Hi all

I'm looking for a translation of the inspiration for my soul for a tattoo idea I have (it's a line from my wedding vows). I'm interesting in standard Irish, old spelling, and Scots Gaelic if possible.

Having a nose around, I think it's along the vein of an inspioráid do mo anam for standard, and brosnachadh do m'anam for Scots, but I'm don't know anything about the correct grammar/tense/etc. If it helps, my wife's the "inspiration" so I guess it should be feminine?

Thanks
Rory

I think an inspioráid do mo anam could work if you contracted mo anam into m'anam, i.e., an inspioráid do m'anam.

Another possibility might be an tinfeadh do m'anam. tinfeadh is an older word for "inspiration".

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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).

If tinfeadh is "drawing in of breath", would spreagtha be better as incitement or encouragement (in the genitive form)?

i.e. an spreagtha do m'anam

Strangely enough, two traditional Irish words for "inspiration" in the sense of "influence", anáil and tinfeadh, both involve breath (as does the Latin). Tinfeadh also refers to "divine inspiration", not just the act of drawing breath.

However, spreagadh might be a better option, as you say, but in the nominative rather than the genitive:

an spreagadh do m'anam

_________________
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).