Carol Rumens

And If It Was

If it was only for you
all along, all the time, all the way,
and nothing was left of our brightest exchange
of brain-light and blood-sugar; if
it turned out to be just for the flirt and the flak, the great luck
when it worked, when we came, and I caught
the whiff of your sweat, like human sweat,
and your glow, saw your feathers and hair
flare like an Inca head-dress, though
no more than a match-flame, over and out, not catching
anyone’s fire but mine, any time but now,
would you forgive me, words?

Roxana Mandrican

Carol Rumens

A fost

A fost de dragul tau
Oricand, oricat, oricum,
Nu a ramas nimic din minunata contopire
A mintii si trupurilor noastre;
De-au fost doar flacari si scantei,
Ce noroc ca a fost, ca ne-am intalnit si
Ti-am simtit sudoarea, atat de carnala
si lumina, ti-am zarit penele si parul
Stralucitoare ca ale Incasilor, desi
n-a fost decat un foc de paie, un dute-vino,
si m-am aprins doar eu, acum,
m-ai putea ierta? Spune, cuvantule.

Gwynedd
for Lidia Vianu

We went down to the strait;
We pulled up a grubby edge of the Atlantic
And chilled there in the mud-hole of winter.
We climbed a cloud and left our heads behind.
We took photos of a rainbow: it came out white.
We planted a dill forest.
We listened for the sound of churches singing in Welsh.
In the field at night I tried to pick up fallen washing
But only scrabbled with the hems of moon-shadows.

Gwynedd
pentru Lidia Vianu

Am mers direct la tinta;
Am stat pe-o margine murdara a Atlanticului
Si ne-am racorit acolo in mlastina iernii.
Ne-am urcat pe-un nor si ne-am lasat capetele in urma.
Am fotografiat curcubeul: si era alb.
Am plantat o padure de marar.
Am ascultat Bisericile cantand pe limba Galilor.
Noaptea, pe camp, am incercat sa culeg o fasie cazuta
Dar am zgariat numai, conturul umbrelor desenate de luna.