Warmed by the glow of a star that may or may not have died on him, Pablo decided to learn the Romanian Language. Here is one of the fruits of his translation efforts along with a bit of explanation:

I mailed a “La mulţi ani” to Stefan in Singapore. He is two years younger than I. He sent back likewise.

Now one more time, my submission for the (poetry) blog. A poem I like intellectually for the sense of paradox that it builds up and reiterates in a few short lines, but also for the ambiguous conclusion. Is it about hope? Or regret? Or just about making the most of pleasant memories?

La Steaua

La steaua care-a răsărit
E-o cale-atât de lungă,
Că mii de ani i-au trebuit
Luminii să ne-ajungă.

Poate de mult s-a stins în drum
În depărtări albastre,
Iar raza ei abia acum
Luci vederii noastre,

Icoana stelei ce-a murit
Încet pe cer se suie:
Era pe când nu s-a zărit,
Azi o vedem, şi nu e.

Tot astfel când al nostru dor
Pieri în noapte-adâncă,
Lumina stinsului amor
Ne urmăreşte încă.

-Mihai Eminescu

For the Star

For the star that just arose
There lies so long a way,
Thousands of years must come to close
That we might see its ray.

And very like it flickered out,
Out in the blue expanses,
Yet now its light has come about
To glimmer in our glances.

The image of the star that died,
A slowly climbing dot,
Though when it was, it wasn’t spied,
Is seen now, and is not.

Just so, when in the deepest dark
Our longings perished lay,
Extinguished love has sent a spark
Pursuing us today.

-My translation