One Last Longing (One Last Wish) - aka "Mai Am Un Singur Dor" -- Mihai Eminescu

It's been a while since I did a translations, but recently I've been reminded how short and fragile life is. That we all face the inevitable at some point, yet the "inevitable" is only a passing back to where we came from. And all we eventually ask for is a "clear sky"

Oh, if only Eminescu wrote in a different language than Romanian, Byron, Shelley and Keats would have had serious competition!!!

Mai Am Un Singur Dor        One Last Wish

Mai am un singur dor: În liniștea serii Să mă lăsați să mor La marginea mării; Să-mi fie somnul lin Și codrul aproape, Pe-ntinsele ape Să am un cer senin. Nu-mi trebuie flamuri, Nu voi sicriu bogat, Ci-mi împletiți un pat Din tinere ramuri. Și nime-n urma mea Nu-mi plângă la creștet, Doar toamna glas să dea Frunzișului veșted. Pe când cu zgomot cad Izvoarele-ntruna, Alunece luna Prin vârfuri lungi de brad. Pătrunză talanga Al serii rece vânt, Deasupră-mi teiul sfânt Să-și scuture creanga. Cum n-oi mai fi pribeag De-atunci înainte, M-or troieni cu drag Aduceri aminte. Luceferi, ce răsar Din umbră de cetini, Fiindu-mi prieteni, O să-mi zâmbească iar. Va geme de patemi Al mării aspru cânt... Ci eu voi fi pământ În singurătate-mi.

I have but one last plea: As evening falls, tranquill, Let me die by the sea, Where all is calm and still. My sleep come soft and deep, With forest close at hand, Over the waters wide and steep, A cloudless sky expand. No flags need fly for me, No costly coffin bought, Just weave a bed beneath a tree Of young-green branches wrought. And let no one behind me Weep at my silent head, Let autumn's voice remind me Of withered leaves instead. As streams with endless sound Come tumbling down the hill, Let moonlight drift around The tall firs, silver-still. Let evening's cold wind bring The distant bell's refrain, And holy linden swing Its branches o’er me again. No longer shall I roam Wanderer from that day, Loving memories shall come And snow me where I lay. The Evening Stars shall rise From shadows of the fir, And, like old friends in distant skies, Will smile at me once more. The sea shall moan with pain, Its rough song filled with woe... But I shall be earth again, Alone, and still, below.