An ann don bhocht atá gan choir
is ceann faoi air mar sin féin?
is beag ár meas ar dhaor ag crith
ach táimid bocht mar sin féin!
Mar sin féin, mar sin féin,
ár ndua fá choim, mar sin féin;
cad is céim ann ach snas ar bhonn,
den ór an fear mar sin féin.
Más bia gan bhlas is cleachtach dúinn
is éadach glas, mar sin féin;
bíodh sról ar ghamal, fíon ag brúid,
is fear an fear mar sin féin.
Mar sin féin, mar sin féin,
gan ghotha air, mar sin féin,
an fear gan cham cé bocht atá,
is rí linn é mar sin féin.
An t-ógfhear thall is tiarna é,
leaid lán de phoimp, mar sin féin;
cé binn le céadta guth a bhéil,
níl ann ach daoi mar sin féin.
Mar sin féin, mar sin féin,
ribín is réalt, mar sin féin,
an fear le céill is intinn shaor
is cúis ghrinn dó seo go léir.
Má thig le rí piaraí a bhaist,
gach iarla, diúc, 's a leithéid,
tá fear gan cham thar neart a reacht,
níl feidhm ag dlí mar sin féin.
Mar sin féin, mar sin féin,
gach teideal ard, 's a leithéid,
is fearr go mór mianach is meas
ná gradam stáit mar sin féin.
Guímís go léir go dtaga an lá
(is tiocfaidh sé, mar sin féin)
nuair bheidh an chiall i ngach aon áit
ag breith an bhua mar sin féin.
Mar sin féin, mar sin féin,
tá sé ag teacht, mar sin féin,
go mbeidh gach duine feadh an tsaoil
'na mbráithre fós mar sin féin.
[Aistrithe ó Ultais Albanach Robert Burns.]
Guímís go léir go dtaga an lá
ReplyDelete(is tiocfaidh sé, mar sin féin)
nuair bheidh an chiall i ngach aon áit
Is fada ag teacht é, mar sin féin.
Ana dheas (agus is maith liom "Ultais Albanach" mar chuir síos ar chanúint Rabbie)
Deir an deartháir liom gurb iad na hUltaigh a theith go hAlbain sa 5ú céad (tar éis do na Gaeil ruaig a thabhairt ó thuaidh) a thóg an Ultais go hAlbain i dtús báire. Tá an-chur amach ag an deartháir ar chúrsaí staire.
ReplyDeleteFor a' that an' a' that...
ReplyDeleteLovely version, although I understand about one word in thirty. It's a brave poet who tackles a translation and does so in (as far as possible) the same metre and rhyme scheme as the original. I learned my translation skills from the late Vera Rich, but so far have only made two serious attempts (de Nerval's "Desdichado" from French to English, and a short version of the Marseillaise into English).
By the way, I have a friend who once worked as a semi-pro cartoonist. He had a regular strip in a ham radio magazine, and devised a "catechism of cliche" for amateur radio, presented by a character called Myles O'Copperwire. Just sayin'.
Go deas. Is é seo an t-aistriúchán is fearr liom. Ar cuireadh Gaeilge an hAlban ar dhán Robbie riamh?
ReplyDelete