Deeper Meaning
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Deeper Meaning
I'm reading a book called Songs of Gaelic Scotland and the song lyrics are given in Gaelic and English. The English tr*nsl*t**n of the following verse has the footnote at the end of the final line: 'I can only hope you understand the wealth of meaning behind this succinct untranslatable line'. Here is the verse in question:
A dh'aindeoin 's na thriall mise,
deas agus tuath,
chaoidh chan iarr mi
à baile mo luaidh;
's ann ann tha mo rùn-sa
a' gabhail gach là,
's tha làrach a ceum
far na dh'èirich i 'n-àird.
The English tr*nsl*t**n is given as follows:
Despite all the travelling I've done,
south and north,
I never again want
to leave my beloved village;
for it's there that my sweetheart
passes each day,
and her foot-prints are there
in the place where she grew up.
^ I have looked up the individual words but can't get past the literal meaning. Is there a euphemism or double meaning here? I'm assuming there's some sort of innuendo but I can't figure it out and am wondering what sorts of subtle Gaelic wordplay is going on here.
A dh'aindeoin 's na thriall mise,
deas agus tuath,
chaoidh chan iarr mi
à baile mo luaidh;
's ann ann tha mo rùn-sa
a' gabhail gach là,
's tha làrach a ceum
far na dh'èirich i 'n-àird.
The English tr*nsl*t**n is given as follows:
Despite all the travelling I've done,
south and north,
I never again want
to leave my beloved village;
for it's there that my sweetheart
passes each day,
and her foot-prints are there
in the place where she grew up.
^ I have looked up the individual words but can't get past the literal meaning. Is there a euphemism or double meaning here? I'm assuming there's some sort of innuendo but I can't figure it out and am wondering what sorts of subtle Gaelic wordplay is going on here.
Tha avatar agam à dhealbh aig mo phiuthar anns an Cellardyke. Tha trì videothan Ghàidhlig agam anns an Youtube.
My avatar is from a photo that my sister took in Cellardyke. I have three Gaelic videos on Youtube.
My avatar is from a photo that my sister took in Cellardyke. I have three Gaelic videos on Youtube.
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- Rianaire
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Deeper Meaning
Chan fhaic mise ciall rùin a bharrachd.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
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- Rianaire
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Deeper Meaning
I guess the tr*nsl*t*r thought that some of the flavour was lost - it's literally "where she rose up"
Oileanach chànan chuthachail
Na dealbhan agam
Na dealbhan agam
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Deeper Meaning
Yeah, maybe that's what she meant. She says in the notes on the song, "There is something in the words of this simple little song - the way they are put together, and the things that are left unsaid - which makes it one of the most precious examples of its genre. If this 'something' doesn't come across in the English tr*nsl*t**n then I can only say 'keep up the Gaelic lessons!'" She's not normally so cryptic. (The author is Anne Lorne Gillies.)
Tha avatar agam à dhealbh aig mo phiuthar anns an Cellardyke. Tha trì videothan Ghàidhlig agam anns an Youtube.
My avatar is from a photo that my sister took in Cellardyke. I have three Gaelic videos on Youtube.
My avatar is from a photo that my sister took in Cellardyke. I have three Gaelic videos on Youtube.
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- Rianaire
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Deeper Meaning
There's multiple senses and uses of éirich in Dwelly that all seem apt for the metaphor. Dawn -- visual imagery of brightness, general romantic allusions. Happen -- love happens to you, the author didn't chose to fall for her. Getting up means waking, and awakenings are always strong images, and meeting that special someone feels like an awakening. Finally, you've got èirich as an encouragement, eg to sing -- well the author certainly draws his encouragement from her, and as well as leading him home, she leads him to sing.
You'll notice that éirich has no literal sense of growing up, maturing, aging or growing -- the line is pure metaphor.
You'll notice that éirich has no literal sense of growing up, maturing, aging or growing -- the line is pure metaphor.
Deeper Meaning
Tha mi ag aontachadh le Niall. Mineachadh math!
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- Rianaire
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Deeper Meaning
Bah, shmoetry. Chan eil ann ach geama thomhaisean san dorchadas
Do, or do not. There is no try.
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
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- Rianaire
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Deeper Meaning
Nan robh thu air Deutsch a dhèanamh aig an sgoil sa Ghearmailt, 's dòcha gum biodh tu a' dol le akerbeltz ged a tha thu uabhasach measail air a' bhàrdachd fhèin. Cha chan mi guth air dè cho pianail is neo-shaidheansail a dh'fhaodas sgrùdadh litreachais a bhith sna sgoiltean. Bu lugha ormsa e.
If you had been doing Deutsch in a German school, maybe you'd agree with akerbeltz although you love the poetry itself to bits. I won't say how painful and unscientific literary analysis can be at the schools. I hated it.
Bha mo chuid Gearmailtis sgrìobhte cha mhòr foirfe ach 's gann gun d'fhuair mi comharra na b' fhearr na D+ air sàilleabh a' chuspair.
My written German was almost flawless but I had a hard time getting a mark above D+ because of the subject matter.
If you had been doing Deutsch in a German school, maybe you'd agree with akerbeltz although you love the poetry itself to bits. I won't say how painful and unscientific literary analysis can be at the schools. I hated it.
Bha mo chuid Gearmailtis sgrìobhte cha mhòr foirfe ach 's gann gun d'fhuair mi comharra na b' fhearr na D+ air sàilleabh a' chuspair.
My written German was almost flawless but I had a hard time getting a mark above D+ because of the subject matter.
Oileanach chànan chuthachail
Na dealbhan agam
Na dealbhan agam
-
- Posts: 232
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 3:13 pm
- Language Level: Intermediate
- Corrections: Please correct my grammar
- Location: Dùn Èidinn (às na SAA)
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Deeper Meaning
Tapadh leat!Níall Beag wrote: There's multiple senses and uses of éirich in Dwelly that all seem apt for the metaphor. Dawn -- visual imagery of brightness, general romantic allusions. Happen -- love happens to you, the author didn't chose to fall for her. Getting up means waking, and awakenings are always strong images, and meeting that special someone feels like an awakening. Finally, you've got èirich as an encouragement, eg to sing -- well the author certainly draws his encouragement from her, and as well as leading him home, she leads him to sing.
You'll notice that éirich has no literal sense of growing up, maturing, aging or growing -- the line is pure metaphor.
Tha avatar agam à dhealbh aig mo phiuthar anns an Cellardyke. Tha trì videothan Ghàidhlig agam anns an Youtube.
My avatar is from a photo that my sister took in Cellardyke. I have three Gaelic videos on Youtube.
My avatar is from a photo that my sister took in Cellardyke. I have three Gaelic videos on Youtube.