Ho! Ho! Ho! Tis the season to take a look a bitesized look at how to say ‘Father Christmas is coming tonight!’ in Irish.
Tá Daidí na Nollag ag teacht anocht! /Thaw Da-dee nuh Null-ug eg takth a-nukth/
Here’s how to say ‘He bag will be full to the brim with presents’:
Beidh a mhála lán go béal le bronntanais /Beg a vaw-la lawn guh bee-ul/bay-ul leh brun-than-ish/
The children are very excited. Here’s how to say it in Irish:
Tá sceitimíní an domhain ar na páistí/Thaw skeh-tim-een-ee un dow-inn air nuh paw-ish-tee/
In Irish the word or term that we use to talk about excitement or being excited varies depending on context. Here we are using the pluaral noun sceitimíní /skeh-tim-een-ee/ paired with the preposition ar /air/ (meaning ‘on’). In Irish we talk of impermanent physical and emotional states, such as hunger, fatigue and joy, as being ‘on’ a person.
Santa lives in the North Pole, Sooner him than me (I’m feeling the cold today!) Here’s how to say ‘Santa live in the North Pole’:
Tá cónaí ar Dhaidí na Nollag Sa Mhol Thuaidh /Thaw khone-ee air Ya-dee nuh Null-ug suh Vull Hoo-ig /
How will he get to your house?
Eitleoidh sé timpeall na cruinne ina charr sleamhnáin /Et-lo-ig shay teem-pul nuh krin-eh in-a khorr shlow-naw-inn/
He will fly around the world in his sleigh.
Here we are using the verb to fly, eitil /eh-til/, in the future tense. The Irish for sleigh is carr sleamhnáin /khorr shlow-naw-inn/ (‘slide-car’).
Traditionally we speak of Father Christmas having 9 reindeer. The original 8 were first named in the poem ‘A Visit From St. Nicholas’ that was published anonymously in 1923 but which is generally credited to Clement Clarke Moore (Rudolf came to fame in the 20th Century). In his translation of the poem the writer and publisher Darach Ó Scolaí gives us some lovely versions of the reindeers’ names in Irish, which I have used here. The title of his translation is ‘Cuairt San Nioclás’, and you can find out more about it (and listen to a fine reading of the poem by Ros na Rún actor Macdara Ó Fátharta) on the Leabhar Breac website.
‘Here’s how to say Father Christmas has nine reindeer..’ and name them (Rudolf, Blixem, Dunder, Vixen, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Dasher and Prancer) in Irish!
Tá naoi réinfhia ag Daidí na Nollag.. Rúdolf, Tintreach, Toirneach, Ruóg, Radaire, Cóiméad, Cúipid, Ruagaire agus Preabaire /Thaw nay rayn-ee-a eg Da-dee nuh Null-ug.. Roo-dolf, Tin-trukh, Thaw-ir-nukh, Roo-owg, Rodd-ir-ih, Koh-may-add, Koo-ip-id, Roo-ag-irr-eh agus Prra-bir-eh/
Nollaig shona, a chara, and make sure to be in bed early on Christmas Eve!