Cainteoir Dúchais
Native Speaker
by Cathal Ó Searcaigh

Bhí sé flat-out, a dúirt sé,	He was flat-out, he said,
i gcaitheamh na maidine.	after the morning.
Rinne sé an t-árasán a hoovereáil,	He had the place all hoovered,
na boscaí bruscair a jeyes-fluideáil,	the bins jeyes-fluided,
an loo a harpickeráil, an bath a vimeáil.	the loo harpicked, the bath vimmed.
Ansin rinne sé an t-urlár a flasháil,	Then he flashed the mop over the floor,
na fuinneoga a windoleneáil,	windowlened the windows,
agus na leapacha a eau-de-cologneáil.	and eau-de-cologned the beds.
Bhí sé shagáilte, a duirt sé,	He was shagged out, he said,
Ach ina dhiadh sin agus uile	but even so he was set
rachadh sé amach a chruiseáil;	to go out go out cruising;
b'fhéidir, a dúirt sé,	you never know, he said,
go mbluailfeadh sé le boc isteacht,	he might run into someone,
a mbeadh Gaeilge aige.	with a cúpla focal.

________________
Hoover = vacuum brand
Jeyes = a fluid
Harpic = germicides
Vim = a detergent
Flash = a polishing fluid

This poem and its translation, is as it appears in an article in Eire-Ireland, journal of IACI, 2000, entitled "Cathal Ó Searcaigh and Aspects of Translations" by Nobuaki Tochigh.