Decebalus speaking to his people [Decebal către popor]
Life is just a useless thing
If you don't live it like a king!
And now has come a wicked race
A yoke upon your neck to place;
It's bad enough that we were born
Why need some more disgrace?
If we were stargods from the sky
One day we all are gonna die!
A man may die when young and sane
Or when he's old and feeling pain
But it's a different thing to die
A wretched dog in chain.
All those who fight, but sigh and whine
Even they were in the front line,
They are for us like any guy
Who runs away because he's shy!
The whining, now and anytime,
Is but a futile cry!
To hold their peace all cowards can
And all the dead, but real man
Must laugh aloud and say farewell
So let us laugh and let us yell
To make a wild and frightful noise
From sky to hell.
If all the streams were filled with blood
You'd smash the rascals in the mud.
When facing death you do not cry -
You must have fallen from the sky,
Because you laugh at all your foes
Who are afraid to die.
They're Romans and they have this aim
But if our god, Zamolxis, came
Leading his people from on high
Even all those we would defy
And would not give them any land
Because they have their sky.
Pick up your blades and blow the horn
It's bad enough that we were born
But who's afraid and has no might
Is free to go, to give up fight
And leave us on this battlefield
To do what it is right.
I've said enough, but one last word:
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poem by George Coşbuc, translated by Octavian Cocoş
Added by anonym
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