Poem: Wanderer

by Octavian Goga
Translated by Anne-Marie

Cries a blackbird in the forest
At the Dealu-Mare crossroads…
Slowly approaches the hill
A young man riding a horse…
Down, in an enamelled sunset,
Shines the mighty village church roof;
Neighs the restless horse and rises
To his home he wants to go…
On horseback sits the knight,
He is looking to the house,
With his sleeve shirt he is drying
Little tears from his own eyes…
Suddenly he urges the horse
And he is leading it to nowhere,
Firmly his eyelids are closed…
“Let’s go, horsey, anywhere!…”
A horseshoe shatters the gutter
To the road belongs the horse…
Over scarcely leafed poplars
Falling down the twilight’s tears…

PRIBEAG
By Octavian Goga

Plange-o mierla-ntr-o rachita
La rascruci de Dealu-Mare…
Suie-n pas domol razorul
Un voinic pe murg calare…
Jos, in smalt de soare-apune,
Turla satului straluce;
Sapa murgul si necheaza
Si-nspre vale vrea s-apuce…
Se inalta-n sea voinicul,
Vede-o casa intre poiene,
Si cu maneca camasii
Zvant-o lacrima din gene…
Intr-o clipa strange fraul
Si-l indeamna-n alta parte,
Darz pleoapele-si inchide…
“Du-ma, murgule, departe!…”
Sfarmand jgheabul cu potcoava
Drumului s-asterne murgul-
Peste plopi cu frunza rara