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| The Rape of Europa - Jean Cousin the Elder (from https://vcrfl.wordpress.com/tag/the-rape-of-europa/) |
(by Mihnea Măruță, author-approved translation by Lucian-A. Blaga, 2015)
I wish to be born in a
bright place, to be held immediately by people who know how to take care of me,
and my mother to take me home after a few days.
I like it that I will
have my own bed, clean sheets and toys, that there’ll be warmth and my parents
will look at me millions of times, as if I would be magic.
I’m happy to go to
kindergarten with other kids my age, and we’ll learn to draw, recite poems and
dance, and always mummy, daddy or someone dear, maybe granny or grandpa, will
come and dress me up and hold my hand at the end of the day.
I’m quite curious how
school is going to be like and I’m slightly scared of homework every day, but I
know that I will have friends, the best friends, that we’ll go together on
trips and we’ll laugh at parties and, even though I will complain often about
hardship, these years will be the most carefree of my life.
I know, I will have to
work hard for a decent living, that I will start low, with less money, that I
will have to be a tenant, until I will afford my own place, which might happen
when I will find the person with whom I will imagine eternity,
but I’m comforted by
the thought that, during those hard times, I will cherish the small things in
life, I will enjoy the best books ever written, the most surprising movies, and
will drink coffees under the sun, in cafés and on the beach in summer, or on endless slopes
in winter,
I know that, if I would
get sick - in a few minutes they will come and save me, if I would miss them –
I would talk to anyone within seconds, if I would dream – only my mind would be
able to stop me to travel,
I know that if I will
knock, doors will open,
if I will have guests,
we’ll cook dinner, drink wine and they will offer to wash the dishes,
if I will be invited
for a visit, I will dress up elegantly and wear perfume, I will buy flowers and
chocolate candies,
if I will believe in
God, I will be able to pray together with other people like me,
if I will not believe,
nobody will force me to think different,
and, generally, because
my city and my country went through everything, we’ve killed and been killed,
we’ve conquered continents and were conquered ourselves, we spoke languages we
hated and whispered underneath blankets the language we loved, we’ve been
imprisoned and liberated, we died and resurrected,
for all these, I’m
telling you that my will is to raise my children free and healthy, in peace,
but if you do not
permit that, if you will come over me again and again, refusing me to be born
in brightness, to grow up happily, to work for my small pleasures, to love and
grow old the way I chose, tempestuous or serene, rebellious or conventional,
then I shall remember
that I led you before, I shall remember how you submitted to me before, how I
made you wash your hands and clean your faces, to respect women and children,
I shall impose to you
my laws again; I will do it again and again, for you shall never forget that
Unë jam Europe!
Estic Europa!
Je suis l’Europe!
Estou Europa!
Ich bin Europa!
Jazsem Evropo!
ЈасамЕвропу!
Énvagyok Europa!
Ikben Europa!
Ja sam Europa!
Азсъм Европа!
Ben Avrupa!
Είμαι Ευρώπη!
I am Europe!
Jáj sem Evropa!
Ja som Európa!
Jeg er Europa!
Olen Euroopas!
Я Европу!
Я Європу!
Olen Eurooppa!
Jag är Europa!
Estoy Europa!
Ich bin Europa!
Eu sunt Europa!
Ég er Evrópu!
Támé an Eoraip!
Io sono l'Europa!
Es esmu Eiropu!
Esu Europą!
Jestem Europę!
I am Ewropa!
Ni naiz Europan!
أناأوروبا
Եսեմ
Եվրոպան!
Yrwyf Ewrop!
Ego Europa!
*original text here: http://pressone.ro/editorial/je-suis-leurope/
** if you liked this piece of writing, I kindly recommend you the English version of the original source: http://pressone.ro/en/
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