The Holy Land, a 'found poem' in English with an Irish translation by 'finder' Gabriel Rosenstock.
Scots version: John McDonald.
From Mark Twain's travelogue The Innocents Abroad (1869)
The Holy Land
. . .The relic that touched us most
was the plain old sword of that stout Crusader,
Godfrey of Bouillon — King Godfrey of Jerusalem.
No blade in Christendom wields such enchantment as this —
no blade of all that rust in the ancestral halls of Europe
is able to invoke such visions of romance
in the brain of him who looks upon it —
none that can prate of such chivalric deeds
or tell such brave tales of the warrior days of old.
It stirs within a man every memory of the Holy Wars
that has been sleeping in his brain for years,
and peoples his thoughts with mail-clad images,
with marching armies,
with battles and with sieges.
It speaks to him of Baldwin, and Tancred, the princely Saladin,
and great Richard of the Lion Heart.
It was with just such blades as these
that these splendid heroes of romance
used to segregate a man, so to speak,
and leave the half of him to fall one way
and the other half the other.
This very sword has cloven hundreds of Saracen Knights
from crown to chin in those old times
when Godfrey wielded it.
It was enchanted, then, by a genius
that was under the command of King Solomon
When danger approached its master's tent
it always struck the shield
and clanged out a fierce alarm upon the startled ear of night.
In times of doubt, or in fog or darkness,
if it were drawn from its sheath
it would point instantly toward the foe,
and thus reveal the way —
and it would also attempt to start after them of its own accord.
A Christian could not be so disguised that it would not know him
and refuse to hurt him —
nor a Moslem so disguised that it would not leap from its scabbard and take his life.
These statements are all well authenticated
in many legends that are among the most trustworthy legends
the good old Catholic monks preserve.
I can never forget old Godfrey's sword now . .
An Talamh Naofa
(dán fríotha in The Innocents Abroad le Mark Twain)
. . . an t-iarsma is mó a chuaigh i bhfeidhm orainn
ná seanchlaíomh pléineáilte an chrosáidí théagartha úd,
Godfrey Bouillon–Rí Godfrey Iarúsailéim.
Níl claíomh sa Domhan Críostaí chomh draíochtúil leis–
claíomh meirgeach ar bith i hallaí móra na hEorpa
atá in ann aislingí rómánsacha a dhúiseacht
in inchinn an té a dhearcann air–
níl claíomh ar bith in ann gníomhartha gaisce a insint
mar é, ná scéalta laochais go léir ón seanré.
Tosaímid ag cuimhneamh ar na Cogaí Beannaithe
nár smaoiníomar orthu leis na cianta,
agus ár gcuid smaointe breactha le híomhánna
agus cathéide orthu, airm ag máirseáil,
cathanna agus léigir.
Meabhraíonn sé Baldwin dúinn, Tancred, Saladan prionsúil,
agus an rí mór Risteard Leonchroí.
Ba le claíomh mar é a dhein na sárlaochra
an duine a scaradh ó féin, mar a déarfá,
a leath dhe ag titim ar dheis
agus an leath eile ar chlé.
Scoilt an claíomh ceannann céanna seo
agus Godfrey á bhagairt.
na céadta Ridirí Saraistíneacha
ó bhaithis go smig sna seanlaethanta.
Bhí ginid ghlinne sa chlaíomh an uair úd
agus an Rí Solamh i gceannas air:
má tháinig namhaid gar do phuball a mháistir
bhuaileadh an claíomh an sciath –
torann a dhúiseodh na mairbh.
In aimsir an amhrais, má bhí ceo ann nó scamaill dhorcha,
níor ghá ach é a tharraingt ón truaill
agus dhíreodh sé laithreach bonn ar an namhaid,
agus bheadh gach aon ní soiléir ansin–
agus thabharfadh sé faoin namhaid a leanúint as a stuaim féin.
Ní fhéadfadh Críostaí a bheith chomh mór sin faoi bhréagriocht
nach n-aithneodh an claíomh é, gan é a ghortú –
ná Moslamach faoi bhréagriocht nach léimfeadh sé
as an truaill agus deireadh a chur leis.
Tá na ráitis seo go léir fíordheimhnithe
in an-chuid finscéalta, na finscéalta is iontaofa
a chaomhnaigh na seanmhanaigh Chaitliceacha.
Ní dhearúdfaidh mé seanchlaíomh Godfrey go deo . . .
THE HALY LAN
...the relic that muived us maist
wis the ordnar sword o yon stoot crusader,
Godfrey o Bouillon - keeng o Jerusalem.
Nae bled in Chrisendie hauds sic glamourie -
Nae bled that hings rousty in Europe's faimilie ha's
Kin cry furth sic veesions o romance
i the harnpan o yin whae goves on't -
Nane whae kin threep o sic chivalric acks
or threep sic campie clash o the kempies o langsyne.
It mynds a chiel o the Haly weirs
Myndins doverin in's harnpan sin langsyne,
an fous's thochts wi mail-hapt eemages,
wi mairchin airmies,
wi stoors'n sieges.
It threeps tae'm o Baldwin. an Tankred, the princely Saladin,
an the muckle Richard of The Lion Heart.
It wis wi sic bleds as thir yins
thit thae braw heroes o romance
yaised tae sinder a chiel
Leain hauf o him tae faw yin wey
a hauf tae faw the tither
This verra sword hus cloven hunners o Saracen Knights
Frae croon tae chaft in aulden tymes
whan Godfrey waged it.
It wis forespoken, then, bi a genius
Whae wis unner the bidden o Keeng Soloman
Whan the uncannie oncomes the maister's tent
it ayewis struck the shiel
an dirlt oot a fell alarm on the lugs o nicht.
In tymes o doot, or haar or derkness,
If drawn frae'ts sheath
It wid pynt tae the foe richt awa,
An sae show the wey -
It wid take aff efter thaim on'ts ain acoont.
A Christian nae maitter whit guise yaised it kent
an sae wid nivver herm -
Nor the Moslem Nae maitter hou guised it wid lowp frae'ts scabbert an tak's life.
Thae threepins'r weel qualifeed
In monie legends, maist amang the maist suithfast
the guid auld Catholic monks preserve.
Ah kin nivver foryet auld Godfrey's sword nou...