Coláisteánaigh le Darragh Ó Caoimh: Seachtain na Gaeilge 2022

Coláisteánaigh

le Darragh Ó Caoimh
Saothar arna choimisiúnú ag Cumann na nOllscoil Éireann

Dob fhada ár dtréimhse sa chillín

tar éis scaradh na gcoláisteánach;

de dheascaibh víris an fhill

bhíomar scartha amach, aonaránach.

 

Cuimhním ar lucht ollscol anallód

nuair a thagadh na Lochlannaigh úd

ag scriosadh agus ag creachadh leo

in Éirinn na Naomh is na nOllún:

 

chúlaídís siar chun an chloigthí,

na bráithre agus na siúracha,

ach a dtagadh an t-ionradh ar an mainstir

go tobann aniar aduaidh orthu;

 

chrochaidís an dréimire in airde,

d’iaidís an doras sa túr,

chuireadh an glas ar an gcomhla,

dhúnaidís go daingean an dún.

 

Cuimhním leis ar Fhionnbarra naofa,

díthreabhach an Ghuagáin,

istigh ina chillín aonair

i lár an locha

i measc na sléibhte:

 

ní foláir nó go raibh sé

dóthanach den saol sin,

óir d’fhág an díseart ina dhiaidh

thug a chúl lena chillín

is thriall fan na Laoi le fánaidh

gur bhunaigh ionad léinn do choláisteánaigh.

 

 

 

 

Is téanam oraibh, a shiúracha is a bhráithre!

Fillfeam an athuair ar an gcoláiste,

fágfam an cloigtheach inár ndiaidh,

tabharfam ár gcúl le cillín!

 

Scaoiltear an glas sin den chomhla

is osclaítear an doras go pras!

Sáitear an dréimire síos chun talún –

ó téanam oraibh, brostaíg amach!

 

Chugainn arís caradas is cumann

Chugainn arís leabhartha is léann

Chugainn arís taighde is tochailt

Chugainn arís allagar is plé

 

Fearaibh is mná óil na gaoise,

lucht ceoil, lucht ealaíon, lucht filíochta,

eolaithe, dochtúirí, is saoithe,

iníochacha is mic léinn, ina mílte

 

comhghleacaithe sinn is leathbhádóirí

comhpháirtithe sinn agus scoláirí

a thuigeann go dianmhaith tar éis ar tharlaigh –

nach coláiste go coláisteánaigh!

Collegians

le Darragh Ó Caoimh
Saothar arna choimisiúnú ag Cumann na nOllscoil Éireann

Our time in the cell was long,

after the collegians parted,

we were cut off and alone

once the virus started.

 

I think of university long ago,

when the Vikings would come in their ships

to plunder and take their spoils

and tear the land fo scholars to strips

 

the brothers and sisters would flee

to the roundtower when they came

the monastery all of a sudden

ruined and up in flames

 

they would lift the ladder high

and slam the door shut tight

they would bolt the window shutters

and wait there until light.

 

I think as well of St. Finbarr,

the hermit of the Guagán,

inside in his lonely cell

on the lake

in the hills

 

He must have

had his fill

of that life,

for he turned his back

on his cell

and travelled down the Lee

where he founded

a place of learning,

for collegians.

 

And let us go, brothers and sisters,

and return once again to college,

leave the roundtower behind,

turn on our backs on the cell.

 

Open the lock on the shutters,

open the door and fast!

Put down the ladder to ground now –

hurry up, let’s go back!

 

Here again friendship and fellowship

Here again learning and books

Here again research and study

Contention, debate, and disputes.

 

Men and women hungry for knowledge,

musicians and poets and artists,

scientists, doctors, and learned people,

and students in their thousands

 

colleagues and fellow passengers,

partners and scholars we are

that now understand on returning –

that there is no college without collegians!