ROMANIAN CHILDREN
ASTROPOETICALLY SALUTE
THE INTERNATIONAL METEOR CONFERENCE 2011:
UNIVERSE, SOLAR SYSTEM, METEORS
-selection, adaptation and translation by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
after “Caiete Astronomice” (Astronomical Notebooks) 2010-2011
of the Equinox annual national astronomical contest,
organized since 2003 (with an astropoetry component since 2006,
initiated by Dimitrie Olenici) in Romania
by the Suceava Planetarium and the Suceava Association of Educators-
On the first wall of the conference room at the International Meteor Conference 2011:
Romanian Children’s Astropoems,
two works of art from “Balasa Doamna” Art High School - Targoviste,
Andrei Dorian Gheorghe’s essay “Sibiu and the Cosmos”
and an astro-photo-poem by Dan Mitrut
Photo: Victor Chifelea
*
We find an organized Earth,
and in the Universe there are many stars.
The Sun is a star that imposes discipline,
he gives warmth and light,
the planets are placed around him,
so we live in an organized Universe.
-George Damian (age 11, Bogdanesti)-
*
There was a girl who saw something sparkling
that lowered from the sky.
It was like a diamond radiating light and warmth.
“Who are you?” asked the girl.
‘My name is Stelly
and I’ve felt down from my mother’s arms.”
-Nicola Coroliuc (age 10, Siret)-
*
But if the world would be different,
what should I do?
Would I have wings?
Would I be quiet?
If the world would smile to me
I would fly towards the Moon,
thinking of life
and hoping in a better destiny.
-Nicoleta Nistor (age 11, Suceava)-
*
When the light disappears and nature falls asleep,
only the great sky spreads charm.
Under the eyelids of the Moon
thousands of stars seem to sieve
and the sky seems to be sprinkled with beads.
I collect small sparkles from them.
The Moon is so big.
And so many glow-worms!
-Vlad Clucinschi (age 10, Suceava)-
*
Dear Moon,
great nocturnal light,
how would we see in the night without you?
By lantern?
-Emilia Gheorghita (age 11, Suceava)-
*
Mercury said:
“I have a negligible atmosphere
and orbit the Sun once every 88 days.
Thus, it is good to go to the school here;
A year would last so little…”
Venus said:
“I am the goddess of the spring
and seem like an Evening Star.
My toxic vapors give birth to an acid magic.”
Earth said:
“I have water, oxygen and food,
and four seasons.
You can work and sleep here.
You can enjoy my riches.”
Mars said:
“I have volcanic craters, a red face
and many mysteries.
Please come here.
It’s true, I don’t have oxygen,
but maybe you’ll find a solution.”
Finally I’ve chosen the Earth.
The other planets close to the Sun
have too many defects.
-Emanuel Semeniuc (age 11, Suceava)-
*
Moon, Moon, proud Moon,
you shine in the sky
and lighten our land,
transforming it into a corner of heaven.
You are the guardian of the gate,
the singer of the night,
and when you open the gate of the sky
humanity penetrates the dream.
-Mirel Ichim (age 10, Suceava)-
*
It is so fine in the evening,
when the Moon lowers to the village
and the sky is lit by the expected Evening Star.
There are thousands of stars in the sky,
which die in the morning…
But it is so fine in the morning,
when the Sun warms my face,
the warmth of beams,
the perfume of flowers.
-George Musteata (age 10, Suceava)-
*
The sky is full of stars
and the Earth is full of flowers.
On Earth, children play games,
and in the sky, stars try to play,
making constellations.
Thus, the Little Chariot and the Great Chariot appeared,
and we look for them in the night
to admire them.
-Catalin Bocanetu (age 10, Suceava)-
*
When I look at the night sky,
the stars smile to me,
enchanting me with their sparkling light.
When the queen of the Night appears,
she amazes me with her light,
gladdening me and watching my dream
with caressing beams.
-Eduard Ioan Pavel (age 10, Suceava)-
*
We have the longest vacation during the summer time,
when the Sun is very bright and warm.
That’s why when the wind strongly blows,
the Sun’s face
appears like a solace.
-Andreea Melenciuc (age 10, Salcea)-
*
In the sky,
the Moon and the stars have crowned.
Universe, can you tell us
if there is life on other planets:
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune?
Only Pluto is upset
because he is too far
and nobody asks about him.
-Alexandra Nastaca (age 11, Bogdanesti)-
*
Great Universe,
I have a question,
so please answer to me,
little stars:
what do you know about planets?
“We’ll tell you a lot, but we hope
you are a diligent schoolgirl!”
-Ioana Nastaca (age 9, Bogdanesti)-
*
Every morning the Sun rises from the same place,
announcing a new day with his mild beams
which awaken blades of grass, songs of birds,
hums of bees, voices of children.
Then he begins a ring dance around us,
bathing the Earth with his golden warmth.
In the end of the day
the Sun allows the brightness
of the Moon and of the stars,
but he does not sleep,
he begins another day in another place.
-Mihai Capra (age 10, Fratautii Noi)-
*
Mars is a planet without life,
but it has some ice.
It also has two neighboring saints,
Phobos and Deimos,
that are called satellites.
-Daniela Muraru (age 10, Salcea)-
*
The Universe is the mystery which cannot be understood,
we can only observe our evolution in time.
The Universe does not have edges,
it is full of asteroids, comets, planets and stars.
The Universe keeps the Earth in his hands,
the centrifugal force and the centripet force
keep our planet in equilibrium,
and gravity keeps us on this perfect sphere.
-Almaya Matei (age 13, Petrosani)-
*
I’d like to live at least one day among the stars
and to enjoy them.
I’d like to climb to the Great Chariot,
whence I’d watch our beautiful blue planet
like a magic bird.
I’d also ask the stars to carry my wishes
and to protect people…
-Stefan Narcis Seniuc (age 11, Suceava)-
*
Thousands of vortexes appear in space
because the Universe is endless
and the stars do not live eternally.
-Alexandra Faraon (age 11, Suceava)-
*
The rainbow has opened my soul,
undulating colors and longings,
a bow of beautiful thoughts and flights,
exhilarating the whole sky,
a bond of dispersion,
a word of light and hope.
-Alina Galan (age 14, Fratautii Noi)-
*
Nine planets orbit around the Sun,
but only one carries the gift of life.
Sometimes I ask myself what God thought,
He who knows all,
He who made the Universe.
In His eternal, divine greatness,
why did He not make a neighbouring world?
Why did He leave us alone in the Universe?
-Raluca Chiseliciuc (age 10, Siret)-
*
The Sun gives color and light
with his divine beam.
In the winter time
he shows only his teeth,
but in the summer time
he shines like a king.
-Andreea Lavinia Bardan (age 11, Suceava)-
*
I look at the sky
and it grows my enthusiasm.
When you watch a star,
this is a delight,
but when you “read” a star,
a wonder appears,
because every star hides a mystery.
-Sabrina Ifrim (age 10, Corocaiesti)-
*
Proud, majestic Sun,
you awaken us in the morning
and warm our planet.
Dear Sun, my friend!
-Cristina Ungureanu (age 10, Fratautii Noi)-
*
Bright-bright-bright my bright little star,
when I look at you I see even God.
Bright-bright-bright my bright little star,
please look at the Earth,
and if you see a small light,
you have to know that it is me.
So please be a light in the sacred sky,
and I’ll be a little star on Earth!
-Sorina Lorena Serediuc (age 11, Suceava)-
*
Nine planets round the star called Sun.
I was born under his sign,
I see the Sun in the sky and in books,
and I ask myself:
how could God give such forms to the stars?
-Iris Ingrid Andreia Cova (age 10, Bunesti)-
*
Maybe the Universe is small,
but a lot of stars are included in it!
-Georgiana Rebenciuc (age 11, Suceava)-
*
The Earth daily thanks the Sun and praises him.
When the Sun goes to sleep,
the Moon lightens the Earth
and the stars calm him till next morning,
when all returns to life.
-Petrone Bilan (age 10, Fratautii Noi)-
*
My mother was upset with me
because I ate too many sweets.
So I went to a galaxy with
glazed comets and stars of meringue,
and I stopped on the planet Lollipopchocojuice,
in which the stones were of candies and spearmint.
I also saw there trees of sucker,
birds of chocolate, lakes of lollipop,
swans of whipped cream, and even syrup fountains.
I remarked clouds of cotton candy
and rains of cacao.
I took a rest on a bench of plain chocolate
and I ate a part of it,
but a few biscuit policemen
surrounded me, arrested me and led me
to the emperor Chococream,
who condemned me to jail
and to work for community by building a giant cake.
Observing that the handcuffs were of castor sugar
and the railings were of jelly,
I easily escaped and came back home,
although for a while I was followed
by some dogs of confectionery.
-Andrei Mandrila (age 14, Suceava)-
*
From the blue canopy of heaven,
our house is lit during the daytime by the Sun,
the hot element,
and during the nighttime by the Moon,
who is obedient.
-David Sebastian Hostiuc (age 11, Suceava)-
*
The Cosmos is wonderful, full of stars,
small and big planets.
It is interesting, if you unite the stars
you can obtain the Little Chariot, the Great Chariot
and more zodiacal constellations.
I’d like to go up there,
the sun, the moon and the stars are so beautiful
and have gorgeous colors and various nucleuses…
I’d like to visit all planets,
but I know this is impossible,
so I’ll start only to Mars.
-Bianca Breniuc (age 10, Suceava)-
*
Sun.
Smiling and warming.
Father of four seasons.
Strong.
Sky.
Clearing up, lightening.
Infinite.
Moon.
Wonderful light of night.
Dreaminess.
Planets.
Surrounding the Sun.
Different.
Stars.
Shining or falling.
Fascinating.
Sun.
Brightening.
The most beloved star.
Strong.
-Sebastian Bernicu (age 10, Corocaiesti)-
*
The solar system is a story of the Universe,
in which we find the Sun and a few planets.
The stars are important too,
because they form interesting and beautiful constellations.
But what would we do without the Sun?
We would not know what life is…
and would not have planets!
-Diana Solcan (age 10, Suceava)-
*
A long time ago,
planets were smiling and entertaining.
One day, at Pluto’s anniversary,
each of them came with a gift:
Mercury and Venus with sunbeams,
Terra with a meteor,
Mars with an asteroid,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune…
with satellites!
-Ioana Bologa (age 11, Siret)-
*
I am a schoolgirl who had the luck
to find notions about the Universe
from teachers, parents and books.
These things fascinate me
and I’d like to know more about them.
And sometimes I look at the sky thinking that
I am just a minuscule bit in the Great Universe…
-Alina Ureche (age 13, Cajvana)-
*
One evening I watched the Moon,
which shone in the sky among sparkling stars.
Then I began to dream that I jumped like a squirrel
from a planet to another,
trying to arrive on Saturn,
who seemed like a bright goddess
with a ring like a golden crown,
and she said to me:
“I’m looking like so just because
this was the desire of the Sun.”
-Emanuela Ciobanu (age 11, Prelipca Salcea)-
*
In one of my dreams I met a comet.
“Where did you travel, boulder of dirty ice?”
“Where you never imagined.”
“What kind of answer is this?”
“An answer like a story.
I saw the planets of the solar system,
I admired the Little Chariot, the Great Chariot, Polaris…”
“Oh, that star that indicates the North!”
Try yourself to speak with a comet
in your dreams!
-Mihaela Gavriliuc (age 10, Corocaiesti)-
*
The brightest daughter of the year, Summer,
calls the children to a new vacation.
Green and flowers, colored nature,
and the sun like a circle of fire.
Visiting my grandparents in the country,
one night I dreamed I flew among the planets,
and I went towards the Sun, who was very hot.
And I remembered that we must appreciate God
because He gave us light and warmth.
And I said to my grandparents
that we can learn something good
just from a simple dream.
-Bianca Filimon (age 10, Suceava)-
*
I live in a house round like the moon
because my parents are astronauts.
One day I travelled with them by their space ship
and, through a small window,
I saw stars dancing at the party
of the Polar Star.
-Emanuela Mihailiuc (age 11, Siret)-
*
I like to watch the starry sky.
I’d like to visit other planets.
I imagined a planet discovered by myself,
with houses for everybody, without unemployment,
with many flowers,
with cars which do not provoke accidents,
with joyous people, fecund nature, happy children…
It would be so good to live on such a planet!
What a pity it is just a dream!
-Ionut Morosan (age 10, Bunesti)-
*
When the Sun rises,
my mother says to me that I must thank God
because I see a new day.
The Sun gives us the joy to live.
I’ve learn that,
just as the Sun gives light and warmth,
we also must give goodness…
-Tabita Adina Stanciu (age 10, Salcea)-
*
One night the starry sky drew my attention through its beauty
and I looked for my favourite star.
“My dear little star, would you like to be my messenger?”
“ Don’t worry, dear boy, your mother always watches you.
Tell me your problem and I’ll speak with your mother,
who is in the angels’ world now.”
“All my colleagues could embrace their mothers
in the beginning of this new spring.
So please, little star, send my longing and my love to my mother.
I’ll never forget her!”
“I’ll certainly communicate your words to her.
And you have to look for her answer in the starry sky.”
“Thanks, your brightness toughens me.”
Now I’ll have a beautiful dream
about stars, planets, comets, meteors…
-Andrei Vartic (age 10, Corocaiesti)-
*
The mild light of the Sun veils me
and his warmth penetrates my being.
I fuse into the Sun’s sweet magic,
and after the twilight curtain
I fuse into the Moon’s charm.
I feel nature, I feel, I exist in the Universe,
being a little bit of it.
I am fascinated by what I cannot see and touch,
so I try to understand the Universe.
I look at the starry sky and I ask myself about
what can be beyond the stars.
The Moon smiles to me and says:
“A quite enchanting world.”
-Nadine Vaduva (age 14, Petrosani)-
*
The Sky loved the Planet,
although his parents did not like her.
But the Sky veiled her with atmosphere,
and from then on,
they have lived embraced.
-Adam Adrian Durain and Raluca Ioana Gherga-Prunaru (age 10, Caransebes)-
*
I had a strange dream.
I flew through the Universe, carried by unseen wings.
It was something both overwhelming and majestic,
full of mystery.
It was an undescribable feeling.
I met millions of various stars, amazing galaxies,
and comets with fire tails, hurried to the unknown.
All heavenly bodies moved after a special order
established before by someone who had created them.
And I felt myself profoundly grateful
to the Creator of the Universe.
-Eduard Bocancea (age 10, Suceava)-
*
Elex and Axel started from their small planet to a space expedition
in order to know the Universe.
In their space ship…
“Look, that constellation seems to be a balance.” said Axel.
“Look, that constellation seems to be composed of two fishes.” said Elex.
“Look, a comet.” said both of them.
Then they stopped on a planet with rings and satellites,
called Saturn.
“Next time we’ll go to a planet with water.” said the two boys
and came back home, thinking of their future adventure:
the Earth!
-Alexandru Lup (age 12, Deva)-
*
My dear parents,
I write you from the planet Venus,
where I live my first exploratory mission.
I know you are delighted watching Venus,
thinking of the goddess of love
(as the old Romans named it)
or of the bright Evening Star
(dreamed by poets).
But Venus is a too hot planet (almost 480 degrees at its surface),
composed of metal and rock, covered by volcanic plateaus.
It is dry, with mountains of about 12km high.
Its atmosphere is hostile to life and its rains are acid.
So Venus is not a place favourable for vacations.
I miss you and I’m eager to come back on Earth
for walking with my roller skates.
-Emanuel Costiuc (age 10, Siret)-
*
I’ve studied that all the time
the people were interested in heavenly bodies.
The ancient Greeks thought that the planets and the Sun
turned round the Earth.
In 1543 Copernicus inserted that in fact the Earth and the planets
revolved round the Sun.
Galileo Galilei used for the first time a telescope
and saw the lunar craters,
but he was punished because he said that the Earth moves.
The Sun is a star.
There are billions of stars in the Universe,
from which we mainly see the Milky Way galaxy.
I’d like to travel among the stars
and to catch the tail of a comet.
I know it is made of dust and ice.
I’d like to transform the comet’s tail
not into a meteor shower,
but into golden coins,
to not exist unhappy children.
-Ioana Taraboanta (age 11, Suceava)-
*
One evening I went to my bed
and I asked my sister to read a story about planets.
Listening to her, I fell asleep and began to dream
I floated among planets which seemed to be beautiful balls,
and the Earth seemed to be a wonderful blue planet.
-Beatrice Simona Bujoreanu (age 10, Bursuceni-Corocaiesti)-
*
During the vacations,
I use to stay with my grandparents,
who tell me stories about dragons and heroes.
But I never understood how a dragon can steal the Sun,
or how a varkolak can bite the Moon.
But later I visited an astronomical observatory
and I found amazing things.
In the future, people will live on the Moon in special stations
and (who knows?) maybe I’ll be a member
of that team of astronauts
and we’ll live in the Serenity Sea.
-Sebastian Bilba (age 10, Suceava)-
*
I’ve finished a drawing called “City in Space.”
I’m proud, but… all becomes alive
and I’m floating among flying saucers,
over suspended streets, modern pyramids and robots,
while street lamps are joyous meteors.
-Marco Adriano Leonte (age 10, Suceava)-
*
The planet Academician is another inhabited planet
and has three satellites: Primary School, High School and Faculty.
It cannot be hit by asteroids.
When I get older,
I’ll go myself to the planet Academician
to find mysteries of constellations, stars,
planets, comets, meteors…
-Robert Cuzuban (age 11, Suceava)-
*
All began 15 billion years ago,
when the Universe shared his riches.
He divided himself into more kingdoms:
The Milky Way, Andromeda and other galaxies.
Those galaxies have servants named stars.
-Iulian Blandu (age 11, Bosanci)-
*
Evening.
I solitarily watch the sky through a window.
I see an amazing movement of the Moon
and go outside.
The Moon puts small lamps in the sky.
“Why do you make this every evening?”
“I am the queen of the stars
and together with them I watch your sleep.”
-Denisa Viorica Tabara (age 10, Bursuceni-Corocaiesti)-
*
Two stars scold each other
about who is the greatest.
Another star, bigger, suggests them
to lighten a neutral planet.
And they lighten so strongly
that consume all their combustible
and explode.
And the big star says:
“The self-praise is not good.”
-Delia Bernicu (age 11, Corocaiesti)-
*
Evening.
The Sun has hidden after the horizon,
leaving flames in the sky.
The Moon has installed as the master
of the blue night.
The stars appears
shining just like diamonds.
Somewhere in a small city,
a boy is watching through a window,
admiring the stars.
How would he feel
if he would be among them?
-Emanuel Tipau (age 10, Siret)-
*
Today during the hour of geography
the teacher told us about the solar system.
His words about the planets transformed into
a little star or a meteor,
who invited me to travel in space.
And so I visited all the planets
and admired all their features!
When the hour of geography finished,
I said in my mind:
“I hope to see you again, little star!”
-Iasmina Toader (age 11, Malini)-
*
It was a fine summer evening.
The night put a lot of sparkling stars in her hair.
I watched them fascinated
and I wondered if there is life on them.
-Claudia Belciug (age 11, Corocaiesti)-
*
I flew towards the Sun,
who seemed like a bright prince.
But he was sad because
I was scared of his immensity.
And then I smiled to him.
-Teodora Burlica (age 11, Siret)-
*
It was a quiet summer evening
and I watched the sky full of stars smiling
in their circle, in their world, in their dance.
A beautiful game.
Suddenly one of them grew brighter,
detached and lowered to the edge of the horizon.
I quivered.
That star came to salute me.
And I wondered:
“How should I welcome her?”
But, soon after, that colored marvel disappeared.
Why did the Universe not leave her
to come to me?
Am I too young?
I looked again at the immensity of the starry sky.
Did she die on her road?
Usually the night is a good counsellor.
Maybe tomorrow evening
there will be another falling star…
-Beatrice Balan (age 11, Corocaiesti)-
Andrei Dorian Gheorghe is proud to show
Romanian children’s astropoetry poster
Photo: Victor Chifelea
HOME NEXT