Postscript
Seamus Heaney


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 lightning of a 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 and 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.





Bridget´s leave taking - Alan Griffin - (.Mp3)




Threads

We are social, gregarious beings -, that's why we tend to get together, just like today. We need others in order to move forward in life. From the very beginning we have the ability t o establish bonds - invisible threads that unite us. First with family members, then with the community and finally with the country. Throughout life, we continue to create more threads that unite us, but not all of them are of the same intensity. What distinguishes one from another? The thickness of the thread and also its quality. Some are too refined and, thus, are fragile; others are wider and last longer. Even if they are thicker, other some threads, once stretched too much, can break.

Others, while maintaining flexibility, are not sufficiently taut to break. Alan, in 1984, when he came from Ireland to the Basque Country, brought with him everything he had: himself, his persona, the threads he had built up there: Irish music, research, creative desire and the compulsion to share all that among friends and in performances. Thus, together with musicians from here, he has contributed a lot to the mix of Basque and Irish popular music, he has even created lyrics for songs. Even up until the eve of his demise, he continued his research and his writing.

Throughout his life he continued to establish new threads in Euskal Herria and in other countries. How? With his presence or through the music he performed and the accompanying lyrics. The ways to weave threads are many.

Many of us came to know Alan, were drawn by one or more of those invisible threads. What he has left us as a legacy, stays with us, and also what we have shared with him, because we safeguard within ourselves. And, although in different ways, those invisible threads enable us to remain united to Alan; each in the manner that each one lives out their spirituality
.
There is a Scottish song that is very popular in Ireland and is sung at farewells to those around a table: 'The Parting Glass' and which ends:


So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
Then gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

So today, let those of us who have gathered here celebrate together Alan's life and enjoy everything he has left us as his legacy.

Josune Martirena

Do not stand
By my grave, and weep.
I am not there,
I do not sleep—
I am the thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints in snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle, autumn rain.
As you awake with morning’s hush,
I am the swift, up-flinging rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight,
I am the day transcending night.
Do not stand
By my grave, and cry—
I am not there,
I did not die.

Clare Harner, The Gypsy, December 1934

Those we love
live in our hearts forever

Bridget Griffin

POSDATA
Seamus Heaney


Eta egunen batean, atera denbora, autora hartu eta mendebaldera joateko,
County Clare aldera, Flaggy Shore itsasertzetik,
irailean edo urrian, haizeak
eta argiak elkar astintzen dutenean.
Hara orduan, alde batean, itsasoa furian
apartsu eta diz-diz, eta lehorrean, harri artean,
laku arbel-gris baten gainazala argiztatzen,
beltxarga banda baten oinaztarria,
lumajeak latz eta harro, zurian zuri,
beren buru garatu egoskor-antzekoak
lumapean gordeta edo gandorturik edo ur azpian okupaturik.

Alferrik pentsatuko duzu aparkatu eta hobeto atzemango
duzula dena. Ez zaude ez han ez hemen,
Zirrara batean pasatzen zaizkigu gauza ezagunak eta arraroak,
ufada leun indartsuek jotzen dutelarik saiheska autoa,
eta bihotza, guardia jaitsita harrapaturik, lehertu egiten da.







Bridget´s leave taking - Alan Griffin - (.Mp3)

HAZIAK

Izaki sozialak gara; horregatik, elkarrengana biltzeko joera daukagu, gaur bezalaxe. Besteen beharra daukagu bizitzan aurrera egiteko. Sortze beretik daukagu elkar lotzen gaituzten hari ikusezinak ezartzeko gaitasuna. Aurrena familiako kideekin, ondoren komunitatearekin eta azkenik herrialdearekin. Bizitzan zehar, elkar lotzen gaituzten hari gehiako ezartzen segitzen dugu baina denak ez dira kalitate berekoak. Zerk bereizten ditu batzuk eta bestek? lodierak desberdintzen ditu eta hariaren nolakotasunak ere bai. Batzuk finegiak, hauskorrak. Beste batzuk lodixeagoak, gehiago irauten dutenak. Are lodiagoak izanagatik, beste hari batzuk, behin gehiegi tenkatuz gero, haustera iristen dira. Beste batzuk, malgutasuna mantenduz, ez dira hausteko adina tenkatzera iristen.

Alan, 1984an, Irlandatik Euskal Herrira etorri zenean, berarekin ekarri zuen bere baitan zuen guztia: bere pertsona, han eraikitako hariak, irlandar musika, ikerketa nola sormenerako grina eta guzti hori lagun artean nola emanalditan partekatzeko bulkada. Hala, hemengo musikariekin batera, euskal eta irlandar musika herrikoiaren arteko nahasketan ekarpen haundia egin du, abestietarako letrak ere sortu dituelarik. Azkenaldian eta hil bezperara arte, ikertzen eta idazten segitu du.

Irlandako guztiarekin lotzen zuten hariak eten gabe, Euskal Herrian eta beste herrialde batzuetan ere, hari berriak ezartzen segitu du bizitzan zehar. Nola? Zuzeneko presentziarekin edo interpretatzen zuen musika eta letrekin. Harien eraikuntzarako bideak anitzak dira.

Asko gara etorri garenak, Alanenganako hari ikusezin horietakoren batek bultzatuta, etorri ere. Oinordetzan utzi diguna gurekin gelditzen da, baita harekin partekatu duguna ere, gure baitan gordetzen bait dugu, eta, beste modu batean bada ere, hari ikusezin horiek berarekin lotuta segitzea ere ahalbidetu diezagukete; hau, norberak espiritualtasuna bizitzeko eraren gain gelditzen da.

Kanta herrikoi bat badago Irlandan, oso ezaguna dena eta despedidetan abesten dena: 'The Parting Glass' (Azken kopa) eta bukaeran horrelako zerbait dio, mahai baten bueltan daudenei zuzenduta:

Altxatze-denbora eta esertze-denbora daukagu
Etorri nere azken kopa betetzera
Gauon eta alaitasuna gera bedi zuekin.

Gaur, hemen, bildu garenok, ospatu dezagun Alanen bizitza elkarrekin eta goza dezagun oinordetzan utzi digun guztiaz.

Josune Martirena

Soka-dantza Alan Griffin-i azken agurrean
Patxi Montero - Dantzan - 2024/01/15