Where poplars solitary grow
by Mihai Eminescu
Where poplars solitary grow
I passed so oft alone,
And all thy neighbours knew me well,
By thee I was not known.
Beneath thy shining window oft
Uplooking did I stand,
A whole world round thee understood,
Thou didst not understand.
How often did I wait to hear
From thee a whispered word,
How happy should I then have been,
Had I thy voice but heard.
O, but an hour of love with thee,
An hour to be thy friend,
To hear thy whisp'ring accents sweet,
And then this love to end.
If from thine eyes serene had come
To me a ray of love,
Then for all future times will shine
A new star's light above.
Thou wouldst have lived for ages long,
Forever in my rhyme,
And thou wouldst shine, with marble arms,
As beauty's mould sublime.
And thou wouldst be for eye adored,
So beauteous, with no peer,
Like fairies from the times of yore,
That in our dreams appear.
I loved thee with a heathen's eyes,
With painful passion hot,
That from my father's fathers came
To be my earthly lot.
But seldom do I pass today
Mine eyes no longer burn,
Nor do I care if sadely thou
For me thy head dost turn.
For in thy gesture, gait, to-day
Thou art like all, and I
Indifferently look at thee
With dead man's sightless eye.
O, if thy soul had been filled
With sacred extasy
Thou wouldst have lit on earth's love lamp
To burn eternally.
Pe langa plopii fara sot
by Mihai Eminescu
Pe langa plopii fara sot
Adesea am trecut;
Ma cunosteau vecinii toti -
Tu nu m-ai cunoscut.
La geamul tau ce stralucea
Privii atat de des;
O lume toata-ntelegea -
Tu nu m-ai inteles.
De cate ori am asteptat
O soapta de raspuns!
O zi din viata sa-mi fi dat,
O zi mi-era de-ajuns;
O oara sa fi fost amici
Sa ne iubim cu dor,
S-ascult de glasul gurii mici
O oara si sa mor.
Dandu-mi din ochiul tau senin
O raza dinadins,
In calea timpilor ce vin
O stea s-ar fi aprins;
Ai fi trait in veci de veci
Si randuri de vieti,
Cu ale tale brate reci
Inmarmurai mereu-
Un chip de-a pururi adorat
Cum nu mai au perechi
Acele zane ce strabat
Din timpurile vechi.
Caci te iubeam cu ochi pagani
Si plini de suferinti,
Ce mi-i lasara din batrani
Parintii din parinti.
Azi nici macar imi pare rau
Ca trec cu mult mai rar,
Ca cu tristete capul tau
Se-ntoarce in zadar,
Caci azi le semeni tuturor
La umblet si la port,
Si te privesc nepasator
C-un rece ochi de mort.
Tu trebuia sa te cuprinzi
De acel farmec sfant,
Si noaptea candela s-aprinzi
Iubirii pe pamant.
Translated by Petre Grimm
