Can someone please translate the following for me? I would really appreciate it!

When you come to the edge of all that you know,
You must believe in one of two things.
There will be earth upon which to stand,
or you will be given wings.

Go raibh maith agat!

Nuair a shroicheann tú imeall gach arbh eol duit,
Ní mór duit ceann de dhá rud a chreidiúint
Go mbeidh talamh ann le seasamh air
nó go mbronnfar sciatháin chun eitilte ort.

I've been specific since sciathán could mean either limb or wing.

Go raibh maith agat! That's fabulous! I'm thinking of using it in a class I'm teaching. We've developed a psychological first aid class, (to teach community responders how to help folks after a disaster) and one of the modules addresses cultural issues. Specifically, what it is like for people to go in and apply for aid, and not be able to read the forms, but not be able to get assistance until they agree to sign the form. I'm thinking of using this quote (and it's translation) to demonstrate this point. I'm wondering if anyone will recognize the language as Irish. :-)

Cool! Be sure to let us know if you use it in class. I'd be interested to see the reaction of your students

I teach a Spanish course for healthcare workers and I use a very similar tactic. I come into class and immediately start writing a brief introduction on the board. Of course, I'm writing it in Irish...then, I introduce myself and ask two or three of the class members what their names are...again, as gaeilge.

The look of dumbfounded confusion is priceless!! But, it helps me illustrate how confusing it is to be spoken to in a language you don't understand, to see instructions in a language you don't understand....ah..if only my Irish were as good as my Spanish!

I find it strange that in Irish:

cos
sciathán
lámh

are so generic. How in Irish would you say:

The man suffered a broken leg
The child was born with one foot
One of my hands is bigger than the other
One of my arms is stronger than the other
A bat's arms also serve as wings

?

While I'm on the topic... who here has ever given or been given directions in English? Ever notice how annoying the word "right" can be? "Do I take a left up ahead?", to which you reply "Yeah, that's right.".

Strange thing though is that you sort-of have the same thing in Irish, "deas" means right (though I have seen it translated as "not left", so perhaps it has emphasis, like mé Vs mise)

1. Briseadh leathchos an fhir.

2. Ar leathchois a rugadh an gasúr /
Tháinig an gasúr ar an saol ar leathchois /
Tá an gasúr ar leathchois ón mbroinn /
Rugadh an gasúr ar leathchois.

3. Is mó mo dheasóg ná mo chiotóg /
Is mó mo leathlámh ná a chéile.

4. Is láidre mo dheasóg ná mo chiotóg /
Is láidre mo leathlámh ná a chéile.

5. Is í lámh na hialtóige a heite /
Is í lámh an sciatháin leathair a heite /
Oibríonn lámh na hialtóige mar eite.

Aisteach go leor mar cheisteanna a Fhear na mBróg.

A Sheosaimh, sé an fáth ar fhiafraigh mé ná go n-úsáidtear na focail chéanna do chodanna difriúla an choirp! Sé atá á cheapadh agam ná go mbeadh débhríocht i láthair nuair a bhíonn daoine ag caint faoi "leg" nó "foot" nó "hand" nó "arm".
Samhlaigh go raibh do chlann ag feitheamh san fheithealann in ospidéal; siúlann an doctúir amach as an obrádlann... deir sé "níorbh fhéidir linn a chos a tharrtháil". Is mór an difríocht idir caill "leg" agus caill "foot"!

--
(an bhfuil séimhiú ag teastaíl ar "caill" thuas?)

An fhadhb chéanna ar bhealach ag fear na Fraince lena 'port' - doras/geata.
Bíonn a fhios agat féin le comhthéacs na cainte.

.. idir 'leg' a chailleadh agus 'foot' a chailleadh. Sin a bhfuil ann.

Ní raibh tú ag scríobh le tamaillín anuas ar údar éigin.

quote:

.. idir 'leg' a chailleadh agus 'foot' a chailleadh. Sin a bhfuil ann.

Déarfainn gur brí leis sin ná:

between losing a leg and losing a foot.

Ach maidir le: idir caill "leg" agus caill "foot", déarfainn gur brí leis sin ná:

between the loss of a leg and the loss of a foot

quote:

Ní raibh tú ag scríobh le tamaillín anuas ar údar éigin.

Is nuair a bhím i m'áit oibre go n-úsáidim an t-idirlíon don chuid is mó. Ní rabhas in obair thar an Nollaig agus tar éis sin tógaim tamall beag chun dul ar ais chuige!

between the loss of a leg and the loss of a foot -

Bíodh sé lom mar sin, mar atá thuas.

> Ever notice how annoying the word "right" can be? "Do I take a left up ahead?", to which you reply "Yeah, that's right."<

Yup:

"She's twenty too, right?"

"No, left! No, she just turned twenty. Yeah, turn left right here. I mean..."

and

"Is it at the right angle? I mean, the correct angle?"

yup...in english you have to reserve the word "right" for the direction, and use "correct" "yup" and "uh-huh" for affirmations, or take them a roundabout route using only left turns...

how did these people ever get to run an empire when they can't even give directions!

Tá focal eile ann i ngaeilge ar an gcuid deiridh den gcós - troigh!

troigh [ainmfhocal baininscneach den dara díochlaonadh]
an chuid den chos a leagtar ar an talamh; coiscéim; tomhas faid (12 orlach).

---

Feictear dhom, a FnaB, go bhfeiceann tú débhrí go minic nuair a bhíonn focal sa Ghaeilge a fhreagraíonn do dhá ciall sa Bhéarla. Go deimhin, feictear dhom uaireanta go mbíonn tú sa tóir ar a leithéid! Ach bíonn san ann idir teangacha go minic, agus is leor comhthéacs de ghnáth chun idirdhealú a dhéanamh.

An ceart agat a Aonghuis faoin 'troigh' sin, an ball colainne a d'fhág an tomhas agus cuid den charr/rothar again, an troitheán.

Ar an láimh (!) eile, d'iompair focail ar nós 'crúb' (lámh nó cos), 'glac' agus 'crobh' ciall scaití a bheadh ó dhuine anois is arís. Cathal Croibhdhearg Ó Conchobhair fágaim http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100014/text001.html.

Nasc ar an ábhar céanna:

http://www.clarsach.net/Irish_Terms/46.htm

I've been trying to practice saying the quote, but really want to make sure I am pronouncing the words correctly. Would someone please help me with the phonetic pronunciation so that I won't offend anyone who actually does speak Irish? Go raibh maith agat!

This is the quote Robin is taling about:

Nuair a shroicheann tú imeall gach arbh eol duit,
Ní mór duit ceann de dhá rud a chreidiúint
Go mbeidh talamh ann le seasamh air
nó go mbronnfar sciatháin chun eitilte ort.

I don't do pronunciation; hopefully someone else will.

Thanks for the clarification, Aonghus - I should have repeated the guote. Just my bad habit of assuming people know what I am talking about. :-)

A chara, a Unregistered Guest,

I enjoyed and benefitted from reading your pronunciation for the quote. Robin, in case you need it, here's a link to a website Jonas posted earlier:

http://www.paulmeier.com/ipa/charts.html