Award Winning Poetess: Nadia-Cella Pop

Her discovery was that of a great poetess by the name of Nadia-Cella Pop, who not only resides in Brasov, but also was actually born in Ariujd. Ms. Pop happens to be the most internationally awarded author of contemporary Romania with over 153 national prizes to date (surprisingly only 2 in Romania). Nadia wrote literary, musical and arts chronicles which appeared in publications from Romania and from China, Malta, Albania; she wrote 35 anthologies which were published in France, Italy, Luxembourg, India, Australia, Albania, Mongolia; she published her poems also in many literary magazines, both in Romania and abroad. Nadia-Cella Pop’s parents lived in Ariujd for four years until the end of 1948 (almost one year after Nadia was born), when they had to move for her father’s work promotion. Though, as Nadia grew up her mother continued to take her to Ariujd to visit their relatives. Nadia has expressed “I am very proud to be native from Ariujd, which is the settlement of Neolithic culture – Ariujd culture...” Nearly giddy with excitement at the unique discovery, Ana didn’t hesitate to contact Ms. Pop on behalf of Satul-The Village, for an interview. Immediately I began researching and looking for English translations of Nadia’s work. To my absolute delight, as I began to read Nadia’s poetry I felt enlightened, and that I had even made a personal discovery. Ms. Pop’s writing spoke to me as though the thoughts she expressed existed in my own mind, but had been unable to escape in concrete forms until that moment that I read them through her words and lifted them off of the page. My connection was powerful, beautiful, and compelling. Nadia’s euphemisms between her emotions and nature’s elements are what I found most inspiring, and parallel to my own. My favorite piece of Nadia’s was only the second poem that I happen to read, and it’s titled ‘The Stone Forest’. THE STONE FOREST I’m lost in a stone forest. There is dreadfully cold. Something turns my sensations to immobility. A being in usual forms I am no loner. Suddenly, from the torrid beach adventure. Where I felt glamorous apparitions. My image was moved among the rocks, as a wanderer, disconcerted and cold. I have nobody to answer my questions, and I don’t know if I want to hear a thing. I am here because I have to. That’s enough for the wisdom’s hierarchy Where the spots of eternity are bidden. But I just want to remember the burning kiss of the lucky star that spreads the joy over the bliss of sands and the arabesques of the butterflies over my own existence which I was given with, for poetry and love. Sitting amidst Nadia’s books, butterflies and ancient stones, I chose to ask her respectively of her passion and inspirations. -Was it the study of philosophy that opened you to the path of poetry or was it an older calling of yours? Philosophy opened me another space of thinking, interpretation, connection to my feelings and those of others. I think that anyone who has any creative artistic means – with the word, with brush, chisel, with musical notes, or with drawing, he is inspired by the beauties of the nature and of happenings that go along or intersect him in a way or another, plus the intersection with his feelings towards those events or those people. That's the great thing and I think that the plurality of themes provides greater value to the creator. -The messages of your poems are very strong. In your poetic creed you explain it as” becoming a cry for the harmony of mankind”. Are you basically saying that you are faced the need of seeing harmony around you. And that influenced you and your poetic creations? Yes, I am characterized by an immense understanding, mercy, and compassion. - An exaggerated empathy ... Yes, I always put myself in the place of another... As an artist, as a poet, I suffer with every person I happen to meet. - Do you have a favorite poem of the ones you wrote? I could not say. They all are crafted mainly on my feelings at that time, in connection with the happenings, with common people or with how nature’s elements had an impact on me. - Was it Ariujd’s surrounding nature that influenced your poetic creed itself? Yeah, sure. Everything is in a relationship and has natural incentives; as one likes a certain color, then will wear clothing of that color. In poetry, if you like nature, then the poem will speak about green plains, about the blue sky, about a field full with poppies etc There, in Ms. Cella Pop’s home, as she adorned us with traditional Romanian bread, and coffee, I felt a little beside myself, in the presence of such a strong, but uniquely wise and beautiful literary mind. I couldn’t help but think that only she, a great poetess, could come from a place as unique and wise as Ariujd. by Sky-Lee Jarrett