Friday, November 7, 2014

By a train window (a translation by me of an Esperanto poem by Julio Baghy)



I like translating stuff from Esperanto. Here's a translation  (followed by the original) of a poem that I encountered in the book "Vojaĝo en Esperanto Lando" edited by Boris Kolker, which is a collection of a wide range of different kinds of writings. I got bored with that book and quit about 2/3 of the way through, but I liked the poetry. This isn't quite a literal translation, but it's pretty close (for better or worse).

By a train window

Little village by the river,
emerald mountain, flowered shore,
evening bell chime,
front porch bench,
memories link me to you:
happy childhood games,
a young heart’s secret,
first love’s kiss...
Little village by the river,
it’s hopeless to dream of returning to you.
I am trapped by
worries, duties, city life.


Original:

Ĉe fenestro de vagonaro
By Julio Baghy

Vilaĝeto ĉe rivero,
verda monto, flora bord’,
sonoril-son’ de l’ vespero,
benko ĉe la doma pord’,
ligas min al vi memoro:
gaja ludo de infan’,
la sekret’ de juna koro,
kiso de l’ unua am’...
Vilaĝeto ĉe rivero,
vin revidi vanas rev’,
tenas min en mallibero
urba vivo, zorgoj, dev’.

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