Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poets
    • Poems
    • Makar – National Poet
      • Our Waking Breath: A Poem-letter from Scotland to Ukraine
      • A Woman’s A Woman
      • The story of the Makar – National Poet of Scotland
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Spiorad an Àite
      Spirit of Place
    • The Trysting Thorns
    • Poetry Ambassadors
      Tosgairean na Bàrdachd
      • Poetry Commissions: Walter Scott 250
        Coimiseanan Bàrdachd: Walter Scott 250
      • Poetry Ambassadors 2021
    • Posters
    • Podcasts
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • Designing sensory poetry activities
    • Children’s poems in Scots
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Meeting rooms and venue hire
    • Exhibitions
  • Shop
    • Poetry Highlights
    • Entropie Books
    • Stichill Marigold Press
    • Poems for Doctors, Nurses & Teachers
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Company Papers & Policies
    • Our projects
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Sandaidh NicDhòmhnaill Jones
  • >
  • Fàth
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

Fàth

Sandaidh NicDhòmhnaill Jones

Mis’ an lionn a dh’fhosglas
sùil-inntinn a’ bhàird,
’s a leigeas fhaicinn
taobhan eile
nach shaoileadh tu
’s nach creideadh tu.
Mis’ an deoch
a lasas tèine-lèirsinn
is a fhadas sradag  
ro-shealladh an fhàidh.

Cuid a’ creidsinn gur uisge mi
cuid bainne-cìche,
meadh, leann, uisge-beath’;
daoin’ eile muir, deòir, iteodha,
cungaidh-shuaine,
grùdadh na sìorraidheachd.

A huile nì seo mi, agus mu seach
cha ghin dhiubh mi,
a’ sìor-chruth-atharrachadh.
Mise a’ bhuineas
do shaoghail eile nach saoilte,
agus nach buin do ghin dhiubh
no do shaoghal sam bith.

Ged is fradharc mi
chan fhaicear mi.

Mis’ an deoch-eiridinn
sheunach dìomhair,
oibriche-mhiotailt
inntinn a’ bhàird,
ag iomlaid luaidh gu
comhardadh an òir;
a’ sgaoileadh sgleò
’s a’ dealrachadh deò
le caochlaideachd bhreislich.

Is ubagaiche mi
s chì na bàird fo’m sheun an cinnidhean,
an còmhradh eadarra,
a’ bruidhinn an teangan cèine,
coigrich, ach caidrich:
ag aithris an guthan:
Calliope, Euterpe,
Circe, Cassandra,
Sappho, Homer,
a’ bhan-sagart Delphi;
Artair, Merlin,
Taliesin, Gwerful
Coinneach Odhar,
Màiri, Sìleas; agus uiread
bhana-bhàrd eile airidh,
ach no-aithnichte, no-aidichte,
air an cuir  fo thost
le gnàthas.

Ged is fradharc mi
chan fhaicear mi.

Shaoileadh tu gam fhaicinn
an samhla facoin, leòmhainn,
seabhaig, cait,
oidhche, là,
mnà – seo uile mi, oir
mise an Sphincs,
a’ labhairt ann an tòimhseachan.

Mise an deoch a bhuilicheas
lèirsinn uile-chùiseach fad-ruigheach,
a thàlas taibhsean le ob is ortha,
’s a thaisbeanas taobh eile
dhut nad aisling;
ag innse dailgneachd
am briathran beul nam bàrd
o chian nan cian is gu sìorraidh buan.

Bheir mi dhut aiteal
dhen thall-thairis, dhed
dhùrachd – is so-dhèantachd.
Manadh agus fàth mi,
fann-sholas ro-gheàrr
air na dh’fhaodadh teachd;
ach a’ teicheadh às fhianais
gad fhàgail an rùine na bàrdachd,
an smùid, sgleò, ceò.

Ged is fradharc mi……


Sandaidh NicDhòmhnaill Jones

Tags:

vision

Translations of this Poem

Vision

I am the potion that bestows
the vision of the bard,
that discloses
other dimensions,
unimagined,
scarce believable.
I am the drink
that ignites the fiery vision
and sparks the
foresight of the seer.

Some believe I am rainwater,
others mothers’ milk,
mead, ale, whisky;
others yet think sea, tears, hemlock,
a sleeping-draught
or a distillation of eternity.

I am all of these things,
and again none of them,
constantly shapeshifting.
I belong to worlds
other and unimagined,
and to none of them
I am not of any world.

I am vision, yet
am myself unseen.

I am a secret
druidical philtre,
the alchemy of
the bard’s mind,
turning mere lead to
versifying gold;
dispersing misted-mind
into sparkling vision
in mystifying
self-transformation.

I am an entrancer
and under my spell the poets see their kin
converse with them,
and speak in tongues strange,
foreign, but familiar:
Calliope, Euterpe,
Circe, Cassandra,
Sappho, Homer,
the Delphic priestess;
Arthur, Merlin,
Taliesin, Gwerful,
the Brahan Seer,
Màiri, Sìleas; and so many
other worthy bardesses
unacknowledged, denied,
silenced by convention.

I am vision, yet
am myself unseen.

You may imagine you see me
in the form of a falcon, a lion,
an eagle, a cat,
night, day,
woman – I am all of these,
for I am the Sphinx
speaking in riddles.

I am the potion that bestows
all-encompassing, far-reaching vision
luring ghosts with charms and incantations,
revealing another side
to you in your dreams;
speaking prophecies
from the mouth of bards
past and for all time to come.

I grant you a glimpse
of the beyond – your wishes
and your impossibilities.
I am a premonition,
a spectre of your purpose,
an all-too-brief flash
of what might be;
but then I vanish from sight
leaving you in poetry’s intimation,
in smoke, haze, mist.

I am vision, yet……

About this poem

This poem was chosen by Ceitidh Campbell as part of the Scottish Poetry Library’s ‘Champions’ project, a guest curatorship programme to help extend our national reach.

Campbell says, ‘Inspiration can be inspiration itself. The, I have a Dreamesque, refrain and references to history firmly place this work in the context of a new generation of women at the spearhead of revitalisation of the Gaelic Arts yet with an understated humility. The power that our own vision has to shape the past, present and future resonates throughout the piece. The ability to harness vision is tantalisingly both within and out of reach.’

Watch

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Sandaidh NicDhòmhnaill Jones

Sandy NicDhòmhnaill Jones is a prizewinning Gaelic poet; a composer and songwriter; a singer and harpist; a poetry translator; and a language coach.
More about Sandaidh NicDhòmhnaill Jones

Online Shop

Browse our range of poetry books, cards and gifts in our online shop.
Shop now

Podcasts

Our audio programme of poets, poems and news for you to listen to.
Listen Now
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2022.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
Scottish Poetry Library