MÂTÎRJA

N.B. - MÂTÎRJA means ‘ancestral women’ in Proto-Celtic

MÎ BEWA AMMANTÎ KwE AMMANTÎ BEWA MÎ

I am my ancestors and they are me 

AMMANTÎ KLINO ENI WINTO UFFO-KLIYÂ RUKSTO

I hear them on the soughing north wind

AMMANTÎ LEIKO TANOS MEWE TEGRET UFFOR FFOLGO KwENNO

I feel them beneath my feet on ancient tracks

BENÂ DI STILNÂ GLASÎNÂ DI ROWESYÂ

The blue-eyed woman from the steppes

BRENK KANTLO KwE YAKSTÎ

Bringing song and tongue

BENÂ SITRO DUBNO DI DEKSÎWO

The strong dark woman from the south

BRENK SAIDLÂ KwE SEGOS

Bringing till and seeds

BENÂ DI WANSO DUBU DI FFARI-TERO

The black haired woman from the east

BRENK WAITO KwE GOWRYÂ

Bringing blood and fur

ESOM BÎWO NADSKYO AD MEWE WAITO

Their lives consigned to my blood

ESOM KOMMANO OL MEWE STILNÂ KwOWITSO BEWA ATI-BIW

Their memories behind my eyes waiting to be seen

BERYO ESOM MENMITO, KAMAWO KwE ATI-ODBHERTO

I carry their joys, sorrows and sacrifices

BERYO ESOM ANATÎ

I carry their spirit

GRINDO ESOM RETU TRÊ WERAN KwE ADMENSERÂ

I follow their course back through land and time

BRIG KwE GLENNOS DI WRIDÂ

Mountains and valleys of roots

REGYO FFERI GLASÎNÂ SNOUDO

Stretching back blue hazed

MÎ BEWA AMMANTÎ KwE AMMANTÎ BEWA MÎ

I am them and they are me

GRITU DI LUFFERNO

The cry of the fox

LENGO DI KASNÂ

The jump of the hare

GALWO DI LEGU DUNNO FFETNO

The call of the sparrow

RETU DI NATRIK

The glide of the snake

NÎS NADSKYO TARAS WERAN

They bind us across a landscape

FFRO KwELLO NÎS AN-LEIKO

So distant we cannot touch

KEI NÎS BEIYEYO ANDOM NÎS-NÎS

Though we live inside each other

REGYO ANDOM

I open up inside

TRÊ WERAN

Through earth

TRÊ RIKETO

Through sky

TRÊ ABONÂ LINYEYO

Through running river

KwE SOUYEYO UD

And turn outwards

KENÎ SOUYEYO ENI

As I turn in

© Elena Tornberg-Lennox 2022