Merry Graveyard (Cimitrul Vesel) Sapanta / Romania description:I have something like... maybe this Merry graveyard is the most bizar
and unique graveyards in the world.
The origin to make these brave crosses representing the
deceased in his life on some way, with a suiting text, comes probably from the
inspiration of Stan Ioan Pătraş who, as woodcarver, made the first of those
oak wood grave crosses in 1935.
The grave crosses are painted in bleu, which symbolises the bleu sky on a clear
day, the place where the spirit of the deceased is supposed to go after his death.
Further, other chearful colors are used. The idea is the transgress the sadness into
hope and sometimes add a smile. There are in the meantime about 800 of those gaves in
this merry graveyard. Nevertheless there is a historic background why from all
places, such graveyard exists in Maramures. Occording to local stories, the people
thought that the deceased would execute a similar profession in the hereafter as the
one he did on Earth. Death was more just a transition, that could be celebrated.
There were also real celebrations on graveyards.
A lot of the texts on the grave crosses rime and are rather poetic. Hence, a lot
of their fun and rythmets lots in transation.
Some of the txts partially translated (with some helf of Mr. Google - please
PLAESE help us to make this better!!)
Irina Stan's cross
(picture 0009999ab - lived from 1927 till 2006)
| cat am fost in lume vie | How I lived in the world |
| Irina diac ului mi-o zis mie | Irina told me a thousand times |
| si aici ma odihnesc | and here I am resting |
| stan irina ma numesc | My name is is Irina Stan |
| eu am ramas vaduva | I became a widow |
| de nevasta tanara | as young woman |
| multa lana am indrugat | I spinned a lot of wool |
| cergi furoase ca sa fac | to be put in carpets |
| bani ca sa pot castiga | I could make money in this way |
| ca sa-mi intretin casa | to maintain my house |
| lumea a fost destul de gre | The world was very wrong |
| si rau de trait in e. | and worst to live in |
| |
| Dar viata o lasai la 79 de ani | But life left me 79 years |
Grigore de Tractor driver(Tractoristul)
(picture 0009999ad - 1969)
| aici eu ma odihnesc | Here I am resting |
| pop grigore manumesc | My baptismal name is Grigore (Gregory) |
| mie miaplacut tractoru | I lived tractors |
| cu sticla samstinpar doru | and for pleasure a glass of
samstinpar |
| am trait tot suparat | I already lived over steer |
| ca tata mic mau lasat | father left me little |
| poate asau fost soartea mea | my sort was Asau |
| tinar sam las viata | to leave Sam's young life |
| mearta tinar ma ludai | death took me |
| la 33 de ai | on 33 years |
Dancer
(foto 0009999ae)
| frunza verde de bradut | Green tree leave |
| ios ionu lui todiut | Todi's iOS ionu |
| de cu mic am purtatstrut | Half of the I purtatstrut |
| siam pus strut la palarie | Siam put the hat strut |
| sa joc cu feheide ohenie | Ohene playing with feheide |
| casa nu ma fac de rusine | I ididn't embarras the housen |
| am jucat femei alese | I loved playing for women |
| care au fost jupinese | which was jupinese |
| si ju cam paste uiaga | |
| cindhio fost lu me mai draga | lu I loved cindhio |
| la bucuresti gind am plecat | thought I left to Bucarest |
| locu inti ipetara amliauat (??) | |
| si mam dus silam lasat | |
Irina Pop
(foto 0009999af 1925-2010)
| Aici eu ma odihnesc | Here I'm at rest |
| pop irina ma numesc irina | My name is Irina, Irina Pop |
| muscali tii ca si numele | Russians know my name |
| namii mama tanara o murit | NAMI, a young mother died |
| poate asa i-o fost sortit | I could and was doomed |
| si tanara fata am ramas | and I was a young girl |
| si-am trait tot cu nacaz | I lived and did all |
| ca tata so insurat si sin- | and married her father |
| gura ma lasat pana cand | till he left me alone |
| m-am maritat si bun bar- | I married a good man |
| bat mi-am luat si la lucru | and then started working |
| si la joc el o fost pe pri- | and the game was him in the first
place |
| mu loc | |
Marie from Maramures
(picture 0009999ag - died 81 years old in 1973)
| A ci eu ma odihnesc | Now finally I have rest |
| Marie of mi Maramuresc | Marie from my Maramures |
| cit palume am trait | How I lived in the world |
| am lucrat sam nalaît | I worked with (???) |
| sam trait sicuna caz | lived with Sam in a house (???) |
| ca vaduva am ramas | I stayed widow |
| luid-zau mam ru gat | |
| la toa te mau aju tat | |
| de greutat am scapat | I left the weight |
| si viata o para sat | of town life |
| la 81 de ani 1973 | 81 years old in 1973 |
Man of 51 years
(picture 0009999ai - died 51 years old in 1991)
| în lume cît am trâit | I lived in the world as |
| pe multi oameni am | many other people |
| servit batâr câ am | I served Batara (??) |
| fost strâin mâche- | many were strangers (??) |
| mau pretini la vin câ | to become friends (??) |
| cutot oameni-n sat | space for rich people in the village(??) |
| tare bine eu m-am | I was very good |
| purtat dar eu ma duc | butI go to carry |
| suparat cacopiii i-am | I am upset |
| lasat neva sta casa | Neva I leave at home |
| mi creasca si de ei sa | I grow to them |
| ingrije asca cindor | when Mrs Venifratii |
| venifratii nei sa sa | cares for her |
| mîngîi cu ei | caresses them |
Stan Grigori Ilenii Braica the shopkeeper/butcher
(picture 0009999an - died 76 years old, lived 1924 till 2000)
/tr>
td>Braicului ma numesc| Aici eu ma odihnesc | Here I'm resting |
| Stan Grigore a Ilenii | Stan Gregory Ilenii | | Braica was my name |
| am umblat cît am trait | I lived when I walked |
| am fost în sat renu- | I was famous in the town |
| mit ca am fost gesti- | because I was a manager |
| onar si un mare ma- | and a large butcher |
| celar dumne zeu sa | God loves the flyer |
| o mîngaie pe ami-a | Ami was a lovely spouse |
| draga sotie ca eu | while he left |
| lume o lasai | the world |
|
