Posted by SammyM
11 October 2008
Féachadóir wrote:
Scríobh "SammyM"
:
What about the "lennan-shee" in the "Lagan Love" poem I posted ?
I was told this is a "Fairy Lover" that takes one's love and then leaves,
leaving the human pining for their lost love.
Leannán Sidhe, or Leannán Sí, literally a fairy lover as you said. She
often appears as a muse to poets and bards.
Fairy is a misleading translation for modern ears though. It's not a
Disney Tinkerbell, but one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Think elfs from
Lord of the Rings.
Banshee?
I came across this.
Banshee or Leannan Si, the night reveals the tale.
Whispering winds within my soul.
The candle burns and time runs on,
Stripping away the veil.
The road leads straight but spiral bound,
beyond the land of dreams.
Blue and Green the portraits made of life, and plans, and schemes.
Like a vapor on a windowpane running from the sun,
I wonder at the road to take.
I wonder at which one.
Banshee or Leannan Si, only time will tell.
To leave you now and not look back,
It is probably just as well.
Sitting by the fire's edge, my head filled with primordial dreams.
Thinking of just what you are, a fairy with earthly schemes.
Wondering if your human form will give way to your true race.
Considering in the final hour to give in to your embrace.
Leannán Sí
translation by Gabriel Rosenstock
Bean sí nó leannán sí, nochtann an oíche a rún.
Puth gaoithe trí m'anam.
Dónn an choinneal agus imíonn an t-am,
Baintear an chaille.
Is díreach an ród ach is bíscheangailte
Lastall de chríoch na n-aislingí.
Gorm, glas iad portráidí na beatha, na scéimeanna.
Mar ghal ar fhuinneog a rithfeadh ón ngrian,
N'fheadar cén bóthar atá romham?
Cén cor atá i ndán dom?
An bhean sí nó an leannán sí, neosfaidh an aimsir.
Tú a fhágaint anois is gan féachaint siar,
Ba é ab fhearr.
Im shuí cois tine, mo chloigeann lán de bhrionglóidí ársa.
Ag smaoineamh ar a bhfuil ionat, sióg shaolta.
An nochtfar do chine ceart laistiar ded chló daonna?
I ndeireadh na dála géilleadh dod bharrógsa.
[*from the Dublin Writers Workshop pages at
http://www.dublinwriters.org/eacorn/EA16/fauntpoem.htm:
"Francis
Faunt has had several poems published. This poem, LEANNÁN SÍ, is one of
a series of 5 poems call St.John's Cycle. He has had poems published the
Irish Newspaper, La, the Sligo-based Flaming Arrows, issue 6 and in the
National Hibernian. His writing has been informed by the words, images, and
emotions of W. B. Yeats and Morgan Llywelyn. The author has also written a
homage to August Strindberg, A Dream Play II. His immediate goal is to have
60 of his poems translated into both the Irish Language and the Chinese
Language. The author has engaged in advanced environmental studies. He
resides in the rural countryside of Southern New Jersey."]
