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This is a song/poem I saw that I really liked so I’ve committed it to memory and recite it when I’m bored. There was another poem written in Englsih I saw, about an old woman from the Blaskets who moved to the mainland in her final years and the poet said: “her mind was a child’s purse, full of useless things”. I’d like to have a few more useless things in my mind too. Anyway here’s the poem, and I’ll do a translation in a while. It’s in Munster dialect so the grammar may seem a little strange:
An cuimhin leat an oíche úd Do bhí tú ag an bhfuinneog Gan hata, gan laimhne Do do dhíon, gan chasóg?
Shín me mo lámh chugat Is rug tú uirthí barróg Is d'fhan mé i do chomhluadar Nó go labhair an fhuiseog.
An cuimhin leat an oíche úd Do bhí tú agus mise Ag bun an chrainn chaorthainn Is an oíche ag cur chuisne?
Do cheann ar mo chíochaibh Is do phíob gheal dhá seinm, Is beag a shíleas an oíche úd Go scaoilfeadh ár gcumann!
A chumainn mo chroí istigh! Tar oíche ghar éigin Nuair a luífidh mo mhuintir, Chun cainte le chéile.
Beidh mo dhá lámh i do thimpeall Is mé ag insint mo scéal duit Is gurb é do chómhra suairc mín tais Do bhain radharc Fhlaithis Dé dhíom!
Tá an tine gan choigilt, Tá an solas gan mhúchadh, Tá an eochar faoin doras Is tarraing go ciúin í.
Ta mo mháthair ina codladh Agus mise i mo dhúiseacht. Tá mo fhortún i mo dhorn Is mé ullamh chun siúl leat!
Do you remember that night You were at the window Without a hat, without gloves For your shelter, without a coat?
I stretched out my hand to you And you gave it a squeeze And I stayed in your company Until the lark spoke.
Do you remember that night That you and I At the bottom of the rowan tree And the night freezing?
Your head on my breasts And your merry pipe a-playing It's little I thought that night That our wooing would be broken up!
O love of my innermost heart! Come some night soon When my people are asleep For us to talk together.
My two arms will be around you And me telling you my news And it was your merry smooth gentle conversation That robbed me of the sight of God's Heaven!
The fire is unraked, The light is unextinguished The key is under the door And pull it quietly.
My mother is asleep And I'm wide awake My fortune is in my hand And me ready to walk with you!
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