Why do these keep happening? It pains me every time that I see it and I feel that I have a moral obligation to hunt these people down and inform them of their tragic mistake. The following tattoo I found using the new PanImages service (which is really neat if you have some time to try it):
[source: BME Zine]
(For the purposes of this Blog, I am using this image under the doctrine of Fair Use.)
A gorgeous tattoo. Love the lilies. However from the original webpage, the anonymous owner of this tattoo believes that their text says “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.”
This kills me…
…In reality it is jibberish.
The “inscription” reads:
ܕ
d
(jibberish)
ܨ
ts
(jibberish)
ܐ
‘
(jibberish)
ܟܕ
kad
(= “when”)
ܕ
d
(jibberish)
ܙ
z
(jibberish)
ܥܐ
`a’
(jibberish)
ܟܐ
ka
(jibberish)
ܣܐ
sa
(jibberish)
ܓܣܕ
gasad
(jibberish)
ܓܣܕ
gasad
(jibberish)
ܕ
d
(jibberish)
ܨ
ts
(jibberish)
ܐ
‘
(jibberish)
ܟܕ
kad
(= “when”)
ܕ
d
(jibberish)
ܙ
z
(jibberish)
ܥܐ
`a’
(jibberish)
ܟܐ
ka
(jibberish)
ܣܐ
sa
(jibberish)
ܓܣܕ
gasad
(jibberish)
ܓܣܕ
gasad
(jibberish)
You can see why I am distraught…
Please please please please please, before getting an Aramaic tattoo, send it into Information@AramaicDesigns.com so it can be double-checked for accuracy. It’s an anonymous public service that we offer completely pro-bono, and is also a personal legacy of mine to stop things like this from happening.
Peace,
-Steve
I really don’t think it does the tatooed individual any service to reveal to them their mistake- they are likely insulated from any one actually fluent in Arabic and they could go on living peacefully if you didn’t feel the need to be pedantic
(though it certainly was foolish for them to not research it themselves)
oh man! thats awesome.
i did a similar one of people who got idiotic Arabic tattoos a while back. http://joshberer.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/awful-arabic-tattoos/
I Have seen various supposidly correct Chinese tattoos saying ” Fish & Chips Twice” and Mines a pint