Happy Romanian Language Day, today 31st of August, celebrated by twenty million Romanians plus ten million Romanians living outside Romania’s borders…
Why celebrate? Even with a thought, because the language we took our first steps through forms the code that keeps our spiritual DNA together.
Why only Romanians speak a Latin language in southeast Europe? people usually ask me. Well, I wrote is a little explanation on my blog here. You can also enjoy Romanian folklore, myths and legends on my blog here and time-travel into Romania’s past or take virtual travel trips to Romania here.
Oh, This Sweet Language of Ours
100-word Story about the Romanian Language, a book extract from Transylvania’s History A to Z
“The shepherd, bushy moustache hanging like sunset’s haze over his lips, thumbs thrust in his wide belt, wears a woolly hat, a sheep-skin thrown a-back.
A curtain of fir-trees hangs between him and his hamlet, alive along a brook steaming like a dragon’s swampy breath. A dragon he’d tamed, as says the Doina tune he whistles.
From childhood-cradle to colt years, his life moved between the sheepfold and the shepherd’s hearth. Making cheese and whey-cheese; keeping company with Dog who brings him great joy, although it never knew the collar.
Not a taintless, or a barren life either. But glad.”
Copyright © Patricia Furstenberg. All Rights Reserved.
I translated for you two old Romanian verses:
“Codru’ este mare
Si lumina n-are;
Codru este des
Intri, nu mai iesi…”“The woodland is wide
Romanian ritualistic song, translated from Romanian by Patricia Furstenberg
And has no light;
The woodland is thick
You enter, never to leave…”
“Sufletul statea
Si mi se ruga:
Brade, brade!
Sa-mi fii frate:
Intinde-ti, intinde,
Eu sa le pot prinde
Varfurile tale,
Sa trec peste ele”“My soul stopped
Romanian ritualistic song, translated from Romanian by Patricia Furstenberg
And it implored:
Fir tree, fir tree!
My brother thou be:
Spread thou, spread
Your tree tops shed,
May I over ’em fled.”
Romanians all over the world will spend a minute today, I hope, thinking of “oh, this sweet language of ours”, as Romanian is ever so melodious. Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit bout my mother tongue.
When do you celebrate your native language?
Would you like to learn a Romanian word or expression? Ask me 🙂
O zi a Limbii Române fericită vă doresc!
Transylvania’s unspoiled natural beauty, its tumultuous history, and the people who touched it are depicted in this book.
Patricia Furstenberg uses the confining rules of the 100-word story form to stirringly capture Transylvania, Romania’s historical and geographical region.
Vă doresc o „Ziua fericită a limbii române” astăzi, Pat 🙂
Vai, multumesc mult de tot. Ce surpriza frumoasa.
Si Dumneavoastra! 🙂
Mulțumesc
Cu placere 🙂
Is that right? The Romanian diaspora is really such a large proportion of the total populace! I had no idea.
Just over five million souls form the Romanian diaspora, while another five million Romanians work overseas.
Thanks! Such large numbers for the size off population.
Because we are highly skilled 🙂
Nici o vorbă în engleză azi. 🙂 La mulți ani! ❤️
🙂 La multi ani, Jo! Mersi frumos.
I hope you have a great day! I loved the picture of the shepherd.
Mulțumim! <3
Cu multa placere! 🙂
Ah, thank you so much, Susan!
Yes, that old shepherd is quite something 😉
How lovely! 31st August happens to be my country Malaysia’s Independence Day! Thanks for sharing about your mother tongue, Pat.
What a beautiful coincidence, Phillip 🙂 Happy Independence Day for yesterday! I hope you had a peaceful celebration.
And thank you so much 🙂
This is so wonderful, Patricia. One feels proud of one’s mother tongue.
I didn’t know that a day was actually celebrated for a language. That’s so interesting. And the story sums up a lot about the culture and simple life. How often do you converse in Romanian now?
Do you switch to Romanian when you’re shocked or angry? I’ve experienced this with language myself. Haha.
Wish you all the best. Something to be proud of. 🙂
Yes, the wiser we get, the more we understand that being proud is just acknowledging the generations that came before us and kept the language alive, and enriched it too.
Thank you so much 🙂
Of course I switch 🙂 In those moments, it comes naturally! Ha ha.
I mostly speak Romanian over the phone with my parents, but I do follow a few Romanian bloggers, read literature (mostly poetry, shorter), and (time permitting) listen to old radio plays in Romanian.
Thank you so much, Terveen. Have a fantastic week further 😉
You too, Pat. 🙂
Happy Belated Romanian Language Day. I’m reading through the book again, so much to take in. I loved the story of the sheep herder, your description of him was beautiful.
Thank you so much, Miss Judy. Being away from home puts things into perspective.
Ah, thrilled to hear that. Yes, a little book with much to say, I hope 🙂
PS I liked that good man too! 😉