Pages

2018-06-10

An Fuiseoigín le Piaras Béaslaí, traschruthaithe i mBéarla ag Gabriel

Little Lark

Sweet your voice, voice so sweet
Druid petite of perfect song
Thronging all the air around
With ecstasy of sound

Glad your heart, heart so glad
Wizard-guardian of the sun
Always rising from the ground
Prizing all the joy that's found

Great your sport, your sport great,
Little thought have you of death,
Avoiding men – you do well
Not to visit this grey cell

Alas today, today alas
I cannot be with you in flight
I cannot soar above the gate
Of Lewes Prison – such my fate.
 

[May, 1917]


An Fuiseoigín.

Binn do ghlór ón binn do ghlór,
A dhraoi bhig is deise ceol,
Thuas san aer ag spreagadh poirt,
Le racht suilt le mire mór.

Ard do mhian ón ard do mhian,
A ghruagaigh lér gean an ghrian,
Ag síor-eitilt suas ón úir
Le barr dúil sa lonradh i gcian.

Mór do ghreann ón mór do ghreann,
Ar an mbás is beag do bheann,
Beag do spéis i gcúrsaí fear,
Ní cás leat mé tréith i gceall.

Uch mo léir ón uch mo léir,
Gan mise thuas taobh leat, a éin,
I bhfad ó ghéibhinn na nglas,
Saor gan cheas go hard sa spéir.

Piaras Béaslaí.

(Agus é ag obair i ngort i bpríosún Lewes, Bealtaine, 1917.)


Thall i Learpholl a rugadh an Béaslaíoch ar an 15 Feabhra, 1881, faoin ainm Percy Frederick Beazley, agus cailleadh i mBÁC é ar an 22 Meitheamh, 1965.

Ball den IRB ab ea é a throid in Ard-Oifig an Phoist. Eagarthóir, scríbhneoir, file, aistritheoir, drámadóir agus beathaisnéisí ab ea é – chomh maith le bheith ina Theachta Dála. I measc a chuid aistriúchán tá nóibhille clasaiceach Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte (1813) de chuid Adelbert von Chamisso. Dhiúltaigh An Gúm dó ach d'fhoilsigh Muintir na Leabhar Gaeidhlge é.

Má bhí a stíl scríbhneoireachta féin pas beag seanfhaiseanta, bhí dearcadh forásach aige i leith na litríochta:

‘I believe that the future of Irish literature depends upon the generation now in the cradle or yet unborn. Produce a healthy, vigorous, Irish-speaking life, in contact with modern thought, and our literature may be trusted to look after itself.’