On Raglan Road.

On Raglan Road / A l’Alba del Jorn

On Raglan Road of an Autumn Day,
I saw her first and knew
that her dark hair would weave a snare,
that I might one day rue.
I saw the danger and I passed
along the enchanted way;
and I said, “let grief be a falling leaf
at the dawning of the day”.

On Grafton Street in November,
we tripped lightly along the ledge
of a deep ravine where can be seen
the worth of passions pledged.
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts
and I not making a hay.
Oh! I loved too much; and by such by such
is happiness thrown away.

I gave her gifts of the mind.
I gave her the secret sign
that’s known to the artists who have known
the true Gods of sound and stone;
and word and tint without stint.
I gave her poems to say,
with her own name there and her own dark hair,
like clouds over fields of May.

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet,
I see her walking now,
away from me, so hurriedly.
My reason must allow
that I have loved, not as I should,
a creature made of clay.
When the angel woos the clay, he’d lose
his wings at the dawn of day.

A Raglan Road, dia tardoral,
la vaig veure i vaig saber
que el seu cabell fóra un parany
que em recaria un jorn.
Veia el perill prô vaig seguir
al llarg del camí encantat;
i vaig dir: el dolor sigui fulla al vent,
en l’albada d’un nou jorn.

A Grafton Street, pel Novembre,
vàrem jugar amb el perill
d’un estimball des d’on intuïr
el risc de les passions.
Reina dels Cors jugava a cuinar,
i jo, sense fer ni un tast.
Massa amor, i tant!, i per tot plegat,
la felicitat vaig llençar.

Tresors mentals l’hi vaig donar
i també el senyal secret,
entès per artistes sabedors
dels déus vers de pedra i so
i mots i tinta sens parar.
Poemes l’hi vaig donar:
el seu nom escrit i els seus bruns cabells,
com núvols en camps de Maig.

En un carrer calm, curull d’esperits
ara l’he vista caminar
amb força pressa, lluny de mi.
Admeto haver estimat
sens mesura, fora de seny
un ésser fet de fang.
Quan un àngel cerca el fang perdrà
ses ales a l’alba del jorn.

Poema de Patrick Kavanagh sobre la melodia tradicional irlandesa “At the dawning of the day”. Canta Luke Kelly, per encàrrec directe i personal de Patrick Kavanagh.

Traducció i adaptació: M.A.Santapau.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIqr1Ge8Z5w&t=5s