Hello everyone,

I am a linguistics student from Canada, and this semester I am comparing Old Irish with Modern Irish using the historical comparative method. The text I am working with is "Rop Tu Mo Baile". Now, I have found the text in its entirety in the Old Irish and I already have a fairly literal English translation (i.e. not versified, not changed to rhyme). Now I am looking for the another translation into modern Irish. The only translations I have been able to find are incomplete (two of sixteen verses) and are versified (they do not translate the same content so as to preserve the poetic meter and rhyme).

Can anybody help me? I have the literal English version and the Old Irish, which I will post here. Would someone be able to translate the English back into Irish as literally and natural as possible (in other words, make it sound like normal Irish, but do not try to preserve rhyme)?

Thanks!

ENGLISH:

1. "Be (you) my vision, beloved Lord; none other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.

2. Be (you) my meditation by day and night; may it be you that I behold forever in my sleep.

3. Be (you) my speech, be (you) my understanding; be (you) for me; may I be yours.

4. Be (you) my father; may I be your son. May you be mine; may I be yours.

5. Be (you) my battle-shield, be (you) my sword; be (you) my honour, be (you) my delight.

6. Be (you) my shelter, be (you) my stronghold; may you raise me up to the company of the angels.

7. Be (you) every good to my body and soul; be (you) my kingdom in heaven and earth.

8. Be (you) alone my heart's special love; let there be none other except the High-king of heaven.

9. Before going into thy hands, my sustenance, my sleep, through greatness of love for you.

(8-9, alternate translation: "Be (you) alone my heart's special love; let there be no other, oh High-king of heaven, until (I am) passing into your hands, my sustenance, my sleep, through the greatness of your love.")

10. Be (you) alone my wonderful portion: I seek not men nor lifeless wealth.

11. To see you alone, my I despise all time, all life, as a stinking corpse.

12. Your love in my soul and in my heart-- grant this to me, O King of the seven heavens.

13. Grant this to me, oh King of the seven heavens, your love in my soul and in my heart.

14. To the king of all may I come after prized practice of devotion; may I be in the kingdom of heaven in the brightness of the sun.

15. Beloved father, hear my lamentation: this miserable wretch (alas!) thinks it is time.

16. Beloved Christ, what ever befalls me, oh ruler of all, be (you) my vision."

OLD IRISH:

1. Rop tú mo baile,
a Choimdiu cride:
ní ní nech aile
acht Rí secht nime.

2. Rop tú mo scrútain
i l-ló 's i n-aidche;
rop tú ad-chëar
im chotlud caidche.

3. Rop tú mo labra,
rop tú mo thuicsiu;
rop tussu dam-sa,
rob misse duit-siu.

4. Rop tussu m'athair,
rob mé do mac-su;
rop tussu lem-sa,
rob misse lat-su.

5. Rop tú mo chathscíath,
rop tú mo chlaideb;
rop tussu m'ordan,
rop tussu m'airer.

6. Rop tú mo dítiu,
rop tú mo daingen;
rop tú nom-thocba
i n-áentaid n-aingel.

7. Rop tú cech maithius
dom churp, dom anmain;
rop tú mo flaithius
i n-nim 's i talmain.

8. Rop tussu t' áenur
sainserc mo chride;
ní rop nech aile
acht Airdrí nime.

9. Co talla forum,
ré n-dul it láma,
mo chuit, mo chotlud,
ar méit do gráda.

10. Rop tussu t' áenur
m' urrann úais amra:
ní chuinngim daíne
ná maíne marba.

11. Rop amlaid dínsiur
cech sel, cech sáegul,
mar marb oc brénad,
ar t' fégad t' áenur.

12. Do serc im anmain,
do grád im chride,
tabair dam amlaid,
a Rí secht nime.

13.Tabair dam amlaid,
a Rí secht nime,
do serc im anmain,
do grád im chride.

14.Go Ríg na n-uile
rís íar m-búaid léire;
ro béo i flaith nime
i n-gile gréine

15. A Athair inmain,
cluinte mo núall-sa:
mithig (mo-núarán!)
lasin trúagán trúag-sa.

16. A Chríst mo chride,
cip ed dom-aire,
a Flaith na n-uile,
rop tú mo baile.

Just wanted to clarify the translation of one verse:

Another possible translation of of verses 8 and 9 is:
"Be (you) alone my heart's special love; let there be no other, oh High-king of heaven, until (I am) passing into your hands, my sustenance, my sleep, through the greatness of your love."

Hi, jsmolders.

That's an interesting project and I am sure some one will be along to help shortly.

What we did find at the old forum, however, was that people are often daunted by large tracts, and you may get a better response if you break the piece up into smaller logical units such as verses or sentences and then number them so that people can keep track of which particular bits are being discussed in any one post. Matching the numbering for both the English and the Irish would be helpful.

For instance, you mention verses 8 and 9, but I am having trouble working out which ones these are offhand though I am guessing a verse is four lines of text (?). Perhaps a line break between verses would make it easier to count. Since you can't edit your own posts yet, I've taken the liberty of doing that myself, please let me know if the breaks are acceptable.

4. Appears to be missing from the English.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thanks for the advice Foghlaimeoir! You were right, verse four was missing. Here's the updated data:

ENGLISH:

1. "Be (you) my vision, beloved Lord; none other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.

...

4. Be (you) my father; may I be your son. May you be mine; may I be yours.

...

8. Be (you) alone my heart's special love; let there be none other except the High-king of heaven.

9. Before going into thy hands, my sustenance, my sleep, through greatness of love for you.

(8-9, alternate translation: "Be (you) alone my heart's special love; let there be no other, oh High-king of heaven, until (I am) passing into your hands, my sustenance, my sleep, through the greatness of your love.")

10. Be (you) alone my wonderful portion: I seek not men nor lifeless wealth.

...

p.s. Would you be able to edit my original post to reflect the data and formatting in my revised post? Thanks so much!

I've incorporated your changes into the original at the top (in blue) and taken out some unchanged portions from the later corrected version to save a little space.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thanks again,

And sorry for calling you Foghlaimeoir earlier... I mistook that for your name on the forums. I only just realized that it is Irish for "learner".

So, thanks Breandán!

JSmolders

No problem. You aren't the first person to make that mistake - it happened often at the old site - but you are the first one to do it here.

Once people get past the "trial period", everyone here is a "learner", because no matter how good you get, there is always something more you can learn.

At this rate you'll be out of the trial period yourself very soon and on the path.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

A side discussion on ranks has been split off into a new topic and moved here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=212

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

*This post used to contain abhorrent content from google translate*
*All offensive material has now been removed by the guilty party*