Alright, for a class I need to teach a mini-lesson. I'd like to use a project I used to when I was teaching, so here's the rundown,

I give the students a poem in another language, and ask them to 'translate' it. They're supposed to follow the evident structure and rhyme and compose their own poem as a mock translation of the other.

Because the poem I originally used was geared for a longer period than I have for my graduate class, I need to find something shorter...and quick! Does anyone know of a poem in modern Irish, with translation, that runs about ten or twelve lines and has evident rhyme and meter (repetition of words and phrases is also good). Unfortunately, I don't have time to locate or order any books, so if you have a suggestion, please provide a link or the text (I have to do the lesson Friday, and it must be planned and photocopied before that. I didn't realize that the one poetry book I have uses pre-standardized spelling for the Irish).

I like to use Irish for this one because the kids inevitably ask me in the end what the language is, to read it, and what it means in english. They also find it pretty fun to do so it's a good way to make sure their first experience with the language is a positive one.

Thanks, all, in advance

okay, so I decided to go with Caoċán by Pól Ó Muirí. I'm translating it but

I'm stumped as to the meaning of one line, because I can't seem to find the word in all caps

and there are two other words outside of that line depicted with slashes to indicate multiple possible meanings that I'm having a hard time choosing between.

also, why the use of 'ló' instead of 'lá'?

Input would be most welcome.

Let's see if the unicode stuff still works...here's the original and my translation attempt afterwards:

CAOĊÁN
do Alan Titley

Ní ḟeictear é; ní ċluintear é
Aċ bíonn sé ann de ló is d’oíċe
Ṫíos san iṫir ḋorċa, a ċrúba
Ag sluaisteáil go dian díċeallaċ,
Ag sluaisteáil gan stad gan staonaḋ,
Ag dornáil úir ḋuḃ siar ṫar a smut
Ag treaḃaḋ proċóg agus tollán
Ag tógáil ríoċt rúnda doḟeicṫe
I mbolg ṫais an doṁain ċeilte
Agus cé naċ líonfaḋ a ċolainn
Ċoimir bos do láiṁe lena toirt
Bogann mianadóir an dorċadais
Sléiḃte arda agus mánna leiṫne
Ag toċailt, ag toċailt, ag toċailt.

-Pól Ó Muirí


Mole
for Alan Titley

No one sees it; no one hears it
But it is there day and night
Down in the dark earth, clawing
Industrially shoveling intensely
Shoveling without stopping, without refrain,
Scooping dark soil back past his snout
Wading through hole and tunnel
Farming a secret unseen realm
Exploring in the stomach of the concealed world
And who would not fill his body
CHOIMIR palm/slap/move of hands with his mass/volume/bulk/size
Moves a miner of/in the darkness
High mountains and wide plains
Excavating, excavating, excavating.

I'm also assuming that 'agus cé nach líonfadh a cholainn" is going to make more sense once I get choimir and the line that follows, but I may be wrong on the agus cé... line altogether.

also, should 'stomach' read 'bowels' in this sense?

Thanks

"de ló is d'oíche" is a stock phrase, I don't know the grammar behind it. I have a feeling it involves the dative!


I'm afraid the unicode doesn't work for me here, so I cant read the poem. I might be able to have a look this evening.

I think it means "the area (of your hand)"

alright...non-unicode, and with a little more working...


CAOCHÁN
do Alan Titley

Ní fheictear é; ní chluintear é
Ach bíonn sé ann de ló is d’oíche
Thíos san ithir dhorcha, a chrúba
Ag sluaisteáil go dian dícheallach,
Ag sluaisteáil gan stad gan staonadh,
Ag dornáil úir dhubh siar thar a smut
Ag treabhadh prochóg agus tollán
Ag tógáil ríocht rúnda dofheicthe
I mbolg thais an domhain cheilte
Agus cé nach líonfadh a cholainn
Choimir bos do láimhe lena toirt
Bogann mianadóir an dorchadais
Sléibhte arda agus mánna leithne
Ag tochailt, ag tochailt, ag tochailt.

-Pól Ó Muirí


Mole
for Alan Titley

No one sees him; no one hears him
But he is there day and night
Down in the dark earth, clawing
Industrially shoveling intensely
Shoveling without stopping, without refrain,
Scooping dark soil back past his snout
Wading through hole and tunnel
Farming a secret unseen realm
Exploring in the bowels of the concealed world
And unsatiated
Secretive hands move the pile
A miner in the darkness moves
High mountains and wide plains
Excavating, excavating, excavating.

I get unsatiated/unsatisfied from agus cé nach líonfadh a cholainn (and who cannot fill his body = 'body fullness'= 'fullness of the flesh' = satisfaction? colainn seems to be able to take something of that meaning in relation to sin, so I wonder if it wouldn't carry through here, too...

if not, I'm completely at a loss for the meaning of the line.

quote:

Agus cé nach líonfadh a cholainn
Choimir bos do láimhe lena toirt

Literally:

And although his body would not fill
the hollow of the palm of your hand with his bulk

wow
thanks, that makes perfect sense now. I was too fixated on trying to make "secret movement' instead of 'hollow of the palm'

I appreciate it. How'd I do with the rest?

I guess that should have been "with its bulk. Maidir leis an gcuid eile, rinne tú go maith, ach seo cúpla comments duit.

Thíos san ithir dhorcha, a chrúba
Ag sluaisteáil go dian dícheallach,

Down in the dark earth, clawing
Industrially shoveling intensely

Lit. "his claws shoveling ..."

Ag dornáil úir dhubh siar thar a smut

Scooping dark soil back past his snout

"Dórnáil", from "dorn" (= fist), is a bit more physical and agressive than "scooping".

Ag treabhadh prochóg agus tollán

Wading through hole and tunnel

Lit. "plowing dens and tunnels"

Ag tógáil ríocht rúnda dofheicthe
I mbolg thais an domhain cheilte

Farming a secret unseen realm
Exploring in the bowels of the concealed world

Lit. "Building a secret ... in the damp belly of ..."

excellent. thanks again. so this is how it stands now, would this be acceptable?

Mole
for Alan Titley

No one sees him; no one hears him
But he is there day and night
Down in the dark earth, clawing
Industrious claws shoveling intensely
Shoveling without stopping, without refrain,
Scooping dark soil back past his snout
Ploughing dens and tunnels
Building a secret unseen realm
In the damp belly of the concealed world
And although his neat body would not fill
The hollow of your hand with its bulk
The miner in the darkness moves
High mountains and wide plains
Excavating, excavating, excavating.

Wouldn't "digging" be more mole-like? Excavating seems to imply earth-moving machinery.

yes, but I think that's what Ó Muirí was going for...he talks about the mole moving mountains and plains...one tiny scoop at a time...

quote:

I give the students a poem in another language, and ask them to 'translate' it. They're supposed to follow the evident structure and rhyme and compose their own poem as a mock translation of the other.

I once saw a "translation" of Catullus's poem "Lesbia nostra" which replaced the words and phrases in Latin with similar sounding ones in English. I couldn't locate it. But just this morning I found something very similar in my inbox!

I just posted a short joke in Irish down below in the Irish-Only Sector. By a chain of transmission that I needn't go into it found its way to a friend of a friend who knows no Irish but has a sense of humor. Here's his line by line "translation"!

Tá beirt bhroc ina suí ag an mbeár,
The beard brothers were at home with a bear

ag tabhairt masla cainte dá chéile.
and a masculine Taliban member who can't eat chilies.

Béiceann duine acu go tobann in ard a chinn
Big Sean whined to go tobogganing in the yard on their chins,

"Bhuail mé craiceann le do mháthair!"
"Well, by cracky, let's do mohair!"

Tagann tost ar an teach tábhairne,
The Taliban tossed his teacher a tamborine,

chuile dhuine ag fanacht leis an bhfreagra.
the chilies having passed their prime and being fragrant.

Béiceann an chéad bhroc arís,
Big Sean was too cheap to bother the bear,

"Bhuail mé craiceann le do mháthair!"
"Well, by cracky, let's do mohair!"

"Gabh abhaile, a dhaid. Tá tú ar meisce."
"Ah, go to hell, I'm dead. And your mascara's running."