2 pentru Praga / 2 for Prague

From a Terrace in Prague

2011-05-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

Stephhan Delbos released the anthology on Prague that includes poems form Two For Prague project.

From a Terrace in Prague is an anthology of poems about Prague written by Czech and international poets who have lived in Prague or visited the city and wrote about it. Ranging from 1888 to 2010, with poems translated into English from 16 languages, the anthology is unparalleled in scope.

The contributors are: Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri, Guillaume Apollinaire, Michal Ajvaz, Louis Armand, Ingeborg Bachmann, John Berryman, Petr Bezruc, Konstantin Biebl, Anthony Blake, Ivan Blatny, Egon Bondy, Kamil Bouska, Jiri Brynda, Michael Carter, Paul Celan, Vera Chase, Inger Christensen, Christopher Crawford, Svatopluk Cech, Roque Dalton, Bei Dao, Jas H. Duke, Vincent Farnsworth, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Viola Fischerova, Gil Fleishman, Carolyn Forche, Frantisek Gellner, Allen Ginsberg, Frantisek Halas, Vaclav Havel, Nazim Hikmet, Karel Hlavacek, Vladimir Holan, Miroslav Holub, Josef Hora, Petr Hruska, Jaroslav Hutka, Ivan Martin Jirous, Richard Katrovas, Jane Kirwan, Jiri Kolar, Claudiu Komartin, Petr Kral, Martin Langer, David Lehman, Phillis Levin, Larry Levis, Robert Lowell, Antonin Macek, Josef Svatopluk Machar, Ian MacNeill, Sergej Makara, Radek Maly, Jason Mashak, Wojciech A. Maslarz, Iggy McGovern, Edwin Muir, Pablo Neruda, Vitezslav Nezval, Ladislav Novak, Tiago Patricio, Katerina Pinosova, Marie Pujmanova, Justin Quinn, James Ragan, Donald Revell, Tereza Riedlbauchova, Rainer Maria Rilke, Byambin Rinchen, Katerina Rudcenkova, Ed Sanders, James Schuyler, Jaroslav Seifert, David Shapiro, Phil Shoenfelt, Gary Snyder, Philippe Soupault, Antonin Sova, Viktor Spacek, Marcela Sulak, Pavel Srut, Mark Terrill, Karel Toman, Jachym Topol, John Tranter, Seisuke Tsukahara-Watasi, Marina Tsvetaeva, Razvan Tupa, Anne Waldman, Vera Weislitzova, Jiri Wolker, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Jiri Zacek, and Adam Zagajewski.

ABOUT THE EDITOR: Stephan Delbos is a New England-born poet living in Prague, where he teaches at Anglo-American University and Charles University, and works as Culture Editor for The Prague Post. His poetry, essays and translations have appeared most recently in Absinthe, Agni, Atlanta Review, Fourteen Hills, Financial Times, Full Metal Poem, Grasp, New Letters, Oxonian Review, Poetry International, Poetry Salzburg Review, Rakish Angel, Return of Kral Majales, Vlak, and Zoland Poetry.

Relational Poetics

2010-03-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Poezine # 5 Relational Poetry preview

Two autumn Romanian poetry events in Prague and Berlin

2009-09-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Poe-zine #4 Republica Poetica

View more documents from razvan tupa.

Two Romanian poetry events for the autumn of 2009

in Prague
September 30th
Krásný ztráty Cafe (Náprstkova 10, Praha 1, Staré Město)
17.00 – 20.00
Krasny Ztraty Cafe
Oana Ninu, Domnica Drumea, Mugur Grosu, Cosmin Perta, Răzvan Ţupa

in Berlin
Friday October 30th 22:00
Live Poesie
LiteraturWerkstatt
Ioana Nicolaie, Sorin Ghergut, Rita Chirian, Svetlana Carstean, Gabriela Eftimie, Constantin Acosmei, Stefan Manasia, Vasile Leac and Vlad Moldovan, with a video selection by Andrei Ruse
introduced by Razvan Tupa

cum se aude/ how it is heard

2008-06-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

Dan Mircea Duta, directorul ICR Praga, prezinta lectura de la targul de carte iar Claudiu Komartin citeste un prim poem

Dan Mircea Duta, the manager of ICR Praga introduces in Czech the reading and Claudiu Komartin reads in Romanian with Czech version of his poem.

Ioana&Catalin

2008-04-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

e foame in Africa si orasul fumeaza
in lumea asta tot mai disperata sa se-agate,
sa se piarda, sa simta
(Ioana)

...pai uneori e mai bine ca
lucrurile naspa
sa fie spuse,
nu scrise...
(Catalin)

Claudiu/ razvan/ Claudiu

2008-04-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

Zburam si asta/ we fly and

nu e o minune/ this is no wonder

la marginea campului meu vizual/ just near my point of sight

poate, un zid miscator/ maybe a moving wall

inaintand in noapte spre/ forwarding in the night towards

alt zid miscator/ an other moving wall

intoarcerea acasa este/ returning home is

o chestiune semantica/ a question of semantics

aproape chirurgicala/ almost surgical

____________

acum zic si ca sa ma contrazici/ now i say to be contradicted
care ziduri, care noapte/ what walls, wich night
care casa/ wich home

tot ce nu stii/ all that you don't know
nu are cum sa deformeze/ cannot contort
si-atunci de ce sa nu/ and then why not
faci asta:/ these:

sa misc zidul/ to move the wall
sau crezi ca n-am crezut/ or you think i didn't belive
sa las asa?/ let it like this?
___________

avem telefoane si laptopuri / we have phones, laptops

si carnetele moleskine/ and moleskine notebooks

iar noaptea masini neinduratoare vegheaza/ un in the night despiteous machines watch

pentru linistea si siguranta/ for the peace and safety

pe care le visasem candva/ that we dreamt about

si atunci de ce luminile noastre/ and then, why our lights

bat in ritmul/ beat the rithm

batailor in trunchiurile/ of beatings in big trunks of

marilor sequoia?/ sequoia?

de ce scriem poeme/ why do we write poems

in care pusleaza spaima/ with fear

nesiguranta si inutilitatea?/ uncertitude and futility pulsating

trebuie ca e un reflex/ it must be a reflex

de demult,/ from ancient time

din preistoria incandescenta din vremea cand/ from incandescent history when

prada urmarea hohotind vanatorul.../ the pray fallowed the hunter loaughing loudly

de doua ori razvan cu o poanta de Claudiu/ twice Razvan with a punch of Claudiu

2008-04-30T03:53:00.000-07:00

Claudiu are ceas (21.10)/ Claudiu has a watch (21.10)

cu lumini si asta/ with lights and this

il apropie/gets him closer

de orasul tau/ of your city

din care tocmai plecam/ thay we leave now

Claudiu se joaca cu lingurita/Claudiu plays with the spoon

in cafea si/ in the cofee

si da din degete/moves his fingers

asa/ like this

___________

si acum aflu/ and now I learn

ca eram intr-un film/ that we were in a movie

sau aproape/ or almost

se auzea un sunet ciudat/ you could hear a strange noise

atunci cand am urcat/ when wel took the car

acum doua zile/ two days ago

Respir/ I breeth

______________

insemnarile noastre/ our scribblings

sunt ca urmele de pneuri/ are like tire traces

pe asfalt/ on asphalt

anuntand o cascadorie/ announcing a stunt

sau un mic dezastru/ or a small calamity

Cosima & Viviana

2008-04-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

un carnet/ a notebook [Cla]

2008-04-30T03:36:00.000-07:00

n-ai voie/ not allowed

povestea vietii mele,/story of my life,

praguri-puteri/ doorsteps-powers [Globe]

2008-04-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

la the Globe nu erau turisti, doar/ There were no turists in the Globe, just

persoane foarte serioase prinse/ verry serious persons cought

de pasiunea de a fi expat/ by the passion of being an expat

_____

niste icoane facute de cineva/ some icons made by someone

care nu crede/ who doesn't belive

dar caruia ii plac/ but loves it

portrete religioase cu fete/ religious portraits with faces

de supermodele/ of supermodels

_____

o natiune a turistilor cu preocupari decente/ a nation of tourists with decent deeds

in timpul zilei si/ during the day and

adevarati manageri ai betiei/ real managers of drunkness

noaptea/ at night

Claudiu spune/ Claudiu says (The Globe)

2008-04-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

o limpezime neobisnuita, o lumina incarcata cu obiectele netede-ale atingerii

Globul se micsoreaza si se mareste, in ritm cu sunetele care umplu canile, linguritele, iti intra sub haine ca un lichid obscur, ca o lumina a lichidarii. Ai vrea sa ajungi la capatul propriei maini.

Sa-ti arunci bratul ca pe o haltera ca pe un glas de carne indreptat spre micile gesturi ale amiezii.

Insemnarile mele ar fi putut incepe cu descrierea zilelor in care soarele zvacneste nerabdator, de parca ar sta ghemuit intr-o ceapa, printre legume in care alearga fluidul unui inceput de tandrete.

Ochii sunt niste bulbi crescuti pe o tulpina inalta.

Asud intre pliurile realului, unde insectele se misca pe metalul intelegator.

__________________________________________________________________

Soarele a ascuns ceva in parul tau,

soarele a ascuns ceva in parul tau

soarele a ascuns ceva in parul tau,

Andi spune/ Andi says

2008-04-30T03:12:00.000-07:00

[la Globe/ at Globe]

Pantofi desculti si/ Barefoot shoes and

parfume of anxious cigarets/parfum de tigari nelinistite

Praga se plimba cu noi/ Pague walks with us

[si mai tarziu, in avion/ and later, in the plane]

Il iubesc pe Dumnezeu/ I love God

Intr-o forma sau alta/ in one form or another.

Beau, mananc, fumez/ I drink, I eat, I smoke

traiesc tot ce exist/ I live all that exist.

eli zice ca/ eli says

2008-04-30T03:08:00.000-07:00

zajiamavý
isi ty
zajiamave bylo setkani s
TEBOU
zajiamava snad byla i praha pro
TEBE
zajiamave přilezitosti a zazitky preju
TOBE
zajimavý srazek basni at vujde vi
TVE
praze...

i hodně štěsit!

stenografic/ shorthand

2008-04-27T02:42:00.001-07:00

Barbora a inteles ca/ Barbora uderstood that

vrem sa dansam/ we intend to dance

Eli a inteles ca/ Eli understood that

jumate din film o vazuse deja/ haf of the move she'd already seen

Claudiu s-a odihnit/ Claudiu rested

Cosima s-a odihnit/ Cosima rested

Andi a raspuns la intrebari/ Andy responsed the questions

Ioana Catalin

for once these days got in time

acasa/ home

canapele largi pentru vise/ vast couches for dreams

bucurie tarzie in Praga adolescenta/late joy in teen Prague

noaptea tarziu/late night

trees at three

2008-04-27T02:18:00.000-07:00

cladiri dansatoare & o cafenea cubista

/ dancing buildings & a cubist cafe
cu tot felul de glume

/ with diferent jokes
privind dulciurile

/ regarding sweet dishes

trag peste strazi si castel

/ pull over streets and castle
impresia unei livezi

/ a sense of trees

ganduri coerente

/ this coherent thoughts
inventeaza arhitectura masiva

/ invents a massive architecture
a viselor

/ of dreams

si acum dimineata/ and now in the morning

2008-04-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

aglomeratia de la mic dejun/ the breakfast crowd

schimba varste/ exchange ages

unul cu altul/ one to another

din punct de vedere turistic/ in a touristic perspective

ar trebui sa se numere printre / they should be among

obiectivele pragheze/Pragese objectives

microbuze cu camasi/ little buses with shirts

in loc de ferestre/ instead of windows

cu micul dejun inclus/ breakfast included

turism de la nastere pana la moarte/ tourism from birth to death

aici pe dreapta puteti sa vedeti/ here on the left you can see

prima dumneavoastra declaratie/your first declaration

privind un poet mort/ regarding a dead poet

restul ar trebui sa ramana discret/ the rest should remain discret

pe dreapta limba dumneavoastra natala/on the right your mother tongue

pe copilul Iisus/ dressing baby Christ

si acum va rugam faceti cu mana/ and now pleasa wave

pentru toti oamenii astia care sunt/ for all the people that are just

tu la varste diferite/ you at diferent ages

galaxia urletelor/ screaming galaxy

2008-04-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

stirea este ca/ the news is

in fata noastra se pot ciocni galaxii/ galaxies can clash in your face

si/ and

sirenele pragheze izbucnesc/ and Pragese syrens break out

intr-un imn abia suportabil/ in a hymn that you bearly can stand

si dupa asta, liniste/ and then, just silance

Kino Aero

2008-04-25T03:52:00.000-07:00

Praga este un cinematograf/ Prague is a cinema

prea mare pentru /too big for

ceea ce credem despre /what we brought from home on

underground

noaptea te intorci cu/at night you return in

(un tramvai)/ (a tram)

la un moment dat/ at some point

Ioana intreaba de poemul asta/ Ioana askes of this poem

Un film negru ruleaza/ A black film rolls

pe deasupra capetelor noastre/over our heads

turle cu copii de-a busilea pe ele/ towers with kids crawling on their knees

sfasie filmul/ thorn the film

Catalin/ Cosima/ Andi/ Viviana

we know where Claudiu is/ stim unde este Claudiu

cu noi/ with us

plecand/ leaving (Romania and not yet in Czech)

2008-04-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

strazi in mijlocul bucurestiului/ streets in the middle of Bucharest
zdrobite de ceata/ beat by fog
intinse peste nori spalate/stretched over the clouds
pana la soare/ to the sun

si soarele iti face foame/ and sun makes us hungry

niste/some

2008-04-21T08:34:00.001-07:00

Niste lucruri/Some things
Niste ganduri/ Some thoughts
Vise pe care le recunosti/ Dreams you can recognize

si nu le uiti/ and don't forget
frumusetea a fost/ beauty was
mereu armonia raporturilor/ always proportion in harmony

parti in relatie/ parts in relation
ca un urias/ just like a huge
organism

pulsand/ pulsing
nu doar pe dinafara/not just outside
cum poti sa vezi/as you can see

frumusetea/beauty

unor organe perfect/ of some organs perfectly
ceva/something
prezent/present
absent

acum/now
la radacina unghiilor/ in the roots on nails
Niste poezie/Some poetry

Refugiu / Refuge

2008-04-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

În nopţile când luna se ciocneşte de pereţii adăpostului,

iar cărţile sunt bătrânii neputincioşi ai familiei

care de mult nu mai răspund la vreun stimul,

ca pentru un copil salvat de animale,

limbajul mi se pare insuportabil.

un iaz secat în mijlocul pădurii.

(în jurul meu lucrează maşini

pe care nu le-aş putea descrie

fără să îngheţ de ruşine şi spaimă.)

aş vrea să fiu un analfabet

un sălbatic ce îşi mângâie pântecul

fredonând cântece sincopate printre copacii împietriţi.

scânteia s-a stins, dar ecoul primelor cuvinte

continuă să tulbure vizuina

în care vulpea îşi priveşte uluită puiul

şi-apoi îi linge fruntea încetişor

sperând că totul a fost doar o neînţelegere.

At night, when the moon bumps into the shelter’s walls

and books are the powerless elders of the family

that have long ceased to respond to any stimulus,

just like a child who’s been saved by animals,

I find language unbearable.

a drained pond amid the forest.

(all around me machines are operating

devices I couldn’t describe

without utter shame and dread)

I wish I were an illiterate

a savage caressing his belly

and humming staccato songs among trees of stone.

the spark has faded, but the first words

are still echoing the lair

where the stunned fox stares at its cub

and then gently licks its forehead

hoping it had all been just a misunderstanding.

lui Kristofer Flensmark / to Kristofer Flensmark

sa bagi poezia intr-o lume a cartii/ to enter poetry in a book world

2008-04-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

avem programul asta/we have this programe
sa mergem cu poezia intr-o lume a cartii/to enter poetry in a book world
momente desfacute/ open moments
pentru o anumita nevoie de liniste/ for a certain need of silence

daca e prea tarziu/ if it's too late
poti sa te intorci oricand/ you can return anytime
tot ce o sa recunosti/everything that you can recognize
este numai linistea/is just silence
continuta de tot ce atingi/inside anything you touch

intorci pagina/turn the page
esti tu/ is you

poezie aici/ poetry here

2008-04-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

si/ and
in jurul unui sunet o multime de oameni/ around this sound a crowd
si in multime - tu/ and in the crowd - you
si de acolo numai obiecte/ from that point on only objects
zboara de jur imprejur/ flying all around

abia daca ai deschis gura/ just opening your mouth
aer sigur/ confident air

esti un oras de poezie/you are a city of poetry

ploaia/ the rain
se implica intr-o relatie fizica/involves in a physical relation
si mereu este vorba de tine/ and this is always about you

Ploaie

2008-04-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ploaie sau ceva ce aduce cu ploaia
năclăindu-ţi hainele
când păşeşti abătut pe trotuar
cu gândul la alt oraş

cu gândul la acel oraş
scufundă-te somnoros în lâna amiezii

spre seară o coadă de păun
se lasă din nori peste grădina-nflorită
soarele coboară fără grabă
pe pajişte umbrele se alungesc

start poem/

2008-04-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

Praga a inceput intr-o luni la Bucuresti/ Prague began one Monday in Bucharest
masa este rotunda/ the table was round
si rotunda fata de masa din cauciuc galben/ and round the yellow rubber on the table
doua espresso duble/ two double espressos
si/ and
poemul incepe aici/the poem begins here