Romanian:
nu ne nastem
pe buzele uitarii
ca muscate atarnate
de soldurile neinvelite
ale vietii
iar daca murim
pentru a ne naste
pe acea gura rece
pe care saruturile se topesc
nu inseamna
ca nu mai avem
maini din vata pe bat
care sa ne deghizeze
in ceea ce suntem
si daca ajungem
in varful copacului
ne vom aminti
de casa din lemn
lasata acolo
de umbra noastra...
umbra fara ploi
vom cutreiera cerul
ca pe un ocean
de ganduri
toti suntem pelerini
necreati
pana nu calcam
pe prima treapta
si desi primul sunet
este un tipat,
numim asta
respiratie
ne nastem
ca sa uitam cum
se scriu semnele de intrebare
si lacrimile,
ca sa fim
acea vata pe bat
si va fi un rasarit
undeva
pe la mijlocul drumului
English:
we are not born
on oblivion's lips
like geraniums hung
on life's uncovered
hips
and if we die
to be born
on that cold mouth
where kisses melt
it doesn't mean
we no longer have
cotton candy hands
to disguise us
as what we really are
and if we reach
the top of the tree
we will remember
the wooden house
left there
by our shadow...
our rainless shadow
we will stroll through the sky
like a thoughtful
ocean
we're all pilgrims
uncreated
until we walk
to the first step
and even though the first sound
is a scream,
we shall name that
breathing
we are born
to forget
the spelling of question marks
and tears,
to be
that cotton candy
and there is a sunrise
somewhere
around the middle of our way
Author notes
memento vivere (Latin) - remember you must live - aminteste-ti ca traiesti ~Romanian~ (as opposed to memento mori - remember you must die - aminteste-ti ca vei muri)
I've written this for a Romanian chat acquaintance, Mihai. In fact, the first time I saw your contest I thought of him, because he's pretty depressed and needs help. Funny how they all say memento mori yet never memento vivere... We must be aware of both equally. We need to treasure life and the good moments, even if most things seem to go badly.
Written July 19th, 2006
In a list
A contest entry
- Pay it forward #3 by little-hug.
300 points, ended August 3, 2006, 7 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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Thank you, Ellie. I appreciate your comment.
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I loved reading the Romanian version above. Of course I had no idea what it meant when I read it first, but I still always love reading in foreign lanuages and trying to understand it from the sound of the words and the feeling behind them before I know what they actually mean. Then I read the English version and I began to understand.. Except while English is my joint first language I think you know it better than me because I'd never heard of some of the words even in English so I looked them up in the dictionary and now I know some new words
This is a touching tribute to Mihai. I hope your words help him through sad times. thank you so much for entering and again paying it forward lots of luck to you always 
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Thank you
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No coment...No tengo palabras...Nu am cuvinte....Splendid!
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