An Chéad Dán (1943)

Pádraig Ó Broin, composed in Toronto, Ontario

I am banished

Far from Ireland

I scribbled my bit

Of verses in English

Mise ar díbirt

I gcéin ó Éire

Scríobhas mo chuid

Dánta i mBéarla.

I stooped upon Irish

I learned - but said

A Gael that it wasn’t possible

For me to use it.

Chromas ar Ghaeilg

D’fhoghlaim — ach dúirt

Gael nárbh fhéidir

liomsa í usáid.

It wasn’t possible

for me to be

A Gaelic poet

Ever. He said:

Nárbh fhéidir

liomsa bheith

Im fhile Gaelach

Riamh. Ar seisean:

“This your work

For Ireland's cause:

Write to every

English speaker in English.”

"Seo do chuid oibre

I dtaobh Éireann:

Scríobh chun 'chuile

Gall i SacsBhéarla."

“Perhaps you are right”

I said, “That it’s not possible

For me to recite

For my own people;

"B’fhéidir gur fíor dhuit,"

Ar mise, "Nach féidir

liomsa do sheinnt

Dom chine féin;

“But far from home

Amid barbarians,

By Christ I will not chant

In Saxon mutters.

"Ach, i gcéin ó bhaile

I measc barbarach,

Dar Críost ní chainteód

I mBéarla Sacsan.

“Better this for me:

Going overseas

To darkest Africa

And sing of God,

"B’fhearr dom seo:

Dul thar sáile

Go hAifric is doirche

’S fá Dhia do dáileadh;*

Making poems

In course language -

And bestowing each poem

On wild gorillas.

"Ag déanamh dánta

I dteangain ngarbh —

Is ag bronnadh gach dáin

Ar ghoirillibh alltaibh."

*Ó Broin writes “láileadh”

Adapted from: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1943. “An Chéad Dán.” Pádraig Ó Broin (J. Patrick Byrne) Papers. Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. MS Coll 00247.

For citation, please use: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1943. “An Chéad Dán.” Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca