Gaelic tattoo question

[Arrowyn]

Thanks! I wish I knew how to pronounce ghraidh. It looks cool, though.

[neloon]

Thanks! I wish I knew how to pronounce ghraidh. It looks cool, though.

The initial "gh" has no English equivalent - it's like a softened "g". A bit like the "ch" sound which is all breath but with some throat sound too. The rest is just "rye". Of course, he can call you "mo ghraidh" also.
P.S. Just consulted my linguist wife who agrees it's hard to explain without phonetic symbols. I should have left you with "leannan"!!

[Arrowyn]

LOL. ghraidh just looks nice, but it will be embarrassing when I can't pronounce it. I guess my husband and I will have to think about this one a bit before we decide.

[neloon]

The look in the eyes will probably say much more than the tattoo or the spoken word. Anyway, bless you both.

[Arrowyn]

Awww..... Thanks.

[Arrowyn]

Another question. How would one say, Be thou my Vision, in Scottish Gaelic? My friend, who has a couple of tattoos advised not to go with a ring tattoo as they tend to wear off after a few years. We are toying around with some different ideas. Since I love anything historic, we're thinking about a design that looks like something out of the Book of Kells. With mo leannan and be thou my vision somehow incorporated into it.

[neloon]

Arrowyn,
How about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Thou...ic_Translation
The Scots Gaelic version seems to have gone through Sabhal Mòr Ostaig = The University of the Highlands and Islands (on Skye) so it should be good.

[Katia]

Another question. How would one say, Be thou my Vision, in Scottish Gaelic? My friend, who has a couple of tattoos advised not to go with a ring tattoo as they tend to wear off after a few years. We are toying around with some different ideas. Since I love anything historic, we're thinking about a design that looks like something out of the Book of Kells. With mo leannan and be thou my vision somehow incorporated into it.

I would tend to agree with that. I believe I've heard hand and finger tattoos tend to blur a lot anyway, and it would be difficult to have an intricate design that small and have it still look nice after a few years. (I had to modify a couple of wrist tattoos I wanted after my artist pointed out to me that you can only go so small without it blurring into nothing decades down the road.)


You may also check out the Carmina Gadelica for some other lovely prayers and songs.
This one is my favorite of those I've read:

God, bless to me this day,
God, bless to me this night ;
Bless, O bless. Thou God of grace,
Each day and hour of my life ;
Bless, O bless. Thou God of grace.
Each day and hour of my life.

God, bless the pathway on which I go,
God, bless the earth that is beneath my sole ;
Bless, O God, and give to me Thy love,
O God of gods, bless my rest and my repose ;
Bless, O God, and give to me Thy love,
And bless, O God of gods, my repose.


(If I can ever find it in Gaelic, I'll set it to music.)