Mihai Eminescu

“ Sitting in cool shade I hear
Calling quail.
Softly as if half asleep
Murmur all the springs and brooks;
When among the boughs the sun
Shines on waters, quick they run,
And like deer, with frightened looks,
Wildly leap. ”

“ Drinks what to-day will drain
And if a sun dies on the sky
A sun quickens again.
Risen as for ever, death though
Follows them like a thorn
For all are born only to die
And die to be reborn. ”

“ In my life’s black frame appearing
She, an icon shining bright.
And I cannot now but wonder
Why old Time will never rest,
While I’m with my love here whisp’ring
Hand in hand and breast to breast. ”

“ Ants, great armies, their food gather
Near the pathways, in the shade.
Let’s go to the king, belovèd,
Let’s like children be, let’s dream,
So that love, and joy, our whole life,
As a game to us may seem. ”

“ Sole God he was, when others were not, and in the dark
Unfathomable ocean gave force to light’s first spark,
He is mankind’s great saviour and source of happiness,
To gods gives soul and power and everything doth bless:
Cheer up your hearts! ”

“ Your sword of blood, smoking/steaming from the enemy,
and on top of the hydra which billows by the wind
Your dream of proud, succeeding glory
What they say of the world, coloured flags,
That which are the people, grand and Romanian,
When he strikes, sacrificing his naive flame
Sweet Romania, this I wish for you. ”

“ And carefully then plant it near my reposing head,
To make it grow, upon it thy loving tears shalt shed,
And on my tomb I’ll feel it, its shadows creeping o’er...
For ever grow the shadows, I sleep for evermore. ”

“ That have no name nor form.
Thou wantest to count among men,
Take their resemblance vain;
But would now the whole mankind die
Men will be born again.
But they are building on the wind
Ideals void and blind ”

“ You live in your sphere's narrowness
And luck rules over you -
But in my steady world I feel
Eternal, cold and true!"
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content. ”