The White Hell

Carmen-Ecaterina Ciobâcă
We took it down from the attic and set off. Mom had told us to settle down in such weather. We didn't listen. The Three Wise Men: me, Anuța and Ilieș. All around, endless white. From time to time, a widow would come out to the doorstep, apologizing that she had nothing to give. At one house we got some walnuts, at another apples and two handful of flour. Three horsemen came out of the church. One pointed briefly at our bag. Davai. They took it and were gone. The star was crushed under the horses' hooves. The tinsel remained in the snow, glittering, a memory of a Christmas that never was.
 
 Monica Bologa
I climb the hill, the sun disappears, some clouds shake a fine rain over me, then some big snowflakes, getting bigger, the wind starts to blow, it shakes me, hits me from all over the directions, the snow covers my boots, my knees, I fight with the drifts, shout at the sky, to all the angels, I move forward slowly but I reach the cabin. I open the door; my beloved, dressed in a white silk nightgown, begins to thunder and throw snowballs of lead and icicles: Where have you been until now? I quickly exit the hell and cross the hill, toward the sun.
 
 Caterina Tudorache
Little lamb, how young you are, it's the first winter you're coming to me. I'm noot... Uncle, look, here's the lamb for you to have luck. Give me 5 lei[1]. We're hungry and cold. The man looked at me and ran away. You're leaving. What could've happened if you gave me some money. The lamb looks up and whines. Do you want me to hold you in my arms? Do you think I'm not cold? At the corner, they won't let us, they say we scare the customers. Tomorrow we'll eat, now let's rest a little on the bench. In the morning, we'll find some warm tea and I'll get you some bread. We're going to sleep now. If we sleep, we won't be hungry or cold anymore. Be quiet, please. Tomorrow.

 
(Translated by Maria-Ilinca Darie / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)