Doina lui Lucaciu

{{Short description|Romanian patriotic song}}

"Doina lui Lucaciu" ({{translation|"Lucaciu's Doina"}}) is a Romanian patriotic song dedicated to the orator, activist and Greek Catholic priest Vasile Lucaciu (1852–1922).

The first version of the song was authored by Iosif Vulcan in 1870. Taking up the doina form, he lamented the imprisonment of Alexandru Roman, who had been sentenced by the Kingdom of Hungary for a series of offenses culminating with the publication of the Blaj Pronouncement. The mournful melody invoked a blackbird in a forest. In 1893 and again 1894, the Hungarian authorities tried Lucaciu on various politicized charges. It was while the popular priest was serving a prison sentence at Szeged that Gheorghe Bocu, a teacher from Șiștarovăț in the Banat, substituted “Lucaciu” for “Roman” in the original lyrics. The resulting song gained currency shortly before Lucaciu was tried as a signatory of the Transylvanian Memorandum and sentenced to five years in prison.Corneliu Mezea, Dr. Vasile Lucaciu: "Leul dela Șișești": 1852-1922: viața și faptele lui, pp. 64-65. Satu Mare: Presa Liberă, 1936{{in lang|ro}} Ioan Țiplea, “Vasile Lucaciu, un cărturar al Unirii”, in Observator Cultural, nr. 948/November 23, 2018

Lyrics

The original lyrics are as follows:

{{Verse translation|

Cântă mierla prin păduri

Robu-i Roman la Unguri

Pentru sfânta libertate

Din care noi n'avem parte.

Stâpânii s-au mâniat

Că Roman a cuvântat

Și-n dietă și-n tipar

A spus chinul nostru-amar.

Dar, nu fi mierlă supărată

Nu-i robia ne'ncetată

Vine-o dalbă primăvară

Fi-va Roman liber iară.

|

A blackbird is singing in the woods

Roman is enslaved by the Hungarians

For holy freedom

In which we do not partake.

The masters grew angry

Because Roman spoke out

Both in the diet and in print

About our bitter torment.

But don't be upset, blackbird

Slavery is not forever

A bright springtime is nearing

Roman will be free once more.

}}

Notes