On wanting the internet in Gaelic and being daunted by the thought of translating it myself

[glinda]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece on being a non-native minority speaker online which I thought might be of interest to other people learning other minority languages. (Also I keep hoping if I post/comment about Gaelic in enough places I'll eventually find more people who speak the language).

Otherwise, have a poem by Rody Gorman (an Irishman writing in Scots Gaelic) with English translation by the author that speaks of the problems and difficulties of translation.

Lorg Eile

Air ais cuide ri càch anns a' chlachan,
Chadh mi gan lorg anns a h-uile bad
Mar gum b'ann air falach-fead.

Chuir mi ceist air an fheadhainn
A bh' ann o chionn fhada. 'S e thuirt iad:
Ghabh iad an t'sligh' ud!

Another ThighCrutchWomanOffspringTraceConsequence

back with the rest in the goggle-eyestonechurchyardtesticlevillage, I went
to tracelook for them in every flockbushspot like a whistlehidenseek.

i asked them that were there in it a longtimeback and they said they
singburnholdwent that journeyway!

Comments

[birke]

Thanks for posting that essay; it was an interesting insight into what it might be like for a Scottish person to try to learn Gaelic.

Doesn't look like you've found anyone else, sadly! I used a Teach Yourself book to pick up some Gaelic when I was thirteen and living in the US, but that was entirely self-motivated and my efforts died off fast without anyone to practice with. Funnily enough, though, I also had the sense that it felt right in my mouth. Not as if I was meant to speak it, but as if the vowels and consonants had some sensuous weight to them.

[dhobikikutti]

Thanks for the link and poem!