Díchuimhníonn Fearghus Rua Bé (1944)
Pádraig Ó Broin, composed in Toronto, Ontario
I remember her name - the music of pipes.
Cuimhním a hainm - píobcheol é.
I have forgotten her hair -
And that butterfly
That alighted on it.
Dhearmadas a folt -
Agus an féileachán úd
A thuirlingis air.
I have forgotten her face,
And her mouth -
Preparing to kiss,
Dhearmadas a gnúis,
Agus a béal -
Corta chun pógtha,
I have forgotten the sound of her voice,
That night;
Dhearmadas fuaim a gutha,
An oíche úd;
I have forgotten her two hands
That kept me forever, eagerly;
Dhearmadas a dhá láimh
A chongaibh go feasta go dian mé;
I have forgotten the very shape of her body,
That night.
Dhearmadas cuma a colla féin,
An oíche úd.
I don’t remember anything at all,
Ní chuimhním aon ní ar bith,
Except only
The living warmth of her mouth on mine
In our first kiss;
Ach amháin
Beo-theas a béil ar m’ósa
‘Nár gcéadphóg;
And
Gentle as a wisp, as a feather, as a breath itself
Curve of her young breast
Touching my chest,
That night.
Agus
Caoin mar dhlaoi mar chleite mar anáil féin
Camóg a hóigchíchín
Ag mothú m’uichtse,
An oíche úd.
Another man’s woman she is
This night.
Bean fhir eile í
An oíche seo.
Adapted from: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1944. “Díchuimhnigheann Feargus Rua Bé.” Pádraig Ó Broin (J. Patrick Byrne) Papers. Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. MS Coll 00247.
For citation, please use: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1944. “Díchuimhníonn Fearghus Rua Bé.” Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca