IRISH LANGUAGE/Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis: That old quip about two buses arriving at the same time came to mind while reading Gabriel Rosenstock's Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis, a diary of his travels in the East, most particularly India and Japan.
It complements Cathal Ó Searcaigh's own Eastern exploration of Nepal in Seal i Neipeal (published by the same company). This seems entirely apt as the poets are friends and artistic collaborators of long standing.
Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis combines Rosenstock's dedication to poetry and translation in equal measure: haiku, a form of Japanese poetry of which Rosenstock is a practitioner, decorate many a page and the poet's imagination translates all he experiences into a vibrant prose which captivates. So skilful is Rosenstock in recreating an ancient world of the East in an ancient language of the West that one is tempted to believe that the Ganges is full of Gaeilgeoirs.
While India and Japan are Rosenstock's main focus, anywhere he lays his hat, however temporarily, becomes of interest not just for him but, thankfully, for the reader too. He is a genial companion who shares all he sees enthusiastically. Passing through Dubai, he is made aware of the trade in Russian prostitutes among well-heeled Arabs. He admits to being naive and then - killer line - writes: "Ah dear, the things that aren't in the official guides".
Even more impressive is his candour in admitting to disinterest every once in a while. His wife, Eithne, goes on a tour to see a glacier but Rosenstock decides to stay behind: "I am happy to see it in my imagination - or look at the photographs later."
This reviewer hasn't been much further east than Scotland but was enthralled by Rosenstock's depiction of people. There is a poignancy and intimacy in his writing that never becomes cloying. On a trip to Hiroshima, Rosenstock notes that he knows of the place through the poetry of Eoghan Ó Tuairisc and the essays of Desmond Fennell. The temptation, then, is to match their stridency. Not so Rosenstock. He makes a heartfelt and simple observation: "Visit Hiroshima and you will not doubt that we all have a solemn and profound duty to develop peace in every way now and for ever".
Pól Ó Muirí is a poet and Irish Times journalist
Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis By Gabriel Rosenstock Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 156pp. €15