I have been looking for a new tattoo to honor my boys (Billy and Brayden) and already have the "Celtic mother's knot" so was looking for a quote this time. There's a great quote by Sophocles (supposedly!) that says "Sons are the anchors of a mother's life." I'd love to get that translated. My family tree branches to County Cork, so I'd assume I'm looking for the Munster version of Irish. My poor boys are stuck with a German last name, so I'm trying to keep the Irish strong haha!http://irishlearner.awyr.com/phpBB3/posting.php?mode=post&f=28&sid=6a7c61fcac017e1745d9c39bf152aee1#

Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm assuming this from google translate is incorrect, based on your reviews of their services: "Tá Sons na anchors de máthar saol"

Thanks again! posting.php?mode=post&f=28&sid=6a7c61fcac017e1745d9c39bf152aee1#

~Kelly

Hi Kelly welcome to the forum!

Yeah that google trashlate version is shockingly shite, utter rubbish!

'Siad na mic na hanchairí de shaol na máthar "Sons are the anchors of a mother's life"

wait for further input

Cian

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Notice the google trash left 2 words in English not to mention the utter nonsense it had for Irish. The one you got here looks good but wait for more opinions

A slightly shorter version as it's for a tattoo,

Na mic an t-ancaire i mbeatha na máthar.
Sons are the anchor in a mother's life.

I think saol and beatha could be interchanged here, I just like the alliteration with mic...mbeatha...máthar.

I would like to further suggest, to complete the alliteration,
Na mic na maidí móra i mbeatha na máthar.
Sons are the main beams(supports) of a mother's life.
or shortened to,
Na mic na maidí i mbeatha na máthar

Anyway wait and see if the grammar's good, or there are (more likely) better suggestions.

Unfortunately this doesn't make grammatical sense, your missing the copula "Is iad". Essentially the translation means:

The sons the anchor in the life of the mother

your missing the "are".

I don't think beatha makes sense here, though wait on further instruction as I cannot explain why exactly. Beatha refers to the state of life eg. dead or alive. Whereas saol is more "personal".

Although, the preposition "i" fits better here than "de", I think. My mind must have been influenced by the Google translate version.

'Siad na mic na hanchairí i saol na máthar

Sons are the anchors in the mother's life

The meaning is clearer here in the Irish version.

or

Seasann na mic dos na hanchairí i saol na máthar

await further input

Cian

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

OK I'm still a newbie and I don't want to step on toes here, but dropping the copula is done all the time in seanfhocail.

An fear óg an fear (The young man (is) the man) - is one that springs to mind.

The use of beatha or saol is dependent on what exactly you want the English word to mean, existence or duration...although it's not that clearcut!

beatha an duine - human life (human existence?)
beatha mhanachúil - monastic life (existence as a monk)
saol manachúil - monastic life (period being a monastic?)
saol an óganach - adolescent life (period being an adolescent)
As you see, it could go either way, it was only for the (f)uaim that I chose beatha over saol, in fact I think perhaps scéal could be a contender here as well, but then the alliteration is out the fuinneog..

But I like that Seasann na mic… maybe drop the "na" …Seasann mic...? I don't know….

Perhaps also Seasann/Tá mic mar…. or Seasann/Tá mic ina… ????

@mom22bees, Take everything I say with a pinch of salt, like Tequila. I am not saying that my suggestions are better than AC's, and I am definitely not saying that his suggestions are wrong, he is much more confident in his Irish than I am. I am offering alternatives for consideration, and some of my suggestions may indeed be grammatically incorrect. There is no one "perfect" way to translate a sentiment from English to Irish.

Believe me your not stepping on my toes, I enjoy being proved wrong or corrected, that way I learn something new, so step away as much as you like . It can be difficult to convey tone properly in writing, something may seem like an attack or dictatorial when its not !

I have never heard of that seanfhocal, so thanks for that . Still though I think Na mic an t-anchaire doesn't makes a whole lot of sense, especially for something so abstract. But let's wait for more to weigh in with their thoughts.



Yeah I see what you mean alright, I think we should weight for others I would be interested to hear what they have to say.



That works as well

Seasann mic dos na hanchairí i saol na máthar



Yep another possibility.

Tá na mic ina n-anchairí i saol na máthar

or for a more Munster flavour

Táid na mic ina n-anchairí i saoghal (pre-reformed dialectal spelling of saol (standardised Irish) na máthar

Cian

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Fan go fóill, a chara.

sons=subject
anchors=predicate
word order= copula predicate subject

If it is a copula of identification (definite) - the sons are the anchors in the mother's life:
'siad na hancaireacha i saoghal na máthar iad na mic

if (more likely) copula of classification: sons (or the sons) are anchors in mother's (mothers') life (lives):
ancaireacha i saoghal na máthar (nó na máithreacha) is ea iad na mic

or as a tá/bíonn+i+noun:
bíd na mic 'n-a n-ancaireachaibh i saoghal na máithreacha
bíd na mic 'n-a n-ancaireachaibh do sna máithreachaibh i gcaitheamh a saoghal
is minic a bhíd na mic 'n-a n-ancaireachaibh dá máithreachaibh i gcaitheamh a saoghal

is mar ancair 'n-a saoghal a bhíonn mac le cúlaibh a mháthar.

is é rud clann mhac ná ancaireacha i saoghal a máithreacha!

dá dhílse é a mac is ea is suaimheasaighe a bheidh an mháthair!

is ea --->> recte is eadh (a thiarcais! cad 'n-a thaobh go bhfuilim ag leogaint do'n chaighdéan dul fé'm chuid Gaedhilge?)