Cuairt (1943)

Pádraig Ó Broin, composed in Toronto, Ontario

Don’t be impatient, little homeland,

Folded peacefully among quiet hills,

Tilling and milking your cows;

An afternoon playing music,

And drinking a small bit of warm wine.

Ná bí mí-fhoighneach, a bhaile bhig,

Fillte go síothúil i measc ciúinchnocaibh,

Ag rómhar, ‘s ag bleán do choda bó;

Tráthnóinín ag seinm ceoil,

Is ag ól beagán gríosfhíona.

To you - tragedy of your sisters -

That sparkling time will come - too soon:

Count the blessings of your life tonight;

Count your children, your houses, your wine-fields;

And pray for your dead. Pray.

Chugatsa - oidhe do dheirfiúracha -

Tiocfaidh an uair úd drilseach - ró-luath:

Ríomh beannachtaí do bheatha anocht;

Áireamh do pháistí, do thithe, d’fhíonghoirt;

‘S guigh ar do mhairbh. Guigh.

Tomorrow your heroes will fly out from you -

From the Old World, from the New World.

And when they are gone, after them

You will not live again,

Little homeland, henceforth.

Amárach eitleoidh laochra asat -

Ón Oileán Aosta, ón Oileán Úr.

Is nuair a bheidh siadsan imithe, ina ndiaidh

Ní bheidh tusa id bheatha-sa arís,

A bhaile bhig, a choíche.

Adapted from: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1944. “Cuairt.” Pádraig Ó Broin (J. Patrick Byrne) Papers. Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. MS Coll 00247.

For citation, please use: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1943. “Cuairt.” Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca