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.

Ileana Botescu-Sireteanu - Gentiane bavareze

Nu toti oamenii au gentiane in casa
In blanda luna a lui septembrie, de ziua trista si molcoma a Arhanghelului Mihail.

Gentiane bavareze, mari si intunecate, doar intunecate
Intunecand lumina zilei, ca niste torte, cu albastreala fumurie a intunecimii
Lui Pluto,
Cu nervuri si asemeni unor torte, cu valvataia lor de intuneric rasfranta albastru
Netezindu-se in puncte, turtite sub intinderea zilei dalbe
Flori-torta ale intunecimii albastre-fumurii, roca albastru-inchis a lui Pluto
Lampadarele negre de pe coridoarele lui Dis, arzand albastru-inchis,
Rasfrangand intuneric, intuneric albastru, in timp ce lampadarele palide ale Demetrei rasfrang lumina
Condu-ma atunci, arata-mi drumul.

Da-mi o gentiana, da-mi o torta!
Lasa-ma sa ma ghidez singur cu torta ramificata si albastra a acestei flori
In josul scarilor din ce in ce mai intunecate unde albastrul e intunecat pe albastru
Chiar si unde merge Persefona, chiar acum, din inghetatul septembrie
Spre taramul orb unde intunericul e treaz asupra intunericului
Si Persefona insasi e doar un glas
Ori o intunecime invizibila invelita in intunericul si mai adanc
Al bratelor lui Pluto, si strapunsa de pasiunea intunecimii dense,
In splendoarea tortelor intunericului, revarsand intuneric
Asupra miresei pierdute si asupra mirelui ei.