First 2 stanzas of “Watercolor” by Ion Minulescu (Bucharest, 1920), and the 1st stanza of “Echo-free romanza” by Minulescu

translation from Romanian by Gabriela Anderson

copyright protected

………………………………………………………………………………………

“In the city where the rains fall

three times every week or so

City dwellers on the sidewalks

Hand in hand will gently stroll.

And in this most rainy city where three times the showers come,

City dwellers on the sidewalks

with old wet moaning umbrellas,

overwhelmed by so much pouring,

Look like key-stirred dolls in motion

from shop shelves released by some. (…)”

“În oraşu-n care plouă de trei ori pe săptămână

Orăşenii, pe trotuare,

Merg ţinându-se de mână,

Şi-n oraşu-n care plouă de trei ori pe săptămână,

De sub vechile umbrele, ce suspină

Şi se-ndoaie,

Umede de-atâta ploaie,

Orăşenii pe trotuare

Par păpuşi automate, date jos din galantare.(…)”

………………………………………………………………………….

Love, you, a home-décor of porcelain clear,

An ephemeral existential self,

Once more I find you on the same high shelf

On which I left you no less than last year.

(…)

“Iubire, bibelou de porţelan,

Obiect cu existenţa efemeră,

Te regăsesc pe aceeaşi etajeră

Pe care te-am lăsat acum un an…”