IOANA IERONIM

Fragments


I can see a road leaving the village,
going across the field
serpentine
still further into fine paths
losing itself in the woods

flocks of sheep
having come down from the mountains
slowly advance in rows
on hill after hill

my train glides at the same pace

it has started snowing slowly
in my native land -
flakes as huge as they were
at the beginning

I’ve been trying to understand
what these icons are saying,
why their simple untranslatable tune
touches so deeply

is this the way we are
advancing toward one another

horizon of some Truth,
coming ever nearer
never arriving?

*

we must have met before, Miss,
do you remember where it might have been?

I do not think so – – but yes, o yes
we may have been those cool stones
set side by side on velvet
in Alladin’s cave

… or two horses galloping in the wind
on the continent of Gondwana

yet I remember, I think I do
it was in London one evening
or was it Bucharest still, Washington, Paris,
Vienna, Prague, Barcelona, Istanbul
Galway, New York?
it was cloudy as I recall
and a big merry crowd indoors

no-no, you may still keep in mind
that nest of hidden embers -
we had been lost from our caravans,
it was at sunset
shadows were growing hungry tongues and…

I rather believe that we had been up early
it was the day of departure -
our hair was glistening
like dew-laden cobwebs in a vineyard,
ripening and golden

do you mean, when we had not yet been
thrown down from the Garden?

no
listen, now I think I really know
we were two miraculous serpents
chasing at one another
joyous in the world’s first ocean
the sun was melting in the water
at high noon
God Himself stood speechless
with the beauty of their motion

let me tell you, it must have been when we read
“I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till…” - could you imagine such
mandatory reading?

yeah, in such a place, at such time…

on that day, as you may recall, our hearts were smitten
and then of course we forgot

I say, Miss, we must have met before

you know, these things…
 

Ana Maria Muntean

Ioana Ieronim
 

Fragmente

Vad drumul cum paraseste satul,
trece peste camp serpuind,
si mai departe, in carari subtiri ,
pierzandu-se in padure,
turme de oi coborate din munti,

avanseaza incet, in randuri, deal dupa deal,
trenul meu aluneca cu aceeasi viteza,
a inceput usor sa ninga in provincia mea natala –
fulgi mari ca la inceputuri,

am incercat sa inteleg ce ne transmit aceste imagini,

de ce armonia lor simpla, intraductibila,
ne impresioneaza asa de mult,

asta e modul in care avansam unul catre celalalt,
catre alt orizont al unui adevar,
niciodata apropindu-se, niciodata ajungand?

*

Trebuie sa ne mai fi intalnit inainte, domnisoara.
Iti mai amintesti unde anume?
Nu prea cred – ba da, da,
stateam pe catifea
in pestera lui Aladin.
…sau doi cai galopand in vant
pe continentul Gondwanei.
Si totusi imi amintesc, cred ca da,
era la Londra intr-o seara,
sau Bucuresti? Washington, Paris,
Viena, Praga, Barcelona, Istanbul,
Galway, New York?
Dupa cum imi amintesc, era innorat,
un grup vesel de oameni undeva inauntru,
nu, nu, poate n-ai uitat
cuibul pitit de taciuni –
ne pierdusem de caravana,
era la asfintit,
umbrele devenisera limbi infometate si...
Mai degraba ma gandesc ca ne trezisem devreme –
era ziua plecarii
parul nostru stralucea
asemenea panzei de paianjen incarcata de roua,
din via coapta si aurie,
vrei sa spui cand nu fusesem inca dati afara
din Gradina?
Nu,
asculta, acum stiu sigur
eram doi serpi sublimi,
urmarindu-se unul pe celalalt, fericiti,
in ocean primordial,
soarele se topea in ape din inalt,
Dumnezeu a ramas fara cuvinte
privindu-le splendoarea.
Lasa-ma sa-ti spun, trebuie sa fi fost cand citeam
“Ma intreb, pe cuvant,
ce am facut noi, tu si eu,
pana sa ne iubim?” – Iti imaginezi
astfel de lectura obligatorie?
Da, in asemenea loc si timp…
In acea zi, cum poate iti amintesti,eram asa indragostiti
apoi am uitat.
Am spus ca trebuie sa ne mai fi intalnit, Domnisoara,
stii, lucrurile acestea…