Mihai Eminescu - translations by Adrian G. Sahlean & al.
home / over tree tops-hastie / over tree tops-cartianu / over tree tops-walker
eve star's flight / glossa / unto the star / store
Eternal
Longing

Impossible
Love

Translators Side-By-Side - Over Tree Tops

On this page, you are invited to sample a fragment from 'Legenda Luceafarului' /' The Legend of the Evening Star' in my rendition, as well as versions of the same text by other well-known Eminescu translators. Also side-by-side you will find links to versions of 'Glossa' ('Glossa'), 'La Steaua' ('Unto The Star') and 'Peste vârfuri' ('Over Tree Tops'). This is a unique feature for poetry sites, meant to give the reader a better insight into the difficulties of translating Eminescu's content, musicality, style of language, etc. (more on this in the Translator's Note).The featured translators, listed alphabetically, are Andrei Bantas, Dimitrie Cuclin, Petre Grimm, Roy McGregor-Hastie, Leon Levitki, Sylvia Pankhurst, Corneliu M. Popescu and Brenda Walker. Their name will appear in the navigation bar only if applicable to the featured poem. The poem is listed under my English title, while the often divergent title translation by others will be mentioned before each author's text.

You can listen to my translation of 'Peste varfuri' included in the 'Eternal Longing, Impossible Love' book / CD project (presented elsewhere on this site) as narrated by American Repertory Theater actor Jeremy Geidt by clicking here

home / over tree tops-hastie / over tree tops-cartianu / over tree tops-walker
eve star's flight / glossa / unto the star / store
Mihai Eminescu

Peste Varfuri

Peste vârfuri trece lună,
Codru-şi bate frunza lin,
Dintre ramuri de arin
Melancolic cornul sună.

Mai departe, mai departe,
Mai încet, tot mai încet,
Sufletu-mi nemângâiet
Îndulcind cu dor de moarte.

De ce taci, când fermecată
Inima-mi spre tine-ntorn?
Mai suna-vei, dulce corn,
Pentru mine vre odată?

Adrian G. Sahlean

Over Treetops

Over treetops, white moon wanders,
Forest boughs shake gentle leaf,
Sounds a horn with distant grief,
Alders bow their heads asunder.

Far away and ever farther,
Softer still, its fading breath
Soothing with a dream of death
My soul’s unrequited ardor.

Why your music from me sever
When I turn to you forlorn—
Will you sound again sweet horn
For my soul’s enchantment, ever?

 Andrei Bantas

O'er The Tree Tops

O’er the tree tops glides the moon,
Woods are dancing in the breeze,
Through the boughs of alders trees
Plays the horn a woeful tune.

Ever farther, far away,
Ever fainter is its breath,
But it salves with thirst for death
My sad soul, forlorn for aye.

Why should you keep silent when
My witched heart for you is bound?
Gentle horn, are you to sound
For my solace once again?