Bloomsday – James Joyce Poem – Lean out of the window

Happy Bloomsday to you! I have a confession – I’ve never read all of Ulysees, but to make up for that literary failure I’ll sing a poem of Joyce’s for you! My friend, poet and renowned translator of works to the Irish language, Gabriel Rosenstock sent this poem of Joyce’s my way a few weeks back and we thought it’d be something interesting to let blossom for Bloomsday. So as usual I let the words guide me to a melody and arranged a piece on guitar which I think works well. The original English language version, Gabriel’s translation and the instrumental guitar version ) for all you krazy karaoke fans! 🙂 ) are available on my Bandcamp page and here below.

Tar go dtí an fhuinneog
(Aistriúchán ar Lean out of the Window le James Joyce)

Tar go dtí an fhuinneog
‘Niamh Chinn Óir.
Chuala tú ’canadh
I do bhinnghlór.

Dhúnas an leabhar.
Ní léim níos mó.
Breathnaím ar lasracha
Ó óró.

D’fhágas an leabhar.
Is an seomra d’fhág
Mar chuala mé amhrán
Tríd an scáil.

Ag canadh os ard
I do bhinnghlór.
Tar go dtí an fhuinneog
’Niamh Chinn Óir.

Lean out of the window

Lean out of the window,
Goldenhair,
I heard you singing
A merry air.

My book is closed;
I read no more,
Watching the fire dance
On the floor.

I have left my book,
I have left my room,
For I heard you singing
Through the gloom,

Singing and singing
A merry air.
Lean out of the window,
Goldenhair.