St Ninian's Isle treasure
Rody Gorman writes about this Pictish hoard, which can be found
in the Early People gallery on Level -1.
Faodail
Waiftreasuregoodsfoundbychance
Faodail
Na lorg mi gun a bhith sealltainn de dh’fhaodail
Ri rannsachadh mun eilean cheangailt’ a thèid
Ri tìde na shaothair –
Cha chuach gu dìreach no ceòlan
A thug Fionghan bho Dhùn nan Gall Ulaidh no na seòid
Is na bh’ ann de mhaoin-airgid na cruinne na broinn
Ach peirceall muc-mhara bhon Chuan
Lochlannach a-nall
Air a thasgadh an ciste naomh fon làr.
Waiftreasuregoodsfoundbychance
what i
thighcrutchwomanoffspringtraceconsequencesoughtfound
without Shetlandshowlooking
as waiftreasuregoodsfoundbychance
ransackresearchexploring aroundabout the tied island
which into weatherseasonlifetidehourtime gobecomes a
diseasedmanpunishertidalislandbirthpainsouvre –
not a hollowcuckoococklecapcoilcurlpailquaichbowl
juststraighthonestuprightexactly or
humdrumfaintmusiclittlebell
which Finian brought over
from NorthernforeignersDonegalfort
in darlingtreasuretroveUlster or the heroesrewardpathjewels
and
the richesmoneysilver wealthlovehoard
of alltheroundPictworld in its bellywombside
but the abdomencornerjawbone of a sealwhaleporpoise
from the Norsewigeonmarauders deceitpackharbourocean
pledgetreasureburied in a sacredsaint caketreasurecoffinkist
under the centregroundfloorearth
About the author
Rody Gorman works as a poet and translator in
English, Irish and Scottish Gaelic. His most recent collection is
Beartan Briste/
burstbroken judhementshroudloomdeeds (Cape Breton University
Press, 2011).