flowerfall

Recently, a friend sent me “spring greetings” on WhatsApp consisting of a photo of flowering trees. Immediately, to my mind sprung two Romanian songs consisting a “tree flowers”.

Varianta în limba română pe FaṭăCarte Meta Zamolxis.

• revisiting two 3 old pop songs, with their translated lyrics and Yt links.
• commemorating a composer’s demise

That’s how my mind works..

Both of these songs are (or, at least, were) extremely popular and widely mediatized in my childhood.

The first, “The Snowfalls of Flowers” or “Ninsorile de Flori” (I linked a YouTube playlist on the first and a search under the second), was interpreted by Angela Similea (another starlet who was extremely popular in my childhood, previously mentioned) with the music composed by Adrian Enescu.

One evening I shyly whispered to you

Flowers of flames in the light blossomed

Only petals my forehead wore

And the smile was filling with sunshine.

{Refren}.

Let's both wait

The snowfall of flowers

That will only fall on us

(Will fall)

You end the time

Forgetting about it

when the sun will rise

(Will rise).

Moments, butterflies, break their flight

Over the embers of the first tear of longing

The impatience exacts its price

Praying for baseless petals.

Intr-o seara timid ti-am soptit
Flori de flacari in lumina au inflorit
Doar petale purta fruntea mea
Si zambetul de soare se umplea.
{Refren}.
Sa asteptam amandoi
Ninsorile de flori
Ce doar peste noi vor cadea
(Vor cadea)
Vremea s-o-nchizi
Uitand apoi de ea
Cand soarele pe bolta va urca
(Va urca).
Clipe, fluturi isi frang zborul lor
Peste jarul primei lacrimi de dor
Nerabdarea isi vrea pretul ei
Rugand petale fara vreun temei.

Lyrics are written, as in most of his songs, by Lucian Avramescu.

Most of the surviving recordings of Angela Similea have her voice getting a bit raspy on higher notes, which I dislike. Then again, I’m not sure that her voice was ever different.

As for Adrian Enescu, he passed away in August 2016 (d24-aem, lbt-aei, rrm-aep), a little over 3 years after commenting on my blog on the afore-linked article. I still remember how surprised, honored and confused I felt when he commented: if I were to contact him, which he seemed to have wanted, what was I to say other than “thank you, I admire you and your work”?! I didn’t contact him, because I just couldn’t think of something smart to say, but in hindsight, I should’ve.

Here’s The Highway or Autostrada, one instrumental piece of his, and another I was obsessed with – Reversible / Rezerva la Start, as well as The Odd Poplars (plopii impari) with “The Stereo Group” comprised of Crina Mardare and Elena Perianu.

I lost, sometimes too much,

Finding, at other times a little

It's the world, with a tragic balance,

Between believing, and not in destiny.

What is love,

We don't know, or we really do know;

Indivisible, a figure of two,

When the poplars in our hearts are odd

And oddly, we odd are as well.

Yes, that's life and forever we love

Otherwise we wouldn't live,

On the continent of love, let's not be

Travelers for only a day.

Let's love,

Let's love

Let's love.

Otherwise life rolls as like dice;

While there still are good men in the world,

While there still are good men at the gates.

Yes, that's life and forever we love

Otherwise we wouldn't live,

On the continent of love let's not be

Travelers in a day

More romantic,

(In the evening of May)

Happy as a sincere word,

Let's love with all the sky in us

While it's not (while it's not), too late (too late), on Earth.

Am pierdut, cateodata prea mult,
Regasind, altadata putin
Este lumea, c-un tragic balans,
Intre-a crede, si-a nu in destin.
Ce-i iubirea,
Nu stim sau chiar stim;
Indivizibila, cifra cu doi,
Cand sunt plopii in suflet impari
Si impari, suntem iata si noi.
Da, asa e viata si vesnic noi iubim
Altfel n-am trai,
Prin continentul iubirii sa nu fim
Calatori in o zi.
Sa iubim,
Sa iubim
Sa iubim.
Altfel viata ne trage la sorti;
Cat pe lume mai sunt oameni buni,
Cat mai sunt, oameni buni pe la porti.
Da, asa e viata si vesnic noi iubim
Altfel n-am trai,
Prin continentul iubirii sa nu fim
Calatori in o zi
Mai romantici,
(In seara de mai)
Fericiti ca un sincer cuvant,
Sa iubim cu tot cerul din noi
Cat nu e (cat nu e), prea tarziu (prea tarziu), pe Pamant.

The “odd poplars” metaphor is actually pretty cool, but in the time I have I cannot do it justice in translation.

The song “A Tree With Flowers” or “The Tree In Love” (Un copac cu flori, aka Copacul indragostit) was initially played at the “Flacara Festival” by Stefan Hrusca and Vasile Seicaru on Adrian Paunescu Dan Verona’s (?) lyrics. The former played the song by himself for most of his existence.

When I look at you often

On the earth I dream myself

That I am a flowering tree

And on the high road I go out

With a smile of green leaves

To hug you at sunup

Some people are always in a hurry

And they don't see me blossom

For them often

But those in love

And the children stop

Look, a flowering tree

A flowering tree

And a forgotten corner of the sky

A flowering tree

Is all I offer you

A flowering tree

So I can hug you

A tree with flowers

This is my life

Where I see an open window

At night when you're dreaming

Full of flowers I roam

And I appear often in my dreams

Just if you imagine

That I really exist

Only you, my darling You

don't appear at the window at all

So I can hug you

Even though my heart is heavy

Allow me only this good fortune

Let me bloom at your gate

A tree with flowers

And a forgotten corner of the sky

A tree with flowers

That's all I offer you

A tree with flowers

So I can hold you in my arms

A tree with flowers

This is my life

Când privesc spre voi ades
Pe pământ eu mă visez
Că sunt un copac cu flori
Și la drumul mare ies
C-un surâs de frunze verzi
Să vă-mbrățișez în zori
Unii trec mereu grăbiți
Și nu văd că înfloresc
Pentru ei adeseori
Însa cei îndrăgostiți
Și copiii se opresc
Uite un copac cu flori

Un copac cu flori
Și un colț uitat de cer
Un copac cu flori
Este tot ce vă ofer
Un copac cu flori
Să vă pot îmbrățișa
Un copac cu flori
Asta este viața mea

Unde văd un geam deschis
Noaptea pe când voi visați
Plin de flori cutreieram
Și apar ades în vis
Doar de vă imaginați
Că exist cu adevărat
Numai tu iubita mea
Nu apari la geam deloc
Să te pot îmbrățișa
Chiar de inima mi-e grea
Lasă-mi doar acest noroc
Să-nfloresc la poarta ta

Un copac cu flori
Și un colț uitat de cer
Un copac cu flori
Este tot ce vă ofer
Un copac cu flori
Să vă pot îmbrățișa
Un copac cu flori
Asta este viața mea

There are a couple more songs with similar themes (e.g., Aurelian Andreescu; see also tt, explaining what I thought when I first heard him, i.e., that he’s imitating Elvis a bit, while someone else in the comments mentioned Tom Jones)..

In the garden of my home is the tree

That sings on the leaves and on the wind

That knows everything I like and feel

That knows the song that I sing in my thoughts

In the garden of my home is the tree

That tells me to be proud like him

That tells me to keep my forehead always straight

Come rain or shine or clouds

Just like him

The green tree stands in my garden

Burdened by sickness and disease heavy death

Enemies have tried to lay it on the ground and to know it's kneeling on the ground

The dense tree stands tall in my garden

Stunned by the sun of heavy light

This tree is the body of the body of the holy land

And it will be forever on the ground

In the garden of my house is the tree

It stands guard in good times and bad

I feel the hard wood in my arms and I kiss it always

And the tree turns from 'the old'

It's really me!

The green tree stands in my garden

Burdened by sickness and heavy death

Enemies have tried to lay it on the ground and know it's kneeling

The dense tree stands in my garden

Dazed by the sun and heavy light

This tree is the body of the holy land

And it will be on earth forever

In gradina casei mele e copacul
Care canta si pe frunze si pe vant
Care stie tot ce imi place si ce simt
Care stie cantecul ce in gand il cant
In gradina casei mele e copacul
Care imi spune sa fiu mandru cum e el
Care imi spune sa imi tin fruntea dreapta tot mereu
Fie ploaie fie soare fie nori
Tot ca el
Copacul verde se inalta in gradina mea
Incarcat de boala si de moarte grea
Au incercat dusmani sa l culce la pamant si sa l stie ingenunchiat
Copacul dens se inalta in gradina mea
Ametit de soare de lumina grea
Acest copac e trup din trupul tarii sfant
Si o fi vesnic pe pamant
In gradina casei mele e copacul
Sta de paza si la bine si la greu
Simt in brate lemnul tare si l sarut mereu
Si copacul se transforma dintrodat'
Sunt chiar eu!
Copacul verd se inalta in gradina mea
Incarcat de boala si de moarte grea
Au incercat dusmani sa l culce la pamant si sa l stie ingenunchiat
Copacul dens se inalta in gradina mea
Ametit de soare de lumina grea
Acest copac e trup din trupul tarii sfant
Si o fi vesnic pe pamant

..and I included them in the list above, even though I never quite understood their enduring popularity.

To end, let me note that even though he worked mostly alone, through his classical / formal musical training, Adrian Enescu had in Romanian music the stature of Kraftwerk.

Sources / More info: d24-aem, lbt-aei, rrm-aep

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