Kinship/ Gaol

 Gaol

Dónn sé go han-mhall, seasann crann ard

na foraoise i loigín an tsneachta

atá leáite ina thimpeall ag teas fada measartha

a bheatha agus a dhúil le bheith ina fhréamh

ina thamhan, ina ghéag, ina dhuilleog is eolas

a chur ar an gcré dhubh, solas gréine, méara na gaoithe, cantain éan.

Stoite atáimid, guagach, teofhuilteach, ar lasadh

sa bhladhm úd a fhágann dall sinn ar thine 

ard bhráithriúil na beatha atá chomh bríomhar anois

is a bhí sa tsíológ dhá chéad bliain ó shin.

Kinship

Very slowly burning, the big forest tree

stands in the slight hollow of the snow

melted around it by the mild, long

heat of its being and its will to be

root, trunk, branch, leaf, and know

earth dark, sun light, wind touch, bird song.

Rootless and restless and warmblooded, we

blaze in the flare that blinds us to that slow,

tall, fraternal fire of life as strong

now as in the seedling two centuries ago.

Ursula Le Guin

"Theodora" le Ursula LeGuin

THEODORA

Ursula K. Le Guin

Cuimhnímse ar mo mháthair, bean bhreá.
Chaithfeá a bheith ceanúil uirthi féin is a giuirléidí.
Na bráisléid thurcaide, an gúna dinnéir
corcairghorm gona bhásta seodmhar.
An bealach a dtéadh sí thart
agus í ag baint di - a cuid riteog níolóin scaoilte.
Smaoiním ar an méid sin go léir anois le croí lách
agus is sólás dom é.

Ó nach mise a bhí i bhfeirg léi faoina bás
nuair a cailleadh í, ach nílim a thuilleadh, fá dheoidh,
agus seo chugam arís í, airgead
agus turcaid ar a riostaí aici
faoi sholas na gréine.

I think how fine my mother was.
Her doings and her things were lovable.
Her turquoise bracelets, her violet
dinner dress with a jeweled waist.
The way when she was undressing
she'd go around with her nylons unhitched.
I think of all this now with tenderness
and comfort in the recollection.

Oh I was so angry at her when she died
for dying, but at last that's gone
and she comes to me again with silver
and turquoise on her wrists
in the sunlight.

as an leabhar SO FAR SO GOOD / Copper Canyon Press