The Wigtown Poetry Competition

Gaelic Prize £1000

An fhior bheinn - Aonghas MacNeacail

An fhìor bheinn

Air an fhàire, chithear I
cho cas ri balla gainntir.

B’e siud e, 's cha b’e
siud e, mar a dh’éirich
a bheinn dìreach suas a
doimhneachd na mara
liath gu na neòil gorma,
gun truas air barr-mheòir
no glùin no órdag shìnte,

gus an do dhlùthaich sinn
air a bun, far an robh na
h-achaidhean farsaing
feurach eadar an fheamainn
is a bràighean càirdeil, far
am faicear na goibhrean
a’ criomadh an leòr,

agus ceum, ge be dé cho
lùbach, leth-socair ri shreap.

Bha sinne ‘m fiughair dùbhlain
as a bearraidhean, a dorradas,
mus ruigeadh sinn a cùiltean,
cinnteach gum biodh an oidhche
romhainn aig a cheann thall.

Bha uair a bu mhiann leinn
gum biodh darus ann,
a leigeadh sinn astigh
dìreach chun an fhìor bheinn.

Aonghas MacNeacail

the real mountain

on the horizon it could be seen
steep as a prison wall

that was it and that wasn’t
it, the way the mountain
rose straight from the
depths of the gray
ocean to the blue clouds
with no pity for fingertips
or knee or extended toe

until we approached
its base, where the
wide fields were grassy
between seaweeds and
its friendly slopes where
goats can be seen
nibbing the grass

and a path, however
twisted, half-easy to climb

we expected challenge
from its cliffs, its severity
before reaching its recesses
certain that darkness would
greet us on the far side

there was a time we wished
there could be a door
that would let us straight
in to the real mountain

Aonghas MacNeacail

Copyright
The copyright of each poem remains with the author. The authors of the winning poems grant the Wigtown Book Town Company the right to use the poems in publicity material for one year from 3rd April 2006, and the Sunday Herald the right to publish them for one year from 3rd April 2006.

In association with the Scottish Poetry Library
and the Sunday Herald