They had to have a name - Marin Sorescu

Eminescu did not exist.

There was only a beautiful country
At the seashore
Where the waves were braiding white knots
Like the uncombed beard of a rake,
And some rivers like flowing trees
In which the moon had its nest entwined.

And most of all, there were ordinary people
Whose names were Mircea the Elder,
Stephen the Great,
Or simply shepherds and plowman
Who loved to recite poetry
Evening around the fire
“Miorița”, and “Luceafărul”, and “Scrisoarea a III-a.”

But because they always heard
Dogs barking at their sheepfold
They went to fight the Tartars
And the Avars and the Huns and the Poles
And the Turks.

During their respite
Between two menaces
These people fetched sluice troughs
From their reed pipes
For the tears of the endearing stones
So that ballads flowed down the gorges
From all the mountains of Moldova and Muntenia
Both Bârsa and Vrancea’s
And other Romanian provinces.

There also were some deep forests
And a young man talking with them
Asking why were they swinging without the breeze.

This young man with eyes deep
Like our history
Wondered around besieged by thoughts
From the Cyrillic book to the Book of Life,
Counting the poplars of light, of justice
Of love
Which were always yielding odd numbers.

There were also some linden trees
And the couple fallen in love
Who knew how to pile all blossoming
Into a kiss.

And some birds or clouds
Wandering over them
Like long and floating plains.

And because of all these
Had to have a name
A name only
They have been called
Eminescu.

Added by: marin.mihalache

Translator: Marin Mihalache
Language: English

see more poems written by: Marin Sorescu