2014-01-07

Don Bhliain Úr: To the New Year -- W.S. Merwin

To the New Year


With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morning

so this is the sound of you
here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is
where we have come with our age
our knowledge such as it is
and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible

(Present Company)

Don Bhliain Úr


A leithéid de chiúnas farat
sa deireadh is tú á nochtadh sa ghleann
an chéad gha gréine uait ag síneadh anuas
chun barr  na nduilleog ard a phógadh is ní chorraíd
faoi mar nár thugadar faoi ndeara é
is nach raibh puinn cur amach acu ort
is glaonn guth colmáin ansin
as réimse ann féin i gcéin
chun na maidine seo faoi thost

mar sin, is é seo do shondas-sa
anseo anois pé acu an gcloistear
nó nach gcloistear é, táimid tagtha
go dtí seo lenár ré
agus lenár n-eolas mar atá sé
agus ár ndóchas mar atá sé
os ár gcomhair. dofheicthe,
gan teimheal,  ar bís