Our June 2020 Poem of the Month comes from Caitríona Ni Chléirchín’s bilingual collection, The Talk of the Town, with translations by Peter Fallon, which was published on 23rd April 2020.
Nuair a Fhágann Tú Mé 
ní ann dom a thuilleadh.
Bhlais mé bláth
a chuaigh go fíochmhar ionam.
Chaill mé laethanta.
Chaill mé an ghrian.
Las d’aghaidh le fuil
agus bhlais mé an scáth arís
le claíomh
a chuaigh go géar
trí mhacallaí mo chuislí.
Do theith mé
arís is arís eile
tríd na foraoiseacha
is na fásaigh
is d’fhill mé ort
is do luigh gortaithe
aghaidh le talamh
is thóg mé thú
i mo bhaclainn.
from The Talk of the Town (2020)
When You Go From Me
I am a thing of nothing.
I sampled a blossom
that ripped into me.
I lost day after day.
I lost the sun suddenly.
Blood shot your face
and again in floods
I tasted the shadow
slice through echoing bloods.
that ripped into me.
I lost day after day.
I lost the sun suddenly.
Blood shot your face
and again in floods
I tasted the shadow
slice through echoing bloods.
I fled time and again
through forests,
wilderlands
and other wastes,
then came back to you,
hurt in a heap, face
to the ground, and I swaddled
you in my embrace.
through forests,
wilderlands
and other wastes,
then came back to you,
hurt in a heap, face
to the ground, and I swaddled
you in my embrace.
translated by Peter Fallon
from The Talk of the Town (2020)
