Poem
Daniel Bănulescu
KEEP ON DOING YOUR UTMOST ON YOUR VERY LAST LAP
Come on now what do you mean you didn’t know? You did all alongAnd knew it with each of your cells too
You did know that within the space of one hour of queuing together for things
We’d be in the grip of intense sexual desire
You’d turn pale I’d be panting
And we’d make it as far as the lift and no further
And you’re driving me out of my mind
Brushing your fingers all over my temples and driving me out of my mind
Whispering softly and gasping
Until I get to see your intestines
High-strung and tense and intent
And snapping their loose ends
In anticipation
What do you mean you didn’t know? Your beauty is two fingers above the beauty of all other women
You’re hotter you’re deeper you’re keener
Than any one woman on earth
Were your fingers not already numbered
Were your breasts but the God-given nicknames
Bestowed upon you
Back in the days when God was still fashioning flesh
And oo you amaze me
You call out my name you draw nigh unto me and amaze me
In the room of your body the armchairs in front of the tv are mine on a permanent basis
In bed mine is the bed
Mine in the kitchen the Viennese trivet for coffee
But there you turn pale
We are panting
And we make it as far as the lift and no further
© Translation: 2013, Florin Bican
BLIJF ALLES GEVEN OP JE LAATSTE HONDERD METER
Hoezo je kon het niet weten? Je wist hetJa je wist met elk van je cellen
Dat we na een uur samen in de file staan
Door een heftige seksuele lust worden overweldigd
Je verbleekte we snakten naar adem
En kwamen niet verder dan de lift
En je maakt me gek
Je strijkt met je vingers over mijn slapen en je maakt me gek
Je spreekt zachtjes en je opent je mond
Tot ik je nerveuze en gekwelde en klaarstaande ingewanden te zien krijg
Met trillende staartpunten
Die wachten om genomen te worden
Hoe kon je het niet weten? Je zou twee vingers mooier zijn dan om het even welke vrouw
Heter dieper en liefdevoller
Dan om het even welke andere vrouw ter wereld
Als je vingers niet al geteld zouden zijn
Als je borsten niet al de twee bijnamen zouden zijn
Die God je gaf
Op de dagen dat God het vlees maakte
Je overbluft me
Je roept mijn naam komt dichterbij en overbluft me
In de kamer van je lichaam krijg ik altijd de zetel vlak voor de televisie
In bed krijg ik het bed
In de keuken krijg ik de Weense drievoet voor de koffie
Maar je verbleekt
We snakken naar adem
En komen niet verder dan de lift
© Vertaling: 2013,
CONTINUĂ SĂ DAI TOTUL PE ULTIMA TA SUTĂ DE METRI
Ei cum să nu ştii? Tu ştiaiŞi o ştiai cu fiecare din celulele tale
Cum după o oră de stat împreună la coadă
Ne cuprinde o puternică dorinţă sexuală
Te îngălbeneai gâfâiam
Şi nu reuşeam să ajungem decât pân’ la lift
Şi mă-nnebuneşti
Îmi treci degetele peste tâmple şi mă-nnebuneşti
Vorbind încet şi deschizând gura
Până ce apuc să văd intestinele tale
Nervoase şi sâcâite şi gata
Şi plesnind din cozi
Şi aşteptând să te iau
Cum să nu ştii? Eşti mai frumoasă cu două degete decât orice femeie
Mai fierbinte mai adâncă mai tandră
Decât oricare altă femeie din lume
Dacă degetele tale n-ar fi deja numărate
Decât sânii tăi n-ar fi decât cele două porecle
Date ţie de Dumnezeu
Din zilele în care Dumnezeu făcea carne
Şi mă uluieşti
Îmi strigi numele te apropii de mine şi mă uluieşti
În camera trupului tău am totdeauna fotoliile din faţă de la televizor
În pat am patul
În bucătărie am trepiedul vienez pentru cafea
Dar te îngălbeneşti
Gâfâim
Şi nu reuşim s-ajungem decât pân’ la lift
© 2010, Daniel Bănulescu
From: Ce bine e sa fii Daniel Banulescu
Publisher: Editura Cartea Românească, Bucharest
From: Ce bine e sa fii Daniel Banulescu
Publisher: Editura Cartea Românească, Bucharest
Poems
Poems of Daniel Bănulescu
Close
KEEP ON DOING YOUR UTMOST ON YOUR VERY LAST LAP
Come on now what do you mean you didn’t know? You did all alongAnd knew it with each of your cells too
You did know that within the space of one hour of queuing together for things
We’d be in the grip of intense sexual desire
You’d turn pale I’d be panting
And we’d make it as far as the lift and no further
And you’re driving me out of my mind
Brushing your fingers all over my temples and driving me out of my mind
Whispering softly and gasping
Until I get to see your intestines
High-strung and tense and intent
And snapping their loose ends
In anticipation
What do you mean you didn’t know? Your beauty is two fingers above the beauty of all other women
You’re hotter you’re deeper you’re keener
Than any one woman on earth
Were your fingers not already numbered
Were your breasts but the God-given nicknames
Bestowed upon you
Back in the days when God was still fashioning flesh
And oo you amaze me
You call out my name you draw nigh unto me and amaze me
In the room of your body the armchairs in front of the tv are mine on a permanent basis
In bed mine is the bed
Mine in the kitchen the Viennese trivet for coffee
But there you turn pale
We are panting
And we make it as far as the lift and no further
© 2013, Florin Bican
From: Ce bine e sa fii Daniel Banulescu
From: Ce bine e sa fii Daniel Banulescu
KEEP ON DOING YOUR UTMOST ON YOUR VERY LAST LAP
Come on now what do you mean you didn’t know? You did all alongAnd knew it with each of your cells too
You did know that within the space of one hour of queuing together for things
We’d be in the grip of intense sexual desire
You’d turn pale I’d be panting
And we’d make it as far as the lift and no further
And you’re driving me out of my mind
Brushing your fingers all over my temples and driving me out of my mind
Whispering softly and gasping
Until I get to see your intestines
High-strung and tense and intent
And snapping their loose ends
In anticipation
What do you mean you didn’t know? Your beauty is two fingers above the beauty of all other women
You’re hotter you’re deeper you’re keener
Than any one woman on earth
Were your fingers not already numbered
Were your breasts but the God-given nicknames
Bestowed upon you
Back in the days when God was still fashioning flesh
And oo you amaze me
You call out my name you draw nigh unto me and amaze me
In the room of your body the armchairs in front of the tv are mine on a permanent basis
In bed mine is the bed
Mine in the kitchen the Viennese trivet for coffee
But there you turn pale
We are panting
And we make it as far as the lift and no further
© 2013, Florin Bican
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