Gabriel Rosenstock

Gabriel Rosenstock (born 29 September 1949) is an Irish writer who works chiefly in the Irish language. A member of Aosdána, he is poet, playwright, haikuist, tankaist, essayist, and author/translator of over 180 books, mostly in Irish. Born in Kilfinane, County Limerick, he currently resides in Dublin.

Biography

Rosenstock's father George was a doctor and writer from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, who served as a medical officer with the Wehrmacht in World War II. His mother was a nurse from County Galway. Gabriel was the third of six children and the first born in Ireland. He was educated locally in Kilfinane, then in Mount Sackville, County Dublin.

He exhibited an early interest in anarchism and was expelled from Gormanston College (County Meath) and exiled to Rockwell College (County Tipperary). Later, he attended University College Cork.

His son, Tristan, is a member of the Irish traditional music quintet Téada, and impressionist/actor Mario Rosenstock is his nephew.

Work

Rosenstock worked for some time on the television series Anois is Arís on RTÉ, then on the weekly newspaper Anois. Until his retirement he worked with An Gúm, the publications branch of Foras na Gaeilge, the North-South body which promotes the Irish language.

Although he has worked in prose, drama and translation, Rosenstock is primarily known as a poet. He has written or translated over 180 books.

He has edited and contributed to books of haiku in Irish, English, Scots and Japanese. He is a prolific translator into Irish of international poetry (among others Ko Un, Seamus Heaney, K. Satchidanandan, Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Iqbal, Hilde Domin, Peter Huchel), plays (Beckett, Frisch, Yeats) and songs (Bob Dylan, Kate Bush, The Pogues, Leonard Cohen, Bob Marley, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell). He also has singable Irish translations of Lieder and other art songs.

He appears in the anthology Best European Fiction 2012, edited by Aleksandar Hemon, with a preface by Nicole Krauss (Dalkey Archive Press).^[1] He gave the keynote address to Haiku Canada in 2015.

His being named as Lineage Holder of Celtic Buddhism inspired the latest title in a rich output of haiku collections: Antlered Stag of Dawn (Onslaught Press, Oxford, 2015), haiku in Irish and English with translations into Japanese and Scots Lallans.

Gabriel has worked with American photographer Ron Rosenstock, Indian Photographer Debiprasad Mukherjee, Greek photographer Kon Markogiannis, Dublin photographer Jason Symes, French photographer Jean-Pierre Favreau and many more to create the new guise of a photo-haiku (or a haiga) - the interplay of visual aesthetic and literature.

He also writes for children, in prose and verse. Haiku Más É Do Thoil É! (An Gúm) won the Children's Books Judges' Special Prize in 2015.

Gabriel trans created Thirukkural first time in Irish Language on 2023. During the launch, happily honoured the Thiruvalluvar by kissing his feet with this saying

Awards and honours

• Member of Aosdána (Irish academy of arts & letters)
• Lineage Holder of Celtic Buddhism
• Former Chairman Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann
• Corresponding Member Hellenic Authors' Society
• Member of the Board of Advisors to Poetry India
• Tamgha-I-Khidmat medal (Pakistan) for services to literature.
• Honorary Life Member Irish Translators and Interpreters Association
• He taught haiku at the Schule für Dichtung (Poetry Academy), Vienna, and at the Hyderabad Literary Festival.
• 2023 recipient of the Annual Children’s Books Ireland Award for his outstanding contribution to children’s books.

List of selected works

Poetry in Irish and Bilingual editions

• Susanne sa seomra folctha. Clódhanna 1973
• Méaram. An Clóchomhar 1981
• Om. An Clóchomhar 1983
• Nihil Obstat. Coiscéim, 1984
• Migmars. Ababúna, 1985
• Rún na gCaisleán. Taibhse, 1986
• Oráistí. Rogha dánta agus dánta nua. Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1991
• Ní mian léi an fhilíocht níos mó. Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1993
• Rogha Rosenstock. Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1994
• Syójó. Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2001
• Eachtraí Krishnamurphy. Coiscéim, 2003
• Forgotten Whispers / Cogair dhearúdta. 2003. (Haiku with photography by John Minihan)
• Krishnamurphy Ambaist Coiscéim, 2004
• Rogha Dánta/ Selected Poems, translated by Paddy Bushe: CIC, 2005
• Bliain an Bhandé/ Year of the Goddess. Dedalus Press 2007
• Margadh na Míol in Valparaíso/ The Flea Market in Valparaíso (new and selected poems) CIC 2014
• Cuach ó Aois Eile ag Glaoch. Coiscéim, 2014
• Sasquatch. Arlen House, 2014
• Chogyam Trungpa: One Hundred Haiku (Japanese Edition), with English and Japanese translations. Amazon Kindle edition, 2014
• EVERY NIGHT I SEND YOU FLOWERS, Tanka in response to the art of Odilon Redon, bilingual. Cross-Cultural Communications, New York (ebook) 2020
• The Road to Corrymore / Bóthar an Choire Mhóir, Ekphrastic tanka in Irish and English. Cross-Cultural Communications, New York (ebook) 2021
• Mo Shaol Mar Scannán / My Life As A Film, a book length poem in praise of the movies
• Drops of Water, haiku in English, Irish and Scots, free ebook [1] 2023

Criticism and essays

• Ólann mo mhiúil as an nGainséis (My mule drinks from the Ganges). Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2003 ISBN 1-902420-78-0, ISBN 978-1-902420-78-3
• Éist leis an gCruinne. Evertype, 2014, ISBN 978-1-78201-085-2
• A Doorstopper Anthology: Bone and Marrow. The poet's forensic examination of Bone and Marrow: An Anthology of Irish Poetry. In Academia.edu, an online repository of academic articles

Poetry in English

• Cold Moon: The Erotic Haiku of Gabriel Rosenstock, 1993
• Portrait of the Artist as an Abominable Snowman. Selected Poems, translated from the Irish by Michael Hartnett, and New Poems, translated by Jason Sommer, Forest Books, 1989
• Forgotten Whispers, 2003, with John Minihan. Haiku
• Hymn to the Earth. The Silverstrand Press, 2004. (Poems and photography by Ron Rosenstock)
• Uttering Her Name (poems to the goddess Dar Óma) 2010 Salmon Poetry ISBN 978-1907056192
• The Invisible Light 2012 (Poems and photography by Ron Rosenstock)
• Where Light Begins (haiku selection) Original Writing Ltd, Dublin, 2012
• I Met a Man from Artikelly: Verse for the young and young at heart. Evertype, 2013, ISBN 978-1-78201-032-6
• The Naked Octopus: Erotic haiku in English with Japanese translations. Evertype, 2013, ISBN 978-1-78201-048-7
• Fluttering their way into my head: An exploration of Haiku for young people. Evertype, 2013, ISBN 978-1-78201-088-3
• Duet of Waterfalls with Tatsuo Murata Japan Universal Poets Association 2015

Novel in Irish

• Lacertidae. (Novella) Coiscéim, 1994

Children's books

Rosenstock has written many books of poetry suitable for children. Here is a link to a small sample of them:

• Free Kids Books [2]

Translations

• March hare, 1994. Short stories from the Irish language author Pádraic Breathnach
• Full Moon: Ré Lán, Cló Ceardlann na gCnoc, 2010, Limited bilingual edition, Irish language translation of English haiku from the Nepalese haiku poet Janak Sapkota
• Whisper of Pines: Cogar na nGiúiseanna, Original Writing 2012. Irish language translations of English haiku from the Nepalese haiku poet Janak Sapkota
• The Moon over Tagoto (contribution to a new multi-lingual version of that classic of world literature by haiku master Buson) Beehive Publishers, 2015
• An Thirukkural as Gaeilge, 2023, ISBN 978-1782013136 (Trans created the Thirukkural). Released on 10th October 2023 at Trinity College, Dublin.
  • Published by Evertype Publications - Michael Everson
  • Key Speakers on the Book launch
    • Mr D.MURUGARAJ (Raj), First Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission, Indian Embassy,Dublin
    • Dr. Eoin Mac Cárthaigh - Irish Linguistic Department Head Trinity College,Dublin
    • Michael Cronin - Irish Translator
    • Dr.(Major) S.Somasundaram @ Manali Soman

Books in English

• The Wasp in the Mug: Unforgettable Irish Proverbs. Mercier Press, 1993
• Haiku Enlightenment (essay) Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2005
• Haiku, the Gentle Art of Disappearing Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2005
• The Pleasantries of Krishnamurphy Non-Duality Press, 2011
• My Head is Missing 2012 (Detective novel)^[2]
• The Partisan and other stories. Evertype, 2014, ISBN 978-1-78201-057-9
• CHE: Haiku Glimpse K, with Tatsuo Murata, Mariko Sumikura Japan Universal Poets Association

DVD

• The Light Within (poetry, photography and soundscape, with Ron Rosenstock and Eugene Skeef)

Recorded Media

• Video readings in the Irish Poetry Reading Archive, UCD Digital Library, University College Dublin
• Haiku as Gaeilge^[3]

Textbooks

• Beginner's Irish, Hippocrene Books, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-7818-0784-0 and ISBN 0-7818-1099-X

References

External links

General links

• Gabriel Rosentock at Aosdána
• Poems of Gabriel Rosenstock in German translation (Poetenladen).
• Rogha Gabriel, Blog
• The LiederNet Archive -Lieder and art song translations
• Review of Where Light Begins: Haiku Rimas Uzgiris in Haiku Society of America
• Review of Margadh na Míol in Valparaíso: the Flea Market in Valparaíso: new and selected poems in Books Ireland Magazine
• Review of Emptiness: photographs with haiku in English, Irish & Japanese Philip Gross in Long Exposure Magazine
• Gabriel Rosenstock recites Uaireanta is Fear Bréige Mé (Sometimes I'm a Scarecrow). With fellow-INNTI poet, Michael Davitt, 1988 (in Irish).
• Thomas Goggin reviews Haiku Enlightenment in Academia
• Review of Walk with Gandhi in The Wire.
• Review of Walk with Gandhi in Culture Matters
• 4 tanka in Modern Literature online magazine (English language)
• My Head Is Missing: A Kerry Detective Story audiobook
• Préacháin Chill Fhíonáin / The Crows of Kilfinane A bilingual rensaku (haiku sequence)
• A varied collection of articles and poetry by Gabriel Rosenstock (login required, but registration is free)

Free books

• EVERY NIGHT I SEND YOU FLOWERS Tanka in response to the art of Odilon Redon. (ebook)
• The Road to Corrymore / Bóthar an Choire Mhóir Ekphrastic tanka in Irish and English. (ebook)
• Rising Flame of Love Tanka in Irish and English with vintage Indian matchboxes. (ebook)
• Broken Angels / Aingil Bhriste Bilingual ekphrastic tanka – poems of love, longing and emptiness – in response to artwork by various hands. (ebook)
• Outskirts of the Mind / Ciumhais na hAigne Bilingual tanka, in Irish and English, in response to artwork by various hands. Mystic poems of love, longing and emptiness in 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. (ebook)
• Secrets of Secrets / Rún na Rún Bilingual tanka, in Irish and English, in response to artwork by various hands. Mystic poems of love, longing and emptiness in 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. (ebook)
• Brightening of Days Tanka in Irish, English and Croatian, in response to artwork by the Croatian painter Alfred Freddy Krupa. (ebook)
• The Lantern/An Lóchrann Tanka in Irish and English, in response to artwork by various hands. (ebook)
• Don Quijote in the Land of Shadows/Don Cíochótae i dTír na Scáileanna Haiku and senryū in Irish, English, Scots, Japanese, inspired by artwork. (ebook)
• A Scent of Loneliness Haiku and senryū in Irish, English, Scots, Japanese, inspired by artwork. (ebook)
• A Sweater for the Tayfel Haiku in Irish and English, a celebration of the art of Issachar Ber Ryback. (ebook - click image, then title)
• Where Light Begins free online haiku book, English language, 2012
• Ants are Rejoicing free online book of tanka in Irish and English, to artwork by Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal, 2022
• The Selborne Haibun after Gilbert White's classic The Natural History of Selborne; free online haibun in Irish and English, 2022
• Léighleat A website created in 2022 containing a vast treasurehouse of kids' stories and poems in Irish, collected over a number of years.