Seathrun Ceitinn - or Geoffrey Keating - was a Catholic priest in the 1600's. A Tipperary man, he was hunted because of his religion. He nevertheless was a formidable scholar and produced Foras Feasa ar Eirinn, Groundwork for the Knowledge of Ireland, an encyclopaedia of historical information. Towards the end of his life, he is supposed to have written the poem "A Bhean Lan de Stuaim". Some people don't believe a Catholic priest could have written such an explicit piece and attribute it to someone else. Somehow, however, it has the true ring of frustrated priestly celibacy to it. There have been multiple translations of this poem by various writers throughout the years, but they all seemed to me to be inadequate, lacking the rhymes, assonance, and detail of the original Irish. So, in my spare time, I put together a new translation. I hope it will be of some use to people studying Irish. The translation has never been published.

Lady Loaded With Allure

(from the Irish of Geoffrey Keating - a new translation by Denis Cotter)


Lady loaded with allure,
That hand of yours, keep off me:
We're no man of deeds, for sure,
Though, by our love, you're sickly.

Look at my locks quite grey,
My body - decayed, tired;
See my cold blood's delay:
Pray tell what you desire?

Don't think I need a shrink,
Don't crink your ahead afresh:
Till Judgement, slender sylph,
Allow our love no flesh.

Edge back your lips from my lips:
It's sad your tale, your plight, still.
Let skin not lie on skin:
The heat can kindle will.

Your branching, twisting tresses,
Your glistening eyes like dew,
Your round, white blossom breasts
Draw longing eyes to you.

Every act but the body's act,
And lie in that sleep-quilt of yours,
I'd do for your love, 'tis a fact,
O lady loaded with allure.

This link has the original

http://www.exclassics.com/ceitinn/beanlan.htm

An-deas.

Is léir go raibh an nós "trí rann agus amhrán" tosaithe sa cheantar sin ar aon dul le dúiche Shéamais Dhaill Mhic Cuarta.

Wouldn't it be nice to read it in the original without an English translation?

Who will explain the title and the first stanza? Literally?

A bhean lán de stuaim
le
Seathrún Céitinn
---------

A bhean lán de stuaim
coingibh uaim do lámh:
ní fear gníomha sinn,
cé taoi tinn dar ngrádh.

Féach ar liath dem fholt,
féach mo chorp gan lúth,
féach ar thraoch dem fhuil --
créad re bhfuil do thnúth?

Ná saoil mé go saobh,
arís ná claon do cheann;
bíodh ar ngrádh gan ghníomh
go bráth, a shíodh sheang.

Druid do bhéal óm bhéal --
doiligh an scéal do chor--
ná bíom cneas re cneas:
tig on teas an tol.

Do chúl craobhach cas,
do rosc glas mar dhrúcht,
do chíoch chruinngheal bhláith,
tharraingeas mian súl.

Gach ghníomh acht ghníomh cuirp
is luighe id chuilt shuain
do-ghéan féin tréd ghrádh,
a bhean lán de stuaim.

A fhinnebhean tséimh shéaghanta shárchaoin tsuairc
na muirearfholt réidh raonfholtach fa a ndíol gcuach,
is iongnadh an ghné thaomannach fhasaíos uait;
gé doiligh an scéal, tréig me agus táig dhíom suas.

Do-bheirimse fém bhréithir dá mbáití an slua
san tuile do léig venus 'na táclaí anuas,
a bhurraiceach-bhé mhéarlag na mbáinchíoch gcruaidh,
gur tusa mar aon céidbhean do fágfaí im chuan.

Focal lán brí is ea 'stuaim'

I measc nithe eile deir DIL liom

quote:

Of a lady's charms beauty, grace, dignity, modesty (?):

Mealltach an chiall atá leis anseo, sílim. Bean a dhiongbhála, ach go bhfuil sé faoi mhóid. Ach ní mór cuimhneamh gur dócha gur amour courtouis atá i gceist anseo, i. cineál cluiche intleachtacht, seachas collaíocht fíor. Tharlódh magadh séimh a bheith i gceist freisin.

Tá píosa maith scríofa ag Ó Doibhlinn i Manuail Litríocht na Gaeilge faoin gcineál seo ruda.

Go raibh maith agat, a Aonghuis. Is scoláire thú! Táimse buíoch díot.

Is tuata mé. Ach tá mórán léite agam!