2021-07-31

Book of Kells

Maighdean is Leanbh
ar smaoinigh an maisitheoir
ar a mháthair féin
        nó ar bheo di ag an am
        saothar na n-aingeal 'bhí ann
Madonna and Child
did the illuminator
think of his mother
        was his own mother alive
        the work of angels it was

2021-07-30

Srónbheannach

Bronzekleinplastik Panzernashorn von Stephan Horota aus dem Jahr 2005.
Standort Tierpark Berlin (Friedrichsfelde) im Dickhäuterhaus.
Lotse - CC BY-SA 3.0
is mian leis éalú
an srónbheannach Indiach
is dul le báiní
        braithimse leis é, a chuid
        ceansaigh an chreathadach seo
he wants to break out
the Indian rhinoceros
go on a rampage
        beloved, I feel it too
        come and keep me from trembling

2021-07-29

Jagdish Swaminathan

más ann don éinín
is leor sin domsa, a stór
glórach nó 'na thost
        ó, a ansacht, más ann duit -
        ná bíodh má asam ná dá . . .
if the bird is there
that is all i need to know
let it sing or not
        beloved, if You are there
        no ifs! - let me not say if . . .

2021-07-28

Corona - Paul Celan

 Corona

Itheann an fómhar duilleog as mo dhearna: is cairde sinn.
Bainimid an t-am as blaosc na gcnónna, is múinimid dó conas siúl:
filleann an t-am ar an mblaosc.

Domhnach atá ann sa scáthán, 
beidh suan sa bhrionglóid,
insíonn an béal an fhírinne.

Íslíonn mo shúile chuig baill ghiniúna
mo leannáin:
féachaimid ar a chéile,
caint dhorcha,
grá againn dá chéile ar nós an phoipín
is na cuimhne,
codlaímid mar fhíon i ndiúilicín,
an mhuir faoi sholas fuilteach na gealaí.

Barróg againn ar a chéile san fhuinneog, feiceann daoine sinn ón tsráid:
Tá sé in am fhios a bheith acu!
Tá sé in am ag an gcloch a bheith sásta bláthú
ag an gcroí bualadh go corrabhuaiseach
Tá sé in am ag an am a bheith ann.

Tá sé in am.

Paul Celan


Corona

Aus der Hand frißt der Herbst mir sein Blatt: wir sind Freunde.
Wir schälen die Zeit aus den Nüssen und lehren sie gehn:
die Zeit kehrt zurück in die Schale.

Im Spiegel ist Sonntag,
im Traum wird geschlafen,
der Mund redet wahr.

Mein Aug steigt hinab zum Geschlecht der Geliebten:
wir sehen uns an,
wir sagen uns Dunkles,
wir lieben einander wie Mohn und Gedächtnis,
wir schlafen wie Wein in den Muscheln,
wie das Meer im Blutstrahl des Mondes.

Wir stehen umschlungen im Fenster, sie sehen uns zu von der Straße:
es ist Zeit, daß man weiß!
Es ist Zeit, daß der Stein sich zu blühen bequemt,
daß der Unrast ein Herz schlägt.
Es ist Zeit, daß es Zeit wird.

Es ist Zeit.

2021-07-27

Lachain / Ducks

 


cuilithíní...
lachain beag beann
ar cháil

ripples....
ducks impervious
to fame

2021-07-26

Vinalhaven

Ron Rosenstock
lile ag éag . . .
solas ag dul as
sa solas
dying lily . . .
light fading
into light

2021-07-25

Fr. Francis Browne

ní bheidh poll fágtha
i mbuicéad!
ridirí an bhóthair tagtha
there won't be a hole
left in a bucket!
the travellers are here
バケツに
穴は残さねえ!
旅人がいる

~ Mariko Sumikura
nae mair
leaky buckets!
the tinks'r here

~ John McDonald

2021-07-24

Suzuki Masajo

 


níl éalú uaidh  . . .
satailt ar dhuilleoga tite
ar an gconair seo


2021-07-23

Jason Symes

 


ag éirí sa chroí
go dtí líontar é...
grian na maidine

rising up in the heart
until the heart is full...
morning sun

2021-07-22

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky
Street in Munich 1901
chuardaíos, a thaisce
ach, faraor, ní raibh teacht ort
bhíos féin in easnamh
        i mo dhuine nach raibh ann
        agus a mhacasamhail uaidh
I looked, beloved
You were nowhere to be found
I too was absent
        someone who didn't exist
        looking for a counterpart

2021-07-21

Neruda


Café Dissensus (New Delhi) carried an astounding article by Anidrita Saikia in a recent edition, an article to which I have responded with a bilingual poem, below.

The author quotes Neruda’s own Memoirs in which he confesses to the rape of a domestic servant, a woman of the lowly Dalit caste, in Sri Lanka:

“I got a strong grip on her wrist and stared into her eyes. There was no language I could talk with her. Unsmiling, she let herself be led away and was soon naked in my bed. Her waist, so very slim, her full hips, the brimming cups of her breasts made her like one of the thousand-year-old sculptures from the south of India. It was the coming together of a man and a statue. She kept her eyes wide open all the while, completely unresponsive. She was right to despise me. . . .”

Bring Her Ripe Tomatoes Now

Bring her ripe tomatoes now, Neruda
The Dalit woman you raped
Bring them to her
On a silver tray
Kneel before her
And beg her forgiveness
She is flesh and bone
Not carved stone

She does not know your language
Or your ways
But she will understand you
Little by little
If you beg sincerely to be forgiven
She is flesh and bone
Not carved stone

Do not speak to her in Spanish
Do not speak to her in poetry
Speak only in silence
Your head bent low in shame
Seek forgiveness
Seek salvation
She is flesh and bone
Not carved stone


Tabhair Trátaí Aibí Di Anois

Tabhair trátaí aibí di anois, a Neruda,
An bhean Dhalatach a d’éignigh thú
Tabhair chuici iad
Ar thráidire airgid
Téigh ar do ghlúine os a comhair
Agus iarr maithiúnas uirthi
Feoil is cnámha í
Ní cloch ghreanta í

Ní thuigeann sise do theangasa
Ná do shlite
Ach tuigfidh sí
De réir a chéile
Má impíonn tú uirthi maithiúnas a thabhairt duit
Feoil is cnámha í
Ní cloch ghreanta í

Ná labhair Spáinnis léi
Ná labhair léi i bhfoirm véarsaíochta
Labhair i dtost agus i dtost amháin
Do cheann cromtha agus náire ort
Iarr maithiúnas uirthi
Agus do shlánú
Feoil is cnámha í
Ní cloch ghreanta í 

2021-07-20

George Luks

George Luks - A Clown, 1929
dá mbeadh bláth agam
an bláth deireanach ar domhan
tá's agat an chríoch . . ..
        an bhfuil? nílimse cinnte
        d'fhéadfainn é a roiseadh fós
if i'd one flower left
the last flower in the whole world . . .
You know what's coming
        or do You? for i'm not sure
        i may yet rip it apart

2021-07-19

Cosa na Lobhar á bPógadh ag Meher Baba


Cosa na Lobhar á bPógadh ag Meher Baba 

Dusta na mbóithre ar a gcosa míchumtha
agus Meher Baba á bpógadh arís is arís eile
barróg á tabhairt aige dá n-anamacha áille
cumhracht Dé á leathadh ar fud na bhfud
níos milse ná seasmain

An tAon Réaltacht: crann É -
sú, fréamhacha, géaga
dírithe gach áit
grian, gaoth ag damhsa i measc na nduilleog
lobhar lonrach ag glacadh scíthe faoina scáth.

  

Meher Baba Kisses the Feet of Lepers 

Dust of the roads on their misshapen feet
kissed over and over again by Meher Baba
embracing their beautiful souls
God’s fragrance spreading far and near
sweeter than jasmine

The One Reality that is the tree, He
the sap, roots, branches
pointing everywhere
sun and wind dancing among the leaves
shimmering leper resting in its shade.
  
 

Stour o the causeys on thayr misshauchelt feet
preed ower'n ower agane bi Meher Baba
oxterin thayr bonnie sowls
The Almichtie's fume spreidin aw airts
doucer nor jasmine

The yin reality thit's the tree, He
the sap, ruits, brainches
pyntin awgates
sin an wund dauncin amang the leaves
skimmerin leper ristin in'ts shed

Leagan Béarla na hAlban le John McDonald:

2021-07-18

Avond; De rode boom Piet Mondriaan

Avond; De rode boom
Piet Mondriaan 1908-1910
leis féin . . .
crann á ofráil féin go hiomlán
chun na réaltaí
alone . . .
a tree offers itself completely
to the stars
alane . . .
a tree gies itsel freely
tae the sterns

John McDonald
ひとりぼち
樹は投げ出しぬ
星へ身を

Mariko Sumikura

2021-07-17

Jason Symes

ag dul suas?
ag teacht anuas?
seilide na rún
going up?
coming down?
mysterious snail

2021-07-16

Kyoshi

 










idir Neamh agus Talamh
braon nó dhó d'fhearthainn gheimhridh
chugainn

2021-07-15

Max Liebermann

Max Liebermann.
Der Chirurg Ferdinand Sauerbruch, 1932.
tá an máinlia réidh
d'iarras air mo chroí a bhaint
caithfidh mé uaim é
        ruainne chun na Bóinne glé
        an fuílleach sa Yamuna
the surgeon's ready
remove my heart, i've told him
to be cast away
        a piece for the river Boyne
        what's left for the Yamuna

2021-07-14

Otto Müller

Otto Müller, Landschaft mit gegabeltem Baum, ca 1920
deir an crann gabhlach
gabh an tslí seo, an tslí sin
fanfad faoina scáth
        ní thuigeann sé thú, a chuid
        ní thuigeann d'uileláithreacht
the forked tree tells me
go this way and go that way
i'll stay in its shade
        it does not understand You
        Your very omnipresence

2021-07-13

Harriet Backer, Landskap fra Bærum. 1890.

Harriet Backer, Landskap fra Bærum. 1890.
táid ag teacht ar ais
ina gceann is ina gceann
blátha ár n-óige
        mheasas go raibh deireadh leo
        a thaisce – rúin an domhain seo!
they are coming back
one by one they're returning
wild flowers of our youth
         i thought they'd gone forever
         beloved – the earth's secrets!

2021-07-12

An Coirnéal Sanders

August von Pettenkofen - Stillleben mit totem Huhn und Krug

An Coirnéal Sanders

Thug a mháthair, Dúitseach-Éireannach, rabhadh dó
gan feadaíl a dhéanamh ar an Domhnach
(ní mian leat dul go hIfreann, an mian?)
Ní dúirt sí faic mar gheall ar chearcdhíothú.
Maraíonn KFC thart ar 1.54 milliún sicín in aghaidh na bliana.
Fásann siad go tapa
réidh le marú laistigh de 30 lá.
Seachain loit chraicinn:
is é is cúis leis ná amóinia
i gcac na n-éan eile i ngéibheann

Colonel Sanders

His Dutch-Irish mother warned him
never to whistle on Sundays
(you don't want to go to Hell, do you?)
She never warned him about henocide.
KFC kills c. 1.54 million chickens a year.
They are a fast-growing breed
ready to slaughter after 30 days!
Watch out for skin lesions
caused by ammonia
in the waste of caged companions.

2021-07-11

Eugène Burnand

gan tú a fheiscint
delirium tremens, sea
gan do ghuth a chlos
        gan aithne a chur ort
        gan grá a thabhairt duit - ifreann
not to see You now
is delirium tremens
not to hear Your voice
        not to know You - hell itself
        not to love You - damnation

2021-07-10

Bíonn bláth sona i gcónaí

 Bíonn bláth sona i gcónaí mar is álainn é.
Canann beacha amhrán an uaignis, amhrán na ndeor.
Eas uisce ag ionsaí na mara.
File séidte thall is abhus ag an ngaoth.
 
Cara gan taobh amuigh ná taobh istigh
Agus carraig nach bhfuil sona ná brónach
Is iad ag faire ar chorrán gealaí sa gheimhreadh
Ag fulaingt sa ghaoth fheannaideach.

Chögyam Trungpa

2021-07-09

An Ghealt

 

Luigh sí le scamall: ansin, ar ndóigh, ghabh gin;
Lean an chuid eile go réidh. Dhein smidiríní den chrúiscín cré sa bhaile le pléisiúr
Is thosaigh ar oilithreacht a chuirfeadh deireadh lena colainn.
Casadh asal uirthi sa tslí agus d’adhair go hómósach é.
Rug sí greim santach ar a raibh fágtha den phota túise is ar sí,
‘Dá mbeadh sé seo leis tiontaithe ina luaithreach cad déarfainn leis an domhan?
Ach tá an Chinniúint éachtach is siúlann romham mar ghadhar.”
Rug greim ansin ar dhuilleoga bainiain
                     is chroch ar chrann peepal iad
Is ar sí, ‘Ní gá dom faic a íoc le héinne anois
              oiread is gealach lán.”
Lean an chuid eile go réidh (mar a luaigh mé cheana)
Saolaíodh tintreach don Ghealt;
                                         thug cíoch don tintreach,
Ar aghaidh ansin leis an nGealt; casadh an tAbhlóir Cúirte uirthi sa tslí;
Ansin an Rí; an Bhanríon ansin; ansin A; ansin B.
Ach bhí a ciall go maith ag an nGealt: níor aithin sí duine ar bith.

Vinda Karandikar


2021-07-07

Tanka


Féinphortráid, Adolf Hitler (1910)

abhainn bhréan an ama
is í ag rith go síoraí
tóg uaim é mar radharc
        an nglantar gach ní sa mhuir
        'bhfuil gach neach ina Bhúda?
it flows for ever
the dirty river of time
i cannot watch it
        are all things cleansed in the sea
        is everyone a Buddha?

2021-07-01

Caravaggio

each and every day
is the road to Damascus
every day i fall
        every moment reveals You
        help me to fall, Beloved
sé seo an bóthar
chun na Damaisce, a stór
titimse gach lá
        léirítear thú gach soicind
        a chuid, cabhraigh lem' thitim