Tha a' seinn bh' Èirinn / A song from Ireland

[EowynAnduin]

Bha ann an mo ceann seo dh ùine. A bheil ceart seo?
This has been in my head for a bit. Is this right?

O Brìghde cluinn m' ùrnaighean
O' Bride hear my prayers

Beòthaich, mo solas
Light my light

Beòthaich, mo bheatha
Light my life

Tapadh Leibh

Kim

[Seonaidh]

Who's Bride? Seriously, I did once know an Irish woman called - we never saw it spelt - Breda: presumably it was Bríde. And yes, in Gaelic this would be Brìghde as in MacGilleBrìghde and so on.

Would the light bit not be "Beòthaich mo sholas"? Literally, "Enliven my light", of course.

As for stating that something is of Irish provenance, it's more usual to use "à" than "(bh)o", so "A sonf from reland" would usually be "Òran à Èirinn". If you wanted to use "(bh)o" for some reason, you could always miss out (or, indeed, NOT miss out) the bit in brackets (bh), but not really the "o". What usually happens, with place-names, is that it tends to become "a" and, indeed, behave in the same way as the "a" than come from "do" or "dha". This means that "from Ireland" would be "a dh'Èirinn" - identical with "to Ireland" or "for Ireland" and deducible (if there is such a word) from the context.

Not that I imagine you're greatly fascinated with this, but "Èirinn" was originally the prepositional (dative) case of Ireland - just as you still sometimes see the dative/prepositional case of "Scotland" (Albainn): you'll be familiar with the subject case (Alba) and the genitive (Alban), no doubt, though even the genitive's now rare (Banca na h-Alba rather than Banca na h-Alban). The old subject case of Ireland is probably remarkably similar to the modern Irish for it - Éire - though ir may have been Eriu.

[Níall Beag]

Bha ann an mo ceann seo dh ùine. A bheil ceart seo?
This has been in my head for a bit. Is this right?

O Brìghde cluinn m' ùrnaighean
O' Bride hear my prayers

Beòthaich, mo solas
Light my light

Beòthaich, mo bheatha
Light my life

Tapadh Leibh

Kim

It's unlikely that you would give an order in a prayer.

If you look at the Latin originals of many modern Christian prayers, what looks like a command in Modern English is actually a wish or request (in the "subjunctive", if you're familiar with the term). The traditional Gaelic structure is to use a "gu/gun/gum" clause.

You may have seen "gura math a thèid leat" -- that it be good/well that goes with you.

Consider that the English "Have a good night"/"enjoy your night" isn't a command, but a shortened form of "I hope that you have a good night/enjoy your night." In Gaelic, the full form is "Tha mi 'n dòchas gun còrd an oidhche riut" and the short form is "Gun còrd an oidhche riut" -- "Enjoy the night"

[Níall Beag]

Lighting a flame uses the verb "las". I've heard "las suas" -- I don't know if that's a traditional form or an anglicism.

[akerbeltz]

It's unlikely that you would give an order in a prayer.

I beg to differ ... thoir dhuinn ar n-aran?

[poor_mouse]

I think that though "Gun còrd an oidhche riut" is a wish and not a command, but there may be both wishes and direct entreaty in prayer, i.e. subjunctive and imperative.

[Níall Beag]

Oops. Indeed, looking at the French version of the Pater Noster, there's several imperatives in there...

[GunChleoc]

à Èirinn = from Ireland

a dh'Èirinn = to Ireland

[poor_mouse]

Oops. Indeed, looking at the French version of the Pater Noster, there's several imperatives in there...

Tha an aon rud san Ruisis

[CairistionaNicD]

A Sheònaidh,

Brìde was a goddess figure in Irish mythology, the daughter of the Dagda and one of the Tuatha de Danann. She's the same as Brigid (that's what Wikipedia has her listed under) or Bridget.

[EowynAnduin]

To quickly give some contextual information I will write in English

While in Ireland last year we spent time with the Bridgetine Nuns. They taught us a few of their songs/chants. This is one of them. We we're celebrating Bridget at the time of La Feile Bride.

As noted by CairistionaNicD she is seen as such. There are many "stories/tales/myths/legends" surrounding "Brigid/Bride/Brighde/Bridget/Mary of the Gaels" as there are ways to spell her name.

The song has come up again as I am preparing to visit. There are many sites Brigid visited in Scotland. Some of them I have on my plans. Hense my curiosity with how to sing the song in Gaidhlig

[Edit]

A bit more.

The song is soft. It is an 'asking' to light life/light. Like a kindling or spark.

[EowynAnduin]

Mòran Taing na h-uile.
Thank you Everyone

Òran à Èirinn - Tapadh leat Seonaidh

Nìall Beag you have the feel for it. That is what I was attempting to convey. Tapadh leat


I am going to review it all again on Monday and see what I can come up with. I have issues, with myself, attempting to do this (edit/answer/rework) too quickly while heading out the door. Word order, and feeling are not to be rushed. A bit more studying is in order Let's see what I can do

Kim

[jjb362]

My own thought about the bit at the start, where you are expressing that this has been in your head for a bit and asking if it is correct, would be to say

Tha seo air a bhith 'nam cheann car ùine. Am bheil seo ceart?

If you use bha, it implies to me that it was in your head and has now gone - the use of tha and air show that it has been and still is. Also, remember that mo lenites, and car ùine or car greis is Gaelic for "for a while". Also seo, is the subject of your question, so it has to come immediately after the verb.

Seumas

[Seonaidh]

A Sheònaidh,
Brìde was a goddess figure in Irish mythology, the daughter of the Dagda and one of the Tuatha de Danann. She's the same as Brigid (that's what Wikipedia has her listed under) or Bridget.

Aidh, ken. Did I not quote the surname MacGilleBrìghde (son of the servant of Brìghde)? I have actually read the Book of Invasions (Lebor Gabála Érenn - Leabhar Gabhalaichean na h-Èireann). I was being a bit facetious - maybe thinking "bean-bainnse"...

[Níall Beag]

My own thought about the bit at the start, where you are expressing that this has been in your head for a bit and asking if it is correct, would be to say

Tha seo air a bhith 'nam cheann car ùine. Am bheil seo ceart?

If you use bha, it implies to me that it was in your head and has now gone - the use of tha and air show that it has been and still is. Also, remember that mo lenites, and car ùine or car greis is Gaelic for "for a while". Also seo, is the subject of your question, so it has to come immediately after the verb.

Seumas

In fact, I believe you could even just use the present, as most of Europe does. Using "air a bhith" is a recent borrowing from English.
Tha seo nam cheann bho chionn ùine. or le ùine