An tEachtrannach

Publication Instance Details #1716

Publication Overview

Translation	Is Multilingual	Explicit Irish Context?	Ekphrasis	Has Paratext?	Reference to News, Media or Technology
No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No

Details

Human Rights Issues	War Gender-based violence
Irish Context	Specific Irish place or place-name mentioned
Languages	Irish
Genre	Lyric Sequence
Medium	Print Collection
Paratext Text	Tá leanaí ag spraoi ar an dtráigh in aice le Baile an Fheirtéaraigh. Thug Pádraig agus Stiofáin a gcuid breagán leo. Líonann Susan agus Paula a mbuicéadaí le gainimh fhluich. Casann siad bunoscionn iad agus tógann siad caisléan mór. Cosnóidh saighdiúirí Stiofáin an caisleán. 'Tar i leith. Déanfaimid é a thaispeáint daoibh' a deir sé. Ligeann Pádraig dos na saighdiúirí máirseáil i gcoinne an chaisleáin. 'Níl aon tseans agaibh. Éirig as!' a ghlaonn Pádraig. Siúlann sé siar is aniar, titeann túr gainimhe as a chéile agus tá an caisleán gafa. Iompaíonn na cailíní ón gcluiche agus téann siad ag bailiú sliogán. Cíonn na buachaillí maidí ar an dtráigh. Úsáideann siad mar chlaimhte iad agus ionsaíonn siad a chéile. Fágann siad na saighdiúirí ina ndiaidh, dearmadta. Ritheann Pádirag agus Susan isteach sa dumhach. 'Teastaíonn uaidh an bláth aoibhinn a lot!' a ghlaonn Susan. 'Stop, stop!' a scréachann Pádraig leis an saighdiúir. 'Ná lámhach. Chuala trácht ar an mbláth seo. Ba cheart ligean dó agus é a bheith ina chara againn. Ansan, ní bheidh sé ina stróinséir níos mó.' Briseann an ghrian tré na scamaill os cionn Bhaile an Fheirtéaraigh agus rinceann sí timpeall ar an mbláth álainn. 'Sea, lig dom a bheith im chara agaibh', a deir sé. Bhailigh na leanaí a gcuid bréagán agus d'imigh siad abhaile go sásta.
Notes	Long poem, broken into different sections. The scene is located in Ballyferriter, County Kerry, based on what is said in the paratextual material, and the premise is of toy soldiers being played with by two boys. The poem is an allegory for human nature, and humanity's own relations with nature. The 'humans' in the poem are based on toy soldiers, left behind on a beach by the children present. The 'soldier' encounters a flower, which seems to represent nature and the world. The soldier laments his own bad nature, the war, violence, and rape, that he has perpetrated. The 'flower' appears to talk back to him, and encourage him to be more peaceful and kind. There is a reference to the salmon of knowledge, close to the end of the poem, as well. The poem is beautifully illustrated with images by the artist Dominique Lieb, and makes the themes of the poem more stark.