Our Poem Of The Week, presented in association with Poetry Ireland, is Siúrtheanga by Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh.
We're presenting the poem in its original Irish language version, accompanied by a translation, entitled Sister Mystery, by poet Medbh McGuckian.
Siúrtheanga
do Mhuireann
An féidir teanga deirféar a dhíchódú?
Sméideadh cinn is spléachadh súl,
an bhrí faoi cheilt
i ngach strainc is drainc,
i ngach aoibh is dreach.
Ealaíontóir gnúise í mo dheirfiúr:
bolgshúileach, biorshúileach, púiceach.
Tuigim dúrún na dílseachta,
an friotal díchealta
a thugas mo shaol a fhoghlaim.
Sister Mystery
Medbh McGuckian
A translation of Siúrtheanga
by Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh
for Muireann
Is there any way to decipher
your sister’s bodytalk?
Twisting head, darting eyes,
her meaning under wraps
in every poker face and frown,
in every flush and every blush.
My sister is a tradeswoman
in feminine expressions,
in swollen eyes, thorn eyes,
mashing of brows.
I take on board the depth
of her fidelity,
the obscured communication
it has taken me my whole life
to figure out.
From The Coast Road, republished by the kind permission of The Gallery Press
Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh was born in Kerry. She has read at festivals in New York, Paris, Montréal, Berlin and Ballyferriter. In 2012 her poem Deireadh na Feide won the O’Neill Poetry Prize. Filleadh ar an gCathair was chosen as Ireland’s EU Presidency poem in 2013 and was shortlisted in 2015 for RTE’s A Poem for Ireland. Coiscéim published her first book Péacadh (2008) and Tost agus Allagar (2016). A bilingual collection, The Coast Road, has just been published by The Gallery Press, with English translations by thirteen poets.
Ciarraíoch í Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh. Tá a cuid filíochta léite aici i bPáras, i Nua Eabhrac, i Montréal agus ar an mBuailtín. Bhuaigh a dán Deireadh na Feide Corn Uí Néill i 2012 agus roghnaíodh Filleadh ar an gCathair mar Dhán Uachtarántacht an Aontais Eorpaigh i 2013. Bhain an dán céanna áit amach ar ghearrliosta RTÉ, A Poem for Ireland. D’fhoilsigh Coiscéim a céad chnuasach filíochta, Péacadh, i 2008 agus Tost agus Allagar i 2016. The Coast Road an teideal atá ar chnuasach dátheangach atá díreach foilsithe ag an Gallery Press mar a bhfuil aistriúcháin le filí aitheanta an Bhéarla.
