Not for a Tattoo, just interested.

If you were to translate the hymn, how would you go about it? Mainly I'm interested in the Title Line, "Nearer my God to Thee", but if somebody wants to translate the whole thing, be my guest

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I'm not in a position to offer a translation - not one that you could trust anyway! I have heard that hymn lots of times and have never thought about it, but when I read your post, I felt very unsure about what it means in English. For someone to make a correct translation, that's a fairly basic requirement and I don't fulfil even that! What does that line actually mean?

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See that's just it isn't it ... the English version allows us to choose ... physically, spiritually, emotionally, all of the above. My personal idea of it is that one's suffering and ultimately death brings one into closer communion with God - and not to get too philosophical about it - but I'd love to hear that expressed neatly in Irish.

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I think the idea of closeness is broad enough in Irish that the same ambiguity carries over if just directly translated:

Níos gaire duitse, a Dhia

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

Thanks for this, a chara.

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Níos gaire leatsa, a Dhia.

Does that sound better than duitse?

Hmmm … not to my ears, no.

As is often the case with these prepositional combinations, it doesn’t sound wrong to me, either … but I’d use do instinctively. FGB also has examples with do.

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

Yes, do is what I'd use. You might be thinking of in aice le.

And Cúnnla's girlfriend in the song says:

A Chúnnla, a chroí, ná teara níos goire dhom!† (GC) "Cúnnla, dear, don't come any nearer to me."


†CO = A Chúnnla, a chroí, ná tar níos gaire dom!

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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).

I was thinking leatsa because I was told that le is used instead of do when referring to God.

Buíochas do Sheán, ach buíochas le Dia is the example I was given.

I doubt if it's a strict rule, and I'm not even sure if it fits with the translation we were discussing.



Completely off topic, but this song helped to get me interested in the Irish language. I sang the Dubliners version (English lyrics) at a fleadh cheoil a few years ago, and some musicians from Connemara gave me some stick about not singing it in Irish. But then one of them sat down with me and taught me the original lyrics. First bit of Irish I ever learned outside of school.