Gabriel Rosenstock

FARRERA
 

A GUNSAKU in Irish and English
written in the Catalonian Pyrenees, April 2003

 

 
 

1. gaotha ag éag –

        cosán sléibhe tréigthe

                ’dtí an seanséipéal

 

dying winds –

        faint mountain path

                to a disused church

 

 

 

2. timpeallaithe

        ag cama an ime –

                nach stuama é an capall

 

surrounded

        by so many buttercups

                how sober – the horse

 

 

 

3. gile Aibreáin

        deireadh an tsneachta

                á fhógairt ag an bhfiach

 

April sunshine –

        the raven announces

                the end of the snows

 

 

 

4. cuach!

        le gach glaoch

                leánn an sneachta

 

with each call

        the cuckoo

                melts the snow

 

 

 

5. an é nach ngealfaidh

        an lá amárach?

                an lá ar fad, na fáinleoga

 

as though tomorrow

        may never dawn –

                all day, the swallows

 

 

 

6. seandún?

        bualtrach

                brothall

 

an old fortress?

        cow dung baking

                in the sun

 

 

 

7. nach milis é an féar!

        an capall sléibhe

                nár sléachtadh fós

 

how sweet the grass!

        the mountain horse

                not yet slaughtered

 

 

 

8. an sruthán sléibhe

        ag brostú leis –

                cén áit?

 

mountain stream

        hurrying, hurrying

                where to?

 

 

 

9. áit éigin sa cheo

        an cloigín timpeall

                mhuineál an chapaill

 

somewhere in the fog

        the little bell

                around the horse’s neck

 

 

 

10. an chuach –

        éist!

                an ag comhaireamh siollaí atá sí?

 

the cuckoo –

        listen!

                is she counting syllables?

 

 

 

11. seanfhear ag canadh sa ghort

        meallann an ghrian

                an gleann anuas

 

old man singing in the field

        drawing down the sun

                all over the valley

 

 

 

12. an mhiúil fhoighneach ina seasamh –

        cad is dóigh léi

                de na gealbhain?

 

the patient mule, standing,

        what does he think

                of the sparrows?

 

 

 

13. am bia –

        an seanóir ag canadh

                do na coiníní

 

feeding time –

        the old man

                singing to the rabbits

 

 

 

14. aon fhuaim bhriosc amháin –

        guth na ngealbhan

                sileadh an tsneachta leáite

 

one crisp sound –

        voices of sparrows

                dripping of melting snow

 

 

 

15. aer tanaí an tsléibhe

        gach áit: sna gága

                gallchnó folamh

 

thin mountain air

        everywhere: rock crevices

                empty walnut shell

 

 

 

16. cnoic faoi shneachta –

        béal an tsearraigh

                breac le bainne na lárach

 

snowcapped hills –

        the foal’s mouth

                flecked with mare’s milk

 

 

 

17. a sheanchloig

        i dtúr Farrera de Pallars –

                cathain a labhróidh tú arís?

 

old tower-bell

        in Farrera de Pallars –

                when will you speak again?

 

 

 

18. an t-iora rua

        (ar chrann nach n-aithním)

                tá deartháir aige ag baile

 

the squirrel

        (on a tree I do not know)

                has a brother in my land

 

 

 

19. an cnagaire adhmaid

        is máistir é

                fiú roimh eadara

 

the woodpecker –

        first thing at morning –

                is a master

 

 

 

20. taoi amuigh ansan,

        áit éigin, i do thost,

                a shionnaigh shleamhain

 

you are out there,

        somewhere, on silent feet,

                wily fox

 

 

 

21. cén fáth ar dheis?

        cén fáth ar chlé?

                féachaint shaonta an ghealbhain

 

why look to the left,

        the right? – impossible to say,

                the simple sparrow

 

 

 

22. na héadaí a fágadh

        ar an líne: athbheoite

                ag bailc úr sléibhe

 

clothes left on the line

        have been revived -

                 pure mountain rain

 

 

 

23. scamaill dhubha

        ag triall ar an gcéad ghleann eile –

                cumhracht an chaife láidir

 

dark clouds leaving

        for the next valley –

                aroma of strong coffee

 

 

 

24. leathanach bán

        agus sneachta Farrera –

                nach léir í an Úrchríoch

 

facing a blank page

        and the snows of Farrera –

                Pure Land is clear

 

 

 

25. litríocht á plé

        an oíche go léir:

                tostmhar an fíon sa ghloine

 

talking literature all night

        the wine in the glass

                becomes still

 

 

 

26. gíoscán na gclár urláir –

        tuairisc ar chogadh

                i gcéin

 

creaking of floor boards –

        reports of a war

                far away

 

 

 

27. meán oíche –

        níl gíocs ó chloigín

                an chapaill sléibhe

 

midnight –

        no sound

                from the horse’s bell

 

 

 

28. maidin ghlas

        crobh iolair

                tairneáilte sa doras

 

chilly morning

        an eagle’s talon

                nailed to the door

 

 

 

29. uan aonair ag méileach

        an fhuaim

                á seachadadh ag na sléibhte

 

a lone lamb bleating

        the sound carried

                from mountain to mountain