I Love July

i love you july

the heat of the sun

lifting our spirits,

enlightening our lives.

The meadows are full of colors.

The problem is, dear July, that we live in Scotland.

The land where summer is a promise never often kept.

Tha gaol agam ort, Iuchar,

teas na grèine

a' togail ar n-inntinnean,

a' soillseachadh ar beatha.

Tha na cluaintean làn dathanna.

Is e an duilgheadas, a ghràidh Iuchar, gu bheil sinn a’ fuireach ann an Alba.

An tìr anns am bheil an samhradh 'na ghealladh nach tric a chumas e.

But as December draws to a close,

you seem so far away,

so far in the distance,

July

The summer's heat is but a distant memory

my skin barely remembers,

memorialised in the wind and ether.

Ach mar a thig an Dùbhlachd gu crìch,

tha thu cho fada air falbh,

cho fada air falbh,

An t-Iuchar

Chan eil ann an teas an t-samhraidh ach cuimhne fad às

'S gann a chuimhnicheas mo chraiceann,

air a chuimhneachadh anns a' ghaoith agus an eitear.

We are but always hurtling, constantly moving cyclically

towards the furthest point from the polar opposites of winter summer

As I lay my head down to rest this eve

as the turning of the clock brings forth

the beginning of another three-six-five-twelve-fifty-two

I look with optimism and humility at the journey to you

July

Tha sinn an-còmhnaidh air ar goirteachadh, an-còmhnaidh a’ gluasad gu cearcallach

a dh'ionnsaigh a' phuing as fhaide air falbh bho na h-aghaidhean bàna ann an samhradh geamhraidh

Mar a leagas mi mo cheann sios gus fois a ghabhail air an oidhche so

mar a bheir tionndadh an uaireadair a mach

toiseach trì-sia-còig-deug-fichead-dà-fhichead

Bidh mi a’ coimhead le dòchas agus irioslachd air an turas thugad

An t-Iuchar

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: So, wasn't going to post anything else, as I've been trying to strip back, but found this and after some tweaking, felt it was appropriate on this the last day of the year. As an interesting aside, it was originally meant for "Truly July: A Mikeydred July Dollar Prompt For All Vocal Creators" but I never got round to it.

Oh and I realise it is January now. I had some major issues trying to get this one published. For some reason, the English/Scottish Gaelic kept on getting knocked back to Drafts. So... I thought about it and published it just English then edited it afterwards to include the Scottish Gaelic. To be clear, the Scottish Gaelic is a direct, though, rough translation of the English. I am no expert in the slightest but felt it added a bit of home to it and it looks pretty and even the poorest attempt at pronunciations are always pretty.

Here are some of my most recent pieces to check out, if you want: