#an prionsa beag

[trans-cuchulainn]

i've spent a devastating amount on irish-language books this week and somebody needs to stop me. casually dropping €14 on a slim paperback without a second thought simply because it's as gaeilge is not an attitude that leads to a healthy bank account

[finnlongman]

I'm about 70% of the way through An Capall agus A Ghiolla, which I started last year while in Donegal and am determined to finish before I go back there on Friday because it's embarrassing that I've been procrastinating on it so much.

I want to start another Irish book while I'm there, but I can't decide what. My concern is that my Irish isn't yet strong enough to read books where I don't already know the story, which limits me to translations of stories I know in English. At the same time, translated books often seem to have more complex sentence structures and vocab relative to non-translated books written for comparable age groups (I'm still on kidlit), so these are probably linguistically harder.

I can't decide whether to try one of the non-translated books that I own, and accept that I'll probably miss a lot of the story unless I want to be constantly consulting a dictionary, or to go for something familiar, like An Prionsa Beag or An Hobad. I suspect An Hobad is too hard for me, and it's definitely lengthy, but it might be more useful vocab for me than An Prionsa Beag.

Any thoughts?

[sealaficionada]

A little fan project I did a while back for Sky: Children of the Light's The Little Prince season!

I adapted one of the music sheets for harp and piano, added a bit of my own composition inspired by it, and wrote lyrics in Irish and translated English 😁

[briosca-sa-speir]

‘One day I saw the sunset forty−three times.’

And a little later you added: ‘You know… when a person is very sad, they like sunsets.’

‘Were you very sad, then, on the day you watched forty−three sunsets?’

But the little prince made no reply.

― The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (tr. Breandán Ó Doibhlin)  

[jelisdoncjesuis]

6/9/20

So today i studied some irish (i study everyday but usually forget to post, sorry!). i worked on the first page of The Little Prince (An Prionsa Beag) and looked over how names work in irish. to anyone trying to learn irish (or any language really), i can’t recommend this enough, start using the language! even in an easy way like this. 

[sludgebat]

Big Irishman can just pick you up and do just. Whatever the fuck he wants with you

listen he's strong as fuck and huge and burly and imposing and i just wanna cuddle up to him and play with his hair and have him call me his prionsa beag////////////♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

[trans-cuchulainn]

continuing with the learning Irish language as part of the diaspora conversation from a few days ago….

do you have any resources for learning by reading? For other languages I have found a lot of books/ stories/ poetry that has a side by side English translation to help you learn what goes where. Do you know of anything like that for Irish? I would love to try it with mythology :D

yeah these for sure exist! there's a whole series of bilingual retellings of folklore and medieval stories aimed at kids, published under the series title "fadó". e.g here's the one about fionn mac cumhaill, on the website for an siopa leabhar: https://www.siopaleabhar.com/en/product/fado-the-story-of-fionn/

you can find the rest of them and other titles in their "bilingual books" category: https://www.siopaleabhar.com/en/product-category/bilingual-books/page/2/

having used one of these as a teaching tool (e.g. going through them line by line with a beginner and explaining the grammar to them), the facing translation isn't always 100% word for word but that's inevitable bc english and irish work differently, and it's solid enough that they can be pretty effective for that kind of problem solving approach, with the language being slightly more complex than a monolingual book would be for that age group since there's an expectation that you could check the english if you got stuck or whatever

now, i can't necessarily vouch for the accuracy of these as retellings (i haven't read them all the way through) but hey that's a different issue

once you've a bit of irish you might also enjoy "dialann emily porter: an jailtacht" which is a bilingual book about a teenage girl who gets sent to a gaeltacht summer college in the mid-90s after walking out of her irish exam. at the beginning she's got very bad irish and a negative attitude towards it, and the diary is mostly in english with a few irish words thrown in. as it goes on and her irish improves, the author adds more and more irish words and sentences until it's mostly in irish by the end, so it's kind of a good way to build up your reading in irish without exactly realising you're doing it (the sequel is pretty much 100% in irish except some of the dialogue). i will say though that the secondhand embarrassment with this one is powerful lmao the 90s 15yo energies are strong

it looks like there are a couple of collections of short stories with translations in that page on an siopa leabhar's website -- i haven't read any of those myself so can't vouch for them but they certainly exist

finally you might try translations of books you know/have in english like "an prionsa beag" (the little prince) or things like that, there are quite a number of easy children's books translated into irish now and also a fair few harder ones ("an hobad", some of the narnia books etc) as well as of course some adult books

in general i highly recommend an siopa leabhar (yes they ship internationally but you probs wanna get a few things to make the postage costs worth it). if you're ever in dublin do go in and talk to them in person but you can also probably send them an email and ask for recommendations, they're great with helping learners find things at their level

[briosca-sa-speir]

Books as Gaeilge ☕

An Hobad / The Hobbit

Eachtraí Eilíse i dTír na nIontas / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Cogadh na Reann / The War of the Worlds

An Prionsa Beag / The Little Prince

Oileán an Órchiste / Treasure Island

Folcadán Airciméidéis / OBERIU (the Russian collection of short stories by Kharms & Vvedensky)

An Banbh Beag / 10 Short Stories About the Little Pig and the Big Bad Wolf

Fiche Blian ag Fás / Muiris Ó Súilleabháin’s biography

Peig: A Scéal Féin / Peig Sayers’ autobiography

Our Fada / A Fada Homograph Dictionary

[finnlongman]

Oops, I'd hoped to put this up sooner, but we had family over yesterday and things got complicated. Anyway, here's the fourth of my books as Gaeilge (sidenote: saw something that suggested it should more technically be books "i nGaeilge", so now I'm doubting my insta hashtag) -- An Prionsa Beag! ⁣⁣

Turns out, there are two translations of this one. This is the older translation, and a less nice edition -- the newer translation has colour pictures, a better font, and generally looks more professional, but I can't comment on the nature of the translations themselves. I'm thinking maybe I'll work my way through this one, annotating vocab etc in the margins, and then reward myself at the end with a shiny new copy of the other one! ⁣

⁣I read Le Petit Prince in French in my fifth year of studying it, and it was pretty hardgoing. So I'm not expecting it to be easy, especially because I have CONSIDERABLY less experience of Irish than I did of French at that point (having taken a GCSE by then). Might not get to this one any time soon, therefore. But at least I have the English text to help me... ⁣

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 1.1

Nuair a bhí mé sé bliana d'aois, chonaic mé, uair amháin, pictiúr iontach i leabhar i dtaobh na foraoise darbh ainm "Scéalta fíora".

Séard a bhí ann nathair den chineál a dtugtar boa uirthi agus ainmhí á shlogadh aici. Sin cóip den phictiúr sin thuas.

next →

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nótaí:

i dtaobh = about

séard a bhí ann = is é an rud a bhí ann (what was there was... )

a dtugtar... uirthi = tabhair ar, darbh ainm (called, named)

slog (slogadh) = to swallow (swallowing)

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 2.6

Nuair a bhíonn cúrsaí chomh diamhrach sin, ní bheadh sé de dhánaíocht ionat gan rud a dhéanamh air. Cuma cé chomh hamaideach agus a bhí sé, dar liom míle míle ar shiúl ó aon chónaí daoine agus mé i mbaol báis, tharraing mé amach as mo phóca duille pháipéir agus peann easa. Ach ansin chuimhnigh mé gurb iad na rudaí is mó a bhí foghlamtha agam tíreolas, stair, uimhríocht agus gramadach agus dúirt mé leis an bhfirín beag (agus beagán drochspionn orm) nach raibh mé in ann líníocht a dhéanamh.

— Is cuma sin. Déan pictiúr de chaora dom.

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nótaí:

diamhrach = diamhair (obscure)

dánaíocht = dánacht (boldness, courage)

níl sé de dhánacht ionat = you don't have the courage to...

cuma cé chomh hamaideach agus a bhí sé = no matter how silly it was

dar liom = methinks, thought I

duille pháipéir = a sheet of paper

peann easa = peann tobair (fountain pen)

drochspionn = bad mood

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 1.4

Mar sin, bhí orm ceird eile a tharraingt orm féin agus d'fhoglaim mé le bheith i mo phíolóta eitleáin. D'eitil mé ar fud an domhain mhóir. Agus ceart go leor, ba mhór an cuidiú dom an tíreolas. Bhí mé in ann, d'aon amharc amháin, an tSín a aithint ó Arizona. Tá sé sin an-úsáideach, má théann tú ar seachrán san oíche.

Sa dóigh sin, ba mhinic mé ag plé i rith mo shaoil le daoine tromchúiseacha. Chaith mé cuid mhór de mo shaol i measc daoine móra. Chonaic mé iad agus mé i ngar dóibh. Níorbh fhearrde sin an bharúil a bhí agam díobh.

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nótaí:

tarraing ar = to draw one's attention, to approach (reflexive)

ceird = trade, profession

aithin = to recognise

dul ar seachrán = to lose one's way

tromchúiseach = self-important, grave

bheith i ngar do rud = to be near sth

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 2.3

Léim mé i mo sheasamh mar a bhuailfí le splanc tintrí mé. Chuimil mé mo shúile go maith. Bhreathnaigh mé go maith. Agus chonaic mé firín beag saoithiúil amach agus amach agus é ag amharc orm go stuama. Seo thall an phortráid is fearr dár éirigh liom a dhéanamh de, níos moille.

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nótaí:

léim mé i mo sheasamh = I sprang to my feet

a bhuailfí = buail

splanc tintrí = a flash of lightning

cuimil = to rub, wipe

breathnaigh = to observe, watch

saoithiúil = peculiar

amach agus amach = quite

go stuama = solemnly, seriously

níos moille = later on

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 1.2

Dúradh sa leabhar: "Slogann na nathracha boa a gcreach d'aon ailp amháin, gan í a chogaint. Ina dhiaidh sin ní féidir leo bogadh agus caitheann siad sé mhí ina gcodladh agus í á díleá acu."

Chuir sin ag machnamh mé ar na heachtraí a tharlaíonn sa dufair agus d'éirigh liomsa chomh maith mo chéad phictiúr a tharraingt, le pionsail daite. Mo phictiúr uimhir a haon. Seo mar a bhí sé:

Thaispeáin mé an sárshaothar seo liom do na daoine móra agus d'fhiafraigh mé díbh ar chuir mo phictiúr eagla orthu.

D'fhreagair siad: "Cén fáth a gcuirfeadh hata eagla orm?" Ní hata bhí i mo phictiúr. Pictiúr ab ea é de nathair boa agus eilifint á díleá aici.

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nótaí:

dúradh = abair

creach = prey

cogain = to chew

díleáigh = to digest

machnaigh = to meditate, reflect

dufair = jungle

d'éirigh liom = I succeeded

tarraing = to draw

taispeáin = to show

sárshaothar = masterpiece

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 3.2

Agus lig an prionsa beag liú breá gáire as a chuir as domsa go mór. Measaim gur chóir do dhaoine an mí-ádh a bhaineann domsa a ghlacadh dáiríre. Ansin ar seisean:

— Mar sin, is as an spéir duitse chomh maith! Cén pláinéad arb as duit?

Fuair mé tuaileas beag ar an toirt fá dtaobh den rúndiamhair a bhain leis, agus chuir mé cheist chuige go grod:

— Is pláinéad eile duit mar sin?

Ach freagra níor thug sé orm.

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nótaí:

liú breá gáire = a lovely cry of laughter

cuir as do X = to irritate

measaim gur chóir = I think it is fair/right

mí-ádh = misfortune

glac dáiríre = to take seriously

tuaileas = hunch

ar an toirt = at the moment

rúndiamhair = mystery

bain le X = to concern, about X

go grod = abruptly, snappily

[briosca-sa-speir]

An Prionsa Beag - caibidil 2.5

Ina dhiaidh sin, níor amharc an firín seo agam mar bheadh sé ar seachrán, ná marbh tuirseach, ná stiúgtha leis an ocras, ná spalptha le tart, ná eagla a chraicinn bheith air. Ní raibh cuma dá laghad air gur páiste é a bhí caillte sa bhfásach, míle míle ó aon chónaí daoine. Nuair a tháinig an chaint chugam ar deireadh, arsa mise leis:

— Ach... cad atá ar siúl agat anseo?

Agus seisean liom arís, go bog íseal, mar a bheadh sé an-dáiríre faoin rud:

— Le do thoil, déan pictiúr de chaora dom.

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nótaí:

stiúgtha leis an ocras = starved

spalptha le tart = parched with thirst

eagla a chraicinn a bheith ar X (roimh... ) = to be in mortal fear (of...)

dá laghad = whatsoever

go bog íseal = softly, in a low voice