Irish Translation Forum

Antóin wrote:I hate to be a spoilsport (once again?) but -

"Go n-éirí an bóthar leat"

DOES NOT mean

"May the road rise to meet you"

That is the most infamous mistranslation of Irish to English.

It may be quaint but it's not correct.

doesn't it mean "may the road arise with you"?

páidín wrote:

Antóin wrote:I hate to be a spoilsport (once again?) but -

"Go n-éirí an bóthar leat"

DOES NOT mean

"May the road rise to meet you"

That is the most infamous mistranslation of Irish to English.

It may be quaint but it's not correct.

doesn't it mean "may the road arise with you"?

Only if you slept with it the night before.

No 'fraid not it means

May you have a sucessful journey - lit may the road succeed with you.

Although considering the older sense of the English verb 'to rise' ie to succeed then it may once have been a correct translation!

Funny how these things tend to come full circle!

well I’m not expert but I thought that "Go" takes the dependent form of irregular verbs and "éirí" was the verbal noun of "éirigh" which means rise. Then we all know "bóthar" means road and "leat" is "with you” so isn't it roughly “May the road rise” with you. As stated before by páidín

Fitheach, the verb "éirigh" has more than one meaning! The meaning that is relevant in this context is "succeed".

It's an idiom.

The basic meaning is "rise."

If something "rises with you," it is successful, you succeed.

Idioms just don't translate well into other languages...especially if one attempts to translate them literally. You have to look at what is MEANT and not just at what is said.

Redwolf

Hi,
I found two a little bit different version of this blessing, could someone please tell me whats the difference between these two...?

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat.
Go raibh an chóir ghaoithe i gcónaí leat.
Go dtaitní an ghrian go bog bláth ar do chlár éadain,
go gcuire an bháisteach go bog mín ar do ghoirt.
Agus go gcasfar le chéile sinn arís,
go gcoinní Dia i mbosa a láimhe thú.


Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú

Thank You!

Very little difference . . . there are just some different choices of wording, but as far as I can tell, they're synonyms. The meaning is the same.

David

i wanted to work this phrase into a tattoo... i''ve got a nautical star design that i want to get, and i was wondering if anybody had any suggestions about the best translation to use also, does anybody know anywhere i can find some good script to put it in? thanks much in advance