Romanian Poetry

Until I get around to posting some pics of my plating successes (such as they are) I figured this would be a good time to post a selection from a blog entitled "Romanian Poetry". http://romanian-poetry.blogspot.com/

I don't often share poetry, but this is kind of martial and eclectic and I think is properly sung in a mead hall. I don't know if it suffers in translation, but if it has, it hasn't suffered much! For your enjoyment, I present

Nichita Stanescu




On horseback at dawn

Silence strikes the tree trunks, upon itself retracing,
turns to distance, turns to sand.
I have turned my only face toward the sun,
my shoulders scatter leaves in this racing.
Cutting through the field - up on two shoes
my horse leaps, steaming, from the clay.

Ave,
I am turning to you,
I, Ave!
The sun has burst across the heavens, crying.
Stone drums are sounding,

the sun grows,
the vault of heaven, alive with eagles, before him,
collapses into steps of air, and glows.
Silence turns to blue wind,

the spur of my shadow grows
in the ribs of the field.
The sun snaps the horizon in two.
The vault of heaven pulls down its dying prison cells.

Blue spears, with no returning,
I discard my visions, both of them
they meet him, sweet and grave.
My horse rises on two shoes.

Ave, tide of light, ave!
The sun ascends from objects, crying,
shakes the borders, voiceless and grave.

My soul meets Him,
Ave!
My horse rises on two shoes.
My pale mane burns on the wind.