Schoolgirl's war poem impresses Lord Provost and Poet Laureate

Published: 11 August 2016

A schoolgirl's poem about the First World War has lifted the Gaelic Prize in a prestigious competition.

Hannah Mason (12) was congratulated on her winning work called 'An Cogadh' (The War) by Glasgow's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty and the city's Poet Laureate Jim Carruth at the city chambers today Thursday 11 August.

Hannah, who attends Glasgow's Gaelic School, came top in her category in the Never Such Innocence (NSI) art and poetry competition. Her work has since been translated into English by writer and lecturer Peter Mackay.

Hannah met the Lord Provost with her mum Angela and dad Kim.

The Lord Provost said: "I was keen to meet Hannah and ask her about her poetry.  It's a great win for her and the city's Gaelic school and we're all naturally, very proud."

Jim Carruth, Glasgow's Poet Laureate said: "What a wonderful achievement - and a great gaelic poem on such a challenging subject.  There's so much to be very proud of in the youth of this great city."

Never Such Innocence is a charity established by Lady Lucy French, great-granddaughter of Field Marshal Sir John French. The poetry and art competition was launched in September last year and was open to children 9-16 years from across the British Isles.

The Lord Provost attended a reception for the charity in the city chambers last year to promote its launch as part of Glasgow's commemorations of the FWW.

Hannah has already attended the House of Lords for a special presentation ceremony by NSI where she read her poem aloud.

All winning entries have been collated in a book for posterity.

See below winning poem:

The War
Hannah Mason, Glasgow Gaelic School
Translation by Pàdraig MacAoidh/Peter Mackay (2016)

I'm still alive, but in great danger!
I'm afraid, but I still have hope.
I am standing, blood coming from my foot and my head,
Quickly, like the stream running so quickly through the wood to the top of  my lovely, gleaming garden.
'Uilleam! Uilleam! Uilleam!' ... people are shouting at me
but I cannot move.
Before this I was so proud to be at war
but now I want nothing but my bed and my family!

It's a dark night tonight and there are more dead than alive,
I heard another little bomb and with the fear
I got up carefully and tried to make it back to the trench.
When I reached the trench there was nothing but fragments of rubble and wood.

I fell to my knees,
there's no cure in the world for my suffering now.
I looked around at the bodies of the young men.
I don't know what to do now but wait for nightfall...!

An Cogadh (The War)
Hannah Mason from Glasgow Gaelic School)

Tha mi beò fhathast ach ann an cunnart mhòr!
Tha an t-eagal orm, ach tha dòchas agam fhathast.
Tha mi nam sheasamh suas, fuil a' tighinn a-mach às mo chas is mo cheann,
Luath, mar an abhainn bheag a' ruith cho luath tron choille gu ceann mo ghàrraidh,
brèagha, gleansach.

"Uilleam!  Uilleam!  Uilleam!" ... tha daoine ag èigheach orm
ach chan urrainn dhomh gluasad.

Roimh an seo bha mi cho pròiseil gun robh mi sa chogadh
ach a-nis chan eil mi ag iarraidh càil ach mo leabaidh agus mo theaghlach!

'S e oidhche dhorch a tha ann a-nochd agus tha barrachd marbh na tha beò,
chuala mi bomadh eile agus leis an eagal
dh'èirich mi suas gu socair agus dh'fheuch mi ri gluasad air ais gu an fhillteach.
Nuair a ràinig mi an fhillteach cha robh càil an sin ach pìosan de shlèibhtrich agus fiodh.

Thuit mi sìos air mo ghlùinean,
chan eil cùram a's an t-saoghal air mo chas an-dràsta.
Choimhead mi mun cuairt air cuirp nan daoine òga.
Chan eil fios agam de nì mi an-dràsta ach feitheamh ri beul na h-oidhche ... !

ends

An t-Àrd-Phròbhaist agus am Prìomh-bhàrd air am beò-ghlacadh le dàn cogaidh nighean sgoile

Tha dàn nighean sgoile mun Chiad Chogadh Mhòr air an Duais Ghàidhlig a chosnadh ann am farpais àrd-inbheil.

Ann an seòmraichean a' bhaile an-diugh 11 Lùnastal, chuir Pròbhaist Ghlaschu, Sadie Docherty, agus Prìomh-bhàrd a' bhaile, Jim Carruth, meal an naidheachd air Hannah Mason (12) a choisinn an duais Ghàidhlig airson an dàin a sgrìobh i leis an ainm 'An Cogadh' (The War).

Thàinig Hannah, a tha a' frithealadh Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, a-mach aig bàrr na buidhne aice anns an fharpais ealain is bàrdachd Never Such Innocence (NSI). Tha an obair aice air eadar-theangachadh on uair sin gu Beurla leis an sgrìobhadair is òraidiche, Pàdraig MacAoidh.

Choinnich Hannah ris an Àrd-Phròbhaist còmhla ri a màthair Angela agus a h-athair Kim.

Thuirt an am Pròbhaist: "Bha mi a' coimhead air adhart ri coinneachadh le Hannah gus faighneachd dhi mu a bàrdachd.  'S e duais mhìorbhaileach a tha seo dhi fhèin agus do Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu agus mar a shaoileadh sibh, tha sinn uile a' faireachdainn anabarrach pròiseil."

Thuirt Jim Carruth, Prìomh-bhàrd Ghlaschu:  "Abair coileanas mìorbhaileach - agus fìor dheagh dhàn ann an Gàidhlig air cuspair a tha cho dùbhlanach.  Tha mòran an lùib òigridh a' bhaile mhòir seo às am faod sinn a bhith glè mhoiteil."

Is e carthannas a th' ann an 'Never Such Innocence' a chaidh a stèidheachadh leis a' Bhean Uasal Lucy French, iar-ogha don Fheachd-Mharasgal an Ridire Iain French. Chaidh an fharpais  ealain is bàrdachd fhoillseachadh san t-Sultain an-uiridh agus bha an fharpais  fosgailte do chlann 9-16 bliadhna a dh'aois bho air feadh Bhreatainn.

Fhritheil am Pròbhaist cuirm às leth a' charthannais ann an seòmraichean a' bhaile an-uiridh, gus foillseachadh air an fharpais adhartachadh mar phàirt de chuimhneachain Ghlaschu air a' Chiad Chogadh Mhòr.  

Tha Hannah air a bhith ann an Taigh nam Morairean mar-thà a' frithealadh seirbheis buileachaidh le NSI, far an do leugh i an dàn aice don luchd-èisteachd.

Tha gach aon inntrigeadh a fhuair duais air an cruinneachadh ann an leabhar airson nan linntean ri teachd.
 

The War
Hannah Mason, Glasgow Gaelic School
Translation by Pàdraig MacAoidh / Peter Mackay (2016)

I'm still alive, but in great danger!
I'm afraid, but I still have hope.
I am standing, blood coming from my foot and my head,
Quickly, like the stream running so quickly through the wood to the top of  my lovely, gleaming garden.
'Uilleam! Uilleam! Uilleam!' ... people are shouting at me
but I cannot move.
Before this I was so proud to be at war
but now I want nothing but my bed and my family!

It's a dark night tonight and there are more dead than alive,
I heard another little bomb and with the fear
I got up carefully and tried to make it back to the trench.
When I reached the trench there was nothing but fragments of rubble and wood.

I fell to my knees,
there's no cure in the world for my suffering now.
I looked around at the bodies of the young men.
I don't know what to do now but wait for nightfall...!
 

An Cogadh (The War)
Hannah Mason from Glasgow Gaelic School)

Tha mi beò fhathast ach ann an cunnart mhòr!
Tha an t-eagal orm, ach tha dòchas agam fhathast.
Tha mi nam sheasamh suas, fuil a' tighinn a-mach às mo chas is mo cheann,
Luath, mar an abhainn bheag a' ruith cho luath tron choille gu ceann mo ghàrraidh,
brèagha, gleansach.
"Uilleam!  Uilleam!  Uilleam!" ... tha daoine ag èigheach orm
ach chan urrainn dhomh gluasad.
Roimh an seo bha mi cho pròiseil gun robh mi sa chogadh
ach a-nis chan eil mi ag iarraidh càil ach mo leabaidh agus mo theaghlach!

'S e oidhche dhorch a tha ann a-nochd agus tha barrachd marbh na tha beò,
chuala mi bomadh eile agus leis an eagal
dh'èirich mi suas gu socair agus dh'fheuch mi ri gluasad air ais gu an fhillteach.
Nuair a ràinig mi an fhillteach cha robh càil an sin ach pìosan de shlèibhtrich agus fiodh.

Thuit mi sìos air mo ghlùinean,
chan eil cùram a's an t-saoghal air mo chas an-dràsta.
Choimhead mi mun cuairt air cuirp nan daoine òga.
Chan eil fios agam de nì mi an-dràsta ach feitheamh ri beul na h-oidhche ... !

ends