Michelangelo

Tormento di sant'Antonio

diabhail deamhain agus jinn deacair a gcumhacht a shéanadh gan éifeacht bíd         nuair a luaimse d'ainm         teitheann siad go maolchluasach

devils demons jinn it's hard to deny their power but what can they do         beloved, i say Your name         and they take off sheepishly

Walter Osborne

A vendor of books, 1889

Bleá Cliath, a thaisce roimh aimsir na réabhlóide is cuma shéimh air         ach tá rud éigin san aer         is fós in éamh na bhfaoileán

Dublin, beloved before the revolution and all seems peaceful         but there's something in the air         still heard in the seagull's cry

Ludwig Knaus

an bandia thú bandia na síochána ní chreideann éinne         i mbandéithe ná sa tsíth         táimid damnaithe, a chuid

are You a goddess the goddess of peace, perhaps who believes in You         no one believes any more         we are all damned, beloved

John Singer Sargent

tá tú feicthe acu do leagan siúil, a thaisce tá tú cloiste acu         ní bhfuaireadar ach spléachadh ort         nochtann tú is téann as amharc

some swear they've seen You others swear they have heard You some describe Your walk         at most they have had a glimpse         You appear and disappear

Ferdinand Hodler

im' dheisitheoir lín gafa le hamhráin bhriste cá dtosóm, a chuid         deisitheoir amhrán, gan tiúin         an gcanfá os íseal é

i'm a netmender enmeshed in these broken songs where does one begin         songmender - i've lost the tune         beloved, hum it softly

Liodán Lesbos / Lesbos Litany

 

Teifeach (1935) le William H. Johnson

Dán Dátheangach
I ndilchuimhne ar Éabha a raibh grá aici don tSiria

Do they not have names, then?

An é nach bhfuil ainmneacha orthu?

Syrian refugees on the island of Lesbos.

Teifigh ón tSiria ar oileán Lesbos.

Let us name them, the mothers and daughters:

Ainmnímis iad, máithreacha is iníonacha

Abelarda, is she not the servant of Allah?

               nach searbhónta Allah atá ionat?

Abia, great is she! 

is tú atá mór!

Abida, a worshipper

  adhraitheoir

Adelmira, is she not exalted

       nach céimiúil ataoi!

Aisha, is she not a woman!

  nach bean thú!

Akilah, is she not intelligent

   nach éirimiúil atá tú

Aliye, noble

 uasal

Alma, learned

 léannta

Almeda, ambitious

     uaillmhianach

Amal, hopeful

 dóchasach

Anisah, is she not friendly!

   nach tú atá cuideachtúil!

Ashia, is she not life itself!

  an bheatha féin atá ionat!

Asiya, tending to the weak

  ag friotháil ar an té atá lag

Asma, is she not excellent!

          togha na mban!

Atiya, is she not a gift!

  féirín is ea thú!

Badia, elegant

  cuanna

Barbada, such a blessing!

      a leithéid de bhua!

Bibi, a lady

       bean uasal

Bushra, a good omen

    dea-thuar

Cala, is she not a fortress!

daingean is ea thú!

Celmira, brilliant!

     soilseach!

Centola, the light of knowledge

     lóchrann eolais

Derifa, graceful is she

   grástúil atá tú

Fadila, generous

   flaithiúil

Faiza, victorious

  buach

Fatima, behold – the daughter of the Prophet

    féach – iníon an Fháidh

Gamila, beautiful beyond words!

    ní scéimhe go dtí thú!

Guadalupe, for she is a river of black stones

abhainn na gcloch dubh

Ghada, young and tender

    óg tláith

Habiba, she is beloved

    ionúin

Hafsa, a young lioness is she

  leoinín atá ionat

Halimah, patient

      foighneach

Hayfa, shapely

   dea-chruthach

Hiba, such a gift

tabhartas den scoth

Iman, a believer

  creidmheach

Jaafar, a winding brook is she

   sruthán lúbach

Jamila, beautiful, beautiful

     rí-álainn

Janan, the heart, the soul

   an croí is an t-anam

Janna, a rich harvest is she

     fómhar torthúil

Jarita, an earthen water jug

  crúsca uisce de chré

Jesenia, a flower

     flós

Kadijah, trustworthy

     fírinneach

Kaela, sweetheart, darling!

  a chuisle is a stór!

Khalida, immortal she is, everlasting!

     mairfidh tú go brách!

Lakia, found treasure

  ciste aimsithe

Lelia, born at night

 rugadh istoíche thú

Lina, tender . . .

lách . . .

Manar, a guiding light!

   solas dár  dtreorú

Maritza, forever blessed!

    beannaithe go deo!

May, discerning

tuisceanach

Maysa, proudly she strides out

   amach leat go huaibhreach

Maysun, beautiful, so beautiful

     gleoite amach is amach

Mumtatz, distinguished

      oirirc

Nadira, precious

    a thaisce!

Nafisah, a gem

     seoid

Najita, she of the brilliant eyes!

   is niamhrach iad do dhá shúil!

Nakia, pure

  íonghlan

Oraida, eloquent

    solabhartha

Nasrin! wild rose!

   rós fiáin! 

Qitarah, fragrant 

    cumhra

Querima, generous one

      nach tú atá fial

Randa, a tree 

   crann

Rasha, young gazelle

   gasail óg 

Rihana, sweet basil

    basal cumhra

Rima, white antelope 

  antalóp bán

Saba, is she not the morning?

 an mhaidin atá ionat!

Sadira, a star 

   réalta

Salama, peaceful is she

     séimh atá tú

Syreeta, companion to all

     compánach linn go léir

Ulima, wise

   eagnaí

Zeimira, brilliant one!

     thar barr atá tú!

Maximilien Luce

bhí brionglóid agam faoi sheanmhonarcha, a chuid bhascas mo dhánta inti         á múnlú go cáiréiseach         gur lonraíodar mar an ré

Beloved, a dream of a disused factory where I pulped my poems         carefully transforming them         into shimmering moonlight