Yep, the fledgling novelist needs a few more words translated, pretty, pretty, please!

oracle
talisman
stars
travel

...and one phrase - "Go with the son" or something close. It is meant as a way of saying, God be with you.

Again, as always, my most heartfelt thanks!

Violet

oracle = oracal, aitheascal
stars = réaltaí
travel = do you mean travel the noun or travel the verb?

God be with you = Dia leat (you singular) Dia libh (you plural) (there is no formal or informal you in Irish like French tu/vous...just straight plural and singular)

if anybody out there feels they've got better suggestions feel free to correct me :o)

Antaine

Antaine...

For travel - how about both?

And talisman?

Violet
if you want idiomatic translations, you are going to have to give us a little more context.
I dislike translating single words because there isn't a 1 to 1 relationship between English and Irish. (And as Seosamh will tell you, I'm an engineer, and pedantic about these things)

On travel:
journey = aistear
to travel = taisteal

I don't know a term for talisman or oracle off hand, I'll look it up

But on oracle, I'd really like to know the context
- do you mean a place i.e. the Oracle at Delphi? Or the prophecy which an oracle gave?

"Go with the son" - I'd turn this on it's head and say
"Go raibh an Mac leat ar do thuras" - May the Son be with your in your journey (turas being an alternative to aistear)

or

"Téigh in ainm an Mhic" go in the Son's name.

or

"Go dté tú in ainm an Mhic" - may you go in the Son's name

Aonghus....

Okay, context:

A brief synopsis of this part of the tale....an oracle has just revealed itself to our hero and it speaks ONLY in Gaelig. He speaks both, although his language is mainly English because, well...that's MY language. :-) Anyway, when he repeats what the oracle says, he mixes Gaelig and English - though I've been careful to ONLY mix where it makes sense. Understand? Like I'll use the Gaelig word for 'child' when the character says "You are but a child." and so on. I'm trying, desperately, to remain true to the language. Hence, my persistence.

At this point - talisman is the most important word I need translated. Talisman as a noun.

I do appreciate your patience and your help!

Violet

Oracle:
Tuar (prophecy)
As a noun the word above are ok.
If you are talking about a person/entity I suggest fáidh - prophet.

Talisman:
Some suggestions
Ortha - but this can also mean a spoken charm
Buachloch - a stone of virtue/special properties
Briocht - an amulet

Addendum: I'm not sure I agree with interspersing Irish words in an English passage. There is always a danger in using an existing language in the way you are - the words may not fit! I assume that is why people like Tolkein went and invented their own.

Aonghus...

My agent thought the same, but I convinced her otherwise by letting her read some of the manuscript. "Okay, okay...but be careful" was the admonishment.

If I need an entire passage, I'll ask for the whole thing and then I won't change a bit of it. I realize the pitfalls. Trust me, been doing this a while.

You are most kind and generous to help. If this book is published, I promise to mention this website in the acknowledgements. :-)

Violet

I agree with your agent.
You will (hopefully) have readers - some of whom will know some Irish, some of whom will be proficient. There is a danger that small errors in the Irish will distract people from your novel!
Also, if you are writing about the early middles ages, Modern Irish as I speak it would be an anachronism anyway.

I'm always torn between providing good Irish translations for people and the concern that I may be contributing to Irish being viewed as quaint and soulful, but not really a modern language.

Aonghus...

My book is written in the future, with the heroine as a time traveller. The plot is rather complex, but involves an America of the future - some 500 years hence. So you see, some poetic license is allowed. After all, who knows what the future holds?

May I ask you for passages of dialogue, between characters, translated from time to time? Nothing big, don't want to lose my English readers. :-)

Thanks again!

Violet

Violet, a chara,

Just a suggestion ... there are some excellent dual language books available. I'm thinking in particular of "Short stories of Pádraic Pearse" - selected and edited by Desmond Maguire. It's available from Mercier Press in Dublin.

The beauty of that type of book is that it allows the reader to see the effect of the language on a double page - English on one side and Irish on the other. You don't have to be able to speak Irish in order to see how the language is used.

As I said, it's just a thought...

Le meas,
Larry.

Thank you, Larry! I will see if I can locate one here, across the pond. :-)

Violet wrote
>>May I ask you for passages of dialogue, between characters, translated from time to time?

Fine by me

Thank you, Aonghus!!

Thank you, Aonghus!!

Question on a statement above...
Isn't the plural of Dia Dhuit, Dia Dhiabh, not Dia Libh??

When addressing more than one person, you would use diaobh which can be literally translated as "to you(plural)" - libh can be translated as "with you(plural)".

As a formal greeting, Dia daoibh would be more correct.

Le meas,
Larry.

Dia Dhuit is a greeting which could be translated as "I wish God to be with you".
The plural would be "Dia dhaoibh"
What Antaine was translating was "God (go) with you"
which would be "Dia Leat" pl. Dia libh.

Hello again....

Now I'm working on the second book of this series, and I need a single word translated. At least that's all I need today. :-)

meteor


Thank you!

Violet

I found two words
Dreige
réalta reatha (lit. a moving/running star)

Hope they fit the context

Heres another nice one
caor tintrí - a lightening berry!

I use "caor thine" for the noun, and "caorthineach" for the adjective...

Le meas,
Larry.