George Murnu


George Murnu was a Romanian university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian origin.
After attending the courses of the in Macedonia at Bitola, he attended the University of Bucharest. In 1893, at age 25, Murnu was appointed professor at the University of Iaşi and shortly afterwards was awarded a scholarship by the Romanian State in order to complete his postgraduate studies in Munich, and, after several years he returned to Romania after completing a doctorate in philology. A fruitful scholarly activity followed, culminating in Murnu becoming a chairman professor of archaeology at the University of Bucharest.
In 1909, he was appointed head of the National Archaeological Museum in Bucharest by the Ministry of Public Instruction and Religious Confessions. He has translated an accomplished version of the Odyssey and Iliad into Romanian. He also wrote his own works of poetry, both in Romanian and in his native Aromanian language.
Murnu was a sympathizer of the far right Iron Guard, and was an intimate friend of the Aromanian secessionist politician, Alcibiades Diamandi who in 1917 participated in a failed effort to form an independent Principality of Pindus under the protection of Italy. After the end of World War II, Murnu was not subject to legal investigation - probably due to his age and prestige.
He was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy. Nowadays, a in the Romanian Black Sea port of Mangalia bears his name.

Works

Cântecul plaiurilor noastre
Din bură de codri răsună chemare

Din glasuri de păsări, de frunze, de crengi

De şoapte lungi, de fântâni, de izvoare

Cu lacrimi de umbră, cu zâmbet de soare;

Şi clopote-aud, cunoscute tălăngi

De turme răzleţe pe văi şi pripoare
Grailu armãnescu
Grailu-a mel di mumã, grailu-a mel di tatã

Vatra-a mea iu ni-arde anjli tsi-am bãnatã
Grai picurãrescu di pãdhuri shi ploae

Zbor tsi-avdzãi dit gura-a paplui shi ali mae

Zbor di budzã vrutã, dumnidzescã njilã

Anjurizmã di frangã shi di trandafilã.
Lavã di cãshare, boatse di cãlivã

Suflã vindicare-a ta dultse livã.
Adiljat di moscu, duh di primuverã

Bana nj-u cutreamburã ca unã fluiarã

Tsi di dor pitrunde noaptea tu pundie

Inima-nj ti-cãntã, mãna-nj tut ti-scrie.
Stãu, tsi-ascultu plãngu, jalea shi niholu,

Ved ãncrutsiljatã Soia-nj ca Hristolu

Shi mizie li-si-avde zborlu-a tal dit gurã.
Scumpa-a mea fãntãnã tsi anarga curã,

Mãne, poate mãne, di dushmanj biutã,

Va s-armãne tu etã pondã shi tãcutã.