“Cúl an Tí”
Regeneration: Our Irish Language Heritage
Athbheochan: Oidhreacht na Teanga Gaeilge
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Cúl an Tí,
Seán Ó Ríordáin
(1917 – 1977)
Éist le Maria Gold ag léamh an dáin, 'Cúl an Tí', as Gaeilge, chomh maith leis an aistriúchán Béarla a rinne sí féin.
Listen to Maria Gold reading Seán Ó Ríordáin's poem 'Cúl an Tí' in Irish and in her own English translation.
Cúl an Tí
Tá Tír na nÓg ar chúl an tí,
Tír álainn trína chéile,
Lucht ceithre chos ag siúl na slí,
Gan bróga orthu ná léine,
Gan Béarla acu ná Gaeilge.
Ach fásann clóca ar gach droim
Sa tír seo trína chéile,
Is labhartar teanga ar chúl an tí
Nár thuig aon fhear ach Aesop,
Is tá sé siúd sa chré anois.
Tá cearca ann is ál sicín,
Is lacha righin mhothaolach,
Is gadhar mór dubh mar namhaid sa tír
Ag drannadh le gach éinne,
Is cat ag crú na gréine.
Sa chúinne thiar tá banc dramhaíl,
Is iontaisí an tsaoil ann,
Coinnleoir, búclaí, seanhata tuí,
Is trumpa balbh néata,
Is citeal bán mar ghé ann.
Is ann a thagann tincéirí
Go naofa, trína chéile,
Tá gaol acu le cúl an tí,
Is bíd ag iarraidh déirce
Ar chúl gach tí in Éirinn.
Ba mhaith liom bheith ar chúl an tí
Sa doircheacht go déanach
Go bhfeicfinn ann ar chuairt gealaí
An t-ollaimhín sin Aesop
Is é in phúca léannta.
Seán Ó Ríordáin (1917 – 1977)
Cúl an Tí
A translation by Maria Gold
There’s a magical world at the back of the house,
Beautiful altogether,
Where four- legged creatures walk along,
Without shoes or shirts,
Without English or Irish.
But a cloak of protection is on each back,
In this magical, wonderful world,
And a language is spoken,
Understood only by Aesop,
He who rests now in the earth.
The hens are there and a brood of chicks,
A plodding, ambling duck.
A great black dog,
Growling at the world,
The cat basking in the sun.
In the far corner, the junkyard sits,
And wonders of the world there,
Buckles, candelabra, an old straw hat,
A dinky little trumpet quiet now,
A kettle, graceful, goose-white.
It’s here the tinkers come,
Reverent in their coming,
They understand this ancient place,
They come seeking kindness,
In all the old houses of Ireland.
Oh if I could be back, dark late at night,
In that sweet place of magic,
That I might see,
The wise saoi* Aesop,
Moon bright and blessed.
*Saoi, pronouncedsee, is the Irish word for learned and wise one.
An invitation to the Mountshannon and East Clare community!
The well-known and much-loved poem Cúl an Tí, by Seán Ó Ríordáin (1917 – 1977), talks about all the amazing and wonderful things that might be found hidden away behind the house at the bottom of the garden.
Mountshannon Arts, in collaboration with the local Conradh na Gaeilge branch, Craobh Oirthear an Chláir, are launching an initiative in which people are being asked to look back into their memory to rediscover and regenerate old forgotten phrases and words from the Irish language.
Send in your favourite Irish phrases and words - precious jewels from an ancient tongue – and we’ll put them up on the Mountshannon Arts website and social media platforms. In this way, we have an opportunity to share the buried treasures of the language with each other and with the wider community.
Send in your gems to Bernadette at the address:
Cuireadh do phobal Bhaile Uí Bheoláin agus Oirthear an Chláir!
Sa dán álainn clúiteach Cúl an Tí, tá an file Seán Ó Ríordáin (1917 – 1977) ag caint mar gheall ar na nithe áille is féidir a aimsiú i gcúl an tí, ag bun an ghairdín.
Sa tionscadal seo, tá Mountshannon Arts, i gcomhpháirt le craobh áitiúil Chonradh na Gaeilge, Craobh Oirthear an Chláir, ag iarraidh ar dhaoine súil a chaitheamh siar ar bhóithrín na smaointe chun teacht arnathanna cainte agus focail a thaitníonn leo ó theanga ársa na Gaeilge. Seolaigí isteach na frásaí nó na focail is ansa libh agus cuirfimid suas iad ar shuíomh gréasáin Ealaíona Bhaile Uí Bheoláin agus ar na hardáin eile ar na meáin sóisialta. Sa chaoi sin, beidh deis againn saibhreas na Gaeilge a roinnt le chéile agus leis an bpobal.
Seol isteach bhur seoda chuigBernadette ag an seoladh: scairbh@cnag.ieor mountshannonfestival@gmail.com