Speak White/Labhair Bán By/le Michèle Lalonde

Translated and adapted by Laura Ní Mháille and Josh Clendenin

Performed by Josh Clendenin

Aistrithe ag Laura Ní Mháille agus Iós Clendenin

Curtha i láthair ag Iós Clendenin

Speak white!

Is aoibheann liom a chloisteáil faoi Paradise Lost

‘s faoin rím leamh, lách a creathann tríd soinéid Shakespeare

Is daoine neamhléannta stadach muid

Ach nílim bodhar do shaoi na teang

Labhair linn le blas Milton

Agus Byron Agus Shelly agus Keats
Speak white

Maith dúinn ár bhfreagraí; Níl ann ach amhráin achrannach ár sinsear ‘s dólás Nelligan

Speak white

Inis dúinn faoi seo agus siúd Labhair linn faoin Magna Carta nó Faoi leacht LincolnFaoi draíocht na Tamise Faoi uisce bándearg an Potomac. Labhair linn de bhur nósanna Is daoine muid gan saíocht

Ach is féidir linn é a thuiscint Tábhacht na crumpets

nó tábhacht an Boston Tea Party

Ach cathain you really speak white 

Nuair a théann tú down to brass tacks Labhair faoi gracios living

Agus faoin gcaighdeán beatha Faoin sochaí uasal

Labhair níos airde ansin

Speak White

Ardaigh glóir do shinsir Táimid beagáinín bodhar

Mairimid ró-ghar do na meaisín

Ní chloisimid ach ár n-anáil féin thar na n-uirlisí

Speak white and loud

Ionas go gcloisimid thú Ó Ihorras go Maigh Chromtha

A leithead de theanga uasal. Le fostú Le hordú

Le socrú cén uair a mhairtear den obair thú,

Is sos í a mhusclaíónn ‘s a spreagann an pound

Speak white

Tell us again how your God is a great big shot

And we’re paid to trust him.

Speak white

Labhair linn faoi bhrabús táirgthe ‘s céadatán.

Speak white

Is teanga shaibhir í, Socheannaithe

Ach le muid féin a dhíol

Ach Le muid féin a dhíol go gcaillfimid ár n-anamnacah

Ach Le muid féin a dhíol

Ah Speak White

Big deal Le n-insint duit faoi Shíoraíocht lá stailce

Le n-insint duit faoi Shaol lucht oibre Ag filleadh san oíche,

An ghrian ag dul faoi thar na cosáin Go n-insítear go dtéann an ghrian faoi Chuile lá beo soir ón ár ríocht. Is fearr go deo teanga lán maslach, Ár mbealach brocach cainte Scriosta ag ola ‘s bhealadh

Speak White

Bí ar do shuaimhneas le d’fhocail féin

Is dream achrannach muid, Níl an locht ar éinne

As lán-chumhacht a ghlacadh thar Ceartuchán teanga

I dteanga bhinn Shakespeare Le blas blasta Longfellow

Labhair gaeilge lom, nocht, oráiste

Amhail in Baile Átha Cliath nó sa Bhéal Feirste

Labhair Gearmáinís gan locht Le réalta buí idir d’fhiacla

Labhair Rúisís, Labhair faoin oird Labair faoi smachtú

Speak white

Is teanga uilíoch í Rugadh muid len í a thuiscint

Le focail dheorah Le focail fhoiréaganach

Speak white

Tell us again about Freedom and Democracy

Is focal dubh é Saoirse Amhail anró leis an lucht gorm

agus mar a mheasctar fuil le deannach ar sráideann Crois an Bharraigh nó Little Rock

Speak White

Ó Westminster go Washington Ath-inis

Speak white cosúil le Wall st. White. Cosúil le Watts

Be civilized Go dtuige tú ár nósanna cainte

Agus tú ag fiafrú How do you do?

Go gcloise tú ár bhfreagraí

We’re doing all right We’re doing fine We Are not alone

Tá a fhios againn Nach bhfuilimid linn féin

Published by Josh Clendenin

American theatre artist and educator, Josh Clendenin impulsively plays with languages. The hunt for linguistic color in the primarily monolingual landscape of his home state of Utah inspired him to learn French, Irish and investigate other languages. His passion for French and theatre lead him to earn a BA in both and teach them as well. The exploration of the somatic expression of languages was inspired by his yoga practice and was developed further for his MFA thesis in Theatre Practice at the University of Alberta. Josh continues to perform multilingually in many forms from his current Edmonton base.

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