Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Seachtain na Gaeilge!


Dán le Liam Ó Flaithearta do hSeachtain na Gaeilge.
A poem by Liam Ó Flaithearta for Irish Week, translated by Pádraig O'Catháin (my Dad!) into English below. 

Na Blátha Craige 

Adúirt mé leis na blátha:
‘Nach suarach an áit a fuair sibh
Le bheith ag déanamh aeir,
Teannta suas anseo le bruach na haille,
Gan fúibh ach an chloch ghlas
Agus salachar na n-éan,
Áit bhradach, lán le ceo
Agus farraige cháite,
Ní scairteann grian anseo
Ó Luan go Satharn
Le gliondar a chur oraibh.'

Adúirt na blátha craige:
‘Is cuma linn, a stór,
Táimid faoi dhraíocht
Ag ceol na farraige.'

The Rock Flowers

Said I to the rock flowers:
‘Isn’t it a miserable place you've found
To be out in the air,
Stuck up here at the edge of a cliff,
With nothing beneath you only the bare stone
And the bird's droppings,
A wretched place, full of fog
And sea spray,
The sun never shines here
From Monday to Saturday
To enhearten you’.

Replied the rock flowers:
‘We don't mind, sweetheart,
We are spellbound 
by the music of the sea.’

4 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful poem Bridget, thanks!

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  2. And Bravo to Padraig for the translation!

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  3. "Spellbound by the music of the sea" is just how it is for us.

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  4. so beautiful! thanks for sharing :)

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