Hey there guys and girls,

I'm new to this forum and I wanted to get some lyrics to a song translated to Irish Gaelic.

"Have them take their time
When they lay this sinner down."

or

"Take your time
when you lay this sinner down"

Whatever is easier to translate and will make sense will be fine.

Thanks in advance to all of your help. I'm excited for my first irish Gaelic tattoo.

Can you explain what's meant by "lay this sinner down"? Is he being killed, or what?

Idioms often don't translate between languages (or even between cultures that have the same language), so we're going to have to paraphrase.

Redwolf

It is referring to when the person is being placed into his grave.
Here is the full verse of the song:
"When I must return
To the cold ground (grave)
Have them take their time
When they lay this sinner down"

I'm perfectly fine with paraphrasing. Could you just let me know what it paraphrases to?

Thanks a lot!

B'fhéidir:

Glacaidís a gcuid ama (Let them take their time)
nuair a chuirfid an peacach i gcré (na cille). (when they'll lay the sinner in the earth (of the churchyard))

I'd make it "an peacach seo."

Redwolf

Yes, "this" sinner:

Glacaidís a gcuid ama (Let them take their time)
nuair a chuirfid an peacach seo i gcré (na cille). (when they'll lay this sinner in the earth (of the churchyard))

Do you really need the "cuid" there?
glaicaidís a n-am?
And maybe
...sa chré
or even
...faoin chré
if you don't use the "na cille"

I'd usually use cuid with uncountable nouns.
Ó Dónall gives i gcé with or without na cille ("Bheith, dul, i g~, to be laid in earth, buried. Go dté mé i g~,")
and faoi chré as well without article.

Ó Dónaill gives Glac, tóg, d'am, without the cuid.
I always tend to use it with physical objects but it is a bit unclear sometimes.

I was suggesting using the article from the construction tá sé faoin bhfód
I suppose it's just a matter of style.

Of course I should have said faoin gcré, but chré wouldd be fine in Ulster

So forgive me if this is a stupid question but what I'm gathering from the conversation is that:
"Glacaidís a gcuid ama
nuair a chuirfid an peacach seo i gcré."
Is perfectly fine but there are always other ways to say it.

But again:
Glacaidís a gcuid ama
nuair a chuirfid an peacach seo i gcré

Translated to:
Let them take their time
When they'll lay this sinner in the earth