An Bád Sí – The Faerie Boat
This is a poem by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill from her collection entitled The Astrakhan Cloak. Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin set it to music in 1992 and recorded it on her album An Dara Craiceann. The English translation is by Paul Muldoon. It is the story of a phantom boat with men at the oars rowing for dear life. This is in the tradition of north-western Ireland particularly around Tory Island. The Irish call it a faerie boat. We would call it a haunted ship.
le Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill | by Paul Muldoon. |
2. Sinne a bhí ag piocadh duilisc | Three of us who were picking dulse (red seaweed) |
3. Bhí ár gceannaibh síos go talamh | Our heads were intent upon the earth |
4. Ní fhéadfainn a rá an cúigear nó seisear | I couldn’t tell if there were five fellows |
5. Do liús is do bhéiceas féachaint | I shouted out to look below |
6. Is dá mbeidís ag straenáil ann go maidin | And not before the crack of doom |
7. Ó dúirt na seandaoine linn nár mhithid | The elders advised us to head home |
8. Triúr a chonaic is triúr nach bhfaca | Three who saw and three who didn’t |