Íosa, mac Mhuire/ Jesus, son of Mary is an ekphrastic poem in Irish and English by Gabriel Rosenstock, inspired by Christuskopf, a painting by German artist Hermann Stenner (1891 -1914) and these words from The Holy Quran, 3.45:
"O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Īsā, (Jesus), the son of Mary."
Íosa, mac Mhuire
A Íosa, an mbíonn tú fós ag guí?
An mbíonn tú ag guí ar son deireadh na coimhlinte
sa Phalaistín, d'fhód dúchais?
Nó deireadh leis an bPalaistín féin
Deireadh le hIosrael
Deireadh le gach náisiún?
Nach fada i mbun mioscaise iad na náisiúin chéanna.
Más domhan gan náisiún ar bith ann do ghuíse,
A Chroí Ró-Naofa, Íosa,
Lig dom guí id' theanntasa.
Jesus, son of Mary
Jesus, do you still pray?
Do you pray for the end of conflict
in Palestine, your native home,
Or do you pray for the end of Palestine itself
The end of Israel
The end of all nations?
Nations have been brewing mischief long enough.
If a nationless world is your prayer,
O Sacred Heart of Jesus
Allow me to pray with you.
