Hello everyone

I am looking for a translation of proofread of an Oscar Wilde quote:

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist that is all.

I already got a translation through an online service, but I want to be a 100% sure since it is going to be inked permanently on my body. The translation I got is: Is annamh an rud é saol iomlán a chaitheamh, bíonn daoine ann, sin an méid.

I gave this interpretation to the quote as the translator who helped me asked for it:
"I interpret it as you only have one life, so live it to the fullest and do not only exist, as Oscar Wilde put it. It does have a positive conoctation for me."

If you could help me out I would be much obliged as well as some euros richer ;-)

Thank you!

My Irish isn't all that great, so I hesitate to answer. That being said, it's been a while and no one else has responded. Is fearr leath ná meath!

To my eyes, the translation doesn't look great. I would translate it into English as:
"It is rare to live a whole life, there are people, that's it."

I might suggest a translation more like this:
Is lú ar domhan an cuid atá ag maireachtáil. Níl an cuid is mó ach ann.
"The fewest in the world are those who are living. The most are just there/just exist."

But don't trust me -- wait for someone more experienced

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Hi Cúmhaí!

Thanks for the reply, I just found out I copied the wrong sentence, the translation should be:

Is é an rud is annamh ar domhan ná saol iomlán a chaitheamh. Cuireann formhór na ndaoine an t-am istigh*. Sin a bhfuil.

Could this be more correct? The translator gave me this remark:

"Is é an rud is annamh ar domhan ná saol iomlán a chaitheamh. Cuireann formhór na ndaoine an t-am istigh*. Sin a bhfuil.
This is quite difficult to put the same sentiments into Irish – the same distinction between living and existing does not easily translate over in usage of the verbs meaning and can be interchangeable.
So this translation is based on your own idea and literally translates back as:
To live a full life is the rarest thing in the world. Most people ‘put the time in*. That is all.
*Put the time in – is an Irish way of ‘existing’."

Thanks anyway!

There are two words for "life": saol and beatha.
I'd expect "beatha" to be more appropriate here.

Everybody either wasts his life time or makes reasonable use of his span on earth - but both is "saol". Maybe, real "beatha" is only the first, oh no, the second

This is MUCH better. I don't know if it is perfect, but it is certainly decent. See the note from Labhrás as well -- he has a much stronger background than I do. Perhaps run the idea of beatha instead of saol by the translator? (S)he seems to do a pretty good job.

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A suggestion:

Is annamh ar domhan a bheith beo biorbach. Go hundúíl ní bhíonn daoine ach ag maireachtáil.

I wish this forum had one of those worship emoticons that they have on the paradox fora -- this would be a good time for that. I like this one a lot.

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Bríd Mhór

Thanks for the suggestion , do you think it fits the meaning better?

Take a look at more literal translations --

It is the rarest thing in the world to live a whole life. Most people just put time in. That's all there is.

The rarest thing in the world is to be really alive / alive and kicking. Usually people are just living.


In conclusion, the first translation is closer to the layout of the original. The second seems more Irish, at least to me, and is shorter (this is a tattoo after all!). So it depends what is more important to you!

PS: Do note I fixed one slight spelling error in the second translation -- the word go hiondúil

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