TC 146 PDF

eZine
June 2015
MTTLC http://revista.mttlc.ro/
Translation Caf, Issue
Poems by ioan es pop
Translated into English by MTTLC graduate students
Director
eZine Lidia Vianu
Editor-in-Chief
Violeta Baroan
ISSN 1842-9149 Issue Editor

Issue 146 Cristina Drgoi
June 2015
MTTLC Text Reviser:
The University of Bucharest Poems by ioan es pop
Mdlina Bnucu
translated into English by
MTTLC graduate students IT Expertise:
Cristian Vjea
Beatrice Ahmad, Alina Barbu,
Simona Smulescu
Mdlina Bnucu, Flavia Hemcinschi,
Anca Romete and Izabela Vae
June 2015
Translation Caf started in the year 2007, as the magazine of the MA Programme for the Translation of the
Contemporary Literary Text (MTTLC), at the University of Bucharest.
The eZINE consists of translations by graduate students of MTTLC, as a prolongation of their activity in
class. They are meant to give the graduates a taste of their future profession, and also to increase their sense of
responsibility for a translation they sign under their own name.
The texts are translated from or into English, and belong to all literary genres fiction, poetry, literary
criticism, as well as the drama, the essay. The focus is on Modern Literature, broadly meaning the 20th and the
21st centuries: Romanian, British, and American among others.
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June 2015
Poems by Translated into English by
ioan es pop MTTLC graduate students
Beatrice Ahmad, Alina Barbu,

Mdlina Bnucu, Flavia Hemcinschi,
Anca Romete and Izabela Vae
June 2015
i cei din urm vor fi cei din urm and the latter will be the latter
lumin cu vene aurii i groas ca funia, light with golden veins and thick as rope,
pe cnd stteam pe olteului n-ai venit when I lived on olteului you did not come
i nici n pantelimon nu m-ai vizitat vreodat, and in pantelimon you did not visit me either,
dei te-am ateptat acolo apte ani. although I waited there for you for seven years.
ai aprut acum, n 2007, n strada prevederii. you appeared now, in 2007, on prevederii street.
dar eti tu oare cea la care am rvnit atta? but are you the one I so longed for?
atrni din tavan groas ca funia you hang from the ceiling thick as rope
dar nu cobori att de mult nct but you do not descend so much that
s te pot ajunge de pe duumea. I could reach you from the floor.
ce m fac, glbioaro, c n-am scaun s urc what am I to do, moneywort, I do not have a chair to climb on
s-i ncerc metalul i mpletitura? to try your metal and braid?
o sor a ta lumineaz strada ziua-ntreag one of your sisters lights the street all day long
i pn pe la patru dup-amiaza li se d tuturor, and till four in the afternoon everyone can have it,
chiar i acum, cnd decembrie e pe sfrite. even now, when December is almost gone.
ns tu nu iei n strad i nu apui but you do not go out in the street and you do not go down
June 2015
odat cu soarele. dar ce, parc eu ies? at the same time as the sun. so what? I do not go out either.
cum s ies cnd tu vii dup atia ani? how to go out when you are coming after so many years?
nu, mai bine stau cu tine, no, I would rather stay with you,
zgribulit n pat, dar cu tine deasupra. huddled up in bed, but with you above.
da, da, clatin-te i alint-te yes, yes, swing and coddle yourself
i nu cobor mai jos stea dou-trei zile and do not descend lower these two-three days
ct sunt liber de anul nou. mine while I am free for new year. tomorrow
o s-ncerc s-ajung la tine de pe pat. I am going to try and reach you from the bed.
dar numai dup ce m brbieresc i m fac frumos. but only after I shave and make myself handsome.
pssst! bat colindtori la u, ns shhhh! carol singers are knocking at the door, but
nu vreau s te vad. aa c I do not want them to see you. so
n-o s descui. ns mine nu va mai I will not unlock the door. but tomorrow
bate nimeni. mine, dup ce nobody is going to knock. tomorrow, after
m brbieresc i m fac frumos, I shave and make myself handsome,
m ridic din pat pe vrfuri I am going to stand up on the bed on my toes
i ne-ntlnim acolo. n sfrit. and we will meet there. finally.
bucla ta blond, ncheiat cu un nod your blond curl, with a huge knot
ct toate zilele, se va-ntuneca puin, at its end, will darken a little,
June 2015
pentru c trupul este plin de zemuri, for your body is full of juices,
dar tu eti lumin, ce dumnezeu, but you are light, what on earth,
odat ce-o s-l nfori ca lumea, once you enwrap it well,
toate lichidele din el se vor aprinde all its liquids will light up
ca becurile de pe bradul de crciun din piaa unirii. as the christmas tree lights in piaa unirii.
ce zici? s las crpat puin ua, s ne vad what do you say? should I leave the door open a crack, to be
tot blocul? tot cartierul? tot oraul? seen
sigur c da. sigur c da. sigur c da. by the entire building? the entire neighbourhood? the entire
city?
certainly. certainly. certainly.
Translated by Beatrice Ahmad
June 2015
cnd eram mic, when I was small,

visam s fiu i mai mic. I dreamt of being even smaller.
mai mic dect masa, mai mic dect scaunul, smaller than the table, smaller than the chair,
mai mic dect cizmele mari ale tatlui. smaller than my fathers big boots.
ct un cartof, atta m visam. like a potato, that is how small I dreamt myself.
pentru c primvara pe cartofi i pu- because in spring, they put the potatoes
neau n pmnt i gata, in the ground and that was it,
pn toamna nu-i mai necjeau. till autumn they were not disturbed any more.
m visam n cuib, printre ei, I dreamt myself in the planting pocket, among them,
dormind cu dulcea-n ntuneric, sleeping sweetly in the darkness,
ntorcndu-m pe-o parte i pe alta vara turning on either side in summer
iar apoi cznd din nou n somn. and then falling asleep again.
i toamna s m trezesc tot nedormit and to wake up in autumn still sleepless

i tot nesplat ca fraii mei and unclean like my brothers
i cnd s dea cu sapa-n noi, s sar deasupra and when it is time to dig us up, to jump above
i s le strig: nu mai spai, nu mai spai, and yell: stop digging, stop digging,
cci vin acas de bunvoie, for I shall willingly come home,
dac-n primvar m punei la loc, if you put me back in spring,
June 2015
i primvara s fiu primul pe care and in spring I am the first one

l arunc napoi n cuib to be thrown back in the planting pocket
i tot aa, s rmn s dorm mereu, and so on, to always stay and sleep,
din cuib n pivni i din pivni n cuib, from the planting pocket to the basement and from the
ani muli, nentors i uitat. basement to the planting pocket,
for many years, deeply asleep and forgotten.
Translated by Beatrice Ahmad
June 2015
mi place camera ta, are u i fereastr, I like your room, it has a door and window,
seara ai pe unde s intri, dimineaa pe unde s iei, in the evening youve a way in, in the morning a way out,
poate n-ar fi ru s m aez i eu puin it might be best if I lie down a little
pe patul tu i s adorm. on your bed and sleep.
ce zici? nu zici nimic. nseamn what say you? nothing. that means
c e-n regul. las, c nu m its all right. dont worry, I wont
uit cnd te schimbi. i nici nu-mi pas watch you change. and neither do I care
dac iei n toiul nopii i ncepi if you go out in the night and start
s bai strzile. sunt foarte ostenit. wandering the streets. Im exhausted.
i mulumesc c m-ai primit aici. thank you for receiving me here.
poate n-ar fi ru ca mine diminea it might be best if tomorrow morning

s te fericesc cu un ceai, ce zici? I cheer you up with some tea, what say you?
dac mi-ai spune mcar unde ii zahrul, if you told me at least where you keep the sugar,
zu c n rest m-a descurca grozav. Im sure Id do a good job of the rest.
uf, e deja ase dimineaa i poate-ar trebui s te trezesc. ugh, its already 6 a.m. and maybe I should wake you.
dar dac tu pleci abia la nou? but what if you leave at 9?
mor pe mine de somn. un ceas, doar un ceas Im dying of sleep. an hour, just an hour
June 2015
10
s dorm i eu. dar dac nu pleci nici la nou? to sleep. but what if you dont leave at 9 either?
pentru c e deja nou i tu tot nu te-ai trezit. because its already 9 and youre not awake.
dac pleci la 11? aha, deci asta era! what if you leave at 11? aha, so that was it!
n felul sta totul se explic. everything is clear now.
sau poate c eti liber toat ziua. or maybe youre free all day.
uf, trebuia s-mi dau seama de asta mai iute ugh, I shouldve realized this sooner
i s aipesc i eu puin, pentru c nu gsesc and napped a little, because I cant find
nici zahrul, nici ceaiul, dei am cotrobit peste tot. the sugar, or the tea, although Ive looked everywhere.
i acum nici nu mai poate fi vorba de ceai, and the time for tea has already passed,
pentru c-i unu i tu n-ai mncat, e dou i n-ai but, as its 1 and you havent eaten, its 2 and you havent drunk,
e trei i de-acum unde s mai pleci its 3 and hence where could you go
dac aveai de plecat undeva? if you had somewhere to go?
tocmai m gndeam la cin cnd mi s-a prut I was just thinking of dinner when I seemed
c aud dinspre tine un oftat to hear a sigh coming from you
i am nvlit n camer, dar ce bine, and I rushed into the room, but its fine,
mi-a venit iari inima la loc: my heart can once again beat:
tu dormi tot frumos i tot nentors you still sleep, beautiful and unmoved
m gndesc c poate nici mine nu lucrezi, I think maybe youre not working tomorrow either,
June 2015
11
aa c poi s dormi ct pofteti. so you can sleep to your hearts content.
te-a fi trezit totui n seara asta alas, I wouldve woken you this evening
s vedem mpreun cum coboar asfinitul, so we couldve watched the suns descent,
numai c ceru-i acoperit i a-nceput only the sky is covered and its started
s plou, aa c mai aipesc i eu puin, to rain, so Ill nap a little while longer,
pentru c mine diminea chiar trebuie s plec. because tomorrow morning I must leave.
i tu eti att de obosit. att de obosit. att de obosit. and you are so tired. so tired. so tired.
Translated by Mdlina Bnucu
June 2015
12
cnd am auzit c va trece pe oseaua noastr, when heard that he would drive on our roadway,
ne-am bulucit din bun-dimineaa we flocked early in the morning

de-a lungul ei, pentru c nu se-ntmpl across it, because it doesnt happen
prea des ca unul precum el s treac very often for someone like him to drive
pe o osea ca asta de la noi. on a roadway such as ours.
ne-am pregtit de sptmni ntregi we prepared for whole weeks

pentru aceast unic-ntlnire, for such a unique meeting,
zile i seri i nopi i zile iar. for days and evenings and nights and days once more.
cum s nu treac dac-a zis c trece? if he said he would drive on, then he will
doar nu l-am ateptat atta-n van. we havent just waited in vain for so long.
n prima zi l-am ateptat s treac on the first day we waited for him to drive on
plini de o voioie fericit. we were alive with a happy cheerfulness.
dar ea s-a scurs i el n-a aprut, but it flowed out and he never showed up,
aa c seara nu ne-am dus acas, so, in the evening, we didnt go home,
la apte kilometri deprtare, which was seven kilometres away,
fiindc a doua zi putea s treac because he could have driven on on the next day
i noi s n-apucm s fim de fa. and we wouldnt have gotten the chance to be there.
June 2015
13
am stat deci peste noapte lng drum, thus, we stayed overnight on the side of the road,
convini c doar o pur ntmplare convinced that only a pure coincidence intervened
l-a-mpiedicat s treac-n prima zi. and stopped him from driving on on the first day.
n-am fost mai norocoi nici ntr-a doua we werent any luckier the next day
i nici n cele care i-au urmat, or the days which followed it,
dar ne-am ncrncenat s nu plecm. but we insisted on not leaving.
n schimb, am poruncit s ni se-aduc instead, we demanded that we be brought
de-acas tot ce se putea aduce. whatever could be brought from home.
am strmutat lng osea cu-ncetul we moved by the roadway little by little

vite i porci i vinuri i copii, cows and pigs and wines and children,
cu gndul c nu poate s-ntrzie thinking that he cant be late
la nesfrit i c n dimineaa forever and that the next morning
care urma desigur va sosi. he would, of course, come.
numai c ntr-o sear cnd i vite, only that, one evening, when both cows,
i vinuri, ba i pini s-au isprvit, and wines, and even the breads were finished,
am hotrt s dm din nou pe-acas, we decided to go home again,
cu gnd s ne ntoarcem cu provizii thinking of coming back with supplies
n toiul dimineii urmtoare. in the middle of the next morning.
June 2015
14
i ne-am ntors, ba chiar foarte devreme, and we did come back, quite early actually,
dar cnd ne-am artat lng osea, but when we showed up by the roadway,
cei treji ne-au spus c el deja trecuse those who were awake told us he had already driven on
i c trecuse-att de diminea, and he had driven on so early
nct nici nu-l putuser vedea. that they hadnt been able to see him.
de asta, cnd am revenit acas, this is why, when we returned home,

nu era cas unde ne-am ntors there wasnt a home to return to
i ne-am mutat cu toii la osea, and we all moved by the roadway,
pe unde mcar trec din cnd n cnd where dusty heavy trucks
greoaie camioane prfuite. drive by every now and again.
le salutm redeteptnd sperana we greet them, reawakening the hope

c-ntr-unul dintre ele, ntr-o zi, that in one of them, one day,
va trece el, cum a trecut pe vremuri hell drive on, as he had once
i n sfrit l vom putea zri. and so we will finally see him.
Translated by Izabela Vae
June 2015
15
n mcelria ta mi-ar fi plcut i mie s lucrez I would have liked to work in your butchery
mcar o dat pe sptmn, n ziua mea liber, at least once a week, on my day off,
dar nu n fa, unde vinzi i unde but not in the front, where you sell and where
toi mbrac halate i poart mnui, everyone wears white coats and gloves,
mie mi place n hala din spate, unde mutele roiesc I like the back hall, where the flies swarm
i unde, orict te strduieti s i extermini, and where, no matter how hard you try to exterminate them,
obolanii miun peste tot. the rats crawl.
acolo, tvlit pe cte-o halc, s pot sta singur, there, laying on a hunk of meat, I can be alone,
cu coatele n snge animal, with my elbows soaked in animal blood,
s m zgudui de plns i s m rog. I can cry uncontrollably and pray.
dup opt ceasuri de rugciune dintr-asta, after eight hours of this kind of praying,
a iei afar cu ochi limpezi i surztori I would go outside with clear and smiling eyes
i ase zile dup aceea a fi blnd ca un miel six days after that, I would be as gentle as a lamb
i gata de orice sacrificiu, and ready to make any kind of sacrifice,
fericit c n a aptea zi m pot ntoarce happy to return to the butchery, among meat hunks,
n mcelrie, printre hlci, on the seventh day.
fiindc numai din cauza crnii te rogi Its only because of the meat that you pray
June 2015
16
i cu ct e carnea mai mult, and the more meat there is,

cu att te rogi mai sfietor. the more heart-breaking your prayers are.
June 2015
17
dac nu mi s-ar fi repetat tot timpul c sunt if I hadnt been told over and over that I am
muritor, mortal,
poate c n-a fi murit. poate maybe I wouldn't have died. maybe

a fi nfiinat o alt moarte. I would have founded another death.
poate o alt credin, orict de mrunt, maybe another religion, no matter how small,
mi-ar fi fost destul pentru a pluti. would have been enough to keep me afloat.
dar am crescut, ca orice om ngrozit, but I grew up, as any terrified man,
n religia morii. with the religion of death.
o moarte care nu vine din eecurile noastre a death which doesn't originate in our failures,
ci dintr-o proast deprindere, but in a bad habit,
din resemnarea c dac-ai nvat s mori in the resignation that if youve learnt to die
e musai s mori. you must die.
numai c, i-am spus eu, vere, only that, as I told you before, cousin,
e puin probabil s mori cnd mori: it is highly unlikely that youll die when you die:
o celul ori poate mai multe a cell or maybe several cells
rmn s te frmnte mult dup aceea remain to torment you for a long while after that
June 2015
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i abia cnd dispar, dup cinci mii de ani, and only after they disappear, five thousand years later,
te vei odihni, ticlosule. will you have your rest, you sinner.
June 2015
19
luni de zile, auzind c circul din nou, for months, having heard it was circulating again,
am tot ateptat tramvaiul 56 I had waited for tram 56

pe la mine prin pantelimon. to come to my neighbourhood, to Pantelimon.
l-au ateptat i alii, n-avea grij, others had waited too, don't worry,
ns nu a mai trecut pe-acolo. but it never came there again.
pe urm mi s-a spus c ar umbla then I was told that it might circulate
deviat prin vatra luminoas. on a deviated route in vatra luminoas.
am stat multe nopi ntregi degeaba, I had waited for many nights in vain,
tremurnd n vatra luminoas. shivering in vatra luminoas.
pn cnd, ntr-o noapte, mi s-a prut c l-am prins. till, one night, I thought I had seen it.
era o noapte mai mult dect noapte. it was one of the darkest nights,
se fcuse dou i eram the clock had just struck two and I was
att de treaz c picam din picioare so awake that I was falling asleep standing up,
cnd mi s-a prut c l aud. when I thought Id heard it.
venea cu o vitez nemaipomenit it was approaching with an incredible speed

i, auzind cum drdie pe ine and, as I heard it shaking on the tracks,
de parc ar fi fost mucat de febre, as if it were fever-ridden,
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am crezut nti c e maina de gunoi. I initially thought that it was the garbage truck.
numai c nu aprea de niciunde only that it wasn't coming into sight

i, cnd am plecat, am plecat cu convingerea and, when I left the tram stop, I left convinced
c fusese tocmai tramvaiul aiurit that it had been precisely the wrongheaded tram,
pe care-l cutam pe toate inele. which I had been trying to find on all tram-tracks.
nu m-am mai trezit n noaptea urmtoare, I wasn't able to wake up the following night,
c eram beat-mort, dar n a treia because I was dead drunk, but on the third night
l-am auzit din nou i-am alergat I heard it again and I ran
din rsputeri spre vatra luminoas. as fast as I could towards vatra luminoas,
i-atunci am vzut ce trebuia vzut: and then I saw what needed to be seen:
nu era nici tramvai, nici main de gunoi, there was neither tram, nor garbage truck,
era o porcrie cu far deirat pe ine, it was a head-lighted abomination, rambling on the tracks,
o caravel de bale i muci. a caravel full of drool and snot.
am cobort pe linie s vd mai bine: I went onto the tram-tracks to have a better view:
avea ochi de bivol, ns nu era it had the eyes of a buffalo, but it wasn't like
nimic din ce crezusem pn-atunci. anything I had thought it would be.
sttea la patruzeci de metri deprtare it was standing forty meters away from me
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i sforia pe loc din rsputeri. and making a banging noise without moving.
pun mna-n foc c m ura, fiindc I can lay a bet that it hated me, because
l-am vzut pornind, dar n-a pornit I saw it take off, but it didn't take off
ca blndul animal mecanic cu vagoane, like a gentle mechanical animal with rail-cars,
ci cu-o iueal nemaintlnit. but with a speed Id never seen before.
ei bine, la viteza cu care i dduse drumul, well, with the speed with which it took off,
n nici patru secunde m-ar fi strivit: in less than four seconds, it would have crushed me:
o murdar bucat de carne i terci a dirty chunk of meat and gruel
ar fi rmas ca amintire a fiinei mele would have remained scattered on the crosswalk
pe trecerea de pietoni. as a reminder of my existence.
dar nu. el venea cu atta putere but no. it was coming towards me with such a high speed
nct rmsese-ncremenit pe loc. that it seemed to have remained frozen on the spot.
n-o s uit niciodat ateptarea aceea I will never forget that feeling of expectation,
i nici spaima c se va opri de-i va da drumul. nor of fear that it would stop once it started.
pornise brusc, cu nrile sforitoare, it had started moving briskly, with its banging nostrils
cu farurile aintite-asupr-mi, and its headlights pointed at me,
venea ca un tvlug pe toat strada, it was coming towards me like a steamroller on the street,
June 2015
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dar rmsese tot acolo, nemicat, yet it had stood in its place, unmoving,
dei prinsese o vitez de nenchipuit. even if it had picked up an unimaginable speed.
cum ns era singurul tramvai spre momfa, as it was the only tram which was going to momfa,
nu puteam s-l ratez. I couldn't miss it.
June 2015
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de cnd m tiu, aceste grne se coc numai n within my remembrance, these crops ripen
amurg. only during twilight.
la seceri, tulpinile lor sunt vinete, at the time of harvest, their stalks are purple,
iar spicul e bolnav i mistic. and the wheat ear is sick and mystic.
ai zice c prin boabe tuete un tuberculos, youd think that a phthisic is coughing through the grains,
ntr-att sunt de tumefiate. they are that tumid.
pinea ns e gustoas, iar copiii o nfulec iute. the bread is still tasty, and the children are gobbling it up.
pn la doisprezece ani, n-am vzut la ei vreun simptom. I hadnt noticed any symptoms until they turned twelve.
dup doisprezece ns, o paloare pe care but, after they turned twelve, their skin took on a pallor
o pstreaz pn nspre douzeci which remained till they were about twenty
pare s spun c-au mncat prea mult and it seems to say that they had eaten too much
i c bine nu a fost deloc. and that it hadnt been good at all.
dar apoi copiii, care nu mai sunt but then the children, who are no longer
de-acum copii, ncep deodat s strluceasc children now, have suddenly started to shine
i nimic nu-i mai oprete and nothing has been able to stop them
s ajung nspre patruzeci, from reaching the age of forty,
ns nici noi nu mai suntem tineri de-acum but we are no longer young from now on
June 2015
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i cnd noi, tia care nu mai suntem tineri, and when we, these who are no longer young,
i astupm sub lan, o facem pentru c bury them under the wheat field, we do it because
nu putem renuna nici mcar o zi la grul i la pinea asta, we cant give up, not even for a day, the wheat and this bread,
singura din care ne-nfruptm pe sturate. the only kind on which we can gobble freely.
June 2015
25
spui c vom nvia cu trupul i ne vom ntoarce you say well raise from the dead and return
toi pe la casele noastre, aa c nainte all of us to our homes, so before

de-a pleca trebuie s lsm lucrurile n rnduial, departing we must leave things in order,
pentru c aa cum le vom lsa le vom i regsi. because as we leave them so shall we find them.
s ne grbim, deci, vremea este aproape. let us hurry, then, the time is nigh.
eu pot zice c sunt pregtit. las casa curat lun, I can say Im ready. I leave the house spick and span,
o groaz de bucate-n pod, vitele eslate i hrnite, loads of food in the attic, the cattle groomed and fed,
n pivni vin mult i bun, curtea plin de ortnii, in the cellar good wine and plenty, the yard full of fowls,
chiar i nite bani la techerea, ba poate even some money under the mattress, maybe
pn atunci voi reui s-mprejmuiesc cu gard till then I might even manage to fence
toat curtea i grdina i pmnturile pentru artur. the whole yard and garden and ploughing lands.
pot zice c m voi ntoarce la toate de-a gata. I can say Ill return to everything done.
voi tifsui i m voi desfta ct va fi ziua de lung. Ill bat the breeze and splurge all day long.
dar dac pe prul din spatele casei but what if in the creek behind the house
va curge i-atunci snge ca i-acum? blood will run as it does now?
June 2015
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gloss gloss
cnd te fereti, ferete-te de tine. nu bea butura care-i face when you recoil, recoil from yourself. dont drink whats good for
bine. nu mnca nimic din ce i place. iubete numai ce you. dont eat anything that you like. love only what you despise.
dispreuieti. cnd e var, mbrac paltonul. nu visa. du-te la when its summer, wear your coat. dont dream. go to the prom as
bal ca la spital. stinge igarea. if you were going to the hospital. put out your cigarette.
n-avea grij de ziua de mine, e tot cea de ieri. bate capul s- dont worry about tomorrow, its the same as yesterday. bate
neleag fundul. deprinde-te cu nefiina, se nate odat cu tine, capul s-neleag fundul. get used to death, because its born with
e tot a ta. nu dormi. nu te trezi. cnd nu dormi, stinge-n tine you, its yours. dont sleep. dont wake up. when youre not
setea de-a fi om. stinge igarea cnd pleci. deplnge doar sleeping, quench your thirst for being human. put out your
uorul, nu i greul. stinge igarea. cigarette when you leave. deplore only ease, and not hardship.
put out your cigarette.
adu-i aminte c ai disprut deja ieri. stinge igarea mai iute.
iart rul celui care-i face bine. pune-i-l paznic pe cel ce te remember that you already disappeared yesterday. put out your
fur. rde cnd i sare sngele pe gur. umple cu absen locul cigarette faster. forgive the bad of those who do you good. make
n care eti ateptat. pap lapte. stinge igarea. f-te singur i watchmen those who steal from you. laugh when blood bursts
strin pentru cel care-i cere tovria. dezi-te i de adevr, i de from your mouth. fill with your absence the place where you are
awaited. you piker. put out your cigarette. become a stranger to
minciun.
those who ask for your company. repudiate truth, and lying.
June 2015
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ca s nu fii ucis, arat-te gata s mori. stinge igarea. disper in order not to get killed, prepare to die. put out your cigarette.
sperana. spune-i lui vru-tu c-mi datoreaz cinci sute. nu uita dont hope for the best. tell your cousin that he owes me five
c toate s-au fcut n lipsa ta. deci spune-i s-mi aduc banii cel hundred. dont forget that everything was made in your
trziu poimine. deci poi oricnd disprea. absence. so, tell him to bring me my money no later than the
day after tomorrow. so, you can disappear whenever you want.
teme-te de noroc. descoper-te cnd eti gol. acoper-te cnd
eti plin. stinge igarea. nu te simi ntreg ct vreme te afli n fear luck. find yourself when you are naked. cover yourself
trup. cnd dispari, d erat. bea mult. sau nu bea mult. when you are full. put out your cigarette. you dont feel whole
fumeaz. sau stinge igarea. obinuiete-te cu neadevrul as long as you depend on your body. when you disappear, d
adevrat. erat. drink a lot. or dont. smoke. or put out the cigarette. get
used to the true untruth.
dac-i vine s urli, ine-i iptul sub glot pn se face dulce ca
mierea. leapd-te de tot ce i pare c tii. nva s nu tii. if you feel like screaming, keep your scream locked between the
lupt pentru contra ta. f-te c eti mereu altcineva i ntr-o zi glottis until it gets sweet like honey. cast aside everything you
vei chiar fi. stinge igarea. think you know. fight for your opposite. always pretend youre
someone else and, one day, you actually will be. put out the
ca s nu birui vreodat, aliaz-te cu cei slabi. la amiaz, spune-i cigarette.
c s-a-ntunecat deja. pe cei care-i sunt datori pltete-i s-i
amne plata. ndulcete ceaiul cu fiere. trage perdelele. stinge in order not to win, make allies with the weak. at noon, tell
igarea. yourself that it has already gotten dark. pay those who owe you
money to postpone the payment of the debt. sweeten the tea
June 2015
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acum, c am rmas doar ntre noi, s recunoatem c de fapt nu with bile. draw the curtains. put out the cigarette.
suntem doi. eu sunt nimeni, tu eti nimeni, suntem de o singur
fiin. hai, iute, s ne rugm cu credin. now that its just the two of us, lets admit that we are not
actually two people. I am nobody, you are nobody, we are both
deci ngenuncheaz, aprinde-i igarea, d drumul la radio i part of a single being. Come, quick, let us pray with faith.
ncepe rugciunea: este frig, nimeni vegheaz deasupr-ne,
aici nceteaz emisiunea. so kneel, light your cigarette, turn on the radio and begin your
prayer: it is cold, no one is watching over us, here the
broadcast ends.
June 2015
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pe vremea cnd era spurcat de alcooluri, when it was fouled by alcohol,
nfat n haine srace i umilit de neajunsuri, swaddled in cheap clothes and humiliated by failings,
carnea mea era religioas. my flesh was religious.
poate nu arta att de tnr ca acum, maybe not so young as it looks now,
cnd pielea s-a ntins pe ea att de bine, when the skin has stretched over it so well,
dar am cunoscut cu ea spaime pe care but Ive known with it fears that
alii nu le vor cunoate i fericiri nepermise others will not know and forbidden joys
la care alii nici nu pot visa. that others cant even dream of.
ar trebui s mai pornesc o dat cu putere I should start once more with strength
mpotriv-mi, s renun nc o dat against myself, to denounce yet again
la tot i la toate, s decad din nou everything, to unravel again
ca pe vremuri, mcar pentru dramul de oroare as before, at least for the grain of horror
cu care mi-am rscumprat de fiecare dat darul. with which Ive ransomed my gift each time.
pentru c eu de fapt nu vreau s am deloc ceva, because I, in fact, dont want to have anything at all,
nici s naintez dac pornesc, nor to advance if I start,
ci doar s aud cum mi clnne dinii but only to hear how my teeth chatter
i cum mi zborete sngele pe nas, and how my nose squirts blood,
June 2015
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cum drdi vlguit i m ascund. how I shiver weakened and hide.

dar asta nu pentru c nu v seamn, but not because I dont resemble you,
ci doar pentru c eu numai aa m pot ruga. but just because thats the only way I can pray.
* *
dumnezeu tie c-s un om pierdut, dar nu m plng god knows Im a lost man, but I dont complain
c-s pierdut, ci c ntr-o bun zi of being lost, but that one day
am avut noroc. i n-a fost un noroc att de mare I had luck. it was not so great a luck
nct s-mi ia minile, dar dup aceea to reduce me to madness, but after that
am ncheiat-o cu rul gras i gros care-mi ddea putere. I gave up the high and mighty evil that gave me strength.
iar micul nenoroc n care m scald de atunci and the small ill luck in which I bathe since then
nu mai e nenorocirea grea i adevrat is no longer the heavy and true misfortune
care m-a fcut odat om. that long ago made me human.
m descompun ncet, la foc mic, I decompose slowly, simmering,

fr cutremurri i revelaii. without shudders or revelations.
de cnd triesc aa, ntre nefericiri domestice, since living like this, between domestic sorrows,
nici moartea nu m zguduie ca pe vremuri, not even death troubles me as before,
iar gtlejul meu, exersat pentru urlet, and my throat, trained for shouting,
picioarele butucnoase pregtite pentru o cltorie the gnarled legs ready for a journey
pe care numai astfel de picioare o pot duce la bun sfrit that only such legs can bring to a close
June 2015
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nu mai fac doi bani. nu anii, nu respiraia are good for nothing. not the years, nor the breath
m mpiedic de la drum, prevent me from departing,
ci mzga mrunt n care m mpotmolesc but the petty slime in which I sink
cu oarecare plcere, amgirea c am ajuns ct de ct undeva with some pleasure, pretense that I got somewhere
i trufia prosteasc de a rde de parc and the inane conceit of laughing as if
a fi scpat de cel mai ru dintre rele, I had escaped the worst of the worst,
cnd adevrul i viaa tocmai acolo se aflau. when truth and life were precisely there.
* *
viaa mea a mers prost, dar nu m cred my life went downhill, but I dont see myself
un om pedepsit, ci mai degrab as a punished man, but rather
doar nepedepsit ndeajuns. just unpunished enough.
i cred c n-am rvnit prea mult cnd am visat and I dont think I craved too much when I dreamt
c voi mbrca o sutan i voi face sub ea of wearing a cassock and doing under it
tot rul din lume, all the evil in the world,
un soi de pop n pntecele cruia a sort of priest in whose belly

dospesc alcooluri vrjmae, smoulder enemy spirits,
pop cu un ochi de bou, mare i alunecos, priest with a bulls eye, large and slippery,
care se scurge dup femeia altuia that follows after anothers woman
i n timp ce predic suduie de mama focului, and while preaching curses to high heaven,
June 2015
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iar apoi se ntoarce acas sub pod, and then returns home under the bridge,
i mbrac zdrenele de toat sptmna, wears its week-long rags,
cade n genunchi i hohotete, falls to his knees and wails,
tiind c nimeni nu poate fi iertat. knowing that no one can be forgiven.
June 2015
33
pantelimon 113 bis pantelimon 113 bis
autobuzele umbl pline cu mori. buses go about filled with the dead.
dimineaa, n staia din faa blocului morning, in the bus-stop in front of my building
mori ostenii ateapt autobuzul 101. the tired dead await the 101 bus.
la cinci dup-amiaza, at five in the afternoon,

aceiai mori se ntorc de la serviciu. the same dead return from work.
rsufl uurai i suie cu liftul breathe easy and get into the lift
fiecare n sicriul lui, unde vara asta each in his coffin, where this summer
n-a fost pic de rcoare. there was no sign of shade.
am avut norocul s nimeresc ntr-un bloc I had the luck of ending up in a building
unde toi sunt mori. am i eu where all are dead. I have
sicriul meu, la etajul cinci. sosesc my own coffin, on the fifth floor. I arrive
mai trziu dect ceilali. asta nu nseamn ns later than the others. though that doesnt mean
c sunt mai viu. lucrez doar mai mult. Im more alive. I just work more.
iar afar trebuie s par c triesc i am treab. and outside I have to seem like Im living and busy.
doar c lucrez neglijent, dorm prea mult, only Im careless at work, sleep too much,
sunt absent, nu vorbesc, beau n grab. am absent, dont speak, drink in a rush.
June 2015
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stau cu gndul s plec. m grbesc s-ajung acas await with thoughts of leaving. rush to get home
mcar nainte de doisprezece noaptea, cnd at least before midnight, when
raclele se rcoresc, moartea devine tihnit shrines cool down, death is at leisure
i nu mai e nimic de vzut pe pmnt. and theres nothing more to see on earth.
atunci ncep s m rog. cu ct m rog cu atta then I begin to pray. the more I pray the more
spaima se face mai dens, rul mai mistuitor. fear becomes thicker, evil more searing.
dar de aici din iad ce strlucitor pare cerul but here in hell how bright seems the sky
chiar i n nopile cu nori. even in cloudy nights.
June 2015
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i-am spus s te fereti de diminei, I told you to be wary of mornings,
soarele lor crud nu e pentru noi. their harsh sun is not for us.
iar soarele nchis i greu al lumii noastre and the closed heavy sun of our world
abia mai aburete orizontul. suntem barely mists over the horizon. we are
la nceputurile altei lumi i altor sori. at the beginnings of another world and other suns.
ai rmas singur. e bine. ai tot trecutul la ndemn. youre alone. thats good. youve the past at your disposal.
ai vzut rul cu ochi mari i te vei vindeca. youve seen the large-eyed evil and youll recover.
ntr-o zi ai s-nelegi c tot ce strlucete one day youll understand that all that shines
i aduce moartea mai aproape. brings your death closer.
serile, n schimb, aici or s-i plac: instead, youll like the evenings here:
eti n vremea lumilor livide, youre in the time of livid worlds,
jumtate umbr, jumtate necunoscut. half shadow, half unknown.
fii binevenit, aici viitorul welcome, the future
aproape-a trecut. has almost passed here.
June 2015
36
de partea asta nu mai este dect rul. am vzut on this bank there is nothing else but the river.
adesea often, Ive seen
prbuindu-se n el o sumedenie de ini mpcai, a lot of contented guys collapsing in it,

pentru care, n zilele sumbre, cu soare prea mult, for whom, in the somber days, with too much sunshine,
nu mai era niciun fel de scpare. there was no other way out.
fac n genunchi dou-trei tieturi pn-n os I get two, three cuts on my knees, right to the bone
i m uit. fac treaba asta de mic. and then I look at them. Ive done so since I was a child.
pielea picioarelor e plin de ochi nchii. the skin on my legs is full of closed eyes.
vin aici numai cnd ntunericul e-n toi. I come here only when there is utter darkness.
cellalt mal, care cel mai adesea the other bank, which, most often,
e nurubat n cea, i trage la sine numai pe disprui. is shrouded in fog, attracts only the ones who've disappeared.
nu trec niciodat. stau pe marginea asta I never cross. I stay on this bank
i adulmec malul cellalt. and smell the other one.
m aduc aici de ani buni. crestez n genunchi Ive been bringing myself up here for years. I cut my knees
ochi mari i m holbez la insul de dincolo with big eyes and stare at the guy over the river
care precis se uit i el dincoace noapte de noapte who must be looking over the stream, night after night
cu genunchii nesai de crestturi. with knees all full of cuts.
June 2015
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acolo pot fi asasinate i mperecheri cumplite. horrendous couplings could also be murdered there.
aici ns nu se ntmpl nimic. but here instead, nothing happens.
ce m-a face fr rul sta care taie what would I do without this river that slices
oraul n dou, fr podul peste care n-am pit vreodat the city in two, without the bridge which weve never crossed
dei fiecare muchi e pregtit although each muscle is ready
pentru ziua cnd vom trece mpreun? for the day when we will cross it together?
deocamdat ns rbdare, mare rbdare, but, for the moment, patience, lots of it,
pentru c noaptea trecut l-am auzit gemnd. because the other night I heard it moaning.
dup ani i ani de cnd l urmresc, after years and years of following it,
podul a-nceput s se vaite. the bridge has started to whine.
poate ceaa e prea grea, poate auzul meu s-a subiat att de maybe the mist lies too heavily, my hearing may have
mult weakened so much
nct aude cellalt mal prbuindu-se that it can hear the other bank collapsing
cu mult nainte de-a se prbui. long before it even collapsed.
sau poate a venit meterul i atunci e limpede. or maybe the master came and then all is crystal clear.
nu m mic, dar, atenie, picioarele au pornit. I dont move, but, beware, my feet have started off.
tropitul lor e mai rece i mai adnc dect trsnetul. their cold trample is colder and deeper than lightning.
de pe malul opus, cellalt a pornit i el. from the opposite bank, the other person has started off, too.
apele s-au ridicat cu pod cu tot i l-au fcut frme. the waters rose along with the bridge and made it all crumbles.
June 2015
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abia acum cine trece trece cu adevrat: only now those who cross over shall do so for real:
fr s trebuiasc s dea cuiva seam without the need to explain themselves to someone
i fr s lase vreun semn c-a plecat. and without any sign indicating their departure.
Translated by Anca Romete
June 2015
39
nu-mi amintesc deloc de vremea cnd I don't remember at all when

m-a nscut dar I was born but
din grab m-a nscut drept n lumea cealalt. it was out of haste that I was born straight in the other world.
acum se strduiete s par viu, s sufr mai puin, now it strives to make me look alive, to suffer less,
ngrmdete-n jurul meu mobil i durere, it clutters around me furniture and pain,
perei de moloz care sper ea s m-mbrace-ntr-o zi, debris walls which it hopes might cover me one day,
ca s par i eu din lumea asta. so I could look part of this world.
nu mai tremur acum cu pielea dar tremur acum I no longer tremble with my skin, but I am trembling now
cu pereii i tremur de parc n-a avea with the walls, shaking as if I didn't have
dect o cma subire i ud lipit de spate. but a thin wet shirt on me, glued to my back.
i gazda mea a bgat i ea de seam and my host also noticed

c tremur, pentru c tremur cu pereii casei lui my trembling, since I tremble with the walls of his house,
i ntr-o zi o s m dea i de aici afar and one day he will kick me out of here, too,
pentru c sudoarea iese deja prin tencuial because my sweat already pours through the plaster
i iroiete-n ncperea lui. and streams now in his room.
dac a fi avut i speran, pivnia asta de la mansard, if I had had hope too, this dungeon in the loft,
pijamaua asta jilav din crmid i var, this wet pyjamas of bricks and lime,
de mult s-ar fi prbuit peste mine, zu aa. would have long collapsed over me, really.
June 2015
40
trebuie s chem un doctor, zu, I really must call for a doctor,

snt att de umed nct trebuiesc trecut prin foc. I am so wet that I must be passed through fire.
nu ntmpltor, ca s poat disprea, not by chance, so they could disappear,
grecii i-au inventat pe romani. the Greeks invented the Romans.
June 2015
41
cititor infidel, prietenul nostru s-a scufun- unfaithful reader, our friend has drown-
dat ntr-o nepsare doar vecin cu viaa. ed in a disinterest akin only to life.
la 36 de ani, nu e uor s admii at 36 years old, its not easy to admit
c tu i el v putei spune pe veci adio. that you and he can say goodbye for eternity.
dei vecina de jos spune c atunci cnd trage apa although the neighbour downstairs says that when she flushes the
curge snge. m rog, s-a mai ntmplat: toilet
am zcut odat o sptmn ntreag n-a tiut nimeni, blood pours. tell, it happened before:
sngele a btut la gazda mea n u once I lay an entire week in bed and nobody knew,
ntrebnd dac e voie, unghiile mele the blood knocked on my host's door
s-au nfipt n perei, aveam degete puternice, asking if its allowed, my nails
mi vrsem unghiile-n palme, s nu ias, dar s-au stuck in the walls, I had strong fingers,
nfipt n palme i din palme n perei, Id hid my nails in my palms lest they should go out, but they got
stuck in my palms and, from there on, in the walls,
i acum, ca i atunci, cititor infidel,
unghiile au intrat prin tencuial, and now, as then, unfaithful reader,
vecinul meu a tresrit, m-am chinuit o lun s le the nails went through the plaster,
smulg de acolo, dormisem prea mult, my neighbour flinched, I struggled for a month to
ntotdeauna dup o moarte ca asta pull them out of there, Id slept too much,
m culc devreme i dorm mult. always after a death like this
I go to bed early and sleep a lot.
June 2015
42
n-am s-i iert niciodat aceast infirmitate, I will never forget you for this infirmity,
acest deget pe care trebuie s-l ascund ndrtul creionului this finger that I'm supposed to hide behind the pencil
i care a crescut fr oprire zi de zi, m-a which grew up incessantly day after day, spied
pndit ani la rnd, m-a ascultat c-o sete oarb, on me for years, listened to me with a blind thirst,
a supt din mine frumuseea, adevrul i viaa. sucked out of me the beauty, the truth and the life.
acum schimb lemnul creionului de la o sptmn la alta. now I change the wood of the pencil weekly.
cioplesc trunchiuri tot mai groase, ca s pot ascunde I carve thicker and thicker trunks, so I can hide
degetul sta care crete nemilos mpotriv-mi, this finger that grows up ruthlessly against me,
tot mai gros, mai amenintor. thicker and more menacing.
i poate ntr-o zi mna n-are s mai poat ine and one day the hand may not be able to hold
scndura uria ndrtul creia va trebui s-l ascund the giant plank behind which I'll have to hide it
i atunci ndjduiesc c se va prbui peste el i-l va and then I hope it will collapse over it and it will
sugruma i sper atunci s-l aud sufocndu-se, strangle it and I hope to hear it then choking,
s-i vd sngele cum sare de sub unghie ca dintr-o gur cscat, see its blood squirting from under the nail as if from a gaping
mrturisind c el era adevratul tu nti nscut. mouth,
confessing that it was the true first born.
June 2015
43
eu acum vorbesc de sub unghii. Im now talking from under the nails.
ele au crescut deja they have already grown
nemsurat de mari, poate mai mari dect capacele de la sicrie. inordinately long, even longer than coffins' lids.
precis au intrat iar prin pereii vecinului, poate c l they must have gone through the neighbour's walls again,
acoper i pe el acum, de acum chiar c-mi maybe they
va fi cu neputin s m mai rog, s-mi cover him too, now, so it will be truly
mpreunez mcar minile, de ce m trezeti impossible for me to pray any longer, to
att de devreme? abia am murit. bring my hands one in another, why do you wake me up
eram att de ostenit asear. so early? I have just died.
I was so exhausted last night.
June 2015
44
trebuie s fi rs mult asear, I must have laughed a lot last night,

pentru c diminea because in the morning
aveam gura plin de snge. i toat ziua de azi my mouth was full of blood. and all day long
mi-a mers neobinuit de bine, all went unusually well for me,
cu doar rare presimiri i cu o mare poft de via, with only rare hunches and a great appetite for life,
cum de puine ori am avut. as only rarely Ive ever had.
firete, la un moment dat mi s-a prut i mie c aud of course, at a certain point it seemed to me that I heard
n btaia inimii o oarecare delsare, in the beat of my heart a certain laxity,
dar o delsare meritat, ca dup un rzboi ctigat. but one well deserved, as after a won war.
asta mi-a fcut mare bine, s ne odihnim n sfrit amndoi, this did me great good, so let's finally both rest,
inima mea i cu mine. my heart and I.
i n ziua asta am avut n plus i norocul this day, too, I also had the luck
unei iubiri neateptate, pe care n-a mai trebuit s o ctig. of an unexpected love, which I no longer had to win.
i prietenii mei au fost i ei nemsurat de ateni i deschii. my friends, too, were extremely attentive and open-minded.
n-a fi crezut c am atia prieteni, atta noroc ntr-o I wouldn't have believed that I had so many friends, such good
singur zi la o singur mas. luck in
one single day at one single table.
June 2015
45
nu tiu, zu, poate ar fi trebuit s fiu din clipa aceea I don't know, really, maybe I shouldve been from that moment on
ceva mai atent, poate ar fi trebuit s am mai mult grij. a bit more attentive, maybe I shouldve been more careful.
pentru c n-am mai avut de a face cu asta. and that is because Ive never had to deal with something like this.
poate n-ar fi trebuit s rd atta, poate ar fi trebuit s pun maybe I shouldn't have laughed so, maybe I shouldve put
ivrul la u i s-nchid fereastra. the lock on the door and closed the window.
June 2015
46
popescu. o privire spre viitor... popescu, a look into the future...
ntr-o zi vei fi nume de strad, popescu, one day your name will be given to a street, popescu,
i nu cred c-o s-i convin s te calce and I don't think you'll like being trampled
toi n picioare atunci. ba poate on by everyone. or maybe,
vor face pe strada cu numele tu o pia de alimente, popescu, theyll build a market on the street with your name, popescu,
or s arunce pe jos legume i resturi stricate, le vor and throw down vegetables and rotten debris, they will
strivi sub tlpi toat ziua, zeama lor acr crunch them under their feet all day long, their sour juice
are s se scurg prin asfaltul cu numele tu will be pouring on the concrete bearing your name
i nu cred c i va conveni, popescu. and I don't think you'll like it much, popescu.
ba poate vor ncepe s sape o linie de metrou, or maybe they will start digging for a subway line,
o vor trage adnc prin inima ta, de-a lungul they will thrust it right through your heart, all along
irei spinrii, pn nspre calea vcreti. the spine, up to vcreti street.
mai mult: or s i se uureze igncile pe garduri, more than that: gipsy women will pee on your fences,
or s te-njure oferii omerii docherii gunoierii the drivers, those on dole, the dockers, the dustmen will cuss
cnd se vor mpletici pe strada ta. or s scuipe noaptea peste tot. when theyll wobble on your street. theyll spit all over at night.
cnd vei fi nume de strad, popescu, n pmntul tu when you'll be a street name, popescu, in your own land,
vor ncepe s-i ngroape propriii mori. cine se va gndi they will start burying their own dead. who will think
c scobesc n tine ca s-i fac loc celui plecat? that they carve inside you in order to make place for the one
June 2015
47
who's just died?

iar dac va fi cutremur, nchipuie-i ce jale i ce
neodihn i de cte ori vor scormoni n tine and if there will be an earthquake, imagine what grief and what
i ct vor blestema pmntul cu numele tu, zu, lack of sleep, and how many times they will dig into you
nu tiu pentru ce ne chinuim atta s ajungem and how much they will curse the land with your name, really,
nume de strzi pentru alii, popescu. I don't know why we struggle so much to end up
street names for others, popescu.
June 2015
48
m-am ferit de ea de parc, fugind, I avoided it as if, by running,

a fi putut scpa. I could have got away.
dar i-am cunoscut pereii copi de ur ca de o igrasie strveche but I knew its walls ripe with the hate of an ancient dampness
i tavanele mustind i duumeaua cutremurndu-se de ur and the ceilings leaking and the floor quaking with hatred
i vecinii pndind pe la ferestre, s vad ce se mai ntmpl la and the neighbours lurking at the windows, to see what happens
noi. in our house.
patru generaii au urt aici continuu, nimeni nu i-a scpat. four generations have hated in here incessantly, no one escaped it.
la noi n cas, ura ine i acum loc de icoane, at our house, hatred acts like a replacement for icons,
de mncare i de butur. fr ur, food and beverage. without hatred,
duminica se scurge tulbure ca leia. Sunday pours over as turbid as lye.
la nceput n-a fost, poate, dect ura celui in the beginning it was, maybe, just the hatred of one
lipsit de dragoste, dar mai apoi, la cei ce au urmat, deprived of love, but later, for those that followed,
a devenit o ur fireasc, un it became a natural hatred, a
sentiment al casei, titlul nostru de noblee homely feeling, our title of nobility
i de la o vreme nimeni dintre-ai notri nu i-a mai luat tovar and for some time now none of us has taken any comrade
dect pe acela pe care-l putea ur cel mai mult. but the one that he or she could hate the most.
seara, mai ales, cnd sfritul e-aproape, especially at night, when the ending is close,
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ura se cuibrete n hainele pentru somn, snger n aternut, hatred nestles in its bedtime garments, bleeds between the sheets,
toat noaptea ne rsucim de pe o parte pe alta all night we turn from one side to the other
cu ochii int n ntuneric la patul celuilalt. with our eyes focused in the dark to the other's bed.
copiii au nvat deja i ei asta, tiu c nimeni nu doarme, the children have already learned it, know that nobody sleeps,
ascult cu timpanele bulbucate de ncordare cum se trie ura, listen with their eardrums swollen by strain how the hatred
cu zgomot de pianjen greoi, de la un pat la cellalt. crawls,
acum se nghesuie unul n altul i se cutremur i dinspre ei with the noise of a heavy spider, from one bed to another.
vine un proaspt miros de jilveal ngheat. now it packs one into another and quakes, and from them
here comes a fresh smell of frozen dampness.
asta ns doar cteva luni, doi-trei ani cel mult, dup care
sngele lor this nonetheless only for a few months, two-three years at most,
se ntunec i ura coboar n ei o trufie mohort after which their blood
i atunci i recunoatem drept ai notri. gets darker and the hatred sends down into them a somber conceit
and then we recognize them as being of our kind.
cnd m-au nscut, m-au nscut pentru asta:
s duc ura mai departe, s o arunc n copii when I was born, I was born for this:
eu nu contez, nici unul din noi nu conteaz, to take the hatred further, to throw it into children -
conteaz doar ura pe care o trecem dintr-unul n altul. I do not matter, none of us matters,
only the hatred we pass on from one to the other matters.
ne nsurm din ur. facem copii din ur.
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ei trebuie s urasc la rndu-le, pentru c, altfel, we marry out of hatred. we make children out of hatred.
motenirea noastr de mai bine de o sut de ani se duce de rp. they must hate in their turn, because otherwise,
our more than a century-long heritage will go to waste.
i dac n-am ur noi, care suntem pregtii de mici pentru asta,
ea s-ar mprtia printre voi i trebuie s fim foarte ateni, and if we were not to hate, those prepared for it since childhood,
pentru c pe voi dozele noastre obinuite v-ar ucide, it would spread among you and we must be very careful,
dei nimeni nu poate fi sigur c viaa because our regular doses may kill you,
e doar viaa. although nobody can be sure that life
is just life.
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peste drum de crma over the road there is a tavern

unde stau i beau where I sit and drink
e biserica. eu i printele ne pndim de muli ani. it's the church. the priest and I have been spying on one another
a vrea s-l slujesc i eu pe dumnezeu dar mi-e team. for many years.
ar vrea i el s bea cu mine dar n-are curajul. I would like to be in god's service but I am afraid.
he would like to drink with me but he lacks the courage.
atunci ridic nspre mine crucea cu mnie
i m amenin i atunci ridic i eu nspre el and then he raises the cross to me with anger
halba cu bere i-l amenin and threatens me and then I raise the beer mug
i bat furios din picioare i se mnie i el in his direction and threaten him
i d ndrtul ferestrelor din picioare i mini. and furiously tap my feet and then he gets angry
and moves his legs and arms chaotically.
poate nu ar trebui s vin duminica la birt
chiar de la apte dimineaa, el i ncepe maybe I shouldn't come to the tavern on Sunday
slujba la nou. dar la apte, exact la apte at seven a.m. on the dot, he begins
se furieaz i el n altar i ncepem s ne facem semne. his sermon at nine. but at seven, precisely at seven
he sneaks into the altar, too, and we begin to signal each other.
dou ceasuri ne pndim fr-ncetare. cnd ncepe slujba
nu mai e acelai om: le spune alor lui for two hours we watch one another incessantly. when the
vorbe ntortocheate, salt vocea, greete predica, se ntrerupe sermon begins
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i n tot rstimpul sta d de mai multe ori fuga-n altar, he is not the same person: he tells to his sort
ridic perdelele, m caut i ncepe s dnuiasc jumbled words, raises his voice, makes a mess out of the
i bate cu crucea-ndrcit ctre mine. sermon, interrupts himself
and meanwhile runs into the altar several times
amenin gata s sparg ferestrele. raises the curtains, looks for me, starts dancing
i eu m nfurii atunci i mai grozav i ridic and furiously beats the cross at me.
halba de bere mai sus i el iar fuge dincolo i le vorbete
credincioilor, dar nu rezist prea mult, i zice he threatens, ready to blow up the windows.
predica prea degrab, se grbete s se descotoroseasc and then I get even madder and raise
de ei mai devreme, s poat reveni la fereastr. the beer mug even higher and he runs into the adjoining room
and speaks
probabil i n predic vorbete tot de mine i pcatul meu. to the church-goers, but does not last for long, he delivers
aa cum eu alor mei le vorbesc n birt mereu de el. his sermon too hastily, he hurries so he can get rid of
ntr-o zi vom intra n biseric, cu cpnile plecate, of them earlier, so he can go back to the window.
toi noi tia luai de soart i dai peste cap
i printele o s ne ierte i-o s ne dea binecuvntarea. he may very well be talking in the sermon about me and my sin.
just as I always talk to my people in the tavern about him.
o s facem atunci un chef pe cinste, printe, one day we will enter the church, with our heads bent down,
ntotdeauna pltesc eu, poi bea linitit, all of us who were relegated by fate and turned upside down
noi n-avem cui te pr. i dup aia o s ne mutm s bem la tine, and the priest will forgive us and give us his blessing.
o s fie duminic seara trziu, n-o s ne vad nimeni.
June 2015
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we will have such a drinking bout, father,

dar nceteaz s m mai amenini, mi-e acum att de fric I am always the one to pay, you can drink in peace,
de cei ce m amenin cu viaa venic, printe. cause we have no one to tell on you. and then well go to your
place to drink,
it will be late Sunday night, no one will see us.
but stop threatening me, I am so scared now

of those that threaten me with long lasting life, father.
June 2015
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nu m pot ruga dect cutremurat de oroare. only shuddering with horror, can I pray.
pentru asta for that
m ascund i acum n pivni, n ntunericul ei putred i gras. even today in the cellar I hide, in its putrid, greasy darkness.
dar m rog mai uor acum, ca i cum m-a pregti de un mare yet, praying comes easier these days, as if getting ready for a
adio. big adieu.
nu s-a ntmplat mereu aa. pe vremuri, ca s-mi pot ine things havent always been that way, in days of yore
minile mpreunate am fost silit s le leg de cu sear. I had to tie my hands together on the eve.
le ineam nnodate sub plapum ntreaga noapte. dimineaa I used to keep them tight under the blanket all night. by morning
degetele atrnau vinete de strnsoare ca limbile spnzurailor. fingers dangled clenched-blue like the tongues of the hanged.
atunci coboram. auzeam n pivni, n pmntul ei ud, then I went down. I could hear in the cellar, in its damp ground,
cum m vait dedesubt, mi astupam gura cu crpe, era prea my wailing underneath, I would stifle my mouth with rags, it
diminea; dar nu eu m vitam, se vita cel dedesubt, was much too
era acolo, sub tlpi, eram din nou mpreun cu mine. early; but it wasnt me wailing, but the one underneath,
he was there, under my soles, I was reunited with myself.
puteam ncepe. cdeam n genunchi, pe plmnii mei, dedesubt.
m rugam numai cu unghiile. niciodat able to begin. I fell down on my knees, my lungs, down below.
n-am mai fost att de fericit ca atunci I prayed with my nails only. never
cnd m-am gsit fr suflare sub genunchii mei. have I been as happy
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as when I found myself lifeless underneath my knees.

nici acum nu m pot ruga dect cutremurat de oroare.
oricine, dac se roag, se roag numai cutremurat de oroare, even today, only shuddering with horror can I pray.
noi toi ne rugm numai cutremurai de oroare. anyone, when praying, only does it shuddering with horror,
artai-mi, dac nu-i aa, un rugtor senin. we all pray only shuddering with horror.
show me, if otherwise, a serene-praying worshipper.
m rog cu adevrat i azi doar cutremurat de oroare.
dar astzi, cnd m leg, m leg degeaba: even today I sincerely pray only shuddering with horror.
curelele au devenit mai groase ca minile, minile s-au subiat i but today, when I tie myself up, I do it to no avail:
au slbit. the straps have become thicker than hands, as my hands grew
nu le mai leg: stau ceasuri ntregi la taclale una cu alta. thinner, fleshless.
poate a-nceput sfritul, n sfrit. no need to tie them up: they chitchat for hours on end.
maybe the end has begun, at last.
doar c i azi drdi de oroare cnd trebuie s m rog.
i m rog tot mai greu, simurile s-au tocit but even today I still shudder with horror when I pray.
trebuiesc pedepsite cu nmiit asprime and praying comes forever harder, senses have worn out
ca s ias din toropeal, s prind suflul ororii, they need punishing with thousand-fold harshness
pentru rugciunea de antracit, to be pulled out of sleep, to grasp the breath of horror,
for the hard coal prayer,
singura rugciune neierttoare, singura pentru care am hotrt
s merg pn la capt. dac n-am hotrt eu, atunci nu tiu cine. the sole unforgiving prayer, the one that made me decide
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cutremurat de oroare, m rog n pivni, cu genunchii apsai. to go all the way. if I didnt decide, I dont know who did.
jumtate sunt jos, sugrumat sub genunchi, aa cred, shuddering with horror, I pray in the cellar, with stomped knees.
jumtate sunt deasupra, singur, cu mine. I am half down, choked underneath my knees, or so I believe,
I am half aloft, alone, with myself.
Translated by lect. dr. Alina Barbu
June 2015
57
vei nelege: you will understand:

noaptea suie deasupra casei un the night lifts up over the house a
soare rece, uciga, lumina lui vnt cade cu rafale de grindin cold, killer sun, its livid light falling along with blasts of hail
peste acoperi, o auzim numai noi, o vedem numai noi, over the rooftop, only we can hear it, only we can see it,
altfel de ce crezi c ieim n fiecare diminea otherwise, why do you think we go out every morning
pe drum cltinndu-ne i cu ochii halucinai, wobbling on the road, with hallucinating eyes,
cu cearcne mari ct cearafurile? and dark circles as big as sheets?
sau crezi c bem tot timpul? bem toi, noapte de noapte? asta se or you may think we drink all the time? we all drink, night by
zvonete-n sat despre familia noastr? de asta se night? is this what's been spreading around about our family?
uotete mereu pe la coluri? is this why there is always whispering at the corners?
de asta suntem ocolii? is this the reason for us always being avoided?
June 2015
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nu tiu ce l-a apucat pe tatl meu I fail to grasp what was my dads idea
s-njuge boii la car when he yoked the oxen to the cart
la doipe noaptea, s m trezeasc i s-mi spun hai. at midnight, he woke me and said come along.
eu dup ce mor dorm somnuri lungi. unde, am zis, I, after I die, take longs naps. whereto, I said,
a zis: la omcuta mare. ce putea s-l mne pe el he said: to omcuta mare. what was it that urged him
n miez de noapte tocmai la omcuta mare, to set off to omcuta mare in the dead of night,
la atta drum de satul nostru? i de ce s nu ia so far away from our village? and why not take
autobuzul, dimineaa la ase, de ce s umblm the bus, at six in the morning, why wander
patru ceasuri ncolo, patru ceasuri ncoace for four hours, to and fro,
cu mersul moale i greoi al boilor notri? in the soft, stodgy pace of our oxen?
dac-i pe-aa, n-o s m mai prindei acas de-acum prea devreme, then have it this way, I shant be home too early too soon,
n-o s m trezesc n miez de noapte pentru o nebunie ca asta. I shant wake up in the dead of night to such madness.
i-atunci se apropie ea i zice: scoal, dragul mamei, tatl tu and then she draws near and says: rise and shine, dear boy, your dad
tocmai pleac s te-aduc de la omcuta, is just leaving for omcuta to get you home,
du-te s-l ajui s te ridice, go help him lift you up,
de trei zile zaci acolo fr suflare. for three days youve been lying there lifeless.
i abia de-au ajuns s ne dea de tire ast sear, and they barely broke the news to us last night,
dragul nostru. dear boy.
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el cltorea nainte i numai el he travelled ahead, and only he
vedea ntunericul. noi ceilali could see the darkness. we, the rest,
nici n-am privit vreodat mai departe havent ever even looked further
de clciele lui. ne fusese destul s vedem from his heels. we had had enough seeing
trandafirul urmei sale pe nisip. the rose of his trail in the sand.
nu l-am ntrebat niciodat unde ne ducem dei never did I ask him whereto although
doar el tia ncotro sunt plajele, marea sau only he knew where the beaches were, and the sea or
ce trebuia s se afle la capt. what supposedly lied ahead.
n-a vorbit nimnui niciodat. acum never did he speak to anyone. now
sparge timpanele muenia lui. his muteness breaks the ear drums.
trezii-v, geme careva, a wake up, someone is groaning, the

murit cluza dar noi nu. scout is dead but we are not.
la ce ne-am trezi i cu ce-am mai rmne wake up for what, and what would we be left with
dac ne-am trezi n ntregime? if fully awoken?
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viaa de-o zi life of a single day
12 octombrie 1976 October 12th, 1976
de patru generaii, n dosul casei noastre curge for four generations, there is a river with blackened blood
un pru cu snge ntunecat. flowing from behind our house.
de ani i ani, tatl meu l acoper cu paie i frunze over the years my dads been covering it with straw and leaves
s nu afle vecinii. i tatl lui l acoperea i el cu paie i frunze lest the neighbours should find out. his dad also covered it with
i poate c va fi rndul meu s-l acopr curnd, straw and leaves
pentru c nu-i bine s afle vecinii ce curge acolo. maybe it will be my turn to cover it soon,
because its not good for the neighbours to find out what flows
primvara ne facem i noi c arm i semnm, over there.
ca s par c sntem n rnd cu lumea.
toamna ne facem c strngem i noi roade, in spring we pretend to plough and till,
ca s semnm cu ceilali, s nu se bage de seam, so that we can seem just like everybody else.
dar de fapt nu facem dect s ateptm, s in autumn we pretend to gather the harvest,
pndim cine vine la rnd, unul din noi so that we can look like the others, and not attract attention,
sigur vine la rnd. but we were actually waiting,
spying on who was next, one of us
ne petrecem ziua urndu-l pe cel care va scpa, was certain to take his turn.
dei cine scap scap doar pn la o dat urmtoare.
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n timpul sta, pe pru se scurge o uvi de we spend our days hating the one who will get free,
snge ntunecat, l acoperim de ani i ani cu paie i frunze, although the one to escape is free only until next time.
nu-i bine s afle vecinii ce curge acolo, meanwhile, there is a trickle of dark blood flowing on the river,
trebuie s prem i noi n rnd cu lumea. weve been covering it for years with straw and leaves,
its not good for neighbours to find out what flows over there,
we have to keep up with the Joneses.
Translated by Flavia Hemcinschi
June 2015
62
12 octombrie 1992 October 12th, 1992
m ntorc acas dup ani i ani de umblat prin bucureti I come back home after years of going through Bucharest
i m ntorc cu o plas goal n mn and I return with an empty bag in my hand
i iese ea la poart i mi zice pi, and she shows herself at the gate and tells me well,
dragul nostru, parc ai zis c mergi la ctig dear, I thought you were going for the cash
parc ziceai c tu, n doi ani, o s ctigi ct alii n patru didnt you say in two years time youd win as much as others in
i uite c acum n-aduci nimic. four
and look, now you dont bring anything.
ba, uite, dragilor, chiar nimic am ctigat.
i aduc atta nimic acas ct n-a putut aduna on the contrary, my dears, I did really win nothing
nimeni n tia doi ani. and I bring back home so much nothing as could gather
nici n-am putut cra de unul singur atta nobody in these two years.
nimic ct am ctigat. I couldnt either carry all by myself so much
nothing as I won.
n urma mea vin carele-ncrcate cu nimic,
gata s se rup sub greutate. there are carriages filled with nothing coming behind me,
cnd or s se dearte toate-n curtea noastr, ready to burst because of their heaviness.
nimeni n-o s aib atta nimic ca i noi. when Ill unload all of them in our yard,
nobody will have as much nothing as we have.
ntr-un an, doi, o s fie mai cutat dect aurul.
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o s vindem din el numai cnd va fi la mare pre. in a year or two it will be more sought-for than gold.
fii siguri, dragilor, atta nimic n-are nimeni. well sell it only when it has a high price.
doi ani am tot adunat numai cu gndul la voi. be sure of it, my dears, nobody has so much nothing.
for two years I have been gathering while thinking of you.
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banchetul the banquet
aa a fost mereu n casa noastr: thats how it has always been in our home:
trei paturi prin care trebuiau s treac there were three beds meant for everybody to pass
pe rnd toi. i fiecare, vreme de generaii, a in turns. and each of us, every generation, has
urmat acest traseu i asta a devenit cu timpul lege followed this route and this has become in time a law
i pe asta s-a ntemeiat casa noastr. on which our house was grounded.
noi sntem ultimii nscui. celor nou nscui we are the last to be born. those new born
li s-a menit s ad-n colul luminos al ncperii. were meant to sit in the lit corner of the room.
sntem prea proaspei pe lume ca s nelegem we are too young for this world to understand
c n casa asta mai snt i alii. lumea noastr there are also others in this house. our world
e doar patul luminat de sub fereastr. is just the lit bed from under the window.
trec ani buni pn bgm de seam c prinii many years pass until we realize that our parents
stau i ei aici, dar ntr-un alt pat, mai ndeprtat, also live here, but stay in a different, far-off bed,
la care lumina ajunge cu mult mai greu. that the light reaches much harder.
ei fac mai puin zgomot, se mic mult mai ncet dect noi. they are less noisy, they move much slower than we do.
dar trec ani buni pn s nelegem asta. but many years pass until we understand this.
i ntr-o zi descoperim c dincolo de ei, and one day we discover that apart from them,
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n colul cel mai ntunecat al ncperii, e un al treilea pat in the darkest corner of the room, there is a third bed
i cnd aflm ncetm s mai rdem when we find out, we give up laughing
noi credeam c acolo, n umbr, se termin ntreaga lume we believe there, in the shadows, the entire world ends
i acum gsim c cineva sufl acolo i nimeni nu-l ia n seam, and now we think there is someone breathing there and nobody
pays attention to them,
mi se spune doar: acolo este btrnul casei, este tatl tuturor.
deci acolo este un tat, deci colul acela exist, mi spun. we are just being told: the old man of the house is there, he is
apoi ne obinuim i uitm i doar noaptea the father of all.
l auzim pe cel din col cum gfie neplcut so there is a father over there, so that corner exists, I tell myself.
dracul l-a pus n aceeai ncpere cu noi. then we get used to it and forget and it is only at night
that we hear the guy in the corner panting unpleasantly
mi locuiesc nc patul de lng fereastr dar nu mai rd the devil placed him in the same room with us.
de cel care gfie n colul opus.
n sinea mea cred c n chip voit nu ne e artat. I still lie in my bed near the window yet I no longer laugh
i cnd este scos ntr-o zi afar, e scos din ncpere cu umbr cu tot at the guy panting in the opposite corner.
i pentru noi rmne un mare necunoscut. deep in my heart I believe he is purposely not shown to us.
mi se d voie doar s pipi scndura nou a sicriului. and when he is taken out one day, he is taken out of the room
shadow and all
n schimb, tatl meu, din patul al doilea, trece and he remains for us a complete stranger.
cu umbr cu tot n patul celui plecat, I am only allowed to touch the new plank of the coffin.
eu trec n patul lui, o carne tnr ocup patul meu dinainte.
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yet, my father, from the second bed, goes

dar totul se petrece ncet i dintr-un pat n altul with his shadow into the bed of the dead man,
se trece dup mult ateptare, I go into fathers bed, young flesh takes over my former bed.
a ctiga urmtorul pat e urmarea unei btlii grozave,
a unei ncletri lungi i ascunse. but everything happens slowly and one goes from one bed
to the other after a long waiting,
cei din primul pat tnjesc deja la al doilea, se winning the next bed is the consequence of a mighty battle,
vede asta n ochii lor, eu nsumi m simt of a long and secret fight.
mnat noaptea de-o rvn grozav s-i iau locul
celui din al treilea pat, care gfie acum those in the first bed already long for the second,
tot mai neplcut n colul lui ntunecat. one can see that in their eyes, I myself feel
driven at night by a strong drive to take the place of the guy
i, ntr-o zi, patul al treilea este iar uurat i in the third bed, who is now panting
cel de acolo e scos afar i bine vrt ever more unpleasant in his dark corner.
n patul al patrulea, peste care se pune capac,
ca nu cumva s se ntoarc, pentru c patul lui a i fost ocupat and one day the third bed is again freed and
i n patul al doilea s-au i npustit ceilali the guy lying in it is taken outside and well placed
i n primul pat se aud oaspei noi in the fourth bed, over which they place a lid,
care nc nu aud cum cineva ncepe s gfie-n patul din fund lest he should return, because his bed has already been taken over
i acela-s chiar. and the others have already rushed towards the second bed
and one can hear new guests in the first bed
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i-n clipa-aceea ziua pru a se-ntei. who still dont hear somebody starting to pant in the corner bed
and I am the one doing that.
in that moment the day began to move faster.
June 2015
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cu aceti ochi, cu care n-am vzut these eyes, with which I havent seen
niciodat la mai mult de-un metru deprtare, more than a meter away,
adulmec lumina ca pe un lucru strin I sense the light as if it were a foreign
i pe cale de dispariie, and endangered thing,
carne peste carne n carne sub carne, flesh over flesh in flesh under flesh,
i cred c abia acum ncep s o vd bine, and I think that it is only now that I begin to see it well,
abia acum se ncheag ea ca lumea, only now is it binding as well as it should be,
o past mai groas ca metalul i mai grea ca apa, a matter thicker than metal and heavier than water,
altfel cum s-ar scufunda la aa adncimi? otherwise how could it sink to such great depths?
dar ce ochi mai limpede ca al meu vede lumina n sine, but what eye clearer than mine sees the light in itself,
cu venele ei negre gata s plesneasc, with its black veins ready to burst,
mai tulbure ca o placent aruncat la gunoi, darker than a placenta thrown in the garbage,
mai grea ca mercurul cnd fat icnind heavier than mercury when it explodes
i-atunci cnd o vede, care ochi trebluiete and upon seeing it, what eyes will rotate
n jurul ei ca n jurul unei cldri cu asfalt? around it as if around an asphalt bucket?
cu un ochi ca al meu nu vezi lumina luminnd, with an eye such as mine you cant see the light burning
n schimb i vezi alctuirea bolnav, instead you see its shabby structure,
June 2015
69
greutatea mai grea ca a ntunericului. its weight heavier than that of darkness.
doar prin ochiul chior i prost vezi lumina pe care n-o vezi, only through the blind and useless eye, you see the unseen light,
lumina care putrezete duminica prin ogrzi, the light which rots on Sundays in the yards,
prea ostenit ca s dispar, too tired to go away,
ochiul srmos i scurt care se scurge dup ea the tiny wiry eye flowing after the light
vede ce ochiul vztor n-a vzut vreodat, sees what the seeing eye has never seen,
nu materia e grea, ci lumina care o apas, its not the matter which is heavy, but the light pressing it,
o vd numai ochii care se stric, the eyes that break down are the only ones to see it,
cine vede doar lumina nu o vede. who only sees the light does not see it.
cine n-o vede ns o adun n butoaie mari, yet who does not see it gathers it in big barrels,
peste care pune brusturi i pietre over which they place burdock and stones
i o conserv cu anii, pn se las la fund and keep it over the years, until it accumulates at the bottom
i se ntrete ca saczul. and hardens like rosin.
ntr-o zi, n telescoapele astronomilor, one day, in the astronomers telescopes
va arta ca un ulei ntunecat i gros, it will look like a dark and thick oil,
cu care se vor unge pe tot trupul. which they will use to rub their bodies.
i poate atunci ochiul, care face and maybe then the eye, which only brings
doar deservicii vederii, va disprea. bad luck to sight, will disappear.
June 2015
70
cnd va vedea cu pielea, omul nu va mai fi om, when he sees with the skin, man will no longer be man
iar religia retinei va fi disprut de mult. and the religion of retina will have long disappeared.
dumnezeu, atta ct exist, nu rezist la vedere, as long as god exists, he cant be seen with sight
dar atunci nu ne va mai scpa. but then he wont get away from us anymore.
el face parte din lumina pe care he is part of the light that

ochiul obinuit nu o vede, the usual eye cant see,
dar o vede ochiul meu aproape orb. yet which my almost blind eyes sees.
de la lumin n sus, lucrurile devin tot mai grele from light upwards, things become harder and harder
i urcnd nu te mai poi ntoarce. and while you go up, you cant go down anymore.
marea greutate e chiar uorul, the great difficulty is in fact the easiness,
cnd te ridici, devii greul celeilalte lumi, upon rising, you become the heaviness of the other world,
te prbueti n invizibil ca un sac cu bolovani. you crash in nothingness like a bag full of boulders.
omul se face greu pe lumea cealalt man becomes heavy in the other world
din cauza luminii: lumina venoas, because of the light: the venous light
marii carpai luminoi de sub stern, the great luminous Carpathians from under the chest,
luminile sumbre care-i umfl oasele. the sombre lights which thicken his bones.
cine-a zis c omul nu-i lumin? who said man is not light?
ba chiar c-n nevzut omu-i lumin, truly man is light in the unseen,
un cheag de lumini bolnave foarte. a clot of lights, very weak ones.
June 2015
71
puine vor fi lucrurile pe care few will be the things which

din cauza luminii nu le-am vzut, we havent seen because of the light,
dar asta numai pentru c lumina nu ajut la vedere this is only because light does not help us see
i oricum eu am vederea slab and anyway I have a bad eyesight
i prin ochelarii mei de cal and through my limited glasses
vd mai degrab lumina neluminoas. I rather see the unluminous light.
iar cnd carnea va orbi, au s vad and when the flesh will turn blind, they will also see
i lumina crnoas din pricina creia putrezim. the fleshy light because of which we rot.
June 2015

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eZine

ISSN 1842-9149 Issue Editor

For comments or suggestions, please contact the publisher lidia.vianu@g.unibuc.ro

Poems by Translated into English by

ioan es pop MTTLC graduate students

Beatrice Ahmad, Alina Barbu,

Translated by Beatrice Ahmad

cnd eram mic, when I was small,

i toamna s m trezesc tot nedormit and to wake up in autumn still sleepless

i primvara s fiu primul pe care and in spring I am the first one

Translated by Beatrice Ahmad

poate n-ar fi ru ca mine diminea it might be best if tomorrow morning

aa c poi s dormi ct pofteti. so you can sleep to your hearts content.

Translated by Mdlina Bnucu

ne-am bulucit din bun-dimineaa we flocked early in the morning

ne-am pregtit de sptmni ntregi we prepared for whole weeks

am strmutat lng osea cu-ncetul we moved by the roadway little by little

de asta, cnd am revenit acas, this is why, when we returned home,

le salutm redeteptnd sperana we greet them, reawakening the hope

Translated by Izabela Vae

i cu ct e carnea mai mult, and the more meat there is,

Translated by Izabela Vae

poate c n-a fi murit. poate maybe I wouldn't have died. maybe

Translated by Izabela Vae

am tot ateptat tramvaiul 56 I had waited for tram 56

venea cu o vitez nemaipomenit it was approaching with an incredible speed

numai c nu aprea de niciunde only that it wasn't coming into sight

Translated by Izabela Vae

Translated by Izabela Vae

toi pe la casele noastre, aa c nainte all of us to our homes, so before

Translated by Mdlina Bnucu

Translated by Izabela Vae

pe vremea cnd era spurcat de alcooluri, when it was fouled by alcohol,

cum drdi vlguit i m ascund. how I shiver weakened and hide.

m descompun ncet, la foc mic, I decompose slowly, simmering,

un soi de pop n pntecele cruia a sort of priest in whose belly

Translated by Mdlina Bnucu

pantelimon 113 bis pantelimon 113 bis

la cinci dup-amiaza, at five in the afternoon,

Translated by Mdlina Bnucu

i-am spus s te fereti de diminei, I told you to be wary of mornings,

Translated by Mdlina Bnucu

prbuindu-se n el o sumedenie de ini mpcai, a lot of contented guys collapsing in it,

Translated by Anca Romete

nu-mi amintesc deloc de vremea cnd I don't remember at all when

i gazda mea a bgat i ea de seam and my host also noticed

trebuie s chem un doctor, zu, I really must call for a doctor,

Translated by Anca Romete

Translated by Anca Romete

Translated by Anca Romete

Translated by Anca Romete

trebuie s fi rs mult asear, I must have laughed a lot last night,

Translated by Anca Romete

popescu. o privire spre viitor... popescu, a look into the future...

who's just died?

Translated by Anca Romete

m-am ferit de ea de parc, fugind, I avoided it as if, by running,

Translated by Anca Romete

peste drum de crma over the road there is a tavern

we will have such a drinking bout, father,

but stop threatening me, I am so scared now

Translated by Anca Romete

as when I found myself lifeless underneath my knees.