M. Eminescu (his proper name was M. Eminovici - pron.: Eminovitch) is
regarded as the national poet of Romania. Born in Botosani he died at the age of 38 years in Bucharest, suffering from paralysis the last five years of his life. From 1869 to 1874 he studied philosophy in Vienna and Berlin, later on working as librarian, superintendent of elementary schools and newspaper editor. In his short life he could not realize so many of his literary drafts (poetries, stories, fairytales etc.). Only a small part of his work was published during his lifetime ("Poezii" 1883). He was most loved for his pieces dealing with nature, and love, and for his "lyric of thoughts ", deeply melancholy and full of "Weltschmerz" and longing for death. His lyric infact has a very proper and touching melody. As he had studied the german philosophers and poets, his work was influenced by them (Schopenhauer). He transferred several works of german poets like Friedrich Schiller into the Romanian language. In contrary e.g. to Sándor Petöfi, the great national poet of Hungary (see this site), Eminescu ran an academic education: Maybe this and the fact romanian poetry´s grammar being rather artificial and differing to a great extent from spoken or even written (prose) language is the cause these poems having a somewhat sophisticated touch. Nevertheless the lyric of Eminescu, is very popular and appreciated by the people - children learn it at school. We love his poetry since long knowing quite some of it by heart! The Lake (Lacul)
Water lilies load all over
The blue lake amid the woods, That imparts, while in white circles Startling, to a boat its moods.
And along the strands I'm passing
Listening, waiting, in unrest, That she from the reeds may issue And fall, gently, on my breast;
That we may jump in the little
Boat, while water's voices whelm All our feelings; that enchanted I may drop my oars and helm;
That all charmed we may be floating
While moon's kindly light surrounds Us, winds cause the reeds to rustle And the waving water sounds.
But she does not come; abandoned,
Vainly I endure and sigh Lonely, as the water lilies On the blue lake ever lie.
(Translated by Dimitrie Cuclin
One Wish Alone Have I (Mai am un singur dor)
One wish alone have I:
In some calm land Beside the sea to die; Upon its strand; That I forever sleep, The forest near, A heaven clear, Stretched over the peaceful deep. No candles shine, Nor tomb I need, instead Let them for me a bed Of twigs entwine.
That no one weeps my end,
Nor for me grieves, But let the autumn lend Tongues to the leaves, When brooklet ripples fall With murmuring sound, And moon is found Among the pine-trees tall, While softly rings The wind its trembling chime And over me the lime Its blossom flings.
As I will then no more
A wanderer be, Let them with fondness store My memory. And Lucifer the while, Above the pine. Good comrade mine, Will on me gently smile; In mournful mood, The sea sings sad refrain ... And I be earth again In solitude.
(Transl. by Corneliu M. Popescu)
And if...
And if the branches tap my pane
And the poplars whisper nightly, It is to make me dream again I hold you to me tightly.
And if the stars shine on the pond
And light its sombre shoal, It is to quench my mind's despond And flood with peace my soul.
And if the clouds their tresses part
And does the moon outblaze, It is but to remind my heart I long for you always.
(Transl. by Angela Clark, London, UK.)
Evening Star (Luceafărul)
There was, as in the fairy tales,
As ne'er in the time's raid, There was, of famous royal blood A most beautiful maid.
She was her parents' only child,
Bright like the sun at noon, Like the Virgin midst the saints And among stars the moon.
From the deep shadow of the vaults
Her step now she directs Toward a window; at its nook Bright Evening-star expects.
She looks as in the distant seas
He rises, darts his rays And leads the blackish, loaded ships On the wet, moving, ways.
To look at him every night
Her soul her instincts spur; And as he looks at her for weeks He falls in love with her.
And as on her elbows she leans
Her temple and her whim She feels in her heart and soul that She falls in love with him.
And ev'ry night his stormy flames
More stormily renew When in the shadow of the castle She shows to his bright view.
The Poetry Of Rainer Maria Rilke: "Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers."
The Poetry Of Radclyffe Hall - Volume 5 - Songs Of Three Counties and Other Poems: "Language is surely too small a vessel to contain these emotions of mind and body that have somehow awakened a response in the spirit."