Cry to Battle
Hurts not the loss of battles
Neither wounds in your chest
Like hurt this deformed hands
That want no fight, but rest
Whenever your heart is singing
What care you for a broken arm?
Why care for a dusten sword breaking
When your’re rising with a holier flag?
Defeat, is not to suffer
Neither the tears in the eye
The true defeats are only
The dreams you let to die.
Radu Gyr
Cry to Battle Song can be found here
Radu Gyr (1905-1975) is a Romanian hero, poet, dramatist, essayist, teacher and freedom fighter. Îndemn la luptă or, in our translation, Cry to Battle, is one of the many poems he wrote in prison, in the middle of an extermination regime, of martyrdoms and oppression. Writen with blood of a true martyr, Cry to Battle became a symbol of never giving up your dreams, no matter what!
The translation of this inspirational and motivational poem is given to you by Mihai-Andrei Aldea and Alexandra Aldea. This translation is to be used freely, as long as you mention the source and translators. Thank you!
(Romanian version here)
Radu Gyr 1937