Mihai Eminescu - translations by Adrian G. Sahlean & al.


home / unto the star-c.m.popescu / unto the star-pankhurst / unto the star-walker
eve star's flight / glossa / over tree tops / store
Eternal
Longing

Impossible
Love

Translators Side-By-Side - Unto The Star

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.


home / unto the star-c.m.popescu / unto the star-pankhurst / unto the star-walker
eve star's flight / glossa / over tree tops / store
Mihai Eminescu

La steaua

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.

Adrian G. Sahlean

Unto The Star

'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.

Andrei Bantas

To The Star

Up to the star that's just appeared
The journey's long, and so
For thousand years its light careered
To reach us here, below.

It may have faded on its way
Of old, in blue spheres bright
Though only now its shining ray
Unfolds to this our sight.

The image of the star that died
Comes slowly to the fore:
It used to be when it would hide -
We see what is no more.

And likewise, while our yearning dove
Died in the deepest night,
The light of the extinguished love
Still follows us in flight.