Quick translation help

[jrdioko]

I'm doing an assignment for class and I'm not going to try to conquer this sentence on my own. What's the smoothest way to say:

"It makes me happy/I'm happy to know that despite all the changes of life..."

It's a bit out of context I know, but that's just the part I need help with. Thanks in advance.

EDIT:
And just to throw in an extra challenge, we're trying to be poetic so... what is the above sentence in as close to 8 syllables as possible.

[PeterF]

Se tekee minut iloiseksi...is the first bit..
But the next bit..
Despite = huolimatta...
I am happy to know that= olen ilionen tietää että...
the bit that I am struggling with is "all the changes of life"
kaikkien elämän vaihtelut...Not sure..where are the Finns?

Edit...Se tekee minut iloiseksi ja olen iloinen kaikista elämän vaihteluista huolimatta.

But if you just want to be poetic..
Vaika is another word for "despite"...instead of huolimatta...It can also be shortened to "vaik" in speach.
Finnish song..
"Minun Kultani kaunis on, vailk on kaitaluinen::"
My GF is beautifull, despite the fact that she is as skinny as a bean pole!"

[jrdioko]

Another idea to make it easier/shorter... two more options:

"I'm happy to know that despite all this" (things mentioned earlier)
or
"I'm happy to know that through it all"

Thanks again.

[strawberry]

"Olen onnellinen tietäessäni, että huolimatta kaikesta tästä/siitä..."

Duh... Not easy to be poetic in Finnish..

"Kaiken kokemani jälkeenikin olen onnellinen..."

"Onnellisena voin todeta, että..." / "Onnellisena totean, että huolimatta..."
"Olen onnellinen huomatessani, että
"Olen onnellisen tietoinen (siitä, että)..."
"Elämänkokemuksista(ni?) huolimatta olen onnellinen, sillä..."

Oh boy... How's that? Take your pick or chop and choose...

[jrdioko]

Thanks for all the options. I'm not quite advanced enough to know the connotations of all those, but could I say something like "Onnellisena tiedän, että huolimatta..." while still sounding like "I'm happy to know"? The knowing is something that has existed over the course of time (not just being realized or found out), and I'm trying to say something along the lines of "Many things change," "Onnellisena tiedän, että huolimatta olet vielä ystäväni." Just a quick ystävänpäivän runo for a beginning class, but it would be nice to get something that at least makes sense. Suomea on aika vaikea. Kiitos!

EDIT:
Also, what's the difference between onnellinen and iloinen? How about "Iloisena tiedän, että huolimatta..."?

[GaffiGubbi]

Also, what's the difference between onnellinen and iloinen? How about "Iloisena tiedän, että huolimatta..."?

A good question. It's hard to explain, but iloinen is bit more informal(it's by no means any kind of slang and is still formal, but carries a more informal nuance than onnellinen) and can be used to describe a momentary feeling, while onnellinen is mostly used for a more permanent feeling.

Iloinen = happy, cheerful
"Olen iloisella tuulella tänään."(I am feeling happy today.)

Onnellinen = happy
"Olen onnellinen kaikesta mitä minulle on suotu."(I am happy for everything that has been bestowed upon me.)

Iloinen can also be used when describing permanent feelings(although onnellinen is much more suitable), but onnellinen doesn't sound very good in momentary situations. However, iloinen doesn't really fit in this situation, but I can't really explain why. Hopefully that helped.

[strawberry]

"Onnellisena tiedän, että huolimatta olet vielä ystäväni."

"Onnellisena tiedän, että kaikesta huolimatta olet vielä ystäväni" is possible but the "Onnellisena tiedän" sounds a wee bit incomplete... Dunno why. "Olen onnellinen tietäessäni" would actually sound more complete, however, is admittedly longer and less poetic. As said, your suggestion is possible, tho.

The difference between "onnellinen" and "iloinen" - a very good question! I never actually realised it was much the same word in English!! As GaffiGubbi said, the difference, however, is marked in that "onnellinen" is actually "happy" as in "happiness/content" etc.etc. It's a slightly more permanent state of mind whereas "iloinen" is more "cheerful". You can be "iloinen" one minute but "surullinen/pettynyt" the next as opposed to being "onnellinen" which tends to last a little bit longer... Well, not always but anyway.

Did that make any sense...??

[jrdioko]

One last try... it's hard to get this all in there and have it still sound like a poem.

Does "iloitsen, että" work, or does this still have the iloinen problems? In other words, can it just mean I'm cheerful/in a good mood because I'm thinking about this at the moment or does it imply "olet vielä ystäväni" isn't important or is only a temporary thing? Something like "Kaikesta huolimatta iloitsen, että olet vielä ystäväni" would fit nicely. If it does, are there any nice colloquial ways to abbreviate that? Can että go to et (iloitsen, et olet vielä ystäväni) without sounding like "et ole"? How about "Kaikest huolima iloitse"?

Kiitos vielä kerran.

[Hank W.]

OK, I'll try to make a mental image:

"iloitsen" is more or less "I rejoice" ~ conveys you're jumping up and down like a preacher in a church like James Brown in Blues Brothers. I SEE THE LIGHT...

I'd use "onnellinen"

And don't abbreviate, you don't want to convey nuances you don't know, and written Finnish is book Finnish always. Spoken is different.

[jrdioko]

The mental image worked very well. I'll figure out some onnellinen thing. Thanks all again for your help.

[kalmisto]

>> Kaikesta huolimatta iloitsen, että olet vielä ystäväni. <<

I would say it like this: "Kaikesta huolimatta olen onnellinen siitä, että olet vielä ystäväni."

It is diffcult to make it poetic.