Dairena Ní Chinnéide lives in the West Kerry Gaeltacht of Corca Dhuibhne in the south west of Ireland. Her first bilingual collection of poetry “An Trodaí agus Dánta Eile/The Warrior and Other Poems” was published by Cló Iar Chonnachta in 2006. Her second collection “Máthair an Fhiaigh/The Raven’s Mother” was published by Cló Iar Chonnachta 2008. She then published “An tEachtrannach/Das Fremde/The Stranger” with Púca Press Dingle in 2008. Her fourth collection is called “Poll na mBabies” published by Coiscéim.
She represented Ireland on the Words Unbound international poetry exchange visiting France, England and Belgium 2006/2007. She also represented Ireland on “Cuairt na mBard” poetry and musical exchange with Scotland and the Outer Hebrides and was shortlisted for the Strokestown Poetry Competition.
Dairena also worked on the Gaelic Jazz Project for IMRAM 2007/08. She participated in the 22 International Poetry Festival in Villenica in Slovenia in autumn 2007. She was shortlisted for the Strong Award in 2007. She was part of a group of Irish Writers celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Poetry Ireland in the Irish College in Paris in Oct 2008 and read at the Franco-Irish Literary Festival in Dublin Castle the same year.
She lectured in creative literary translation and interpretation at the European Parliament, at American University, Washington in the USA in April 2009 as well as participating in the Franco-Irish Literary Festival in Dublin the same month. Her fifth bilingual collection is being published by Salmon in 2012.
The Warrior went under water
And the patterns of her life lay in the green
Signs from a foreign ocean
Advising her to stay under the waves
A magically enticing world opened
And she was at peace
Far from family and her lover
The magical Warrior world under the waves
She wet and wet herself
To take shelter from the heat
She swam with her eyes open
And she would swim to Greece
To escape her mortal ties.
Images from the bottom of the Mediterranean
And echoes of the waves her lullaby.
Suantraí na Meánmhara
Chuaigh an Trodaí fé uisce
Is bhí pátrúin a saoil san uisce glas
Comharthaí ón bhfarraige eachtrannach
Ag cur comhairle uirthi fanacht fé thoinn.
D’oscail domhan mealltach
Is bhí sí ar a suaimhneas
I bhfad ó chlann is leannáin
Domhan draíochta an Trodaí fé uisce
Fhliuch sí, is fhliuch sí í fhéin
D’fhonn fothain a fháil ón teas
Shnámh sí lena súile oscailte
Is shnámhadh sí go dtí an Ghréig
Chun éalú óna lancaisí saolta.
Léirphictiúir ghrinneall na meánmhara
Is macalla na dtonn ina suantrí aici.
Poetry in this post: © Dairena Ní Chinnéide
(Original in Irish, translation to English by author)
Published with the permission of Dairena Ní Chinnéide