An Chaor Aduaidh

An chaor aduaidh:-
olagón bog binn na cruinne
ag casadh ar a fearsaid;
sioscadh na gaoithe grianda
os cionn folús na duibheagáin;
dán mascalach an domhain, a phaidir gheal,
ag soilsiú an mhaighnéadasféir.

Titeann bréithre na teangan domhanda seo
chun talaimh ceann ar cheann,
ina néalta bána is uaithne,
ar nós cuirtíní.

© Nuala Ni Dhmonaill
De: Cead Aighnis
Dublin: An Sagart Má Nuat , 1998

Among the Damselflies

Among the blue damselflies
of my daughters, nothing finished,
one of a crowd, & no workshop.
“Because I love colors, for me
everything’s hard,” says the damselfly,
tumbling in irises, watching for his girl,
and then along the stalk he accompanies
her to the train and the iris
rolls up a leaf in her footprints.
Usually, I’m up to my eyes in the river,
all day, and I take notes.
And in the evening I offer my wife
my soft blue member, with green tints.
She tumbles through the iris,
imagining the stalk.

translated by Justin Quinn