I was surprised and delighted last week to receive an email from poet and word artist Gabriel Rosenstock of Dublin, containing a translation into Irish of my poem “Taking Sides,” which I wrote ten days after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza War in October, 2023. You can see more of Gabriel’s astonishing visual/poetic work by clicking here. Gabriel’s translation and a recording of him reciting it are included below.
Gabriel also recruited his friend, haiku poet John McDonald, to render a translation into Scots. (Note that Scots is a language descended from Early Middle English, spoken in the Scottish Lowlands and in Ulster in Ireland. It is distinct from Scottish Gaelic which, like Irish, is a Celtic language.) I include John’s translation below as well. Standard Modern English speakers should be able to read it pretty fluently. You can find more of John’s work here.
Gabriel also rendered a translation of “Oath of Disloyalty” from 2019. I will post that as a separate blog post later this week or next.
Taobhú
Táim chun taobhú a dhéanamh inniu.
Táim chun taobhú leis an tSíocháin.
An tSíocháin, nach dtréigfidh mé go deo
fiú má mhúchann gortú
agus fuath guth na Síochána,
nó an goirteamas a leanann cailliúint,
na glórtha a deir 'ceart' is 'éigeart'.
Táimse ag taobhú leis an tSíocháin
nár luadh a hainm ach ar éigean
sa chogadh seo nach féidir a bhuachan.
Teannfaidh mé an tSíocháin le m'ucht,
M'anáilse á roinnt léi
ar eagla go n-áireofaí an tSíocháin
mar chuid de líon na marbh.
Éileoidh mé bearta chun maolú a dhéanamh ar an gcoimhlint
fiú má tá fonn díoltais orm
thar aon ní eile.
Déanfad ar mhaithe leis an tSíocháin é.
Cruthóidh mé réiteach sa mhothar úd
ar a dtugtar cúis agus éifeacht
chun go mbeadh an tSíocháin in ann anáil a tharraingt
ar feadh nóiméid
agus í féin a dhíriú chun na spéire.
Déanfadsa aon ní
chun beatha na Síochána a shábháil.
Análóidh mé trí dheora
ólfad deoch ar mo náire
coinneoidh mé guaim ar mo theanga
ofrálfadsa grá
gan mo cháilíocht chuige sin a thástáil.
Mar sin, ná hiarr orm bratach a chroitheadh inniu
nach bratach na Síochána í.
Ná hiarr orm aintiún a chanadh inniu
nach aintiún Síochána é
ná hiarr orm taobhú a dhéanamh
nach taobhú leis an tSíocháin é.
An Raibí Irwin Keller
(Irish transcreation: Gabriel Rosenstock)
Takkin Sides
The-day ah'm takkin sides.
Ah'm takkin the side o Pace.
Pace, whilk ah'll niver gie up on
e'en whan its vyce is droont oot
bi skaith an laithin,
wershness o loss,
skirlins o richt an wrang.
Ah'm takkin the side o Pace
whaes nem's haurdly been threepit
i this yuisless weir.
Ah'll haud Pace i ma airms,
an skare ma bouk's braith,
least Pace be jyned
tae the coont o the deid.
Ah'll cry tae thaim fir easement
e'en whan a waant naethiin mair
nor tae git even.
Ah'll dae't
tae ser Pace.
Ah'll redd a space
i the owergrowne
busses o cause an effect
so Pace kin souch
fir a meenit
syne rax fir the lift.
Ah'll dae whit must be duin
tae sauf the life o Pace.
Ah'll souch throuch ma greitin.
Ah'll swallae ma pride.
Ah'll gnap ma tung.
Ah'll bode luve
weel-wared or no.
Dinnae speir me tae waff a flag the day
onless it's the flag o Pace.
Dinnae speir fir an anthem
onless it's a sang o Pace.
Dinnae speir me tae tak sides
onless it's the side o Pace.
Irwin Keller
(Scots translation: John McDonald)