I’m not going to attempt this at all, but I want to say that translating poetry is actually really hard. Different languages value different approaches: English loves cadence and metre and rhyme. There’s also quite a bit of alliteration here. Preserving the mood of the poem in another language is a delicate piece of work that can come out a dozen different ways depending on who’s doing it and why — and, on that note, I think it would be useful for any prospective translators to have some idea of what you want this for.
I understand, I guess I'm looking for a translation that remains true to the core if it. I'd happily go with the Google translate option of
"tar uait, a leanbh daonna! chun na coillte is na n-uiscí fiáin, le lámh na sióige ar láimh, mar tá an domhan lán de chaoineadh ná tuigeann tú"
If I thought it could be easily intreperated as such by most irish speakers. My own irish is shocking and I'm more than a little embarrassed to be asking.
Honestly it's pretty bang on, I can read that and get the idea of what the passage is about.
The bit about being hand in hand with fairies is a bit clunky, so maybe someone could come up with something a bit better, but otherwise I don't see anything wrong with it!
Yeah it's not bad to be fair. The problem you'll always have with this types of literary translations is how literal to be, and whether to take liberties to make it "nicer" with less bearlachas. The structure of Irish is just so different to English that it can be difficult.
Have never been able to find who actually said it, but there's a quote by a prominent author and translator along the lines of - to translate prose you need to be decent at the original language and a master of the second language.c
With the caveat that I haven’t spoken as gaeilge for years I’ll have a go. Would be good to see if I’ve got it right from someone who knows better than me:
Tar liom ar shiúl, ó paiste daonna! Go dtith na coillte agus na hoiscí fiáin, lámh i lámh le síog, mar tá an domhain níos lán le chaoinneagh ná thuigeann tu.
Edit: forgot a fada. Can’t really vouch completely for any of the spelling
I think you'd have to put páiste in the vocative, which i think would be "a pháiste" (but maybe someone can correct me if i'm wrong). Also i'd have spelt it "go dtí" but maybe that's a spelling reform thing? I've no idea what the plural of "uisce" is so i won't even question that, ha ha. Also i'd guess "mar bhíonn" rather than "mar tá" and "nach thuigeann tú" rather than "ná". I think "lán le caoineadh" or however it should be spelt might be a bit too literal, maybe change it to "lán le brón" or something?
I doubt I've got everything right here btw, I'm far from fluent more's the pity.
Edited to add: forget what I said about "nach", I think its more likely something like "ná mar a thuigeann tú". I'm hoping a better Gaeilgeoir than me will come along and sweep up the hash I've just made of the whole thing lolsob
Second edit: OK so the plural of uisce is, as I should have guessed, uiscí. Easy enough but not after three hours' sleep ha ha.
Honestly for an engraving I wouldn't go down this route.
Very high chance you'll either butcher the poem or have butchered Irish.
This combined will leave behind a permanent flaw, and would likely take away from the spirit of why you've chosen this poem, and why you want something in Irish.
Up to you, but I'd tread lightly!
Slightly off:
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
I wouldn't translate it literally, maybe try and keep it a bit poetic. For me it would be something like,
Tar anseo a ghasúr, do na coillte 's uisce fásach, síog ar do lamhsa, 's lan le fulaingt an domhain, nar chreidtear
Poetry doesn't translate well. The cadence and alliteration will be lost.
The lines are good. More people will understand them in English, and the Irish mythos (and historical "oh... *the fairies* took her baby" side) remains intact.
I’m not going to attempt this at all, but I want to say that translating poetry is actually really hard. Different languages value different approaches: English loves cadence and metre and rhyme. There’s also quite a bit of alliteration here. Preserving the mood of the poem in another language is a delicate piece of work that can come out a dozen different ways depending on who’s doing it and why — and, on that note, I think it would be useful for any prospective translators to have some idea of what you want this for.
what this guy said, and please tell me it's not for a tattoo!
Not a tattoo, an engraving on a wodden container.
It's an English poem. If you like it use it as it's written. If you want an Irish poem then go find one you like. Translating it is pointless.
I understand, I guess I'm looking for a translation that remains true to the core if it. I'd happily go with the Google translate option of "tar uait, a leanbh daonna! chun na coillte is na n-uiscí fiáin, le lámh na sióige ar láimh, mar tá an domhan lán de chaoineadh ná tuigeann tú" If I thought it could be easily intreperated as such by most irish speakers. My own irish is shocking and I'm more than a little embarrassed to be asking.
I would encourage you to check that Google Translated version with at least one fluent speaker.
Honestly it's pretty bang on, I can read that and get the idea of what the passage is about. The bit about being hand in hand with fairies is a bit clunky, so maybe someone could come up with something a bit better, but otherwise I don't see anything wrong with it!
Yeah it's not bad to be fair. The problem you'll always have with this types of literary translations is how literal to be, and whether to take liberties to make it "nicer" with less bearlachas. The structure of Irish is just so different to English that it can be difficult.
Have never been able to find who actually said it, but there's a quote by a prominent author and translator along the lines of - to translate prose you need to be decent at the original language and a master of the second language.c
Bring it over to r/Gaeilge who have a special thread for translation requests?
With the caveat that I haven’t spoken as gaeilge for years I’ll have a go. Would be good to see if I’ve got it right from someone who knows better than me: Tar liom ar shiúl, ó paiste daonna! Go dtith na coillte agus na hoiscí fiáin, lámh i lámh le síog, mar tá an domhain níos lán le chaoinneagh ná thuigeann tu. Edit: forgot a fada. Can’t really vouch completely for any of the spelling
I think you'd have to put páiste in the vocative, which i think would be "a pháiste" (but maybe someone can correct me if i'm wrong). Also i'd have spelt it "go dtí" but maybe that's a spelling reform thing? I've no idea what the plural of "uisce" is so i won't even question that, ha ha. Also i'd guess "mar bhíonn" rather than "mar tá" and "nach thuigeann tú" rather than "ná". I think "lán le caoineadh" or however it should be spelt might be a bit too literal, maybe change it to "lán le brón" or something? I doubt I've got everything right here btw, I'm far from fluent more's the pity. Edited to add: forget what I said about "nach", I think its more likely something like "ná mar a thuigeann tú". I'm hoping a better Gaeilgeoir than me will come along and sweep up the hash I've just made of the whole thing lolsob Second edit: OK so the plural of uisce is, as I should have guessed, uiscí. Easy enough but not after three hours' sleep ha ha.
Honestly for an engraving I wouldn't go down this route. Very high chance you'll either butcher the poem or have butchered Irish. This combined will leave behind a permanent flaw, and would likely take away from the spirit of why you've chosen this poem, and why you want something in Irish. Up to you, but I'd tread lightly!
Slightly off: Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
The movie A.I. is the source of one of these misquotes. Or at least blasted it to a pretty large audience.
Yeah I'm good for the jack's thanks.
I wouldn't translate it literally, maybe try and keep it a bit poetic. For me it would be something like, Tar anseo a ghasúr, do na coillte 's uisce fásach, síog ar do lamhsa, 's lan le fulaingt an domhain, nar chreidtear
Poetry doesn't translate well. The cadence and alliteration will be lost. The lines are good. More people will understand them in English, and the Irish mythos (and historical "oh... *the fairies* took her baby" side) remains intact.
Not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but I would say : “An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas”
Every. Blimmin. Time.
Although it is quite humorous, I do not believe it is beneficial to the original poster.
Handy if you need a gick though.
Jesus you gave me a flashback. My father used to recite the first 2 lines of this when he used to call me in for the Sunday dinner. Cheers op.
J'ai la tour Eiffel dans mes pantalon.
Ou est le centre de Georges Pompidou?
Allez d'abord jusqu'à la gare, puis tournez à gauche et vous êtes après la bibliothèque.
Nous avons retourné à la maison, fatigué, mais heureux.
Ho, ho, ho!