Pharaoh's Daughter

by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Ciaran Carson (Translator)

Pharaoh’s Daughter, published in Ireland by Gallery Press in 1990, contains forty-five poems in Irish by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill with translations by thirteen distinguished poets from Ireland. In this revised form, it appears for the first time in North America as a companion volume to The Astrakhan Cloak, new poems by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill with translations by Paul Muldoon.

Genres: Poetry, Irish Literature, Ireland, Fiction, College, 21st Century

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill (born 1952) is an Irish poet.

Born in Lancashire, England in 1952, of Irish parents, she moved to Ireland at the age of 5, and was brought up in Corca Dhuibhne and in Nenagh, County Tipperary. Her uncle was Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta of An Daingean, the leading authority alive on Munster Irish. She studied English and Irish at UCC in 1969 and became part of the 'Innti' school of poets. In 1973, she married Turkish geologist Dogan Leflef and lived abroad in Turkey and Holland for seven years. Her mother brought her up to speak English, though she was Irish herself. Her father and his side of the family spoke very fluent Irish and used it every day, but her mother thought it would make life easier for Nuala if she spoke English instead.

One year after her return to County Kerry in 1980, she published her first collection of poetry in Irish, An Dealg Droighin (1981), and became a member of Aosdána. Ní Dhomhnaill has published extensively and her works include poetry collections, children’s plays, screenplays, anthologies, articles, reviews and essays. Her other works include Féar Suaithinseach (1984); Feis (1991), and Cead Aighnis (2000). Ní Dhomhnaill's poems appear in English translation in the dual-language editions Rogha Dánta/Selected Poems (1986, 1988, 1990); The Astrakhan Cloak (1992), Pharaoh's Daughter (1990), The Water Horse (2002), and The Fifty Minute Mermaid (2007). Selected Essays appeared in 2005.

Dedicated to the Irish language she writes poetry exclusively in Irish and is quoted as saying ‘Irish is a language of beauty, historical significance, ancient roots and an immense propensity for poetic expression through its everyday use’. Ní Dhomhnaill also speaks English, Turkish, French, German and Dutch fluently.

An article on- and interview with Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill by Éamonn Ó Dónaill can be read (in Irish only) here: http://beo.ie/alt-nuala-ni-dhomhnaill...

Reviews

[kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent narrative poems. The world of Nuala Ni Dhomnaill's poems is one in which the ordinary and the extraordinary mingle. She expresses feminist concerns in poems such as "Oriental Morning " and "Stronghold ". She writes about the nature of poetry itself in "Poetry" and "The Language Issue". There are also several conventional love lyrics that are beautiful. The only downside of this volume is the large number of translators. The poet has a strong voice, but the quantity of translators somewhat dilutes that. However, I remain in awe of the power of Ni Dhomnaill's poetic imagination.

[Christin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think of this as Ni Dhomhnaill's greatest hits, culled from her previous all-Irish-language collections. Each of the poems in this one is a stand-out in its own right, and the collection manages to display her range: the two Heaney translations are perfection, especially "Fear Suaithinseach/Miraculous Grass," as is McGuckian's "Geasa/The Bond," and even though they take some liberties, the Carson, Montague, and Mahon translations are not far behind. Oh, and of course, Muldoon's version of "Ceist na Teangan/The Language Issue" changed my life and is the whole reason I am committed to Irish-language literature.

[Paxxy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bilinual edition in Irish (Gaelic) and English, of poetry that mates deisre and mystery, legend and daily life.

The translations are by poets themselves, and may not be quite literal, but are prizes in themselves.

One poem has some good basic Irish: Taim ag goal isteach im ghloine Guinness: I cry into my pint of Guinness...

[Janet Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Irish language poet, hands down.

[Carl Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ni Dhomgaill writes in Irish, and fortunately for me and other monolingual readers these selected poems have been translated by a wide-ranging group of other Irish poets.

Good stuff—ranging from marvelous narratives, “In Memoriam Elly Ni Dhomhnaill (1884-1963),” to love, “Mo Mhile Stor,” and from dark to light.

from “Celebration”
"Rise, small bird, to the top of the tree
and clasp the topmost branch with your feet,
sing out from your throat
your torrent of glorious notes
and then you melody re-enact:
remind me, earthbound, of some basic facts—
say if love leaves me I’ll hardly lose my mind
and though grief is great, so’s the music of life. "

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection of well-worked poems. There’s a clarity of voice that comes through despite the multiple translators. Ultimately I think I would have preferred a single translator, though, as some of the book’s identity gets lost among the varied approaches to the poet’s originals. The poems themselves are fantastic, though, and I’m looking forward to seeking out her other collections.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bi-lingual Irish-English collection with multiple translators, all of them Irish poets. Some readers have reservations about the lack of single voice translating -- a point well-taken, particularly for those of us who tend to obsess about translations, myself included -- but I found such multiplicity quite interesting, especially since I'm familiar with poetry of most of them, which inspired me to ponder their linguistic choices, and wonder how others might have handled the same poem. A process that only enriched my appreciation for NND's work. Regardless, a superb collection, not a flat one in the book.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

these were all so beautiful! new Irish language learning goal: be able to read these poems in the original Irish.

[Ruby Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poetry collection originally written in Irish, with English translations by the side. I read this for my poetry class, and I really enjoyed this collection – it was cool being able to see the visual differences between the English and Irish, and how each translator had a different style. There are always some poems I don’t connect with, and I wish I knew what it would be like to read it in the original Irish.

[Sarah Jane Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoy poetry in theory, I rarely come across poetry that I like. This was definitely an exception. Dhomhnaill's writing is lovely. It always makes me feel good when I grasp the allusions a person makes in her poems. :P

I like her dedication to Gaelic, too. She seems quite feisty about it in her prose.

[Michael Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice. Very nice. Interesting enough to see the Gaelic alongside the English (translation does but a slew of great Irish & English poets)but thoroughly involving, both in form and content. This is one of those I don't put back on the bookshelf right away. I leave it out and, on impulse, browse through again and again.

[Pt Bunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagery in this book transports me to a place I was unaware existed. It is beautiful and sorrowful and joyful all at once.