Liu Bannong’s “How Could I Stop It?”

Liu Bannong was a Chinese poet born in Jiangsu (China) in 1891. An important contributor to poetry in Chinese, he starts writing poems in the 1910s and 1920s reaching a moderate success and popularity. He moves to Europe for a while, living and studying in Paris and London and coming back to China a few years later. His studies mostly focused on the Chinese writing system and the form of contemporary poetry. Curiously, he also came up with a feminine pronoun, “ta” (她). Note: this is an interpretation of the poem, as it’s sometimes translated as “How Could I Not Miss Her?”

How Could I Stop It?

Tiny clouds float in the sky,
on the ground a gentle wind blows.
Oh!
The breeze that blows through my hair,
How could I stop it?
The moonlight makes love to the sea,
The sea makes love to the moonlight.
Oh!
This honey is as sweet as a silvery night,
How could I stop it?
Shallow water slowly diminishes its flow,
Underwater a fish slowly swims,
Ah!
My swallows, what is it that are you saying?
How could I stop it?
The dead tree shivers at coldness,
Fires burn at twilight.
Ah!
Heirs of the sunset’s orange clouds going west.
How could I stop it?

教我如何不想她?

天上飘着些微云，
地上吹着些微风。
啊！
微风吹动了我头发，
教我如何不想她？
月光恋爱着海洋，
海洋恋爱着月光。
啊！
这般蜜也似的银夜，
教我如何不想她？
水面落花慢慢流，
水底鱼儿慢慢游。
啊！
燕子你说些什么话？
教我如何不想她？
枯树在冷风里摇。
野火在暮色中烧。
啊！
西天还有些儿残霞，
教我如何不想她

Photo Credits 

Message

Just a quick message to Forgotten Shelves’ followers. The blog is coming back really soon. It takes a while to find, translate and take care of the posts we send out in the net! Keep checking back!

A.F.

Oskar Loerke’s “Blue Evening In Berlin” (1911)

Oskar Loerke was a German poet, born in Schwetz (modern Poland) in 1884. Because of is relationship with girlfriend Clara Westphal, he interrupted his studies and travelled for four years in Germany and France (and kept a diary of these journeys). Upon his return, his first book of poems “Wanderschaft” (“Pilgrimage”; 1911) was published (though he had already debuted with the novel “Vineta” in 1907). In 1913, he won the Kleist Prize and this allowed him to travel to Italy and Northern Africa. In the 1920s he collaborated with the Berliner Börsen-Courier and Die Kolonne, published poem collections “Die heimliche Stadt” (“The Secret City”; 1921) and “Der längste Tag” (“The Longest Day”; 1926) and became member of the Prussian Academy of Arts, frm which he will be expelled in 1933 as an act of the Nazi regime. He was later allowed back in a branch of the Academy. Loerke is said to be inclusive of musicality, intense imagery and naturalistic features.

Blue Evening in Berlin

The sky flows into stone channels
For quite steeply carved into channels
Are all streets, full of blue sky.
And domes like buoys, chimneys poles

In the water. Black food vapors smolder
And it is like looking at water plants.
The lives, that to the ground accumulate,
Begin to tell gently from the sky,

Mixed, unraveled after blue melodies.
As a water sediment and trinkets
Stimulates the water’s will and understanding

In the dunes, coming, going, sliding, dragging.
People are like colored coarse sand
In the nice game of the wave source.

Blauer Abend in Berlin

Der Himmel fließt in steinernen Kanälen
Denn zu Kanälen steilrecht ausgehauen
Sind alle Straßen, voll vom Himmelblauen.
Und Kuppeln gleichen Bojen, Schlote Pfählen

Im Wasser. Schwarze Essendämpfe schwelen
Und sind wie Wasserpflanzen anzuschauen.
Die Leben, die sich ganz im Grunde stauen,
Beginnen sacht vom Himmel zu erzählen,

Gemengt, entwirrt nach blauen Melodien.
Wie eines Wassers Bodensatz und Tand
Regt sie des Wassers Wille und Verstand

Im Dünen, Kommen, Gehen, Gleiten, Ziehen.
Die Menschen sind wie grober bunter Sand
Im linden Spiel der großen Wellenhand.

Clemente Rebora’s “Swirl”

Clemente Rebora was an Italian poet, born in Milan in 1885. He abandons his medicine studies to join the Literary Arts and after graduation, he becomes a teacher. He soon collaborates with newspapers such as La Voce, Rivista d’Italia, and Diana. His first poem collection “Frammenti lirici” (“Lyrical Fragments”) is published in the 1910s, a decade to which Rebora dedicates the release. A few years later, he’s called to war at the Italian front during World War I, an shocking event in his life: his relationship with a russian pianist ends shortly after, but he’s also injured in action and later diagnosed with a mental disease. His poetry is said to be very diverse in terms of contents, as his break-up with his then girlfriend, the war and its consequences, his conversion and his being ordered a priest heavily influenced his production. Among his major works are “Canti anonimi” (“Anonymous Songs”; 1922) and ”Poesie sparse” (“Scattered Poems”; 1947).

Swirl

From the intense cloud
Down - burnished the armor,
With flickers of bright yellow,
With sound that bursts and hurls -
Plunges and rambles the swirl
On the wind stretched as it rides
Over fields and houses, and battles;
But when it strikes a city
It breaks up in each grid cell,
It darkens as a dark eye circle,
And flickers and sound and wind
Turns into anxiety
Of crowded affairs in torment:
And it kills without a fight.

Turbine

Dall’intensa nuvolaglia
Giù – brunita la corazza,
Con guizzi di lucido giallo,
Con suono che scoppia e si scaglia –
Piomba il turbine e scorrazza
Sul vento proteso a cavallo
Campi e ville,e dà battaglia;
Ma quand’urta una città
Si scàrdina in ogni maglia,
S’inombra come un’occhiaia,
E guizzi e suono e vento
Tramuta in ansietà
D’affollate faccende in tormento:
E senza combattere ammazza.

Lya Berger’s “Challenge” (1903)

Lya Berger was born in Châteauxroux (France) in 1877. At the beginning of the new Century, Lya works on publishing her first poetry collection “Réalités et Rêves” (“Realities And Dreams”), released in 1903. She later takes part in a poetry project called “Revue de Poètes”, along other poets, including its founder Ernest Prévost. Other poem collections include “Les Pierres sonores; Ecce homo: poésies 1901-1904” (“The Sounding Stones; Ecce homo: poems 1901-1904”; 1905), “Les Effigies: poèmes 1905-1911” (“The Effigies: poems 1905-1911”; 1912) and “Du tocsin au ‘Te Deum’: poèmes 1914-1918” (“From The Bell Chime To ‘Te Deum’: poems 1914-1918”; 1920), but she also released travel notes and critical essays about female poetesses. The first critical piece “Les femmes poètes de l’Allemagne” (“The Female Poetesses Of Germany”; 1910) is followed by a similar work on poetesses of the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Challenge

The years will fly fine on the hand that leads them,
Men forget, and my hair whitens,
Time will respect, in its rapid course,
Some parts of me it could not wither!

Those, alone, will experience an arid old age
Those who, seeking oblivion, believe in crossing places,
And my forehead, of that weight it won’t be freed!

Why, so many tears shed on the past?
When the ices of the age have calmed down our thoughts,
We judge better, however, old feelings.

If, later, for I only have good memory,
Who cares? I will say: “Victory is mine;
The time left me everything, now I remember!”

Défi

Les ans auront beau fuir sous la main qui les guide,
Les hommes oublier, et mes cheveux blanchir,
Le temps respectera, dans sa course rapide,
Quelque chose de moi qu’il n’aura pu flétrir!

Ceux-là, seuls, connaîtront une vieillesse aride
Qui, recherchant l’oubli, croiront la lieux franchir,
Et mon front, de ce poids ne veut pas s’affranchir!

Porquoi, sur le passé tant de larmes versées?
Quand les glaces de l’âge ont calmé nos pensées,
Nous jugeons mieux, pourtant, des sentiments anciens.

Si, plus tard, pour seul bien me reste la mémoire,
Qu’importe? Je dirai : “C’est à moi la victoire;
Le temps m’a tout laissé, puisque je me souviens!”

Note: Lya Berger (Source photo: Alphonse Séché (éd.): Les muses françaises, T. 2, Paris 1908, p. 21), as found here. 

Maria Polydouri’s “Only Because You Loved Me” (1928)

Maria Polydouri was a Greek born poet, born in Kalamata (Greece) in 1902. Despite choosing to study Law, she often dedicated her efforts to poems and literature, and became one of the voices of the Generation of 1920 in Greece. She had an affair with fellow poet and major Greek artist Kostas Karyotakis, whom she loved and never had closure with, despite the end of their romance. ”Οι Τρίλλιες που Σβήνουν” (“The Trilles That Faint”; 1928) and “Ηχώ στο χάος” (“Echo In Chaos”; 1930) are her only publications.

Only Because You Loved Me

I only sing because you loved me
in the past years.
And in the sun, in summer ‘s prediction
and in rain, and in snow,
I only sing because you loved me.

Only because you kept your hands on me
one night and you kissed me on my lips,
only for that, am I as fine as an open  lily
And I have a shiver in my soul,
only because you  kept your hands on me.

Only because your eyes looked at me
with the soul glancing,
proudly I adorned the ultimate
crown of my being,
Only because your eyes looked at me

Only because you noticed me as I passed
And by your look I saw passing
my svelte shadow as a dream
playing, hurting
Only because you noticed me as I passed

Because you hesitantly called me
And you stretched to my hand
And you had in your eyes the blur
A complete love
Because you hesitantly called me

Only because you liked it,
That’s why my passing kept being nice.
As if you were following me wherever
As if you came close to me somewhere
Only because you liked it.

Only because you  loved me I was born,
so my life was given.
In graceless unfulfilled life
so my life was fulfilled.
Only because you loved me I was born.

Only for your special love
dawn gave roses in my hands.
To illuminate for a moment your way
night filled my eyes with stars
Only for your special love.

Only because you loved me wonderfully
I lived to pullulate
your dreams, beautiful king
And so sweet I’m dying
Only because you loved me wonderfully

Γιατί μ’ αγάπησες

Δεν τραγουδώ παρά γιατί μ’ αγάπησες
στα περασμένα χρόνια.
Και σε ήλιο, σε καλοκαιριού προμάντεμα
και σε βροχή, σε χιόνια,
δεν τραγουδώ παρά γιατί μ’ αγάπησες.

Μόνο γιατί με κράτησες στα χέρια σου
μια νύχτα και με φίλησες στο στόμα,
μόνο γι’ αυτό είμαι ωραία σαν κρίνο ολάνοιχτο
κ’ έχω ένα ρίγος στην ψυχή μου ακόμα,
μόνο γιατί με κράτησες στα χέρια σου.

Μόνο γιατί τα μάτια σου με κύτταξαν
με την ψυχή στο βλέμμα,
περήφανα στολίστηκα το υπέρτατο
της ύπαρξής μου στέμμα,
μόνο γιατί τα μάτια σου με κύτταξαν.

Μόνο γιατί όπως πέρναα με καμάρωσες
και στη ματιά σου να περνάη
είδα τη λυγερή σκιά μου, ως όνειρο
να παίζει, να πονάη,
μόνο γιατί όπως πέρναα με καμάρωσες.

Γιατί δισταχτικά σα να με φώναξες
και μου άπλωσες τα χέρια
κ’ είχες μέσα στα μάτια σου το θάμπωμα
- μια αγάπη πλέρια,
γιατί δισταχτικά σα να με φώναξες.

Γιατί, μόνο γιατί σε σέναν άρεσε
γι’ αυτό έμεινεν ωραίο το πέρασμά μου.
Σα να μ’ ακολουθούσες όπου πήγαινα,
σα να περνούσες κάπου εκεί σιμά μου.
Γιατί, μόνο γιατί σε σέναν άρεσε.

Μόνο γιατί μ’ αγάπησες γεννήθηκα,
γι’ αυτό η ζωή μου εδόθη.
Στην άχαρη ζωή την ανεκπλήρωτη
μένα η ζωή πληρώθη.
Μόνο γιατί μ’ αγάπησες γεννήθηκα.

Μονάχα για τη διαλεχτήν αγάπη σου
μου χάρισε η αυγή ρόδα στα χέρια.
Για να φωτίσω μια στιγμή το δρόμο σου
μου γέμισε τα μάτια η νύχτα αστέρια,
μονάχα για τη διαλεχτήν αγάπη σου.

Μονάχα γιατί τόσο ωραία μ’ αγάπησες
έζησα, να πληθαίνω
τα ονείρατά σου, ωραίε που βασίλεψες
κ’ έτσι γλυκά πεθαίνω
μονάχα γιατί τόσο ωραία μ’ αγάπησες.

Ernesto Ragazzoni’s “The Ballad Of The Ugly Gourd” (1890s)

Ernesto Ragazzoni was an Italian poet, born in Orta Novarese (near Novara, Italy) in 1870. After collaborating with an Italian gazette, he publishes his first poem collection in 1891. Titled “Ombra” (“Shadow”), it also comprised translations of works by Goethe, Edgar Allan Poe and Victor Hugo. After quitting his job at the bank, he pursues the literary career by publishing a novel titled “L’ultima dea” (“The Last Goddess”) for a local newspaper, though it will then be continued by other authors. He then finds a job in the railway business, but continues to write and in 1901 he’s in charge of the “Gazzetta di Novara” as editor. After being fired for verbally attacking the upper class people, he will be employed as foreign correspondent for the newspaper “La Stampa” in Turin. Most of his works will be published posthumously after the 1970s: “Poesie e prose” (Poems And Prose; 1978), “Le mie invisibilissime pagine” (My Super invisible Pages”; 1993), “I bevitori di stelle e altre poesie” (“The Star Drinkers And Other Poems”; 1997) and “Buchi nella sabbia e pagine invisibili - Poesie e prose” (“Holes In The Sand And Other Invisible Pages - Poems And Prose”; 2000).

The Ballad Of The Ugly Gourd

You called me «ugly gourd».
And that’s fine! But my fault
was really that dry
o Chérie, for such wig as this?

Are you sick or over sick
of me, maybe? Ernest’s right?
You called me «ugly gourd»
Isn’t it much, for my fault?

The remorse is pecking me
as a tooth does to a steak!
I will go as far as Mecca
among Mameluke people.

You called me: «ugly gourd»!!

La ballata della brutta zucca

Mi hai chiamato: «brutta zucca».
E sta ben! Ma la mia pecca
fu davvero tanto secca
o Chérie, per tal parrucca?

Sei tu stucca od arcistucca
di me, forse? Ernesto azzecca?
Mi hai chiamato: «brutta zucca».
Non è assai, per la mia pècca?

Il rimorso mi pilucca
come un dente una bistecca!
Me ne andrò fino alla Mecca
tra la gente Mammalucca.

Mi hai chiamato: «brutta zucca»!!

Arshag Tchobanian’s “To The Moon”

Arshag Tchobanian was an Armenian journalist, playwriter, literary critic and poet. He was born in Costantinople in 1872 and started collaborating with newspapers in his teenage years, offering his translation services. At just 23 he became editor of Tsaghik, a role he would soon have to abandon because of the persecution of the Ottoman Empire against Armenians. He fled to Paris, where three years later he founded the newspaper Anahit, a successful cultural-literary statement. He thoroughly contributed to the diffusion of Armenian literature in Europe, having translated ancient, modern and contemporary texts into French. Among his major works are the novel “Tughti Parq” (1892), the short stories collection “Hoginer Tghu” (1923), and the plays “Mut Khaver” (1893) and “Hrashqy” (1923). His poetic production is mainly available in three collections: “Arshaluysi Dzayner” (1891), “Thrthrumner” (1892) and ”Qertvacqner” (1908). Note 1: Unfortunately, no translation of the here mentioned titles was available.

To The Moon

Why am I not the thin white cloud
That, floating soft and slow,
Veils the pure splendour of your face
‘Neath its transparent snow?

Or one of those unnumbered stars -
Bees that in heaven’s height
Flit round you, seeking honey there,
O shining Rose of light?

Why am I not the dark-browed mount
Where you a moment stay,
Ere spreading your broad, viewless wings
To soar through heaven away?

Why am I not the forest deep,
Where, dropping through the air,
‘Mid foliage dark slip in and hang
Threads of your golden hair?

Why am I not the tranquil sea
On which your beams descend,
Where molten diamonds and fire
And milk and honey blend?

Alas, why am I not at least
That cold tomb of the dead,
On which your rays so tenderly
Their tears’ bright sadness shed?

ՍԻՐԵՐԳ ԱՌ ԼՈՒՍԻՆ 

Ես փափկահյուս ամպն ըլլայի սպիտակ
Որ իր կաթնաթույր թափանցկության տակ
Կսքողե դեմքիդ փողփողումն հստակ:

Մին ըլլայի ես անթիվ աստղերեն,
Մեղունե՛ր, որ շուրջդ, ո՛վ վարդ լուսեղեն,
Կպտուտքին միշտ ու հյութ կքաղեն:

Ես լեռն ըլլայի ճակտով թխահեր,
Ուր կթառիս պա՛հ մը երկինքն ի վեր
Դեռ չբացած լայն անտես քու թևեր:

Ըլլայի՜ անտառն, որուն խավարչտին
Ոստերուն մեջեն հուշիկ կը սահին,
Կը կախվին ոսկի մազերըդ նրբին:

Ես ծովն ըլլայի, որուն վրա առատ
Թույլ թույլ կը փռես քու լույսն անարատ,
Արծաթ ու ոսկի, հուր ու մեղր ու կաթ:

Ա՜խ, գեթ այն շիրիմն ըլլայի ցրտին,
Ուր գըգվող շողերդ կուգան մեղմագին
Հոսել լույս թախիծն իրենց արցունքին:

Note 2: It’s been particularly hard to find the original poem in Armenian, and also to find a good translation. The adaptation posted above is courtesy of Haig’s page of Armenian poetry in translation, who posted excerpts of the book “Armenian Poems Rendered into English Verse by Alice Stone Blackwell” (published in 1896 and 1917).

Letitia Elizabeth Landon’s “Secrets”

Letitia Elizabeth Landon was an English poetess born in London in 1802. A precocious talent, Letitia published her first poem in 1820 (only by her initials) and the following year came the publication of her first poetry collection, titled “The Fate Of Adelaide”. She continued composing poetry for the Gazette, the newspaper which first gave her exposure, though attracting the interest of critics and readers by continuing to sign her works as L.E.L. She later published novels among which are “Reality And Romance” (1831) and “Duty and Inclination: A Novel” (1838). For the rest of the XIX she was mainly forgotten and considered too romantic, although some critics displayed interest and new theories of analysis for Letitia’s works more than a century after her death, in the 1970s.
Note. To my knowledge, the translation of her the following poem into Italian is exclusively offered by Forgotten Shelves.

Secrets

Life has dark secrets; and the hearts are few
That treasure not some sorrow from the world—
A sorrow silent, gloomy, and unknown,
Yet colouring the future from the past.
We see the eye subdued, the practised smile,
The word well weighed before it pass the lip,
And know not of the misery within:
Yet there it works incessantly, and fears
The time to come; for time is terrible,
Avenging, and betraying.

Segreti

La vita ha oscuri segreti; ed i cuori son pochi
che non custodiscono i dolori dal mondo -
Un dolore silenzioso, cupo, e sconosciuto,
seppur colori il futuro dal passato.
Vediamo l’occhio sottotono, il sorriso allenato,
La parola ben pesata prima di passare il labbro,
E nulla sappiamo della sofferenza che c’è:
Eppure lì lavora incessantemente, e teme
Il tempo a venire; perché il tempo è terribile,
Vendicatore, e traditore. 

Milorad Mitrović’s “Once There Was A Lonely Rose”

Milorad Mitrović was a Serbian poet, born in 1867 in Belgrade (Ottoman Empire). He was very popular, as he collaborated with many Serbian political and satirical newspapers after 1890. However, his career was on another field, justice. He has been a court clerk and, later on, a judge and secretary. Displaying influences by fellow Serbian poet Vojislav Ilic, he publishes his first poem collection “Knjiga ljubavi” (“The Book Of Love”; 1899), notable for the poems’ form as they often resemble that of a song. His other collection is titled “Prigodne pesme” (“Occasional Poems”; 1903). Because of his role in society and his contribution to many politically involved newspapers, Mitrović played a very active part in political life by publishing his poems of freedom and popular struggles. Another peculiar feature of Mitrović was his love for old-fashioned epic poetry, chivalry and songs performed by troubadours. It’s no wonder that his poetic rhymes are often reminiscent of chants and sung ballads. This interest also prompted him to start writing “Penelope”, an epic work which will remain unfinished and which dealt with the Serbian uprising of 1806. “Bila jednom ruza jedna” (“Once There Was A Lonely Rose”) is a poem that clearly narrates the marriage of a beautiful and pure girl to a seducing man, whose betrayal is already more than suggested through the poem. 

Once There Was A Lonely Rose

The mother had a daughter
beautiful like the day, blooming like a flower
then she fell in love with a boy
Once there was a lonely rose…

But this boy was a butterfly
and despises her, icy heart:
He’ll give his hand to another girl
Once there was a lonely rose…

The wedding guests move to the church
a honey song resounds
but from the church, the bell cries:
“Once there was a lonely rose…”

Bila jednom ruza jedna

U majke je ćerka bila,
k’o dan lepa, k’o cvet cedna,
pa zavole jedno momce.
Bila jednom ruza jedna…

Al’ to momce leptir bese,
I nju prezre, srca ledna:
Drugoj momi ruku dade.
Bila jednom ruza jedna…

U crkvu se svati kreću,
razleze se pesma medna,
a sa crkve zvono jeca:
“Bila jednom ruza jedna…”

Note: According to my sources, the poem was written in Old Serbian, which was in fact a bit difficult to translate. Thanks go to Felix for the help provided.