The Lord’s Prayer in Scottish Gaelic: Example Videos
In a previous blog post about the Lord’s Prayer in Scottish Gaelic, I approached the prayer conceptually as a language learning issue. But Gaelic Revitalization blog readers asked for practical examples and a pronunciation guide, so I’ve created some videos with the help of other Gaelic-speaking friends.
So far we have three videos in a playlist on YouTube. The first video features Joe Murphy in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, reciting the Catholic version of the prayer with subtitles:
The second one features an audio recording of Duncan Sneddon in Edinburgh, Scotland reciting the Protestant version of the prayer with subtitles:
The third video features me reciting the Protestant version of the prayer, followed by a super slowed-down version for Gaelic learners to practice the pronunciation of individual words:
Just like the English King James Version, the prayer uses some words that are now considered archaic, such as tabhair for thoir (“give”) and amhail (which means “as” and is combined in the prayer with mar, also meaning “as”).
The source for the Catholic Gaelic version is the prayerbook Iùl a’ Chrìosdaidh, first published in 1963. The source for the Protestant Gaelic version is the Gaelic Bible; the translation of the New Testament was completed in 1767, and the Old Testament in 1801. The Scottish Bible Society is currently preparing a new Gaelic Bible translation, but it is not yet complete.
The text of the Bible verses Matthew 6:9-13 is slightly different from the prayer as it is recited:
Mata 6:9-13
9 …Ar n-Athair a tha air nèamh, Gu naomhaichear d’ainm.
10 Thigeadh do rìoghachd. Dèanar do thoil air an talamh, mar a nìthear air nèamh.
11 Tabhair dhuinn an diugh ar n-aran làitheil.
12 Agus maith dhuinn ar fiachan, amhail mar a mhaitheas sinne d’ar luchd-fiach.
13 Agus na leig ann am buaireadh sinn; ach saor sinn o olc: oir is leatsa an rìoghachd, agus an cumhachd, agus a’ ghlòir, gu sìorraidh. Amen.
I would love to gather more examples from other fluent Gaelic speakers who would be willing to take a video of themselves saying the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic. Please get in touch if you can help.
Interestingly, “tabhair” and “amháil” are both still used in contemporary Irish.
This Scottish Gaelic Bible translation was influenced by Irish so that makes sense. “Thoir dhuinn” instead of “tabhair dhuinn” would be modern Scottish Gaelic.
hello my name is skot Shaw , Chicago IL, I have been trying to learn this language for yyyeeaarrss , but have not found any resource until 4 months ago, needless to say ,, its been so very hard, emotional , and almost hopeless , I would find it very helpful if you could break the lords prayer down as it sounds phonetically, some of what I here ,,, I’m not sure if I here it correctly, and I defiantly not understand the spelling structure just yet. any other help you could offer would be desperately appreciated thank you for your time
Hi Skot, thank you for your interest in the post. Here are some answers to your questions:
1) For a phonetic breakdown, subscribe to my blog – scroll all the way down this page, find the black box in the bottom right corner, and enter a name & email there. After your subscription is confirmed, you’ll get a welcome email with a link to download a PDF sheet with a pronunciation breakdown.
2) Gaelic is not an easy language for English speakers to learn, but there are lots of internet resources available these days. For a start, check out my blog post on “Learning Scottish Gaelic”, and see the free resources on the website learngaelic.scot (click the link “Beginners” in the top menu). Don’t worry for now about the Lord’s Prayer, it’s a really advanced text and you may literally need to study the language for at least a year or two before it will start to make sense. It would probably be more fun for you to seek out some Gaelic songs, you can find a lot of the words at celticlyricscorner.net, and practice singing along with those to get the flavour of the language. Hope that helps!
well it is difficult but I have been watching “speaking our language ” for 6 or so months
,,,so far I’ve learned enough to be polite but not enough for a conversation,,,,,, lol,,,,
i have a new curiosity, i am recording a new album and wanted to translate all my song titles to Gaelic, but my label executive wants to be sure of spelling before we move forward.
i hope it to look like this
Ùrnaigh an Tighearna (Prayer of the Lord)
[…]
Hey Skot, thank you for reaching out here – I’m sending you a reply by e-mail later today. Check your spam folder too just in case it lands there.
I agree with Skot Shaw 100%. I need the phonics! I am 29% Scottish and 8% Irish according to Ancestry.com.
I’ve made a handout with the phonics for the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic — if you subscribe to my blog’s e-mail list you can get it as a free download! Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the e-mail list signup.
Hello
I am looking for a simple Christian song to be sung in Scottish Gaelic. Do you have any resources you can direct me to? Or do you know of someone who could make a YouTube video teaching the song from English to Scottish Gaelic? A simple song or bible verse will do, preferably with Christmas in mind
Thank you for any help you can give me!
Sheila, thank you for your message. The best and easiest Christmas song, I would say, is “Leanabh an Àigh” – here are the words to two of the verses. It’s sung to the hymn tune “Bunessan” (popularly known as “Morning has Broken”). It would be perfectly acceptable to just perform these two verses, perhaps repeating the first verse (1-2-1).
Leanabh an àigh, an leanabh aig Màiri,
Rugadh san stàball, Rìgh nan Dùl;
Thàinig don fhàsach, dh’fhuiling nar n-àite
Son’ iad an àireamh bhios dha dlùth.
‘S ann am Betlehèm thàinig an sgeul
‘S binne da threud na teudan ciùil;
Armailt nam Flaitheas is aingle neimh
Ag àrd mholadh Dhè ‘s a’ seinn a chliù.
Here is a BBC webpage with all of the verses: http://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/orain/leanabh_an_aigh/
And here is a translation of some of the words: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/leanabh-%C3%A0igh-child-joy.html
I was able to find a good practice video version by someone in Scotland here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGXrKaFt8EE
And finally, here’s the Tollcross Primary Gaelic Choir putting us all to shame with their lovely harmonies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxWNBrw1q-I
I hope this helps!
Thank you so much Emily. All of the information is very helpful and I am sure to get this song learned and taught in time for Christmas. What a Blessing! Thank you for your time and have a blessed evening.
‘Se do bheatha (You’re welcome)!
Hello Again
You were such a big help With the information about the Scottish Gaelic Christmas carol! My boys learned the song quickly and were able to sing it at our church on Christmas Eve! I am wondering if you could help with another adventure for my boys. The song “Jesus Loves Me” translated into Scottish Gaelic. If you are unable to help me with the song, I would be thrilled If you could help me with the phrases Jesus Loves Me , Jesus Loves You and God is Love, in Scottish Gaelic. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here are the lyrics to the song. Thank you! Sheila Galbreath
“Jesus Loves Me”
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Jesus take this heart of mine
Make it pure and holy thine
On the cross you died for me
I will try to live for Thee
Thanks
Hello Again
You were such a big help With the information about the Scottish Gaelic Christmas carol! My boys learned the song quickly and were able to sing it at our church on Christmas Eve! I am wondering if you could help with another adventure for my boys. The song “Jesus Loves Me” translated into Scottish Gaelic. If you are unable to help me with the song, I would be thrilled If you could help me with the phrases Jesus Loves Me , Jesus Loves You and God is Love, in Scottish Gaelic. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here are the lyrics to the song. Thank you! Sheila Galbreath
“Jesus Loves Me”
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Jesus take this heart of mine
Make it pure and holy thine
On the cross you died for me
I will try to live for Thee
Sheila, I’m very glad that was helpful to you! I will check to see if anyone in the Gaelic community has translated the song “Jesus Loves Me” into Gaelic. In the meantime, “God is love” is “Is gràdh Dia” (on the example of 1 John 4:8 in the Gaelic Bible). The other two expressions I will check on, since they are not Bible verses with a cut-and-dried answer. There are multiple ways to say those things, with different connotations and constructions, and you would want the most Biblically correct one. I’ll follow up with you here when I have some more answers for you!
I just found out I am 36% Scot/Irish. I would love to learn the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic. I am an Orthodox Christian. In our Parrish anyone with heritage in another country my read the prayer aloud in that language. With the lock down at home here in Nevada. I have lots of time.
Thank you for the help with the phrases Emily! I did get help in finding this Scottish Gaelic Translation of “Jesus Loves Me.” The sweet man who wrote it out said that it probably isn’t a good signing version. I have no way of knowing until I can hear the words being spoken or sung. Do you know of, or could you direct me to where I could type this in to hear what it sounds like?
Thank you for posting the words below. I would say this is a pretty accurate word-for-word translation. Unfortunately while it is accurate in meaning, it doesn’t match up in the slightest with the tune of the English original, nor does it have a good Gaelic rhythm to it. The syllables don’t fit the notes. So the person who wrote it out for you is correct, it’s not a good singing version.
This is a common challenge when translating songs. As I explain in my book The Scottish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook, there are two main types of translation, known generally as “word-for-word” and “sense-for-sense.” Word-for-word or “literal” translation follows the form of the source language as closely as possible, even if it sounds unusual in the target language (and that’s what this song is like). On the other hand, sense-for-sense or “free” translation tries to create an overall equivalent meaning in the target language, even if words and expressions with meanings different from the source language must be used to achieve this. Although these two concepts represent different goals in translation, you can think of them as two ends of a continuum. Most translations are found somewhere along that continuum in terms of how faithful they are to the source text. There is no such thing as a true or perfect translation of a written text.
In regard to hearing how it sounds, there is a Gaelic text-to-speech tool by a Scottish company called CereProc. The Android device version is free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cereproc.Ceitidh. I’m not able to record a video of it at this time — too many other projects on the go! In 2018 I will be recording pronunciation videos to go with the Scottish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook (incidentally it includes a whole section of religious and spiritual words and phrases).
So far I’ve checked with two fluent Gaelic speakers in Scotland and they were not aware of any usable Gaelic translations of “Jesus Loves Me” (it’s an American song in origin). I’m checking with someone here in Nova Scotia as well, who has done Gaelic hymn translations in the past. Will get back to you asap. If you haven’t heard from me then feel free to drop me a line through the “Contact” page on the blog (in the menu at the top).
Thanks again for your help! I will be sure to contact you if I don’t hear anything. I just ordered your book. I can’t wait to get it!
Also, when you have time, can you listen to this version of “The Little Drummer Boy” and tell me if she is singing this in Scottish Gaelic?
http://youtu.be/KQM0DDwTy4k
That version of The Little Drummer Boy is in Irish (not Scottish Gaelic). It’s very pretty though! (And thank you so much for ordering my book! Mìle taing!)
By the way, “Duan Nollaig” by Fiona MacKenzie is a lovely album of Scottish Gaelic Christmas music (affiliate link).
Tha gaol aig Iosa orm
Tha gaol aig Iosa orm, tha ‘fhiosam air seo
oir tha am Bìoball ‘ga innse dhomh.
Tha a h-uile pàiste òg a ‘buntainn ris,
tha iad lag ach tha Esan laidir.
séisd:
Tha e fìor, tha gaol aig Iosa orm
Tha am Bìoball ‘ga innse dhomh.
Tha gaol aig Iosa orm, Esan ‘fhuair bàs
gus geata Nèamh a’dh’fhosgladh mòr.
Is Esan nigheas air falbh mo pheacadh
‘s E leigeil leis a phàiste tighinn a-steach.
séisd
Tha gaol aig Iosa orm, fhathast tha gaol,
ge b’e gle lag is tinn mi ‘s euslaint orm.
Bho’n an rìgh-chathar boillsgeadh aige urard
thig E gus coimhead orm far am bi mi nam’ laighe.
The Lord’s Prayer is also in Am Leabhar na h-Urnaigh Coitchionn, the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1881), but the wording is a little different:
AR n-Athair a ta air neamh,
Naomhaichear d’ Ainm;
Thigeadh do rioghachd;
Deanar do thoil air an talamh,
mar a tha t-ar a deanamh air neamh:
Thoir dhuinn an diugh ar n-aran lathail;
Agus maith dhuinn ar ciontainnean,
mar a mhaitheas sinne dhoibbsan
a ta ciontachadh ‘n ar n-aghaidh
Agus na leig am buaireadh sinn,
Ach saor sinn o olc. Amen.
It would be awesome if one of your examples could recite this version! I’m also interested on your comments on the different wording choices between this and other versions.
Hi Emily, My father taught me a Gaelic prayer when I was small, unfortunately he died young, and I can only remember it vaguely. I would love to find it and teach it to my children and grandchildren. It began ‘O Thighearna’ which I know is ‘Oh God’
The rest I can only give you as an english pronunciation. APOLOGIES!!!! ‘Gyem trork arama’ ‘Keta meeshay’ no ma fechel bock’ ‘eskarliest’ Amen
Apparently the words mean something like oh lord I am a sinner please forgive me amen
I would love the correct words to this, if you can help it would be appreciated. Thank you
Margaret,
Thank you for posting this! I see your email is from New Zealand. Where was your father from in Scotland? Did he emigrate to New Zealand?
I’ve had a word with my friend Duncan Sneddon and we think this is probably what the original prayer was (or very close):
O Thighearna [or ‘A Thighearna’]
Guidheam tròcair orm [or ‘ormas’ as a dialect form of ‘ormsa’?]
Ged tha mise na mo pheacach bochd
Air sgàth Ìosa [or Ìosa Chrìosd?]
Amen
O Lord
I pray for your mercy [lit. I pray for mercy on me]
Although I am a poor sinner [or ‘a wretched sinner]
For Jesus’ sake [or possibly ‘for Jesus Christ’s sake’]
Amen