My daughter, go dancing!
Send the boys daft
Draw them close with your magic
Cast spells like spring showers
Cast spells to haul in their hearts
Delirious youths will lie glistening in your net
Save the brightest, throw back the dull
.
n.b. www.napowrimo.net Day 21 prompt; Take a poem from a foreign tongue and write a poetic interpretation based on the imagined sounds of the original, a homophonic poem.
Caoinneadh Ãirt Ãi Laoghaire
Mo ghrÃĄ go daingean tu!
LÃĄ dÃĄ bhfaca thu
ag ceann tà an mhargaidh,
thug mo shÃēil aire dhuit,
thug mo chroà taitnearnh duit,
dâÊalaÃos Ãŗm charaid leat
i bhfad Ãŗ bhaile leat.
The Irish poem I have used in part is the first verse of Caoineadh Ãirt Ãi Laoghaire by EibhlÃn Dubh NÃ `Chonaill. I have subsequently found out that this work was written by the widow of a man who was shot dead by a British soldier after refusing to sell his horse. This has perturbed me somewhat, but I offer my piece in all its naivety, together with the link to the original poem, with apologies and respect to my Irish friends, the original writer and her beloved.
That first verse has been translated by the Irish poet, Thomas Kinsella as follows:
The Lament for Art OâLaoghaire
My steadfast love!
When I saw you one day
by the market-house gable
my eye gave a look
my heart shone out
I fled with you far
from friends and home.
Source: https://ireland-calling.com/caoineadh-airt-ui-laoghaire/ This is a great website to explore popular Irish poetry.
Christopher Perry
21st April, 2020
Journey of Words 
22 responses to “A Mother’s Advice”
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Beautiful! You captured the musicality of the original poem.đ
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Simply perfect.
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Thank you, Liz.
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CONGRATULATIONS and wreathes and wreathes of penstemon! This is perfect, and I love the advice. I’d be the mother that goes ‘Save the brightest, throw back the dull’ – and also, ‘If they’re all dull, don’t bother – shine brighter like a supernova, and outshine ’em all.’
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Great advice! I will warn my sons!!
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Congratulations on being the featured participant! đđđ
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Thank you! It is a huge challenge to get through the whole of April on a poem a day. It is lovely to have some of my writing picked out like this.
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Eight more days! And the distinction is well-deserved.đđđ
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Congratulations on the feature Chris!
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Thank you! It is real honour to be picked out for a mention from all the great writing here in April.
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congrats and wonderful – definitely will have to share with my daughters.
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Thank you! Not sure it’s the whole story, but as a dad with two sons I feel privileged to have been recognised for this piece. I imagined what an Irish mother would want to say to empower her daughter to make the most of life’s opportunities.
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One of my grandmothers was a strong Irish woman, (but had four sons). So it’s all imagined. đ
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Well it made me laugh when i first read it. (There is probably a gutsy Irish great-grandmother or two lurking in my ancestry too.)
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Great!
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Thank you, Romana. I really enjoy this type of prompt. Irish is very lyrical and so a nice one to look work with. The poem I have worked it from on turns out to be an absolute gem. I hope that people read that through in its entirety. A widow’s heartfelt and very real lament.
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Congrats on being featured! Well done. And such fun results from your efforts. I may kick off my shoes and dance in the kitchen to whatever music is there.
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Thank you for your comments. You do what you fancy Eileen…whose kitchen is it after all?
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This is grand! Made me recall years lived in the Emerald Isle!
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Thank you, Gloria. Glad it had a personal resonance for you. I am glad you enjoyed it!
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“Draw them close with your magic”
That is a great line from a well-crafted poem. đ
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Thank you, for reading and commenting, Barry. Really appreciate it.