Ceist na Teangan
Ceist na Teangan
leis an Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill
Cuirim mo dhóchas ar snámh
i mbáidín teangan
faoi mar a leagfá naíonán
i gcliabhán
a bheadh fite fuaite
de dhuilleoga feileastraim
is bitiúmin agus pic
bheith cuimilte lena thóin
ansan é a leagadh síos
i measc na ngiolcach
is coigeal na mban sí
le taobh na habhann,
féachaint n’fheadaraís
cá dtabharfaidh an sruth é,
féachaint, dála Mhaoise,
an bhfóirfidh iníon Fharoinn?
The Question of Language
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill
I send my hope floating
in this little boat of Language
just as one would lay an infant
in a cradle,
woven
from stems and leaves,
her bottom protected with pitch
as she was set down
among the reeds,
a boat in her own channel
by the riverside.
to look, to know
where the current may bring her
to seek, as Moses did,
a Pharaoh’s daughter to reach her.
About this translation — Nuala ní dhomhnaill (b. 1952) is one of the most prominent Irish poets of the twenty-first century. known for writing exclusively in the Irish language (Gaeilge) her work primarily marries ancient Irish folklore and tradition with themes of feminism, sexuality, and decolonization, the latter owing to the language’s long, traumatic past of being suppressed by British rule and the catholic church. contrary to the strong coalition of Irish writers who view translation as compliance with the colonial dominance of the English language (béarla), ní dhomhnaill actively encourages translation, viewing it as at once a linguistic and cultural process; a subversive act, particularly if the nuances of Irish are made central in one’s translation considerations. this poem, Ceist na Teangan, directly engage with the decline of the Irish language and its fight for survival, placing it in conversation with the biblical story of the infant prophet Moses and the unnamed pharaoh’s daughter from the book of Exodus. Ceist na Teangan has been translated countless times, most famously by Irish poet paul muldoon (b.1951). while not a native speaker of the language myself, my translation aims to first and foremost underscore the aforementioned nuances of Irish. in contrast to Muldoon’s adaptation, I aimed for a more direct translation–not word-for-word, but with comparatively less creative license and abstraction–referring to the infant as “she” rather than “it,” owing to the female grammatical gender of all languages in Irish, and attempt to emulate a similar rhyme scheme and rhythmic flow as ní dhomhnaill’s words.
Maeve Carey Kozlark — a Ph.D. student in historical musicology at new york university with concentrations in Irish studies, archives, and public history. their work as it stands currently engages with concepts of diaspora, empire, citizenship, and globalization as they inform the musicking, collective trauma, and cultural imagination of postcolonial Ireland. They hold a BA in music and society, culture, & thought from Bennington College (‘20).