POPULAR PROVERBS
I. Kerry (from Mr. Deane):—Is fiú an suaiṁneas é a ċeannaċ, peace is worth pur- chasing. An té ḃiḋeann ’na ḋroċ-ṡeir- ḃíseaċ dó féin, biḋeann sé ’na ṡeirḃíseaċ maiṫ do’n duine eile, a bad servant to him- self is often a good servant to another. Ní ḟaġann an síor-iarraiḋe aċt an síor-eiteaċ, a constant beggar gets a constant refusal (perhaps an tsíor-iarraiḋ, constant beg- ging?) Taḃair-se ḋamsa, agus béidir féin ad’óinsig, give to me, and you yourself will be a fool. Ní h-eaḋ i gcoṁnuiḋe ḃiḋeann Doṁnall Buiḋe d’a ṗósaḋ, ná cóir aige air. Is fearr greim ioná buille, better a grip than a blow. Céiliocán fada agus uireasḃa bróg, ḋeineann críona an t-ao óg, a long fast and want of shoes make young folk sensible. Cuir ’sa ċóṁra é, agus ġeoḃaiḋ tú gnó de, put it in the chest and you will find a use for it. Múinfiḋ a ġnó duine, a man’s business will give him an education. Nuair ḃiḋeann an raṫ ort féin, biḋeann sé air do ċuid, if you yourself are lucky, all your affairs will be lucky. Má’s maiṫ in aon ċor iad, is maiṫ in éinḟeaċt iad, if they are good at all, they are good together.
II. Clare (from Mr. Brady, Ruan):—Is treise dúṫċas ioná oileaṁaint, Nature is stronger than rearing (training). An rud ná goidtear, faġtar, what is not stolen is found. Ní ḃailiġeann an ċloċ-reaṫa a cúnaċ, the rolling-stone gathers no moss. (Cúnnaċ in Book of Lismore; usually caonaċ.) Is geal leis an ḃfiaċ-duḃ a ġeareaċ féin, the raven thinks its young one fair. Ní ḃiḋeann an sonas gan an donas in orlaiġiḃ tríḋ, there's no happiness without some misery (lit. misery in inches) through it.
III. Kerry (Mr. Lynch, Kilmakerin):— Is furusda fuine in aice na mine, it is easy to make bread (knead) near the meal. Is leor ó Ṁór a díċeall, enough (= you can only expect) from Mor is her best. An madra ruaḋ i mbun na gcearc, the fox in charge of the hens. Is minic ṫáinic bromaċ giobalaċ ċum ḃeiṫ ’na ġearrán ċumasaċ, often a rough colt became a powerful horse. Tuigeann gaċ aoinne’ a ḃalḃán féin, every- one can understand his own “dummy.” Fiaḋnaise an ġiolla ḃreagaiġ a ḃean, the witness (to the truth) of the lying man is his wife. Is buan fear ’na ḋúṫaiġ féin, a man is lasting (strong) in his own country. Is fearr lán-duirn d’ḟear ioná lán-gaid de ṁnaoi, a fist full of a man is better than a gad-full of a woman. Is fearr an troid ioná an t-uaigneas, better strife than soli- tude. Ní ualaċ do’n ḟear a ḃrat, ní ualaċ do’n eaċ a ṡrian, ní ualaċ do’n ċaora a lomra, ní ualaċ do’n ċolainn a ċiall, no load to a man is his garment, nor to the [ 248 ]steed his bridle, to the sheep its fleece, to the body its reason. (The Connaught version is better: ní truimide fear a ḃrat, ní t. eaċ a ṡrian, ní t. c. a lomra, ní t. c. ciall, not heavier is a man for his garment, etc. Sometimes the first line is, ní truimide an loċ an laċa, not heavier is the lake for the duck (that floats in it). Is feirrde an teaċtaire mall druidim ’na ċoinne, the slow messenger will be better if you go meet him. Ní féidir an rud ḟaġḃáil aċ mar a mbiḋeann sé, you can’t find a thing except in the place it is. Is mairg ṫugas droiċ-ṁeas do’n óige, woe to him who gives bad example to youth.
IV. Some old Gaelic Hymns from Beara, S.W. Cork Mr. P. O'Leary.
A. When “raking” the fire at night, the following is said:—
Coiglim an teine so mar ċoigleann Críost
cáċ,
Muire ar ḋá ċeann an tiġe, a’s Briġde in
a lár,
Gaċ a ḃfuil d’aingliḃ ’s de naoṁaiḃ i
gcaṫair na ngrás
Ag cosaint ’s ag coimeád luċt an tiġe so
go lá.
I rake (lit. spare) this fire as Christ spares (us) all
Mary (be) on the two gables of the house, Brigid in its
middle
(May) all the angels and saints in the city of graces
(Be) defending and keeping the folk of this house till day.
Two other versions of the above, collected in the Arann Islands, were printed in the Tuam News some years ago, and Mr. O’Flaherty has a fourth version.
B. A Ṁuire, a ġeal-ṁáṫair, mo ṁíle
gráḋ ṫú!
A’s mo ṁór-ċoḃair ċonganta as linn
gaċ gátair,
Mo ḃan-liaiġ léiġis, tinn a’s slán, ṫú,
A’s m’ urraḋ breaġ beannuiġṫe i
gcaṫair na ngrás ṫú.
Mary, bright Mother, my thousand loves art thou; my great help and (of) aid from every time of distress; my healing physicianess, in sickness and health, art thou; and my (fine) blessed support in the city of graces.
V. Proverbs sent by Mr. Lloyd:—
Is feárr fuiġeall an ṁadaiḋ ’ná fuiġeall an ṁagaiḋ (Armagh).
This refers to the extreme sensitiveness of the native Irish to ridicule.
Dearc roime leat so’ má (sol má) léimfiḋ tú (Louth), ... sol a ... (Armagh).
Aṁairc sol má léimfiḋ tú (Armagh).
Feuċ roṁat sol a léimfir (Cork).
Aṁairc sol má luḃraiḋ (laḃairfiḋ) ṫú, choose before you speak. (Armagh).
Is coṁgaraiġe (no foisge) caḃair Dé ’ná an doras (Armagh).
’Sé deireaḋ gaċ luiġe (luinge) a báṫaḋ,
’Sé deireaḋ gaċ áiṫe a losgaḋ,
’Sé deireaḋ gaċ cuirme a cáineaḋ,
’Sé deireaḋ gaċ gáire osnaḋ (Armagh).
[An older version is often found on the margins of Irish manuscripts:—
Tosaċ luinge clár, tosaċ aiṫe cloċa,
Tosaċ flaṫa fáilte, tosaċ sláinte codlaḋ,
Deireaḋ luinge báṫaḋ, deiraḋ aiṫe losgaḋ,
Deireaḋ flaṫa cáineaḋ, deireaḋ sláinte osna.
The beginning of a ship (is) a plank; of a kiln, stones; of a prince (i.e., preparation for his coming), welcome; of health, sleep. The end of a ship (is) drowning; of a kiln, burning; of a prince (i.e., after his departure), fault-finding; of health, a sigh.—E. O’G.]
Mar ġeall air féin ġaḃas an cat luċóg (Armagh).
Fuaraiġ sol a n-ólfaiḋ tú (Armagh).
Cruṫuiġeann sé go maiṫ an té ċruṫuiġeas go sciobṫa (Galway and Mayo).
He acts well who acts quickly.
Níor ḋóirt donóg mórán ariaṁ (donóg, a stingy, miserly woman, Galway).
She never spilt much, because she never went near filling the glass.
Tá na fataiḋe do-ḃainte, do-ṗiuċta,
Do-niġte, do-ċurṫa síos;
Tá an ṁóin ar an b-portaċ,
Agus an pota leigion ṫríd (Galway).
Is ionann le ċéile an baillséire ’s a ġiolla, the botched job, and he that botched it, are well-matched (Galway). Baillséire, any job that is badly done: cf. baileaḃar, a mess or botched job (Armag); e.g. rinn sé baileaḃar ḋe, he made a mess of it. [In Connacht and parts of Ulster, baileaḃar=“a show,” rinne sé b. ḋíom.—E. O’G.]
A ċonáċ sin ort, mar duḃairt Seáġan Muiṁneaċ le n-a ṁáṫair, ⁊ ní raiḃ sí lá tí (ní) b'ḟeárr ó ṡoin (Mayo).
Béiḋ gaċ dream d’a dtiocfaiḋ ag dul i mine a’s i mbreugaiġe,
A’s gaċ am d’a dtiocfaiḋ ag dul i ḃfliuiċe a’s i ndéiḋionaiġe (Béara, Co. Cork).
Another Version
I dtosaċ na h-aicíde is féidir a léiġeas (Kerry).
This is the equivalent of the English proverb, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
Ní’l ins an saoġal so aċt tréiṁse mí-
áḋṁar,
A’s ní’l cuntas (no fios) ag éinne(aċ) ar
ó ’ndé go dtí ’máraċ (Munster).
Tá sé ag borraḋ ’s ag at
Ar nós na gcat (West Cork).
Is éasgaiḋe an neoin ’ná an ṁaidin, the evening is “cheerier” than the morning, i.e., it is better to make preparations for a journey the night before than to leave them till the morning of the day of setting out (Armagh).