The following poem is from Noduri și semne ("Knots and Signs" or, perhaps more connotatively, "Nooses and Omens"), the last volume Stǎnescu published during his lifetime. The book contains poems titled Knot 1, Sign 1, Knot 2, Sign 2 and so on. This is Knot 19. I translated this one once before, but on re-reading said translation I realized it was just too abysmal not to delete and redo.
Knot 19
By Nichita Stǎnescu
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Be well aware that I can kill,
That I with one stroke of my heel can maul
The peaceable rising star's sweet head.
It's why I have become a painter of walls.
Be well aware that I have no mercy on me
That I merge my blood with birches everywhere.
I bring this with all haste through to your awareness:
Beware what you do.
The Original:
Nod 19
Ia cunoştinţa că pot ucide,
că pot zdrobi cu călcâiul capul suav
al stelei răsărinde şi placide,
din pricina căreia am devenit zugrav!
Ia cunoştinţa că nu am milă de mine,
că sângele meu mi-l amestec cu mestecenii.
Grabnic ţi-aduc la cunoştinţa toate acestea.
Vezi ce faci!
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Nu ştiam poezia asta. Eşti un magician, ţi-a reuşit într-un fel să menţii sonoritatea originalului! Eşti un tip foarte inteligent, îţi urez mult succes în viaţă! Institutul cultural român oferă burse celor care vor să traducă literatura română, poate eşti interesat. George Bacovia ai citit?
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