Cimmeria by Robert E. Howard in Scottish Gaelic

A Translation of Robert E. Howard's Poem

It is a Robert E. Howard Days tradition to end the event with a reading of his original poems on the front porch of his home in Cross Plains, Texas. One of the mainstays of these readings are translations of his poem “Cimmeria” in different languages. This poem describes the gloomy homeland of Howard’s famous barbarian, Conan the Cimmerian. So far, “Cimmeria” has been translated into Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Swedish, German, and several other languages. When I first came to Howard Days in 2021, I volunteered to read an Irish version of it. Although I got the pronunciations more or less correct, I don’t speak Irish Gaelic—I speak Scottish Gaelic. So when I locked in on coming to Howard Days in 2023, I decided to write a Scottish Gaelic translation of it and share it at the poetry reading. I neared the end of my post-graduate studies in Nova Scotia, where I had the opportunity to immerse myself in Scottish Gaelic for two years with other learners and people who had grown up with the language—an opportunity that I am really glad I seized.

When it came to my turn to read “Cimmeria”, I went up on the porch and introduced myself in Gaelic, surprising most of the crowd. As I recited the translated poem, I don’t mean to sound as though this version is the right version—or that the words I chose are accurate at all—but the words had a distinctly primordial quality that seemed to go hand-in-hand with Howard’s themes of nature and human strength. It had been many of the event-goers’ first time hearing Scottish Gaelic and it was honestly one of the longest pieces of Gaelic I had ever read in front of a crowd but again, I was glad to have seized such an opportunity on the heels of my accomplishments in grad school. After my reading, I was asked to share a copy of my translation for the Robert E. Howard museum; if you visit Cross Plains, it might just be there!

As a bonus post for the 118th birthday of Robert E. Howard, here is my translation (and an audio reading) of his immortal poem “Cimmeria” in the language of the Scottish Gaels.

---

Cuimhnich mi
Na coilltean dhubha a' falachadh leathaidean cnoc dorcha;
An airse shìorraidh nan sgòtha ghlasa;
Shruth nan sruthan ciara gun uaim.
Agus na gaothan uatha a' cagair sìos na làirigean.

Sealladh air sealladh a' caisimeachd, cnuic air cnuic,
Leathad thall leathad, a h-uile dorcha le craobhan gnù,
Ar tìr thana. Nuair shreap fear suas
Sgòrr sgorrach 's sgeann e, a shùil sgàilte
Chan fhaca e ach an sealladh dìlinn – cnoc air cnoc.
Leathad thall leathad, a h-uile fo cheò coltach ri a bhràithrean.

'S e tìr dhuibhir a bh' innte a' breith
A h-uile na gaothan 's sgòtha 's aislingean a' seachnachadh a' ghrian,
Le gleadhran gheugan maol anns na gaothan uairgneach,
Agus na coilltean dhubha air a h-uile rud,
Cha dhealanaich a' ghrian annamh dhubh
Rinn i sgàthan bhunacha à fir; dh’ainmich iad i
Cimmeria, tìr a' Dhorchais agus na h-Oidhche dhomhain.

Bha e o chionn fada agus fad air falbh
Dhìochuimhnich mi an t-aimn orm.
Tha an tugha-chatha 's an t-sleagh ailbhinneach coltach ri aisling,
Agus tha sealgan 's cogaidhean coltach ri sgàthan. Chan ais-ghairm mi
Ach an clos tìre dhorcha sin;
Bhrìg na sgòtha gu deò air na cnuic,
Cimmeria, tìr a' Dhorchais agus na h-Oidhche dhomhain.

A m'anam fhèin, bheir na cnuic sgàilte tu,
Fo sgòtha 's gaotha 's sgàilean a' seachnachadh a' ghrian,
Co mheud bàsan am bidh a' briseadh seo
Dualchas orm a' suaineadh anns an aodach
Glas sgàilean? Lorg mi mo chridhe agus lorg mi
Cimmeria, tìr a' Dhorchais agus na h-Oidhche dhomhain.

---

Thanks for reading this bonus post! Be sure to read the original “Cimmeria” as well on this wintry day and think of the shadowy, misted homeland of Conan.

If you’re an author of Sword & Sorcery fantasy, there is still time left to participate in Senchas Claideb’s Contemporary S&S Author Sound-Off! This promotional post will go live at the end of January, showcasing as many current authors writing in the Sword & Sorcery scene as possible! If you would like to add you name and works to that round up, click this link to fill out the answers and you’ll be included!