Coláisteánaigh
le Darragh Ó Caoimh
Saothar arna choimisiúnú ag Cumann na nOllscoil Éireann
Dob fhada ár dtréimhse sa chillín
tar éis scaradh na gcoláisteánach;
de dheascaibh víris an fhill
bhíomar scartha amach, aonaránach.
Cuimhním ar lucht ollscol anallód
nuair a thagadh na Lochlannaigh úd
ag scriosadh agus ag creachadh leo
in Éirinn na Naomh is na nOllún:
chúlaídís siar chun an chloigthí,
na bráithre agus na siúracha,
ach a dtagadh an t-ionradh ar an mainstir
go tobann aniar aduaidh orthu;
chrochaidís an dréimire in airde,
d’iaidís an doras sa túr,
chuireadh an glas ar an gcomhla,
dhúnaidís go daingean an dún.
Cuimhním leis ar Fhionnbarra naofa,
díthreabhach an Ghuagáin,
istigh ina chillín aonair
i lár an locha
i measc na sléibhte:
ní foláir nó go raibh sé
dóthanach den saol sin,
óir d’fhág an díseart ina dhiaidh
thug a chúl lena chillín
is thriall fan na Laoi le fánaidh
gur bhunaigh ionad léinn do choláisteánaigh.
Is téanam oraibh, a shiúracha is a bhráithre!
Fillfeam an athuair ar an gcoláiste,
fágfam an cloigtheach inár ndiaidh,
tabharfam ár gcúl le cillín!
Scaoiltear an glas sin den chomhla
is osclaítear an doras go pras!
Sáitear an dréimire síos chun talún –
ó téanam oraibh, brostaíg amach!
Chugainn arís caradas is cumann
Chugainn arís leabhartha is léann
Chugainn arís taighde is tochailt
Chugainn arís allagar is plé
Fearaibh is mná óil na gaoise,
lucht ceoil, lucht ealaíon, lucht filíochta,
eolaithe, dochtúirí, is saoithe,
iníochacha is mic léinn, ina mílte
comhghleacaithe sinn is leathbhádóirí
comhpháirtithe sinn agus scoláirí
a thuigeann go dianmhaith tar éis ar tharlaigh –
nach coláiste go coláisteánaigh!
Collegians
le Darragh Ó Caoimh
Saothar arna choimisiúnú ag Cumann na nOllscoil Éireann
Our time in the cell was long,
after the collegians parted,
we were cut off and alone
once the virus started.
I think of university long ago,
when the Vikings would come in their ships
to plunder and take their spoils
and tear the land fo scholars to strips
the brothers and sisters would flee
to the roundtower when they came
the monastery all of a sudden
ruined and up in flames
they would lift the ladder high
and slam the door shut tight
they would bolt the window shutters
and wait there until light.
I think as well of St. Finbarr,
the hermit of the Guagán,
inside in his lonely cell
on the lake
in the hills
He must have
had his fill
of that life,
for he turned his back
on his cell
and travelled down the Lee
where he founded
a place of learning,
for collegians.
And let us go, brothers and sisters,
and return once again to college,
leave the roundtower behind,
turn on our backs on the cell.
Open the lock on the shutters,
open the door and fast!
Put down the ladder to ground now –
hurry up, let’s go back!
Here again friendship and fellowship
Here again learning and books
Here again research and study
Contention, debate, and disputes.
Men and women hungry for knowledge,
musicians and poets and artists,
scientists, doctors, and learned people,
and students in their thousands
colleagues and fellow passengers,
partners and scholars we are
that now understand on returning –
that there is no college without collegians!