Express Yourself

Who says they don’t like poetry, they have probably never read one single poem of Eminescu. Mihai Eminescu was the most remarkable poet who was born in Romania on January 15th, 1850 (174 years ago) and died at the age of 39 on June 15th, 1850. 

You will fall in love with poetry after you read one of his poems. Give it a shot (or three), or even more, read these poems, and don’t say you did not like them. Nobody will believe you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy these perfect poems!

And if… [Şi dacă…] 

And if the poplars do not sleep 

And scratch my window blind 

It is because I want to keep 

Your pretty face in mind.  //

And if the stars shine in the lake 

And make its bottom bright 

It is because, for old time’s sake, 

I need to see the light.  //

And if the clouds run from the sky 

And leave the moon up there  

It is because I’ll always sigh 

For you in my despair. 

Farewell   [Adio] 

I won’t be seeing you again, 

Farewell! I’m feeling blue 

Too bad I’ll have to live in pain 

Because of you.  //

From now on, do things your way, 

From now on, I am free 

Although I’m stunned that you today 

Are leaving me.  //

I’ll not be tempted anymore 

To take our love to Mars  

And to get drunk, as did before, 

With sparks of stars. //

So many times I froze in snow, 

In front of your small place 

Hoping that someday you will show 

Your pretty face.//

I was so happy and so thrilled 

To walk with you at night 

To watch the moon and to be filled 

With its pale light.  //

I didn’t want the time to flee 

Because we had much fun, 

I felt that no one else could be 

My precious one.  //

I paid attention to your chant 

That spelled my mind somehow, 

I’m trying hard, but yet I can’t 

Recall it now. //

But if such words would still prevail, 

All gathered in nice rhymes, 

They would be like a fairy tale 

From ancient times. //

And when the moon will show its cast 

And I shall be bereft, 

I’ll feel as if eons have passed 

Since you have left. //

I’ll never see it as I did 

That first night in the wood… 

Turning my back, to you I bid 

Farewell for good! 

Oh, mother… [O, mamă…] 

Oh, mother, dearest mother, although you passed away, 

Through all the leaves that tremble, you call me every day; 

Above your holy grave, the gentle autumn breeze 

Shakes off the withered boughs of the acacia trees, 

Which seem to hum along with your forgotten voice… 

You will be sleeping always, they always will rejoice.  //

The day I die, my darling, for me, please, do not cry 

Instead, break from the lime tree a twig scratching the sky 

And put it in the ground, somewhere beside my head, 

Then wet it at the roots with all the tears you’ll shed; 

And when it grows, its shadow will be just like a veil… 

I shall be sleeping always, its shadow will prevail.  //

But if we die together – it’s possible, who knows? – 

They shouldn’t put our bodies in graveyards to repose, 

But let them dig a hollow somewhere, on open land, 

And in a single coffin to put us, hand in hand; 

Forever you will settle your head upon my chest… 

We shall be sleeping always, the open land will rest.