The Evening Star - Mihai Eminescu

Traducer este cat de aproape posibil in Engleza. cunosc Engleza foarte bine locuind afara 35 de ani. Sper ca lucrarea sa fie buna si multumesc ca ati pus la dispozitie posibilitatea aceasta. Este versiunea cunoscuta cu 98 de strofe.

The Evening Star

Once there was as never was,
As in tales old and told.
A winsome lassie was beget,
By kingly kindred nonetheless.

A oneling she was born and raised
Graceful as in all there is,
Like Blessed Mary among the saints
Or the moon among the stars in space.

From the shadow of the soaring vaults
Her step she straightens quite direct
Towards the window for a look
The Evening Star waits in a nook.

Gazing at the seas horizon
It rises and it shines so bright,
So on waving oscillating paths
Black galleons to guide afar.

She sees him now and on the morrow,
Thus desire’s at the ready;
Whilst him, for many weeks observing,
Captivated by her remains.

Leaning, resting on her elbows
Dreaming in hypnotic states,
Of longing for him and his heart
To fulfill her soul and heart.

And how vividly he lightens up
Every single given night,
Towards the shadow of her castle
By her beauty to be dazzled.

…

Step by step pursues her, him
Gliding gently into her room,
Weaving with his frigid deeds
A web of radiating gleams.

And when she lies down in her bed
The lassie for her nightly rest,
Her hand he touches with her rays,
Her eyes he closes with his breath.

From the mirror a tender light
Flows, onto her shapely form,
Then her profile as she rests
Gently, then her eyes he tests.

She’d been watching with a smile,
As he trembled in the mirror,
Cause in deep dreams he pursued her
To join together with her soul.

Whilst speaking to him in her sleep,
Yearning heavily she sighs:
- Oh, sweet Lord of the night,
Why don’t you come. Oh Come!

Come down my dearest Evening Star,
Glide down upon a gentle ray,
Pervade into my house and mind
And lighten up my life and heart!

So he trembling listened close,
As his flame burned ever more
Then, in a flash he simply vanished
Sunk beneath the sea, he went;

And the water where he so fell
Round in circles, whirls began,
The suddenly from unknown depths
A proud young man arose with strength.

Swiftly as though through a threshold
Past he walks the window seal
A staff he’s holding in his hand
Crowned with reeds; he briefly stands.

He seems to be of noble stock
With soft and golden lengthy locks
A purple shrouded drape, it lies
Knotted on his shoulders, bare.

And the shadow of his translucent face
Pale as the whitest pearl -
Handsome death with living eyes
That glints and sparkles on, outside.

- From my sphere I toiled to come
I heard your call and followed suit
My father is the vault of heaven
And my mother is the sea.

Now to set foot in your chamber,
To observe you up and close,
With serenity I’ve descended
And from the water I am born.

Oh, I’m coming! Ineffable gem,
And leave your world behind;
I’m from above, I am the vesper,
And you my gem will be my bride.

To palaces of pearl I’ll take thee
To outlive great deal of ages,
And everyone who’s in the oceans
Only you shall they obey.

- Oh, you’re handsome, it can be said
Like an angel in a dream,
But the path you ask to join thee
I will never ever take;

Foreign you are in speech and port,
Your glow is cold and you are lifeless,
I’m alive, but you are dead,
Your icy look will always freeze me.

…
One day passed, then three as well
Once more, night inevitably came
The Evening Star again above her
Glowing in his serene ways

The, whilst in sleep she was one night
Remember him she could not help
The longing for his gentle rays
Gripped her heart to see his gaze:

- Descend to me my Evening Star,
Glide down upon a gentle ray,
Pervade into my house and mind
And lighten up my life and heart.

When in heaven he heard her call,
Faded he with unknown pain,
Then suddenly a twirling sky
Him perishing, was not afar;

As scarlet heat lit up the sky
Spreading round the whole domain,
From the valley of this chaos
A handsome figure finely forms;

Seems his crown is gold ablaze
Above his jet black strand of hair,
Floating forth in arrant truth
In rays of burning flame he bathes.

Then from black shrouds they unfold
Marble white like braces,
Coming sorrowful in thought
And pale in his countenance;

But those remarkable big eyes
Chimerically so deeply shining,
Like two passions without greed
Although they are full of darkness.

- From my sphere I toiled to come
To listen to you one more time,
The vault of heaven is my father,
And my mother is the night.

Oh, I’m coming! Ineffable gem,
And leave your world behind you;
I’m from above, I am the vesper
And you my gem shall be my bride.

Wreaths of stars will make for you
In golden hair, Tiaras I will lay,
Arise will you up in my heavens
Alluring more, than all the rest.

- Oh, your handsome it can be said
a demon you have shown yourself,
but the path you ask to join thee
I will never ever take.

Hurting cause of your cruel love
In my chest the cords beat hard,
My heavy eyes are also hurting,
As your gaze right now is burning.

- How do you want me to come down?
Or, maybe you don’t realize,
How I am one that is immortal,
And corporeal you are not?

Not looking for particular terms,
Wouldn’t know of how I’d start –
Though I get of what you speak of,
I can never understand;

But if you want me with conviction
And for me to love you back,
Descend to earth in this here instant,
And be a mortal just like me.

- My immortality you ask of me
in exchange for a simple kiss,
I will do that so you will know
Truly that I love you more.

Yes, out of sin I will be born,
Mortal ordinances I’ll receive;
By eternity I am now bound,
Free’s my wish, now you I found.

And he’s going, and going – kept.
For the sake of a dear lassie,
He broke away from skies in heaven
Perished was, for many days.


…


Whilst in this time Catalin,
Sly little home grown kid he is,
One who fills the cups of wine
For all the revelers at night,

A squire who follows step by step
The queen’s maids, all that he dares,
Stray-boy out of wedlock born,
His daring eyes, at times are thorn.

With reddish cheeks like two peonies
Cheeky cheeks, that’s what I’ll say,
Stealthily he sneaks in watching
Ever eyeing Catalina.

Beautiful she came to be
And fair, if I may say that as well;
So Catalin, found out his chance
To try his luck and not just glance.

Embraced her gently as he passed by
Surreptitiously in a quiet nook.
- Catalin! What’s up with you?
Let me go and let me through.

- What’s with me? What do I want?
You’re always thoughtful, thinking,
I want your smile and give me once
A kiss, I tell you; only one.

- You don’t know of what you ask,
Let me go and let me through –
For the Evening Star up in the sky
Is whom I long for, till death is mine.

- If you don’t know, I would show you,
Inside out what’s love’s about,
Don’t get flustered, don’t get mad
Please be quiet, please be glad.

As hunter lays his traps
For all the little birds to snare,
So when I hold my arm to you
Grasp it with yours and be true;

And keep still your unmoving eyes
Looking deep within my own…
And when I reach to raise you high
You reach also, and to me rise;

When my face bows down to you,
Upward keep yours direct at me,
Insatiably in our eyes to stare
For life, sweetly, without a care;

And for you to be fulfilled
Of a love that’s understood,
When kissing you I bow to you,
You should also kiss me true.

Listening to his child like words
Amazed and unaware,
Then cutely and so very shyly,
Didn’t want but relent she did.

She then whispers – I have known you
Since we were just little kids,
Always chatty and up to no good,
Still I thought that suit you should.

But an Evening Star, has risen
From the silence of oblivion,
Opens up endless horizons
From the loneliness of seas;

Secretly my eyes I bow,
As I find my tears fill them
When the waves of water pass
Traveling towards him fast;

Shining with unspoken love,
My sorrow, for it to banish,
But he rises more and more,
So I could never reach him forth.

Sad, he pierces with ice cold rays
From the world that separates us…
His love forever in my heart
And yet forever we’ll be apart.

That is why my days are empty
Like barren desserts or some steppes,
But nights are full of fascination
And this no longer, I understand.

- You are lassie, this is it…
Lets elope and run away
If we’re lucky they’ll lose our trail
And forgotten be our names.

Both of us, be good and wise,
We’ll be happy safe and sound,
You won’t miss you dear parents
And the daydreams of your vespers.


…


Set of he did, our Evening Star
His wings filled up the entire sky
A thousand years he knew would pass
In moments equaling to one.

Full of stars the sky above,
As full of stars the sky below –
He seemed and endless bolt of light
Forever wondering the night.



From the chaos of the abyss,
All around himself he’s seeing,
As he did in his first days,
Whence the light turned into rays;

As it seems it all surrounds him
As the greatest endless seas…
Longing carrying his thoughts,
Flies he, till he loses all;

There’s no limit where he goes,
Nor the eyes for him to know,
As time is trying hard in vain
Born of void it tries again.

Nothing is and yet there is
A thirst that just absorbs him
A deep abyss that’s also hollow
An oblivion that’s all to blinding.

- Of the blackness of infinity,
Father, ask, untie me please
Praised be you now and forever
By all creation past and present;

Oh my Lord ask any price
But please give me another fate,
For you’re the source of all that’s life
And the giver of death itself.

Take eternity away from me
And the fire in my glance,
And all I ask in just exchange
An hour’s love with her to change…

Out of chaos, I was begot
And to it I would now return
If born was I out of your rest
It’s that, I thirst for… give me rest.

- Hyperion, you from the abyss
You rose with this creation,
Don’t ask for sign or any wonder
That has not a name to utter.

Count yourself a man you want?
Resmble them is what you wish?
If all should perish in the now,
Still it’s humans that’d arise.

Vinly in the wind they last
Vain ideas and dreams that die –
Like waves that come and go then fall,
Still other waves will rise and fall;

All they have is lucky stars
And persecution of their fate,
We have not time, we have no space
And we know not that which is death.

From the eternal yesterday
Lives today which surely dies,
If suddenly a sun should pass
Assuredly one will supplant;

That which seems forever rising,
Unknowingly with death behind,
Know they all are born for dying
And dying they are to reborn.

But you, Hyperion, remain
No matter where you’ll ever set…
Ask my word, that is, the first one –
Wisdom I think’s, what you want.

You wish power for your voice,
So your sound, be a command,
By which mountains and the isles
Leap into the seas for trials.

Or maybe by feats you want to show
To justly hold, all that is power,
I’ll give the world to you in pieces
For you to make yourself a kingdom.

Ill give you masts adjoined to masts,
Armies with which you will cross
The earth in length and seas in width,
But death, I surely cannot give…

And who is this you want to die for?
Turn around and straighten true
Towards the vagrant land of lure
See what waits for you to endure.


…



in his destined place in heaven
Hyperion returned to rule
And as he in the past has done,
His light now pours and casts it down.

Day has reached the evening dusk
And night’s about to follow;
The moon is calmly rising slow
The water shimmering with flow.

Moonlight now adorns with sparkles
The thicket’s many lonesome paths
Beneath the trees’n grandest branches
Alone two youths sat there at last:

- Oh, let my head rest on your bosom
For it really needs the rest
Under rays of calming sunshine
That speak sweetly and are mine;

With the calm of freezing light
Thoughts wonder through my being,
Pouring eternal silence bright
On this suffering infernal night.

And above me remain like this,
As you slowly quench my pain,
For you’re my love, my very first
And the last I’ll always dream of.

Hyperion looked from above
At their faces full of wonder;
When scarcely had he touched her neck
She hugged him very tightly…

There’s perfumed silver flowers
A summer rain is falling,
Over the two young lovers
With their long and golden hair.

Mesmerized by love,
Lifted up her eyes. Seeing.
Evening Star. Then softly
Desires she confides:

- Come down my dearest Evening Star,
Glide down upon a gentle ray,
Pervade this forest and my mind,
And bless my luck and life!

He trembles like he’s always done
In forests and in meadows,
He guides loneliness forever
On never ending waves.

But he’s not falling like before
From high down to the sea
- What do you care, you face of clay,
if it’s me or just another?

Chained you live in your tight circle
Chance and luck rule over you
For I, within my world I feel
Immortal and forever cold.

2022, july
Translated by Alex Hajas

Added by: Alex Hajas

Translator: Alex Hajas
Language: English

see more poems written by: Mihai Eminescu