LÀTHAICHEAN FÉILLE
Làthaichean Féill’ a chaidh a stéidheachadh
Ro’ àm na cuimhne;
Anns gach creideamh
Anns gach comunn;
Ro’n t-sìolachan do-fhaicsinneach a mheasgaicheas
Cleachdadh, òrdugh, biadh, comanachadh na daonntachd,
Bidh fìon nam féisean a’ brachadh thar chrìochan,
Far a’ robh a’ bhrìgh ’s a’ bhith a choimhead a-mach
Is a chunnaic gach nì,
A lùb glùn is ceann,
Anns na h-amannan beannaichte
Aig nach eil àm,
Ann an aonaidhean umhail a’ chianalais,
’S ann gu bheil ’ad air am faighinn ás an aon chadadh naomh,
A’ dòrtadh a-mach anns gach àite.
—Lodaidh MacFhionghain, Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking (2017)
FEAST DAYS
Feast Days established
Before memory;
In every faith
In every society;
Via the invisible sieve that mixes
Custom, observance, food, the communion of humanity,
The wine of the festivals ferments across boundaries,
Where the essence of the entity that looked out
And watched and beheld every thing,
That bent knee and head
At the blessed times
That have no time,
In reverent unions of longing,
Were found to be of all the same sacred stuff
Pouring out everywhere.
—Lewis MacKinnon, Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking (2017)
Listen to this poem and the rest of the “An t-Samhainn” section of Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking, free on Bandcamp this month.
Friday, November 4th, 2022 is another “Bandcamp Friday” when Bandcamp waives its fees and 100% of a Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking audiobook purchase goes to the publisher and author.
Image: Gerd Altmann (CC0 Creative Commons)