Hello, I found in this site that someone had translated the lyrics to "It's a Small World" into Irish Gaelic. Unfortunately the link to the video of him singing it went nowhere, so I don't know how to pronounce it. If there is someone who can sing it I would love to hear it. If no one is willing to sing, even hearing the lyrics spoken would help tremendously.

How different is this from Scottish? Is there someone who can translate this into Scottish Gaelic and give me the pronunciation? My kids are part of a choir that sings this song (only one verse, doesn't matter which) in different languages, and we would love to include both Irish and Scottish, but our target is to sing it in Scottish to go with the costume. I would be curious to listen to the difference between the Irish and Scottish languages.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

"Small World" in Irish:

Is domhan a' gháire é, domhan na ndeor
Is domhan a' dóchais é, l'eagla go leor
Tá a lán 'ainn i gcomhar go bhfuil sé'n am linn fios a fháil
gur domhan beag é, ceart go leor

Is domhan beag é, ceart go leor,
Is domhan beag é, ceart go leor,
Is domhan beag é, ceart go leor,
Is domhan beag é

Níl ach gealach amháin ann, 's grian ór ghrách
ach is ciall le miongháire cairdeas go chách
Cé go roinneann na sléibhte's tá na haigéin mór
is domhan beag é, ceart go leor

Is domhan beag é, ceart go leor,
Is domhan beag é, ceart go leor,
Is domhan beag é, ceart go leor,
Is domhan beag é

That translation was created on another forum which most of us left when it went commercial (and very much downhill), and that situation was the background to the creation of this forum as a replacement several years ago. If I'm recalling things correctly, Redwolf (a frequent poster on this forum) came up with most of the translation, with input from others, and I came up with the "ceart go leor" part of the chorus, since there were problems finding something to fit the tune well there.

The chorus can stay almost exactly the same in Scottish Gaelic [Gàidhlig], with a few changes in spelling (note the deletion of the accent mark over the "e", and the addition of one over the "o", slanted in the other direction). The verses are a bit more difficult. The two languages are still very close to one another, but Gàidhlig grammar, syntax, and spelling (and also word choice) can be different, so it's not always possible to use the same approach and have things "scan" well. Here's a start, but I suggest waiting to see what others think (there are other forum participants whose Gàidhlig is much better than mine):

Is domhan a’ ghàire e, domhan nan deòir.
domhan an dòchais, leis an t-eagal cuideachd.
Tha mòran againn an cumantas, ‘s tha an t-àm againn tuig,
gur domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr.

Is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,
Is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,
Is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,
Is domhan beag e

Chan eil ach gealach a-mhàin ann, ‘s grian òr ghràdhach,
ach tha faite-gàire càirdeil don a h-uile duine.
Ged a roinnidh na beanntan, ’s tha farsaing na cuantan,
is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,

Is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,
Is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,
Is domhan beag e, ceart gu leòr,
Is domhan beag e

I've edited this to play around with the wording a bit, applying some poetic license in an attempt to make things scan better than my initial effort did.

_________________
I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Hmmm... that "is X e" looks very very Irish to me. I wouldn't be comfortable with that so prominent in a Scottish Gaelic song.

_________________
A language belongs to its native speakers, and when you speak it, you are a guest in their homes.
If you are not a good guest, you have no right to complain about receiving poor hospitality.

I know the 'se [noun + adjective] a tha ann approach would be more appropriate, Niall, but there's just no way to make that work in the song (at least, that I can see), so I decided (poetic license) that the Irish approach could stay, since the meaning would be very clear to a Gàidhlig speaker.

You missed my typo in the third line, by the way, which I just spotted and have corrected.

_________________
I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Sorry, I forgot to upload the external soundfiles to the new server.

The old link should now work, but if not here is a new link to the sound file:

http://www.awyr.com/ILF/saewndfaylz/Domhan%20beag.mp3

_________________

---

WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
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), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

And of his meaning to English speakerr would be clear, but that doesn't make it English. If you're going to use poetic license, why not split the "small world", as that's an English compound? I'd favour "Is beag an saoghal" - it's a slightly archaic form, but it's well-known through proverbs and it scans better.

_________________
A language belongs to its native speakers, and when you speak it, you are a guest in their homes.
If you are not a good guest, you have no right to complain about receiving poor hospitality.

That's a great suggestion, Niall. So, annapi, here's a revised version:

Is domhan a’ ghàire e, domhan nan deòir.
domhan an dòchais, leis an t-eagal cuideachd.
Tha mòran againn an cumantas, ‘s tha an t-àm againn tuig,
gur beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr.

Is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,
Is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,
Is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,
Is beag an saoghal

Chan eil ach gealach a-mhàin ann, ‘s grian òr ghràdhach,
ach tha faite-gàire càirdeil don a h-uile duine.
Ged a roinnidh na beanntan, ’s tha farsaing na cuantan,
is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,

Is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,
Is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,
Is beag an saoghal, ceart gu leòr,
Is beag an saoghal

_________________
I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Just to give credit where credit is due, I think that Breandán came up with most of this translation on IGTF, and you with "ceart go leor." I was only the asker.

Redwolf

... and in hindsight, is beag an domhan é, ceart go leor might work better in Irish as well (and still be singable).


A few of the ways to say "It's a small world" listed in various dictionaries:

Nach é an domhan atá beag ! literally "isn't it the world that is small!"
Castar na daoine ar a chéile (ach ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte). literally "People meet each other (but the hills and mountains never meet)"
Is fánach an áit a bhfaighfeá gliomach "It is a sparse place that you'd find a lobster." (This one feels more like "will wonders never cease", than "it's a small world", to me, though I suppose the two can overlap somewhat.)

_________________

---

WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
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), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Sorry, a Bhreandáin, for not giving you the credit. I just remembered that Red was very interested in it, and planned to go sing it at Disneyland.

_________________
I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.