What sort of phrase are you looking for? Is it for a tattoo, personalised jewellery or commemorative? We have compiled a few lists of common phrases you can choose from.
If you are looking for single words, which would fit easier onto pendants and other jewellery, have a look at our list of Most Popular Ogham Words.
When people get ogham tattoos and personalised jewellery, they are mostly using phrases in the modern Irish language (aka modern Irish Gaelic) as opposed to Primitive Irish, which was traditionally used.
Modern Irish Phrases
Below is a list of the most common Irish phrases, sayings and blessings people often transcribe into ogham.
| English | Irish | Ogham (click to enlarge) |
|---|---|---|
| be true to yourself | bí dílis duit féin | ᚁᚔ ᚇᚔᚂᚔᚄ ᚇᚒᚔᚈ ᚃᚓᚔᚅ |
| Erin go Bragh | Éirinn go Brách | ᚓᚔᚏᚔᚅᚅ ᚌᚑ ᚁᚏᚐᚉᚆ |
| forever in our hearts | inár gcroí go deo | ᚔᚅᚐᚏ ᚌᚉᚏᚑᚔ ᚌᚑ ᚇᚓᚑ |
| home is where the heart is | níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin | ᚅᚔᚂ ᚐᚑᚅ ᚈᚔᚅᚈᚓᚐᚅ ᚋᚐᚏ ᚇᚑ ᚈᚆᚔᚅᚈᚓᚐᚅ ᚃᚓᚔᚅ |
| I love you | tá mé i ngrá leat | ᚈᚐ ᚋᚓ ᚔ ᚍᚏᚐ ᚂᚓᚐᚈ |
| I'll love you forever | beidh grá agam duit go deo | ᚁᚓᚔᚇᚆ ᚌᚏᚐ ᚐᚌᚐᚋ ᚇᚒᚔᚈ ᚌᚑ ᚇᚓᚑ |
| love of my heart | grá mo chroí | ᚌᚏᚐ ᚋᚑ ᚉᚆᚏᚑᚔ |
| love forever | grá go deo | ᚌᚏᚐ ᚌᚑ ᚇᚓᚑ |
| live and let live | ceart dom ceart duit | ᚉᚓᚐᚏᚈ ᚇᚑᚋ ᚉᚓᚐᚏᚈ ᚇᚒᚔᚈ |
| nothing lasts forever | ní thugann aon rud ach seal | ᚅᚔ ᚈᚆᚒᚌᚐᚅᚅ ᚐᚑᚅ ᚏᚒᚇ ᚐᚉᚆ ᚄᚓᚐᚂ |
| pulse of my heart | a chuisle mo chroí | ᚐ ᚉᚆᚒᚔᚄᚂᚓ ᚋᚑ ᚉᚆᚏᚑᚔ |
| soul mate | anamchara | ᚐᚅᚐᚋᚉᚆᚐᚏᚐ |
| stay true | fan dílis | ᚃᚐᚅ ᚇᚔᚂᚔᚄ |
| strength and honor | neart agus onóir | ᚅᚓᚐᚏᚈ ᚐᚌᚒᚄ ᚑᚅᚑᚔᚏ |
| until the end of time | go deo na ndeor | ᚌᚑ ᚇᚓᚑ ᚅᚐ ᚅᚇᚓᚑᚏ |
| you are my chosen one | is tú mo rogha | ᚔᚄ ᚈᚒ ᚋᚑ ᚏᚑᚌᚆᚐ |
Primitive Irish Phrases
Ogham is an alphabet which was traditionally used to write the Primitive Irish language, the earliest known form of Gaelic.
There are around 400 remaining ogham inscriptions across Ireland and parts of Britain dating from around 1,600 years ago, the vast majority of which consist of names commemorating a person as a cenotaph, tombstone, or documenting land ownership.
For that reason, there aren’t a huge amount of Primitive Irish sayings or phrases inscribed in ogham from that era on record.
However, a small amount of inscriptions give us a taste of the kind of society that existed back then. These phrases are taken from actual ogham inscriptions and are about as genuine as you can get!
| English | Irish | Ogham (click to enlarge) |
|---|---|---|
| hound/wolf | CUNA | ᚉᚒᚅᚐ |
| prince of wolves | CUNAMAGLI | ᚉᚒᚅᚐᚋᚐᚌᚂᚔ |
| champion of wolves | CUNANETAS | ᚉᚒᚅᚐᚅᚓᚈᚐᚄ |
| man of battle | CATTUVVIRR | ᚉᚐᚈᚈᚒᚃᚃᚔᚏᚏ |
| wise and pure | GATTAGLAN | ᚌᚐᚈᚈᚐᚌᚂᚐᚅ |
| alive like fire | BIVAIDONAS | ᚁᚔᚃᚐᚔᚇᚑᚅᚐᚄ |
| son of rowan | MAQI-CARATTINN | ᚋᚐᚊᚔ-ᚉᚐᚏᚐᚈᚈᚔᚅᚅ |
| son of hazel | MAQVI QOLI | ᚋᚐᚊᚃᚔ ᚊᚑᚂᚔ |
| born of yew | IVOGENI | ᚔᚃᚑᚌᚓᚅᚔ |
| born of raven | BRANOGENI | ᚁᚏᚐᚅᚑᚌᚓᚅᚔ |
| fair-headed | VENDUBARI | ᚃᚓᚅᚇᚒᚁᚐᚏᚔ |
| curly headed one | CASONI | ᚉᚐᚄᚑᚅᚔ |
| one who is blind | DALAGNI | ᚇᚐᚂᚐᚌᚅᚔ |
| one with an elegant eye | DERCMASOC | ᚇᚓᚏᚉᚋᚐᚄᚑᚉ |
| bald/short haired one | MAILAGNI | ᚋᚐᚔᚂᚐᚌᚅᚔ |