Joe Haslam – Against Indifference

Joe Haslam – Executive Director of the Owners Scaleup Program. IE Business School.

Reading:

Against Indifference (Ní Ceadmhach Neamhshuim) by Seán Ó Ríordáin from book Línte Liombó, 1971.

There’s not a fly nor a moth nor a bee
that God created, not a man
nor a woman made we’re not
obliged to aid, whose anxiety
we’re allowed to disregard;
no man buried in his asylum
we shouldn’t sit beside,
keeping him company as long
as he carries on our behalf
our own sickness in his mind.

There’s no place, no stream, no bush
however remote, no stone
north, south, east or west
whose site we shouldn’t think of
with sympathy and fondness;
however far South Africa,
however high the moon,
they’re part of us by rightthere’s
nowhere in the world
where we have not been born.

—

Níl cúil, níl leamhan, níl beach,
Dar chruthaigh Dia, níl fear,
Nach dualgas dúinn a leas,
Níl bean; ní ceadmhach neamhshuim
A dhéanamh dá n-imní;
Níl gealt i ngleann na ngealt,
Nár chuí dhúinn suí lena ais,
Á thionlacan an fhaid
A iompraíonn thar ár gceann,
Ár dtinneas-ne ‘na mheabhair.

Níl áit, níl sruth, níl sceach,
Dá iargúlta iad, níl leac,
Bídís thuaidh, thoir, thiar nó theas,
Nár cheart dúinn machnamh ar a suíomh,
Le gean is le báidhíocht;
Dá fhaid uainn Afraic Theas,
Dá airde í gealach,
Is cuid dínn iad ó cheart:
Níl áit ar fuaid na cruinne
Nach ann a saolaíodh sinne.