: “Love!”
and I saw an angel
with black wings
I said: “Pain!”
and I saw a black horse
neighing on a black field
nobody saw them
nobody heard them
I said :”Power!”
and I saw a black tower
hiding the heavenly ideal
everybody kneeled
everybody shouted
“Ave Caesar
morituri te salutant!”
AVE CAESAR
Am spus iubire
si mi s-a aratat
un inger cu aripi negre
am spus durere
si mi s-a aratat un cal negru
nechezand pe o neagra campie
nimeni nu a vazut
nimeni nu a auzit
am spus putere
si mi s-a aratat un turn negru
unde se lafaia idealul ceresc
toti si-au plecat fruntile
toti au strigat
Ave Caesar
morituri te salutant
Note:
Mircea Alexandru Popa composed these poems before 1989 during a totalitarian regime,
and published them after 1990.
Only the poem “Holocaust” was composed in 2002.
***
© 2008 SARM
(Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy)