Стихотворение Анны Бландиана «Totul» («Everything») (на румынском и английском языках).

Стихотворение Анны Бландиана «Totul» («Everything») (на румынском и английском языках).

“Totul” – “Everything”

A poem by the former dissident writer – Ana Blandiana

‘Totul’ was less subtle than Ana Blandiana’s earlier verses but it was still published in ‘Amfiteatru’, the literary magazine in 1984, together with three other poems. The issue was withdrawn from circulation within hours and the editors sacked, Blandiana’s weekly newspaper column was suspended and she received threatening phone calls. Meanwhile, the offending verses began to receive attention. They were broadcast on Radio Free Europe and translated into Newsweek and subsequently other Western media, and copies were circulating in Romania on the Black Market.

‘Totul’ (Everything) is a list of things which either existed or didn’t exist in Romania at the time and was therefore immediately familar to Romanians – the poor conditions, meagre food, and the symbols of the personality cult of Ceausescu.

… Frunze, cuvinte, lacrimi
Cutii de conserve, pisici
Tramvaie câteodata, cozi la Faina
Gargarite, sticle goale, discursuri
Imagini lungite la televizor
Gîndaci de Colorado, benzina
Stegulete, Cupa Campionilor Europeni
Masini cu butelii, portrete cunoscute
Mere refuzate la export
Ziare, franzele
Ulei în amestec, garoafe
Întîmpinari la aeroport
Cico, baloane
Salam Bucuresti, iaurt dietetic
Tiganci cu Kenturi, oua de Crevedia
Zvonuri
Serialul de Sîmbata, cafea cu înlocuitori
Lupta popoarelor pentru pace, coruri
Productie la hectar
Gerovitalul, baietii de pe Calea Victoriei
Cîntarea României, adidasi
Compot bulgaresc, bancuri, peste oceanic
Totul.

… Leaves, words, tears
Tinned Food, Cats
Trams from time to time, queues for flour
Weevils, empty bottles, speeches
Elongated images on the television
Colorado beetles, petrol
Pennants, the European Cup
Trucks with gas cylinders, familiar portraits
Export-reject apples
Newspapers, loaves of bread
Blended oil, carnations
Receptions at the airport
Cico-cola, balloons
Bucharest salami, diet yoghurt
Gypsy women with Kents, Crevedia Eggs
Rumours
The Saturday serial, coffee substitutes
The struggle of nations for peace, choirs
Production by the hectare
Gerovital, the Victoriei Avenue Mob
The Hymn of Romania, Adidas shoes
Bulgarian stewed fruit, jokes, sea fish
Everything.