Hi everybody,

could anyone please translate the following saying to irish gaelic for me:

Learn living from (the) dying.

I want to use it for my new tattoo project. If there already existis a similar saying its very welcome.

Thanks in advance

Dia duit a chara,

An chéad rud a thigeann isteach i mo chloigeann ná:

The first thing that comes to mind for me is:

tagann tuiscint an tsaoil leis an bhás

Or a more Ulster form (of the verb) that I prefer:

tig tuiscint an tsaoil leis an bhás

Another Ulster form of the verb:

tigeann tuiscint an tsaoil leis an bhás

You could probably also say it without the article but I like it less:

Tagann tuiscint saoil leis an bhás

These more or less mean: an understanding of life comes with death, which was my interpretation of the original phrase in English, but you might prefer something more literal.

Fan go bhfeicfidh tú cupla freagra eile!

Wait for a few other answers!

Le gach deá-mhéin,

AnB

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Ultach mé agus Gaeilg Uladh a labhraim go measardha maith!

Or for something more imperative (like the original in English):

Bain tuiscint an tsaoil as an bhás

or

Bain as an bhás tuiscint an tsaoil

which literally mean: 'take an understanding of life from death' and 'take from death an understanding of life'.

Slán,

AnB

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Ultach mé agus Gaeilg Uladh a labhraim go measardha maith!

Dear AnBraonach,

thanks for your answers so far and a lot.

Let's wait what other answer.

by the way I love your first interpretation but the second gets closer for me.

What I want to express is my personel benefit from 2 months visiting a very good friend in hospital and later in hospice every day.
It was a hard and sad time und finally he died. But nevertheless it was a very intensive / strong time. We kept laughing a lot. We got to know a couple of people one can really rely on. Every day "problems" got so small they hardly exist anymore or at least were no more real problems. There were things and circumstances you had no influenece on but you learned to cope with.
It was a time you got focused on what really matters ... and that's what I want to keep in mind.

For that reason perhaps the more literally version matches my purposes better.

I am curious on other interpretations :-)

Thanks a lot again for your ideas.

Just a note that leis an bhás and as an bhás are very Ulster in themselves.

(@AnB - We usually mark dialect offerings on the forum with (GU), (GC), or (GM), or let people know we have a preference by stating so in our signatures. )

Other dialects (and standard (CO)) use leis an mbás and as an mbás.

Both ways are correct of course, as long as the usage is consistent for the dialect.


I like this line of attack but I think tuiscint ar an saol might be more idiomatic for "an understanding of life".

So, perhaps:

Bain tuiscint ar an saol as an mbás. (CO)

Bain tiscint ar an saol as an mbás. (GC)

Bain tuiscint ar an saol as an bhás. (GU) (Perhaps Lughaidh might correct this one for Ulster dialect, or offer something else instead?) Corrected by Lughaidh below.

Await further input ...

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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).

Ceart go leor!


I would put ar an tsaol here...

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Ultach mé agus Gaeilg Uladh a labhraim go measardha maith!

I like that.



But i wonder if Caillean means we learn from the dying (person) rather than death. Or do we need to make that distinction?

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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It may depend on the dialect, but usually only _feminine_ nouns starting with an s get a t in Connemara.

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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).

If I keep the same sentence pattern it would give this in Ulster Irish:

Bain tuigbheáil ar an tsaol as an bhás.

In Ulster, in the dative singular, all words that begin with s+vowel, sn, sr, sl have a prefixed t-, it's much simpler than in the other dialects

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne