Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin’s Legend of the Walled-up Wife, from the Romanian of Ileana Mălăncioiu, is a haunting exploration of sacrifice, silence, and the unseen suffering that underpins human relationships. Through a sophisticated interplay of myth and personal narrative, the poem revives the ancient motif of the walled-up wife—an archetype of both punishment and protection—illuminating the complex dynamics of gender, power, and endurance. Ní Chuilleanáin’s language is both lyrical and precise, weaving a tapestry of historical resonance and emotional depth that invites readers to confront the intersections between history and personal memory, the visible and the concealed. This work stands as a profound meditation on the costs of survival and the shadows cast by history on contemporary identity.
Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin’s Legend of the Walled-up Wife, from the Romanian of Ileana Mălăncioiu, is a haunting exploration of sacrifice, silence, and the unseen suffering that underpins human relationships. Through a sophisticated interplay of myth and personal narrative, the poem revives the ancient motif of the walled-up wife—an archetype of both punishment and protection—illuminating the complex dynamics of gender, power, and endurance. Ní Chuilleanáin’s language is both lyrical and precise, weaving a tapestry of historical resonance and emotional depth that invites readers to confront the intersections between history and personal memory, the visible and the concealed. This work stands as a profound meditation on the costs of survival and the shadows cast by history on contemporary identity.
The Gallery Press, 2011
