sorrowful am i…
the sand, your pillow
seaweed, your bed
candles, your watchmen
though you drowned
with you, I would go

~kat

A blackout poem for Manic Monday’s 3-Way Prompt: Word Prompt: Wrecked/Photo (above)/Song: Ailein Duinn (see lyrics with translation below w/word selections in BOLD).

Lyrics for Ailein Duinn by Celtic Spirit

Gura mise tha fo éislean,
Moch ‘s a’ mhadainn is mi ‘g éirigh,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

Ma ‘s e cluasag dhut a’ ghainneamh,
Ma ‘s e leabaidh dhut an fheamainn,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

Ma ‘s e ‘n t-iasg do choinnlean geala,
Ma ‘s e na ròin do luchd-faire,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

Dh’òlainn deoch ge boil le càch e,
De dh’fhuil do choim ‘s tu ‘n déidh do bhathadh,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

English Translation:

How sorrowful I am
When I rise early in the morning
Ò hì, I would go with you
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì
Hì ri bhò hò rinn o ho
Brown-haired Alan, ò hì, I would go with you

If the sand be your pillow
If the seaweed be your bed
Ò hì, I would go with you
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì
Hì ri bhò hò rinn o ho
Brown-haired Alan, ò hì, I would go with you

If the fish are your candles bright
If the seals are your watchmen
Ò hì, I would go with you
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì
Hì ri bhò hò rinn o ho
Brown-haired Alan, ò hì, I would go with you

I would drink, though all would abhor
Of your heart’s blood after you were drowned
Ò hì, I would go with you
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì
Hì ri bhò hò rinn o ho
Brown-haired Alan, ò hì, I would go with you