And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightening of flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully-grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you'll park or capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open
A great description of the forces of nature we can never capture on film, only in our mind's eye.
Another of Heaney's nature poems, as always very well observed.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
In the 8th line, it should be earthed lightning rather than earthed lightening...please fix it so the poet can be at rest.
He also has a poem titled LIGHTENINGS, which I think should be spelled " lightnings."