Hello,

I'm actress and writer and I just finished my 9th screenplay in which I have a few sentences in Gaelic. It's very hard to find people able to translate that for me, so if someone could help me; I'd be very grateful though!

In case it's possible, here are the sentences:

• ... And there is a time to blame.
• Eithne,I got everything you requested.
• Thank you, Muirín!
• Ocean of life, ancient sea. I am giving Sibéal's disease to thee. Take it away from her and the land with your power to turn the mountains to sand.
• Ocean of life, ancient sea. I am giving Sibéal's disease to thee; take it for it is my will!
• Aleister! You scared me!
• Where were you? I've been waiting so long.
• Close your eyes and don't cheat!
• Hey! Don't ready my thoughts.
• I'm sorry. I won't do this. I promise.
• Yes! It's a yes!
• Life is not fair, my love.

Thank you very very much!

XOXO

If you want it to be accurate, it would help to know where the character speaking each sentence/line is from. For example, your line "Thank You, Muirin!" could be rendered:

Go raibh maith agat, a Mhuirín!

or

Go raibh ma'ad, a Mhuirín!

Depending upon the dialect spoken.

Also, there is no word for "Yes" in Irish. In order to render the line "Yes. It's a yes!" We would need to know what the "Yes" is all about.

I'm still a student of this language and would probably ruin any attempt at a translation for most of your requests. But, I've been lurking about on this site long enough to know that these types of requests are never as straightforward as they seem.

Wait for some input....it'll come...and then hold on for the ensuing discussions.

I agree with James. I shied away from translating these phrases because I wasn't sure what several of them meant.

Also, I'm going to be away for the next few weeks, so I wouln't be able to follow up.

I suggest that you will get better results if you give a few lines around each.

BTW, some of your given names are odd
(Muirín = compost, perhpas you meant Muireann?)
(Aleister - maybe Alastar = Alexander?)

Another thing to consider is that Irish (like most languages other than English) has both a singular and plural "you", so we can't translate a phrase like "Where were you?" without knowing if one person is being addressed or more than one. There are many other details like this--cases where Irish has distinctions that English lacks--which is why context is so important when it comes to getting proper translations.

It looks like you're striving for something of an archaic flavour with your English, so unless you have a very definite geographical location in mind, conservative Munster might be the best choice. It would be closest to the earlier literary language and, thus, have a similar slightly-stilted feel for Irish-speakers.

Thank you very much to all for your answers... So it's a bit like in french, with the singular and plural you...

So, there are more details about the sentences. That part of the screenplay takes place in the late 13th century.

And here are the explanations for the sentences:

• ... And there is a time to blame. (that part is said after someone else said in English the sentence "There is a time to forgive and so the Irish woman says the sentence above after)

• Eithne,I got everything you requested. (don't think it need more explanation, does it?)

• Thank you, Muirín!

• Ocean of life, ancient sea. I am giving Sibéal's disease to thee. Take it away from her and the land with your power to turn the mountains to sand. (that is a kind of spell...)

• Ocean of life, ancient sea. I am giving Sibéal's disease to thee; take it for it is my will!

• Aleister! You scared me!

• Where were you? I've been waiting so long. (the where were you is said by the guy Aleister to the woman Eithne)

• Close your eyes and don't cheat! (same than above, Aleister talks to Eithne)

• Hey! Don't ready my thoughts. (same than above)

• I'm sorry. I won't do this. I promise. (Eithne says that she won't read in his thoughts)

• Yes! It's a yes! (that is Eithne's answer after Aleister asked her to marry her)

• Life is not fair, my love.


-----------

About the names, I found them on a website with Gaelic names... But thank you for the corrections!

Hope it will help you a bit more to understand what I meant.


Anyway, thank you very very much!

Ohhhh..now we're in the 13th Century...that throws a whole 'nother twist on it!! Now we're talking about Old Irish versus Modern Irish.

Dennis...I think this is in your arena, is it not?

Since the English portions are in archaicising Modern English rather than Middle English, I figure archaicising Modern Irish should be suitable for the Irish bits. (Perhaps Middle or Old Irish would be more suitable for the spell text?)

To that end, I was looking for a copy of the 17th-century translation of the Bible into Irish (more or less the analogue to the KJV) for a grip on how to translate "and there is a time to blame", but I can't find any digitised versions out there.

quote:

but I can't find any digitised versions out there

Here's a searchable Biobla Naomhtha
http://books.google.de/books?id=GEJbAAAAQAAJ&dq=biobla+naomhtha&printsec=frontco ver&source=bl&ots=lPS8Y2KKRC&sig=BKmU_0Tb34P6m3JW3kC3H_sTIvE&hl=de&ei=_M5LSvKBK8 KK-QaziN3eBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7

Lars

Go raibh maith agat, a Lairs. Interestingly, the word corresponding to "time" in the passage I was thinking of is not am but aimsir, e.g. "Aimsior [sic] chum beirthe, agus aimsir d'fhagháil bháis; aimsir do phlanndughadh agus aimsir chum an neithe do plannduigheadh do tharruing súas."

So given that, how about "agus aimsir do chuireadh lochta"?

nó Aimsir chum lochtaithe - bheadh tusa in ann é sin a litriú go caoi

Thanks to all for trying to help me me!

You know, of course it's the late 13th century, but it doesn't matter about the irish speaking (it will be corrected later if needed). So even "normal" irish would be perfect in a first time for I need to send that screenplay to the office of Copyrights...

Once again, thanks to all!

Eithne, I got everything you requested
A Eithne, fuair mé gach ar iarr tú

Thank you Muirín
Go raibh maith agat, a Mhuirín


Ocean of life, ancient sea
Bóchna beatha, muir ársa

I am giving Sibéal's disease to you
Cuirim ort galar Shibéail

Take it, for it is my will
Tóg é, sin é mo thoil

Take it away from her and the land
Tóg uaithi agus ón talamh é

With your power to turn mountains to sand
le do chumhacht gaineamh a dhéanamh de sléibhte

Aleister, you scared me
A Aleisteir, bhain tú geit asam

Where were you. I was waiting so long
Cá raibh tú? Táim ag fanacht le fada

Hey, don't be ready my thoughts
[Do you mean reading? I assume so, because of the next one]
Ná bí ag léamh mo smaointe

I'm sorry. I won't do this. I promise.
Tá brón orm. Ní dheánfaidh mé. Geallaim.

Yes, it's a yes.
[This won't work in Irish. So I'm giving you Ï'll marry you. I'll certainly marry you]
Pósfaidh. Pósfaidh cinnte.

Life is not fair, my love.
Níl an saol cóir, a ghrá.

---

Wait for proofreaders.

Ohhh, thank you sooo much!

Yes, actuallt I meant "dont READ my thoughts"... don't know why I wrote ready, hehe...

And so, for the sentence that looks abit like another one "• Ocean of life, ancient sea. I am giving Sibéal's disease to thee; take it for it is my will!" how can I translate the end that says "Take it for it is my will!" ???

Once again, thank you so so much, that helps me alot!

XOXO

And also, the sentence "... and there is a time to blame" would you translate it like this : Agus sin atá am is ciontaí." ?

For "and a time to blame", you have two possibilities above: Aonghus' "agus aimsir chum lochtaithe" and my "agus aimsir do chuireadh lochta". I think his flows better.

I translated "For it is my will" above.

Thank you for your help to all! I'm really grateful!

Thank you, thank you!