114. Learn Irish – Pompeii lyrics

Though it is MUCH better to listen to Keith singing the song and imitate him, these approximations of pronunciations may help some people who want to learn more of the language.

BTW If you are a complete beginner and want to learn a simple way to read and speak the Irish language, please explore: https://ancroiait.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/learn-irish-lesson-1/

Here’s how I arranged each line of the song in four parts

Line 1: Correct Irish

Line 2: Approximate sound

Line 3. Word for word translation

Line 4. Translation

Note: Something to learn from this line

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Before you begin, please note: ch is a gentle short gargling sound.

G and C are always hard sounds (never j or s)

o is o as in orange

ó is o as in only

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Vowels: É, é, ó, é, ó x8             É sounds like ay as in day and ó sounds like o as in only.

Verse 1

Uair    [nuair]   ‘a       bhí       mé    ag ligeann     scíth,      rith     smaoineamh     liom.

oor       [noor]  ‘a       vee      may   eg lihgun     shkee,       rih       smweenuv         lum. 

time   [when]    that  was      I         ing-lett     rest,         ran     thought            with me.

Once (when) I was resting, a thought came to me.

Note: Lig do (du) scíth means relax. It is often used when someone comes to visit.

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Mol     an         óige    ‘s     tiocfaidh      sí       ‘mar      is      dual      di.

Mul      on        óeege   s      chuck-hee    shee,    mor     is      dool      dee.

Praise   the     youth    and  come-will   she         as        is     proper   for her.

Praise the young and it will thrive (just) as it should be.

Note: Mol an oíge is tiocfaidh sí is a famous Irish proverb.

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Chorus / Curfá

‘S     muid      ag       lorg       ár       n-áit      dár      dtír      bheag       álainn

s      mwid      eg       lurg       awr     nawt      dawr   deer     vee-ug          awlin

And  we         at        search   our     place      of our  country  small      beautiful.

And we searching for our place in our small beautiful land

Note: The word for small is beag (bee-ug). Because it describes a feminine word ► vee-ug

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In       san       domhan.      Tá       ár       tseoid      fhéin      ann.

in        son       down.            taw     awr    tshowd     hayn      on

In        the        world.           Is        our      jewel       own        there.

In the world. Our own jewel [the language] is there.

Note: the word a’inn is a contraction of againn meaning at us. Combined with the verb Is it means We have. To say I have something you need to say Is something at me.

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[Níl] ‘Ach      í      a           labhairt       amach         le         cion.

[neel] och    ee    a          lowert*        umoch         le         kyun.  *lower rhymes with flower

[not is] but   her  to        speak           out              with       fondness.

[It’s] just we should just speak it  with affection.

 Note: To say I only need… or I just need… you say I don’t need but…

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Ach     dún   do    shúile    go    ciúin    agus   samhlaigh  go    bhfuil

Och    doon  du    hool       gu   kyoon  ogus  *sowlee   gu  wil  * sow rhymes with now

But     close   your  eyes    ly-quiet       and     imagine   that is  

But close your eyes quietly and imagine that

 Note: go has two meanings. It can be ly at the end of an adverb or that.

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sí            fós               inár             gcroíthe.

shee     fós                 inawr          gree

She       still                in our          hearts.

it still is in our hearts.

Note: a’inn is a contraction of againn which means at us. Fós can mean still or yet.

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‘S     bí      ‘brionglóid     go     suan    agus   cuimhnigh:

s     bee   [eg] bring-lód   gu    soon    ogus   kivnee:

And be   [ing] dream    ly-sound      and     remember:

And dream soundly and remember that

 Note: the ag of ag brionglóid is left out but understood. That’s the ing part.

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Bhí     sí         linn    ón                gcéad    lá      riamh.

Vee    shee   lin       ón                gayd     law    reev.

Was   she    with us  from the     first       day    ever.

It was with us from the start.

Note: She refers to the Irish language. Both Gaeilge (Irish) and teanga (language) are feminine.

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Ghabhfadh  muid  ó      neart        go neart     ar scáth a chéile.

Gho – hok     mwid ó         nyart        gu nyart      er skaw a cheyle.

Go-would       we    from   strength to strength  on shade (cover) of each other.

We’ would go from strength to strength working together.

Note: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine is a famous proverb meaning that people survive by covering for each other (collaborating).

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Verse 2 / Véarsa 2

Tá    mo    chroí     dóchasach.   Feicim   fíor     na    spéire.

Taw  mu  chree    dóchusoch.   Fekim     feer        na    spayre.

Is     my heart     hopeful.     See-I   breadth-line   the    of-sky.

My  heart is hopeful. I see the horizon.

Note: Sentences start with a verb. My heart is becomes Is my heart.

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[Is é an] ‘Íomhá   is     deise    liom:     éirigh    na     gréine.

[is ay on] eevaw  is  desheh   lum:   ah-ee-ree na  grayne

[Is it the] image   ist-nice    with me: rising      the  of-sun.

(‘Tis the) most beautiful image to me: the rising of the sun.

Note: The word Grian (sun) crashes into the word of (de) and becomes gréine (of-sun).

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Déan  do   chuid fhéin ar a son.     [Tá] ‘Sé      suas      duitse      ‘s     dom.

Dayn  du   chid   hayn  er a sun.      [taw] Shay  soo-us  ditshu    s     dum.

Do      your  bit  own   on her sake. [Is]      it      up         to you  and  to me.

Do your own bit for its sake. It’s up to you and me.

Note: ‘s is a contraction of agus meaning and.

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If you want to start at the beginning learning how to read Irish words and some basic phrases try:

https://ancroiait.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/learn-irish-lesson-1/