Hi! I am getting a tribute tattoo for my cat Althea who passed away a year ago. She was named after the song "Althea" and so I am getting the first line of the song tattooed in Irish Gaelic in a typewriter font (I am a writer and slightly obsessed with typewriters). I would very much appreciate any help in getting the phrase translated correctly. The phrase I need translated is "I told Althea I was feeling lost, lacking in some direction". I may only get the phrase up to "feeling lost" tattooed and not the rest because of space, but am hoping the whole phrase will fit. I have an Irish-English dictionary and had pieced it together, though I am sure it isn't correct. Thank you so much for your help translators!

I welcome to the forum,

Dúirt mé le hAlthea go mbraithim/ mothaím caillte[/b]

I told Althea that I feel lost

Braithim/ mothaím caillte

I feel lost


What was your attempt by the way?

Cian.

Wait for further input

Edited to standardise the spelling of Dúairt/ Dubhairt (GM) to Dúirt (CO).

Edited to fix font.

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

That's pretty much what I was going to suggest. Is Dúairt a dialectal spelling? Dúirt is the standard and the one with which I'm familiar.

Oops, I was trying to think what the standard spelling was. Dubhairt is how I usually spell it and I thought that I standardised it by dropping the "bh", I knew "dúairt" didn't look right.

Cian

I'll fix it.

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

Ah that makes sense

That is weird. I was thinking of a line out of that very song for a tattoo also:

"There are things you can replace, and others you cannot"

followed by the names of me sons.

Sorry for your loss. Hang tight and wait for the consensus. The people here are dedicated to making sure you don't get the wrong thing inked.

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Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.

Thank you so much for your replies, it is much appriciated. So is there a consensus on "Dúirt mé le hAlthea go mothaím caillte" for the translation? I am hoping to have this done on April 17th which will be the one year anniversary of her passing. Thanks again everyone!!!

Also that is a great idea! glad someone out there has heard the song I am quoting.

I think Althea (i.e., croppyboy's cat) is caillte "lost, dead" but croppyboy is feeling "lost" as in "confused, without direction".

Some alternatives:

airím/mothaím/braithim: "I feel:"

amú "lost, astray"
ar seachrán "lost, astray"
ar strae "lost, astray"

ar fán agus ar fuaidreamh "wandering like a lost soul"

in easpa treorach "lacking in (some) direction"

Perhaps:

Dúirt mé le hAlthea go n-airím amú, in easpa treorach
"I told Althea I was feeling lost, lacking in some direction"

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).

Dúirt mé le hAlthea go n-airím amú, in easpa treorach
"I told Althea I was feeling lost, lacking in some direction"

Ok that seems closer to the meaning... anybody else agree?