Cló Iar-Chonnacht Indreabhán Conamara · Cló Iar-Chonnacht Indreabhán Conamara ... – Wallace Stevens, The Man with the Blue Guitar ... Anthology

Cló Iar-ChonnachtIndreabhánConamara

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An Chéad Chló 2011Cló Iar-Chonnacht 2011© Gearóid Mac Lochlainn© Gabriel Rosenstock, aistriúchán ar ‘Bus’ agus ‘Translation 8’Grianghraif © Seán Mac Lochlainn

ISBN 978-1-905560-78-3

Dearadh: Clifford HayesEalaín an Chlúdaigh / Cover Image: ‘The Old Guitarist 1903’, Pablo Picasso© Succession Picasso 2011Pablo Picasso, Spanish, worked in France, 1881–1973, The Old Guitarist, late1903–early 1904, Oil on panel, 48 3/8 x 32 1/2 in. (122.9 x 82.6 cm), Helen BirchBartlett Memorial Collection, 1926.253, The Art Institute of Chicago.Photography © The Art Institute of Chicago.

Gach ceart ar cosaint. Ní ceadmhach aon chuid den fhoilseachán seo a atáirgeadh,a chur i gcomhad athfhála, ná a tharchur ar aon bhealach ná slí, bíodh sinleictreonach, meicniúil, bunaithe ar fhótachóipeáil, ar thaifeadadh nó eile, gan ceada fháil roimh ré ón bhfoilsitheoir.

Clóchur: Cló Iar Chonnacht, Indreabhán, Co. na Gaillimhe.Teil: 091-593307; Facs: 091-593362; r-phost: [email protected]áil: CL Print, Indeabhán, Co. na Gaillimhe.

Tá Cló Iar-Chonnacht buíoch de Fhoras naGaeilge as tacaíocht airgeadais a chur ar fáil.

Faigheann Cló Iar-Chonnacht cabhair airgidón gComhairle Ealaíon.


5

They said, ‘You have a blue guitarYou do not play things as they are.’

The man replied, ‘Things as they areAre changed upon the blue guitar.’

– Wallace Stevens, The Man with the Blue Guitar


BUÍOCHAS

Ba mhaith leis an údar buíochas a ghabháil leo siúd thíos a thugtacaíocht dó thar na blianta:

Comhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann, Foras na Gaeilge,The British Council, Literature Across Frontiers, The William JoinerCentre for the Study of War and Social Consequences (U Mass,Boston).

Ba mhaith leis an údar buíochas speisialta a ghábháil lenachomhfhilí, Philip Cummings, Padraic Fiacc agus Máirtín Crawford,a thug comhairle luachmhar agus teagasc dó agus é ag obair ar antionscadal seo.


CLÁR AN NDÁNTA

1. ChangeChange ..................................................................................... 13The Searchers .............................................................................. 15Penelope’s Dead ......................................................................... 17Sráidcheol .................................................................................. 18They’re playin baseball, it’s gettin better . . . ............................... 19Acht na Gaeilge ......................................................................... 21Heat .......................................................................................... 23Ragged an’ Dirty Too ................................................................. 25

2. The Return of DjangoThe Return of Django ................................................................ 29Study for a Chocolate Grinder no. 1 ......................................... 30Study for a Chocolate Grinder no. 2 ......................................... 31Blue Hawaii ............................................................................... 32Ar Eití ....................................................................................... 33On The Wing ........................................................................... 34The Black Bull of Colin Glen ................................................... 35Ceol .......................................................................................... 36Grammar ................................................................................... 37Brubeck ...................................................................................... 38Kicked ....................................................................................... 39Tender ....................................................................................... 41Drochlá ..................................................................................... 42Kyoka ......................................................................................... 43Gearrcach ................................................................................... 44Fledgling ................................................................................... 45


3. GráSíocháin ...................................................................................... 49Anthology ................................................................................. 50Sound Speed . . . ...................................................................... 51The Irish Version ....................................................................... 52An Leagan Gaeilge .................................................................... 53Love .......................................................................................... 55Spéirbhean ................................................................................. 57History ....................................................................................... 59Éan-Bhean ................................................................................. 60Something .................................................................................. 61A Glór ....................................................................................... 62Voice ......................................................................................... 63Dúnmharbh ............................................................................... 64Crime of Passion ........................................................................ 65Labhair Gaeilge ......................................................................... 66Tumbleweed .............................................................................. 67Ag dul in éag ............................................................................. 68Haiku ........................................................................................ 69Gan Ainm .................................................................................. 70Dry Spell .................................................................................... 71Thíos ag Uair an Oilc ................................................................ 73Tesco ........................................................................................ 74Tesco ......................................................................................... 75The Yellow Rose Saloon ............................................................ 76Athchuairt ................................................................................. 77Take Two ................................................................................... 78Take Five ................................................................................... 79Tuirse ........................................................................................ 80Drip .......................................................................................... 82


4. RenegadeMalairt ...................................................................................... 85Return of the man who never came back .................................. 86Once upon a time in the west ................................................... 88An Beithíoch ............................................................................. 89Big Tiny .................................................................................... 90An Damhsa ................................................................................ 91Pistolero ...................................................................................... 92Tá Nead insa Sliabh ag an Rógaire Dubh .................................. 93Desperado ................................................................................. 95Rupintojelis ............................................................................... 96

5. RelapseDeannach ................................................................................. 101Dust ......................................................................................... 102Muisiriúin ................................................................................ 103Fungus ..................................................................................... 104Cruitire .................................................................................... 105Let it snow ................................................................................ 106Díreach Anois .......................................................................... 107Dóthain ................................................................................... 108Cross Over ............................................................................... 109

6. Criss-CrossAistriúcháin Eile ...................................................................... 113Translation ............................................................................... 114Rannta Mic na Míchomhairle .................................................. 115Musicians Reverse Curse ........................................................... 118Aistriúcháin # 8 ........................................................................ 120Translations # 8 ........................................................................ 122Bus ........................................................................................... 124Bus ........................................................................................... 127


Tharla Sé ................................................................................... 129Dán ........................................................................................... 130Japha ......................................................................................... 131Huelga General .......................................................................... 132General Strike ........................................................................... 133Camino ..................................................................................... 134Woodside NY ............................................................................ 135Córdoba .................................................................................... 137Seomra 243, Concord Square, Boston ...................................... 138Toro .......................................................................................... 139Bull ........................................................................................... 140North Beach, San Francisco ...................................................... 141Knygnesiai ................................................................................. 142An Fonn .................................................................................... 144Johnny Doran ........................................................................... 145Johnny Doran ........................................................................... 147Soilse ......................................................................................... 149Fidil Fhrancach........................................................................... 150Sober ........................................................................................ 152Cailleach an Airgid .................................................................... 154Gan Ainm ................................................................................ 155An Damhsa ............................................................................... 156Alacant ...................................................................................... 157Alicante...................................................................................... 158Meanwhile, Back in the Bar ...................................................... 159Gorm ........................................................................................ 160

Traicliosta .................................................................................. 161



C H A N G E

I could hear him singing in the dark.

– I was bornnn by a riv-err, inna little shack . . .

He was outside the bar, counting change. Stamping his feet, blowinginto his fists. Shoppers were sliding around the square with bags ofChristmas swag.

– I feel it my bones, he said. Ice. Punters droppin like flies.Everywhere. La temperatura. Jet stream, gulf stream. Fuck it.Whatever. Toco de oído. I’m gettin . . . sociably aware. Drink? . . .Take one . . . por la carretera, hombre . . . The wide shot. Theremight not be a take two . . .

We moved inside to the fire. I stared into the hearth. Flames dancedand licked.

– First in line, this shit hole. North, south. East, west. The bigfreeze. Other people . . . like some fuckers in some cold place.They’re gonna burn. Hot-cross buns. It’s changing . . . Criss-cross.Imperial evidence, man. Collation. We’re not on the naturalfrequency. A mix up . . . fumamos, amigo?

We went back outside and smoked. Watched the shoppers slide andfall.

– History. All connected, right? One big organism. That’s the waywe have to think. Not like rappers. Rappers don’t give a fuck. Fuckrappers. . . . One big organism. Tents. Snares . . . Catch our ownshit . . . Mackerel. Hares. La Transición. No shoppin. No Tesco. NoAsda. No quiero hablarlo más . . . Three miles deep, right?

CRISS-CROSS / MO CHARA 13


14 CRISS-CROSS / MO CHARA

He coughed and killed the smoke. A shopper bit the dust. I said Ihad to go.

– Via con Díos, chach . . . Remember. We’re not in Córdoba . . . yet.Es decidido. Catch our own shit, amigo.

The bell in Chapel Lane tolled six. The ice glinted silver and gold.Another shopper dropped.



THE SEARCHERS

Bhuail mé leis taobh amuigh de Castle Court.Bhí sé ar lorg SkyBox don TV.Bhí sé ag iarraidh RTE signal a fháil san árasán.

– ’bhfuil Teilifís na Gaeilge agat? arsa sé,É ag tarraingt ar dhúidín gaiceach.– TG4?– Whatever they call it now? ’bhfuil sé agat?– Níl. Ach, shíl mé nach raibh spéis agat sa Ghaeilge níos mó?– Foc an Ghaeilge. Tá mé ag caint ar Westerns, muchacho.John Wayne, Rio Bravo, El Dorado . . . Westerns . . .– Le fotheidil?– Béarla! Westerns! Chóir a bheith achan lá. The High Chapparal.– Gan fotheidil?– Níl an Ghaeilge bainteach leo, man. Just Westerns,Chisum, Chato’s Land, Who Shot Liberty? . . .Freedom of the press at the Shinbone Star!Indoubably, yes, pilgrim . . . Indoubably, yes . . .– Ní thuigim . . .– Tá sé soiléir go leor, a chara . . .My name is Manalito Montoya . . . agus . . .Tharraing sé ar a spliof agus chaith sé é ar an chosán.Mhúch sé é lena chos agus chleachtaigh sé an quick-drawLeis an 38 special dofheicthe ar a thaobh . . .

– Is maith liom amharc ar Westerns, ar seisean.You gotta have an edge, Gringo,Even just the sun on your back . . .

Agus scaoil sé cúpla bounty hunter dofheicthe



Agus shéid sé an deatach de bhairille a ghunna.

– Bhuel, It’s bin good, pardner.But the horned toad says ‘Mexico . . .’

Agus d’imigh sé leis ag feadaílA Fistful of Dollars.



P E N E L O P E ’ S D E A D

He threw the book down on the table. Stared at it.

– I tried to read the stupid book, man. I really did. Butthis cunt can’t keep it simple . . . always changin shit.

Have they got another menu here? . . .

I mean, if I wanna get this bit, right, then I have to readall this other stuff. All this Greek shit that has nothin todo with anything. Right? I mean why should I careabout fuckin Hector? Penelope and Zeus? The guy underthe sea? All these other fuckers?

He counted his coins. Stacked them in neat littlecolumns . . .

– Fuckers who can’t get to the point. Cos they’re thinkinbout Penelope. . . . But Penelope’s dead as Hector, man.

He studied the menu.

– Me? I’m thinking about pesatas, drachmas. Heat! . . .Coin for the meter. Fuck Penelope!

He ran his fingernail down the little pillars of changeagain, counting. Then he stared at the book, shook hishead, ordered scrambled eggs.



SR Á I D C H E O L

Bhí sé i Sráid Rósmhuire. Hata stetson os a chomhair,Buataisí buachaill bó air. É ag seinm leis sa cheobhránAr a ghiotár,

– Gonna hang my sombrero on the limb of a treeeeComin’ home sweetheart darlin . . .

– Bhuel, hombre. Dia leat. Táimid beo go deo fós, arsa sé.– Bhuel, Mo Chara?– An diabhal cathrach seo. Foc it. Shithole!Tá mé ag imeacht liom. Tá mé caillte cráite ar an talamh seo.Mar a dúirt an seanfhile, ‘Tá an tír seo focáilte.’Dhírigh sé a mhéar ar an stetson. Ní raibh ann ach caoga cent.– Tourists lena fuckin euros, man. An pota róbheag is ní líontar é.Phioc sé ar na téada go brónach.

– Féach orm. Ag obair go cruaidh is chomh fuar leis an uaigh.Thosaigh sé ag folcadh fearthainne. Í ag titim go trom orainn.– Gach bocht le muir is gach saibhir le sliabh, arsa sé.An giorria san fhásach, an breac ar an lionn. Catch our own shit . . .

– Go n-éirí leat, arsa mé.Chaith mé cúpla punt sa stetson. D’fhág mé ansin é,É ag ceol leis an fhearthainn, de ghuth lagíseal. Lán tochta . . .

– No more cows to be ropinno more strays will I seeee . . . goin home to Amarillo,just my rifle, my pony and meeee . . .


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Cló Iar-Chonnacht Indreabhán Conamara · Cló Iar-Chonnacht Indreabhán Conamara ... – Wallace Stevens, The Man with the Blue Guitar ... Anthology