´Tis such a long way to the star
Rising above our shore
It took its light to come so far
Thousands of years and more.
It may have long died on its way
Into the distant blue
And only now appears its ray
To shine for us as true.
We see its icon slowly rise
And climb the canopy;
It lived when still unknown to eyes,
We see what ceased to be.
And so it is when yearning love
Dies into depth of night:
Extinct its flame, still glows above
And haunts us with its light.
(Adrian G. Sahlean translation)
Mihai Eminescu, born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet.
External link:
Mihai Eminescu (Wikipedia)
Adrian George Sahlean:
Born in Romania, and a U.S. citizen since 1991, Mr. Sahlean holds Master’s Degrees in English & Spanish philology (Bucharest, 1975), psychoanalysis (Boston, 1995) and is a certified clinical psychoanalyst (2002). Mr. Sahlean is the author of literary translations of poetry, short stories, memoirs, plays, fairytales and children’s books. His meter-and-rhyme English renditions from the Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889) earned several international awards, including the UNESCO Gold Prize (2000), the LiterArt XXI Grand Prize (2002), and the National Center for Eminescu Studies Award for Translation (2016). In 2015, the volume of essays on literary translation Migalosul Cronogfag (The Painstaking Chronophage), won the Book-of-the-Year award from the Romanian Writers Union. The theatrical production of The Legend of the Evening Star, based on his translation of Eminescu’s masterpiece Luceafărul, was twice staged off-Broadway in 2005 and 2008. Over the last decade, Mr. Sahlean performed poetry recitals of his translations in several U.S. and Canadian cities. Mr. Sahlean is the co-founder and president of Global Arts (2004) (www.globalartsnpo.org), a non-profit organization promoting Romanian literature, art and music to the American public. He is a member of the Romanian Writers Union, American Literary Translators Association, American Romanian Academy, and Society of Modern Psychoanalysts. He lives outside Boston, MA
Mihai Eminescu (1850 – 1889)
“La Steura” (“To the Star”)
La steaua care-a rasarit
E-o cale-atat de lunga,
Ca mii de ani i-au trebuit
Luminii sa ne-ajunga.
Poate de mult s-a stins in drum
In departari albastre
Iar raza ei abia acum
Luci privirii noastre.
Icoana stelei ce-a murit
Incet pe bolta suie:
Era pe cand nu s-a zarit,
Azi o vedem, si nu e.
Tot astfel cand al nostru dor
Pieri in noapte-adanca,
Lumina stinsului amor
Ne urmareste inca.
(1886)
