D. H. Lawrence - Bavarian Gentians

Not every man has gentians in his house
in soft September, at slow, sad Michaelmas.

Bavarian gentians, big and dark, only dark
darkening the daytime, torch-like, with the smoking blueness of Pluto's gloom,
ribbed and torch-like, with their blaze of darkness spread blue
down flattening into points, flattened under the sweep of white day
torch-flower of the blue-smoking darkness, Pluto's dark-blue daze,
black lamps from the halls of Dis, burning dark blue,
giving off darkness, blue darkness, as Demeter's pale lamps give off light,
lead me then, lead the way.

Reach me a gentian, give me a torch!
let me guide myself with the blue, forked torch of this flower
down the darker and darker stairs, where blue is darkened on blueness
even where Persephone goes, just now, from the frosted September
to the sightless realm where darkness is awake upon the dark
and Persephone herself is but a voice
or a darkness invisible enfolded in the deeper dark
of the arms Plutonic, and pierced with the passion of dense gloom,
among the splendor of torches of darkness, shedding darkness
on the lost bride and her groom.

Petruta Naidut - Gentiene de Bavaria

Nu afli gentiene la oricine-n casa
in septembrie cu ploi, in mohirata zi tarzie de Sf. Mihail.

Gentiene de Bavaria, mari si intunecate, intunecand doar
lumina zilei cu intunerecul lor precum facliile de fum albastru ale tristetii lui Pluto,
brazdate de nervuri, lucesc albastru cu flacara lor intunecata,
chircindu-se, la pamant suflate de lumina zilei.
Flori ce ard intunerecul de fum albastru, naucitoare luciri plutonice de-un albastru adanc,
faclii intunecate ce se mistuie in Dite, lucind albastru-ntunecat,
raspandind negura, negura albastra, precum facliile palide ale Demetrei, lumina,
apoi calauze sa-mi fiti, calea sa-mi aratati.

Intindeti-mi o gentiana, dati-mi o faclie!
Voi sa ma las calauzit de flacara albastra, desfacuta a cestei flori
coborand scara tot mai intunecata, pana unde albastrul se intuneca de atata albastru
chiar pana unde pleaca Perfesona-ndata din inghetat septembrie
pe taramul nevazut unde negura se desteapta in intunerec
iar Persefona insasi nu-i decat o voce
ori o umbra nevazuta cuprinsa de adancul intunerec
al bratelor lui Pluto, strapunsa de sageata tristetii grele
printre splendide faclii ce ard intunecat, aruncand umbre
asupra soatei pierdute si-a sotului sau.