Though it is MUCH better to listen to the students from Lurgan singing the song and imitate them, 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/
Seo Linn Le Chéile Here We Are Together
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
ay is as in day
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Verse 1
Seo linn le chéile, can amach os ard é.
Shu lin le chaylu, kon umoch ós awrd ay.
This with us with gather, sing out from high it.
Here we are together, sing it out loud.
Note: Seo (shu) meaning this and sin (shin) meaning that both show the rule that s + i or e = sh. Seo duit. Here to you is what you say when you give someone something. Sin é! means That’s it!
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Seo linne d’aon ghuth amháin.
Shu linu dayn ghu a-wawn
This with us of one voice alone.
Here we are with one voice.
Note: Seo refers to This here as in This place in this context.
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Seo linn, a chairde buan’, Is é atá i ndán dúinn.
Shu lin a chawrde booun I’ shay ataw i ndawn dooin
This with us oh friends lasting, it is that [which] is in store to us.
Here we are long-time friends, this is our fate.
Note: ‘sé is a shortened form of Is é (is it) meaning It is
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Seo linn ag tabhairt faoi le cion.
Shu lin eg toort fwee le kyun
This with us ing take under with fondness.
Here we are doing this with love.
Note: Ag tabhairt faoi means engaging in an undertaking and literally translates as taking under
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Curfá
Tá sí fós anseo, ‘s airím an nós.
taw shee fós onshu is areem on nós.
Is she still here and feel-I the way
It [Irish] is still here, and I see the way.
Note: notice the verb comes first. Instead of She is you say Is she (Tá sí) even though it’s not a question.
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Go bhfuil an t-athrú ‘ tíocht, ar ár n-intinn ó
gu wil on taroo teecht er awr ninteen oh
that is the change coming on our minds oh
That the change is coming to our minds, oh.
Note: Tíocht is ypical of one region. The standard work is teacht.
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Céard dhó a sheasaim? X2 Seo linn, an rud is mó: Í ‘bheith beo.
kayrd ghó a hasim X2 shu lin on rud is mó: ee ve bi-ó.
What to it that stand-I? X2 This with us the thing is biggest: [for] her [to] be alive
What do I stand for? X2 Here we are, the biggest thing is that it should live.
Note: Nouns have gender. The word í refers to Gaeilge or teanga (Irish or language). Both are feminine words. So it becomes she.
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Véarsa 2
Seo’d é anois é, seo’d é an t-am Is cinnte go bhfuil muid in ann.
shu ‘d ay unish ay, shu ‘d ay on tom. Is kinte gu wil mwid in on.
This at you it now it, this at you it the time. is certain that are we capable.
Here it is. This is the time. It is certain that we can [do it].
Note: the ‘d i a contraction of agat which is sometimes pronounced agad or also shortened to ‘ad.
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Beart ‘nár gcroíthe ‘s ár n-anam.
bart nawr greehu s nawr nonum.
Resolve in our hearts and our souls
Resolve in our hearts and our souls.
Note: ‘nár is short for in ár (in our).
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Líon an t-easnamh, seas an fód. Leag aon chonstaic a bhíonn insan ród.
leen on tasnuv shas on fód. lag ayn chunstic a veeun inson ród
Fill the lack stand the sod knock any obstacle that is in the road
Fill the want, take the stand, knock down obstacles on the road.
Note: Ród is another word for the more commonly used bóthar meaning road.
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Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas an croí go deo.
er scaw a chayle a worus on kree gu di-ó
On cover of together that lasts the heart till eternity.
The heart lasts for ever by people helping each other
Note: scáth can mean shade or protection. Scáth báistí (umbrella) protects you from báisteach (rain)
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Rachaidh muid le chéile ina treo.
rocha mwid le chayle ina tró
Go-will we with together in its way
We will go on together that way.
Note: Rachaidh muid can also be written as Rachaimid The verb is Téigh and it is very irregular and worth learning. Irish only has 11 irregular verbs.
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Véarsa 3
Ardaíonn mo chroí [le] glór na bpáistí ‘s iad ag spraoi.
ordeeun mu chree [le] glór na bawshtee s eed eg spree
heightens my heart [with the] sound the of-children and they at play
My heart lifts [on hearing] the sounds of children and they having fun.
Note: ‘s is short for agus and means and
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Is beag a sháraíonn(s) na briathra binne gléigeal gléigeal.
is bayug a hawreeuns na breehuru bine glaygyal, glaygyal
is little that exceeds the words soft bright, bright
There’s not much that could surpass those soft, bright words.
Note: I love the fact that briathar both means word and verb. It really shows the power of words.
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Seo anois é, seo ‘nois é mmm mmm
shu unish ay, shu’ nish ay mmm mmm
This now it, this now it mmm mmm
This is it now, this is it now mmm.
Note: ‘nois is short for anois
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Véarsa 4
Seo linn a Ghaelaibh, ‘maireadh muid gach lá í,
shu lin a ghayliv ‘morhoch mwid goch law ee
this with us, Oh Gaels, [may] last we every day her.
Here we are, Gaels, may we make it live every day.
Note: the Gaels here probably refers to Irish speakers though it can refer to a wider group including people of other Gaelic nation.
Gaelic nations/regions: Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Brittany, Cornwall…
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Cuir spraoi ‘s bród insan saol.
ku-ir spree s bród inson seel
Put fun and pride in the life.
Put fun and pride into life.
Note: saol can also be pronounced sayl
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Seo linn go fonnmhar, áthas agus gliondar [orainn].
shu lin gu funwur awhus ogus glindur [urin]
This with us ally-enthusiastic happy and delight [on us]
Here we are enthusiastic, happy and joyful.
Note: To say i am happy you need to say Is happy on me: Tá áthas orm.
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Seo linn gan casadh siar riamh.
Shu lin gon kosu sheer reev
This with us without turning back ever.
Here we and we’re never turning back.
Note: Siar can mean back or westward.
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Curfá
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An Chaint – The Speaking
Véarsa 5
Seo ‘nois é. Arbh í an chúis a bhí a’inn le ‘aidh seo?
shu nish ay Erv ee on choosh a vee oinyu le haee shu
This now it Was she the reason that was at us with reason this
This is it now. Is this our reason for it?
Note: a’inn is short for againn which means at us but is used to indicate have. le ‘aidh is short for le haghaidh which means for the purpose of but literally translates as with the face as in you face something with purpose
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Ag dul sa mbearna bhaoil le ‘aidh seo?
Eg dul sa marna bueel le aee shu
at going the breach of-danger with reason this
Going into the mouth of danger for this?
Note: bearna means gap. Baol means danger. The crashing ‘of.’ When of crashes into a word it changes it. Baol danger ►bhaoil of danger
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A’ cailleadh cairde ‘s gaol le ‘ aidh seo?
a kaeelu korde s guayl le aee shu
at losing friends and relatives with reason this
Losing friends and family for this?
Note: a’ is short for ag
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Ach, nuair a fheicim na réalta, farraigí ‘s sléibhte, airím an tsaoirse.
och noor a ekim na rayltu farugee s shlayvtu areem on tayrshu
But when that see-I the stars seas and mountains feel-I the freedom
But when I look at the stars, the sea, the mountains, I feel the freedom.
Note: Saoirse means Freedom. It’s also a popular girl’s name. When you put an (the) is front of it you need to add an extra t before it.
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‘S nuair a chloisim glórtha ‘s amhráin ár sinsir: [tuigim gur] ‘nois an t-am, an t-am, ó an t-am.
s noor a chlushim glórthu s órawin awr sheensur nish on tom, on tom, ó on tom
And when that hear-I voices and songs our of-ancestors: [I know] this [is] the time, the time, oh the time
And when I hear the sounds of our ancestors in song, [I know] this is the time. The time, oh the time.
Note: am means time. an t-am means the time. See the extra t- you add to it?
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Véarsa 6
Seo’d anois é, seo’d é an t-am: trí nóiméad istigh i nglór amháin.
shu’ d anish ay shu ‘d ay on tom tree nómayd isti i nglór awawn
This at you now it this at you it the time. Three minutes inside in voice one
Here is it, here is the time: three minutes into one song.
Note: the ti in istigh sound is different than in English. Try sustaining a sssssss sound, Now try changing that to a sustained ttttt by moving the tongue slight so its at the tip of the tongue. keep playing iwth it. you can impress your friends when you get it!
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A thosaigh amach gan aon treoir, ‘s ag díriú ar ár bplean.
a husee umoch gon ayn tróir s eg deeroo er awr blan
That started out without any direction and ag aiming on our plan
That started out without direction and we’re heading towards our plan.
Note: When a word starts with th as is thosaigh, the t becomes silent.
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Muid aontaithe anois faoi stiúir an cheoil, ag cuimhniú siar ar lucht na ndeor.
mwid ayntuhu anish fwee stioor on chóil eg kivnoo sheer er lucht na nyór
We united now under guidance the of-music at remembering back on those the of-tears
We’re united now under the music’s flow, thinking about those who wept.
Note: Think of stiúir as steer. It sounds like it. Remember the ti sound? It’s in this word too.
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Ach ná ceap go ngéillfeadh muid ar
och naw kyap gu ngaylhoch mwid er
But don’t think that yield-would we on
But don’t think we would give up on
Note: géill means Yield. You can see it on road signs. The go before géill changes g►n.
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Ár dteanga a mhair na cianta.
awr dionga a wor na keentu
our language that lasted the centuries
our language that lasted the long haul.
Note: teanga means language. The te is pronounced like tionga. Remember the ti sound? Now change that slightly to make it a similar di sound. Ár before teanga changes the t►d.
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Véarsa 7
Is minic mé ag brionglóid ar scéalta Thír na nÓg,
is minik may eg bringlóid er shkayltu heer na nóg
is often I at dreaming on stories of-Land the of-Youth
And I often dreaming of the stories of The Land of Eternal Youth.
Note: Tír na nÓg is a popular Irish legend.
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‘s Oisín agus Niamh Chinn Óir
s usheen ogus neev chin óir
and Oisín and Niamh of-head of-gold
and Oisín and Niamh of the Golden Hair.
Note: Ceann head ► chinn of-head / ór gold ► óir of-gold
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Ó ní chreidfeá ariamh, go bhfillfeadh an deis aríst,
o nee chredhaw areev gu vilhoch on desh ureesht
Oh, not believe-would you ever, that return-would the chance again
Oh you would never believe that this chance would return.
Note: feá or fá at the end of a verb indicates you would.
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Tá orainne ‘ a bheith ann le chéile, yeah…
taw ur-ih-ne a ve on le chaylu, yeah…
is on us that to be there with together, yeah
We must be there together yeah.
Note: Tá orainn (Is on us) means The onus is on us or We must.
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Véarsa 8
Leanfaidh muid mianta ár sinsir ag tíocht anuas ó laethanta cianda.
lanhee mwid meeontu awr sheensur eg teeucht unoos ó layhunta keeunda
Follow-will we wishes our of-ancestors at coming down from days distant
We follow the wishes of our ancestors coming from days of old.
Note: Ag tíocht is typical of one region. Ag teacht is the standard way of writing this.
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Nárbh fhada an lá arís.
naruv odu on law ureesh
Not be long the day again
Don’t let it be long [until] the day again.
Note: Nárbh is a wish here. Nárbh fhada means May it not be long
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Tír le teanga, tír le h-anam. ‘Sí do thír í. Déan do rogha, ó. X2
teer le tiongu teer le honum Shee du heer ee. Dayn du raooa
Country with [a] language, country with [a] soul. She is your country , is she. Make your choice.
A country with a language [is] a country with a soul. It’s your country, make your choice, oh. X2
Note: There is no a in Irish. It is understood. tír = a country. No need for a.
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