2016-09-11

Dán le Cathal Ó Searcaigh, traschruthaithe ag Gabriel

The Berry Hollow of Lag na Sméar


Here are blackberries
   in seductive clusters
    in heavy tresses

Numberless berries
   soaked in the earth’s blood
    and fired by the sun

The neat produce of tangled briars;
   soft juice of autumnal days
    wayside banquet

There they hang, full of lure
   blushing purple –
    a generous spread

My passions are aroused
   and prick me as they like
    I must have them

Wild and bloodthirsty
   a matter of life and death
    each juicy mouthful

I cannot overcome their charms!
    every year I plunge my fangs
     into their pulsing veins

Their sweet soft bloodiness.
   To pass them by
    without tasting them

Would send me into paroxysms
   of starvation.
    Delicious, swollen, lascivious

I fondle them
   in the palm of my hand.
   Demon of Gluttony am I

The vampire
    that licks their pulchritude
     with blood-smeared tongue

And how miserable I am
   when their sheen is gone
    when old age disfigures them

As November drags on
    the fairy people do their business
     and the bushes stink to the high heavens
   
   

Here'r bleckberries
in radgie boorachs
in wechty pleats

Coontless berries
drookit i the yirth's bluid
an stokit bi the sin

The jimp ootcome o taigilt breers;
the saft bree o hairst days
hedgeraw bellyrive

Thayr they hing, ticein
a purpie beamer -
a hertie spreed

Ma ire's raisit
an fir aw thair jags
a maun hae thaim

Wud an bluidthristy
a maitter o life an daith
Ilk sappie moufou

A cannae owercum thair chairms!
ilka year a breinge ma fangs
intae thair thrabbin veins

Thair douche saft bluidiness.
tae gang by wi'oot
preein thaim

Wad gar me kink
wi stervation.
Deleecious, bowdent, randy

A daut thaim
i ma loof.
Gurliewhirkie o Gutsiness am a

The vampire
thit slaiks thair bonnieness
wi bluid-clairtit tung

Hou soor-lik am a
whan thair sheen's gane
whan eild spyles thaim

As november draws in
the brounies dae thair wark
syne the busses reek tae heich heiven

Leagan Béarla na hAlban: John McDonald