Irish Translation Forum

How about:

Bánfaidh na lonta dubha sula bpósann an bhean neamhthoilteanach.
The blackbirds will whiten before the unwilling woman will marry.

Cheers

GrainneBhaoil wrote:How about:

Bánfaidh na lonta dubha sula bpósann an bhean neamhthoilteanach.
The blackbirds will whiten before the unwilling woman will marry.

Cheers

I like the idea of using "bánaigh" as a verb - but wouldn't it be bánóidh (and sula bpósfaidh) ?

Here's another effort for variety:

Bánóidh na lonta dubha sula rachaidh bean i gcleamhnas in éadan a cos.

Which would translate as something like:

The blackbirds will whiten before a woman enters into marriage with an unwilling step.

Ummm... bánú is already used as a verb with the meaning of "depopulate", so you can't really use it here, it would mean "blackbirds will be extinct".

Talamh bán - unpopulated land

There's a Latin phrase for that too, which I hope somebody will know,

terra.....?

Ailill wrote:Ummm... bánú is already used as a verb with the meaning of "depopulate", so you can't really use it here, it would mean "blackbirds will be extinct".

Talamh bán - unpopulated land

Ailill, a chara

You are indeed correct that bánú can be used in the sense of depopulation/making extinct - but it is also used to mean "whiten" so I think it is acceptable...........after all "bánú an lae" doesn't exactly mean "the extinction of the day"

Merryploughbhoy wrote:- but it is also used to mean "whiten" so I think it is acceptable...........after all "bánú an lae" doesn't exactly mean "the extinction of the day"

I hadn't though of that, you're right. I still would prefer not to use it for fear of ambiguity.

for your translation efforts. I'll include each version in my zine. (If any of you wants a copy do let me know and I'll be happy to mail you one when it's all printed up.) I'm taking my first trip to Ireland in another month -- maybe I'll corner some schoolchildren while I'm there and ask them for their take on it, too.

Thanks again,
Katie

Ailill wrote:I hadn't though of that, you're right. I still would prefer not to use it for fear of ambiguity.

Argh you did that yesterday because of the "socair" word - so what if it sounds the same?

Conor wrote:
Argh you did that yesterday because of the "socair" word - so what if it sounds the same?

No, that's a completely different thing.

I was talking about the dual meaning of bánú - whitening and depopulation.