Doina Poem by viorel petru trifan

(a song from the Dracula’s country)

Sun on shoulders I have kept
sweat was pouring on my chest.
I have kept on shoulders stars,
fairies between chest and grass.
I have kept in punch the stress
to smash with
and to fight through
and in hand I have kept caress
of the virgin and female,
of the baby and of pain.
Always I have kept in eye
picture of Father from high
and on shoulders a rainbow
always to be out of throe,
to be able drink light-water
to avoid become a rotter,
and to drink the water-light
to help me not break my flight.
I have kept today I don’t
neither sun or stars or rainbow,
nither fairies, stress or caress,
nor on shoulders, nor in punch
nor in hand and nor in eyes,
grass is growing on my chest,
finally I’ve gone to rest.


Doina is a lyrical creation that confesses the richest range of human feelings: love, hate, mourn, revolt, etc. Generally, Doina is mourning or yearning for what somebody has lost. The lyrics are oscillating between sadness and hope.
Many compare Doina to the blues because of its lyrical sadness. Also, a kind of Doina is the Fado song from Portugal.
The pair of correlatives neither … nor is used as a poetic license both for the sake of the rhythm and to express neither – what and nor – where.

I tried to keep same rhythm and chime like in the original language; I’ll be glad if it sings in your souls too.