Is cuimhne liom ag leamh na línte chéad le Dante fós. Scríobh mé dhá bhliain ó faoi shin aistriúcháin éagsúla seo oscailt drámatúil. Bhí meas í gcónaí mé ar na véarsaí scáthfhoglaimaí, ar ndóigh.
Mairfeadh siad dom i mo lár aois. Níl fhíos agam an slí ar fud na fírinne. Tá me ag cuardach ar an cosán caol i mo shaol.
Dá bhrí sin, iarraim ag éisteacht taobh istigh orm. Mhian liom freisin ag foghlaim le duine eile níos mó. B'fhéidir, tógann sé tamall fada dom a aibí.
Mar sin féin, féidir liom teacht solas agus sonas go lag. D'fhoglaim an ceacht doimhin seo Dante agus Rumi fadó, tar éis gach. Bealtaine na bliana nua a thabhairt daoibh áthas go leor.
Entering the dark woods.
I think that hard times may be mine often. Sadness has come upon me a lot, but I make an attempt to connect with hope, friends. I read a short time ago that: "The moment you accept what troubles you've been given, the door will open...Rumi."
Reading the first lines of Dante comes to mind too. I wrote two years ago about the various translations of this dramatic opening. I've always admired these shadow-like verses, of course.
They endure for me in my middle age. I don't know the wide way of truth. I'm searching on the narrow path in my life.
Therefore, I seek to listen inside of me. I also desire to learn from other people more. Perhaps, it takes a long time for me to mature.
All the same, it may be for me that light and happiness come slowly. Dante and Rumi learned this profound lesson long ago, after all. May this new year bring you all joy galore.
Greanadh: Ag dul isteach Dante na Coillte Dorcha le/ Engraving: Dante entering the Dark Wood by Gustave Doré.
2 comments:
I've been thinking on much the same lines, having some to my own 'selva oscura', which seems to get even darker around this point of the year. I dreamed last night that I was wearing an incredibly dull, frumpish outfit in tones of grey and mud, and being bossed around by some kind of social worker whose own get-up was equally wanting in style and imagination... I suppose the message from my subconscious is 'for God's sake, lighten up, man!' To which my reply for the moment is 'what possible reason could there be to do that?' So I reckon this is my koan for 2012.
All the best for the new year and may we come to the clearing soon!
VS, thanks for your reflections and blogging--I find a lot in common with you (as with our Oxonian polymath mutual cyber-friend). Over the past few years, I reflect often when reading your entries how our parallel lifespans on the other hand drew us away from academic groves into crammed classrooms to labor among the polyglot huddled masses. Your unfailingly accurate ear for their accents, entreaties, and follies entertains me mightily.
I predict 2012 with all its apocalyptic ravings will be one to testify to, wink at and chortle about; "Melancholia" as it happens was my #2 film of 2011, after "Tree of Life"! The symbolism continues. May your koan give you suitably wry inspiration for another new year. Keep the zealots in their place.
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