Welcome to my weekly top Irish poems list. This week I am sharing number 41 in the top 100 Irish poems list. A short and sweet poem originally written in Irish and translated. It is about the life of the Irish poet.
I’ve included the Irish first and the English translation alongside it. Although depending on what device you are viewing this on it may be below.
You might be reading this poem and thinking there is nothing special about it. But amazingly enough, Antoine Ó Raifteirí was a blind poet. He was blinded by smallpox while very young.
While he was alive not a single one of his poems were written down. They were all put to paper after his passing from people who had learnt them off.
Even more interesting this poem was written on the backside of the Irish 5 Punt note(Ireland’s currency before moving to the Euro).
He was a wandering poet and musician with a fiddle and like so many vagrant musicians of the time (c. 1784 – 1835 ) was blind.
Mise Raifteirí an File
| Is Mise Raifteirí an file, Lán dúchais is grádh, Le súile gan solas, Le ciúnas gan crá.Ag dul síar ar m’aistear Le solas mo chroí Fann agus tuirseach Go deireadh mo shlí Féach anois mé
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I’m Raftery the poet, Full of hope and love, With eyes without sight, My mind without torment.Going west on my journey By the light of my heart. Weary and tired To the end of my road Behold me now |