Here's to me, and here's to you...

...and here's to love and laughter,
I'll be true as long as you,
and not one minute after.

By way of preparing for my sister's wedding this coming weekend I've been looking up Irish toasts and wedding toasts, particularly ones in Gaeilge (i.e. Irish Gaelic). We're a thirsty and a wordy bunch, so I figured best be prepared. I'll probably pass on the one above though - kind of a downer for a wedding. Anyhoo, here are some of the Gaeilge ones I've found...

Sliocht sleachta ar shliocht bhur sleachta
May there be a generation of children on the children of your children

Slainte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo
Health to the men, and may the women live forever

Slainte go saol agat,
Bean ar do mhian agat,
Leanbh gach blian agat,
is solas na bhflaitheas tareis antsail seo agat.
Health for life to you,
A wife of your choice to you,
Land without rent to you,
A child every year to you,
And the light of heaven after this world for you.

Croi follain agus gob fliuch
A healthy heart and a wet mouth

Go maire sibh bhur saol nua
May you enjoy your new life

Since the only I thing I know how to pronounce properly in Irish is 'kiss my ass', I had to go and dig up some sort of pronunciation guide so I'll at least have a prayer of speaking the above properly. If anyone does know to say 'em, drop me a line. Anyhoo, just in case, I dug some Irish toasts in plain ole English...

May those who love us love us.
And those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we’ll know them by their limping.

May the blessings of light be upon you,
Light without and light within.
And in all your comings and goings,
May you ever have a kindly greeting
From them you meet along the road.

May I see you grey, and combing your grandchildren’s hair.

During my rambles across the net, I came across this translation of ancient Gaeilge blessing (presented only in English). I kind of took a shine to it - perhaps because of the vivid images and the way it seems as much an invocation of older powers as a blessing. I can easily imagine an Ollamh (i.e. bard) reciting the same verses hundreds of years ago in Ireland.

May the blessing of Light be on you, light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart 'till it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it,
and also a friend.

And may the light shine out of the two eyes of you like a candle set in two windows of a house, bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of the rain be on you -- the soft sweet rain. May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up and shed their sweetness on the air.

And may the blessing of the Great Rains be on you. May they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there many a shining pool where the blue of heaven shines reflected -- and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the Earth be on you -- the great round earth; may you ever have a kindly greeting for them to pass as you're going along the roads.
May the earth be soft under you when you lay upon it, tired at the end of the day, and may it rest easy over you when at last you lay out under it. May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be quickly through it, and up, and off, and on its way to God.