Díchuimhníonn Fearghus Rua Bé (1944)

Pádraig Ó Broin, composed in Toronto, Ontario

I remember her name - the music of pipes.

Cuimhním a hainm - píobcheol é.

I have forgotten her hair -

And that butterfly

That alighted on it.

Dhearmadas a folt -

Agus an féileachán úd

A thuirlingis air.

I have forgotten her face,

And her mouth -

Preparing to kiss,

Dhearmadas a gnúis,

Agus a béal -

Corta chun pógtha,

I have forgotten the sound of her voice,

That night;

Dhearmadas fuaim a gutha,

An oíche úd;

I have forgotten her two hands

That kept me forever, eagerly;

Dhearmadas a dhá láimh

A chongaibh go feasta go dian mé;

I have forgotten the very shape of her body,

That night.

Dhearmadas cuma a colla féin,

An oíche úd.

I don’t remember anything at all,

Ní chuimhním aon ní ar bith,

Except only

The living warmth of her mouth on mine

In our first kiss;

Ach amháin

Beo-theas a béil ar m’ósa

‘Nár gcéadphóg;

And

Gentle as a wisp, as a feather, as a breath itself

Curve of her young breast

Touching my chest,

That night.

Agus

Caoin mar dhlaoi mar chleite mar anáil féin

Camóg a hóigchíchín

Ag mothú m’uichtse,

An oíche úd.

Another man’s woman she is

This night.

Bean fhir eile í

An oíche seo.

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

For citation, please use: Ó Broin, Pádraig. 1944. “Díchuimhníonn Fearghus Rua Bé.” Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca