PROVERBS.
Galway:—Is naṁaid an ċeird gan a foġluim, a trade not learned is an enemy. Ní’l amadán ar biṫ gan a ċiall féin, there is no fool who has not his own kind of sense. Líontar an sac lé póiríniḃ, a sack can be filled even with poreens (small refuse potatoes). Is fearr leaṫ ioná meaṫ, one (sound) half is better than a deceased whole (crop). Tá ’ċ euil ḟear go láġaċ go dtéiḋ bó ’na ġarrḋa, everyone is affable until a cow goes into his garden. Té buailtear ’san mullaċ, biḋeann faitċíos air, the man struck in the skull is (afterwards) afraid (cautious). Ní h-iad na fir ṁóra a ḃaineas an foġṁar, it is not the big men who reap all the harvest. Tíoġḃas na píġne, a’s dul i muḋa na sgillinge, economy of a penny, loss of a shilling (= penny wise, pound foolish). This word, tíoġḃas, the older, tíġeas, is still used in that form in Munster; as ag déanaṁ an tíġis, housekeeping. Níor ḋúin Dia beárna naċ ḃfoisgleoċaḋ sé bearna, God never closed a gap, that He would not open a gap. Ní ḃiḋeann feur na ceud-ċoda buiḋeaċ ná díoṁbuiḋeaċ, the man who gets the first share is neither thankful (satisfied) or unthankful. Ag tuilleaḋ is ag tráġaḋ, ’seaḋ ċaiṫeann sé an lá, flowing and ebbing, it spends the day. Is mairg ġniḋeas an t-olc, ’s a ḃiḋeas go boċt ’na ḋiaiḋ, miserable is he who does evil, and who is poor after it. Is dána muc ioná gaḃar, aċt ṡáruiġ bean an diaḃal, a pig is more impudent than a goat, but a woman surpasses all. I ḃfad uainn an anaċain, may evil keep away from us.
Cork (Seandún):—Mol an óige a’s tiocfaiḋ sí, praise youth, and it will come—a reproof to unkind people. Is mó croiceann a ċuireas an óige ḋí, many a skin does youth cast off. Ní ṫagann ciall rime (roiṁe) aois, sense comes not before full age. Both proverbs mean that young people will become wiser as they grow older. Is luaċṁar an niḋ an óige, do’n té ċuireann í ar fóġnaṁ, a precious thing is youth to him who puts it to good use. Is olc a ṫéiḋeann deireaḋ fir ċnáide, a giber ends badly; or, is olc an ċríoċ a ḃeireann [ 39 ]ar ḟear cnáide, bad is the end which over- takes the giber. Ní ḃiḋeann triúg gan adḃar, no occurrence (this word is not known to me—Ed) is without a cause. Tart ar ḃruaċ sroṫa, thirst on the brink of a stream = a desire about to be gratified.
Cork (Kingwilliamstown):—Ní’l sprid (spioraid) ná púca gan ḟios a ċúise féin, there is not a ghost or pooka that does not know its own history. Biḋeann duine ina leanḃ ḋá uair, man is twice a child. Is dóiṫ le fear na buile gur ab é féin fear na céille, the madman thinks that himself is the sane man. Ní h-iad na mna deasa ċuireann pota ar fiuċaḋ, it is not beauty (pretty women) boil the pot. Duine gan dínnéir, beirt gan suipéir, one without dinner is as bad as two without supper. Is fearr an té ċuireann aitinn ar cloiḋ ioná an té ċurieann caisleán san gcoill, better is he who plants whins in a dyke, than he who builds a castle in a wood.
West Clare:—Is trom í an ċearc i ḃfad, at a distance a hen looks heavy (= hills are green far away). Ní do’n aḃras an ċeud- ṡnáiṫe, the first thread is not part of the yarn. (Cp. the Connemara ḃeiṫ aig iar- raiḋ aḃrais ar ṗuicide, looking for yarn on a goat). Gaċ neaċ ag toċras ar a ċeirtlín féin, everyone is winding-in his own ball (consulting for his own interests). Is beag an ṁaiṫ an ḃó an tan ḋóirteas sí a cuid bainne, little good is the cow when she spills her milk. Is fearr súil le beul an ċuain, ioná súil le beul na h-uaġa, it is better to have hopes (of return of friends) from the mouth of the sea, than from the mouth of the grave. (Other versions, is fearr súil le muir ioná súil le h-úir (= clay); is fearr súil le glas (prison) ioná súil le h-uaiġ). Nuair a ṫeiḋeann an gaḃar go h-ursain, ní h-áil leis go dtéiḋ go h-altóir (= get an inch an take an ell), lit., when the goat goes (= is allowed to go) as far as the porch, he is not satisfied until he goes up to altar (front seat). Is minic do ḃain bean slat do ḃailfeaḋ í féin, often did a woman pull a rod which would beat herself. Is dána é an madraḋ i ndoras a ṫiġe féin, the dog is bold when standing in the doorway of his own house. Ní fearr Éire ioná a luaċ, nothing (lit., not even Ireland) is better, worth more, than its value. Ní ḟanann muir le fear ualaiġ, the sea does not wait for a man with a cargo. Iomarcaiḋ ban i dtiġ gan aḃras, nó iomar- caiḋ capall i mbaile gan treaḃaireaċt, too many women in a house without yarn (household work), or (is the same as) too many horses in a place without ploughing. Ní feoil putóg, agus ní bainne bláṫaċ, a “pudding” is not meat, and buttermilk is not (mere) milk. An uair raċair ag mar- ḃaḋ do ṁaṫar, marḃ í, age quod agis, lit., when you go to kill your mother, kill her. Ní fearr iomarcaiḋ de’n léiġeann ioná fá n-a ḃun, too much learning is not better than too little (than under it). Two of doubtful meaning:—is fearr suiḋe i mbun na cruaiḋe ioná suiḋe in a h-áit, cf. is fearr suiḋe ’na aice ioná suiḋe ’na ionad. Is beag an rud (or, is beag rud?) is buaine ioná an duine.
Kerry.—Cúngraċ tiġe, cúngraċ croiḋe, cúngraċ biḋ trí anacra móra; narrowness of house, n. of hear, n. of food (some say corcáin, no. of the pot for cooking), three great evils. Níor ṁoṫuiġ an sáṫaċ sáṁ an t-ocraċ riaṁ, the contented, well-fed man never felt for the hungry man, cp., ní ṫui- geann an sáṫaċ an sreang. Ní féasta gan róstaḋ, ní céastar go bpóstar, no feast is without a roast piece, no real torment is ex- perienced until marriage. Ní biaḋ bainne, ní bainne bláṫaċ; ní feoil putóg aċt déanaiḋ sásaṁ, they satisfy us. Is fearr an ṁaiṫ a déantar ’s a maoiḋtear, ioná an ṁaiṫ ná déantar agus ná maoiḋtear, the good that is done an boasted of, is better than what is undone and unboasted of. [ 40 ]Doubtful:—ní maiṫ leis na mnáiḃ deall- ṁa (?) an bláṫaċ.
Collected by Mr. Bushe—
Ní ḟanann tuile, tráṫ, na glaoḋaċ ó Ḋia le aoinneaċ, tide, time, or a call from God, wait for no one.
Ní ṫig leis an ngobadán an dá ṫráiġ ḟreasdail, the gubbadhaun (some shore bird) cannot attend to ṫe two strands at once.
Tá an fear ċoṁ cleasaċ agus ċoṁ tlá sin go gcuirfeaḋ sé cosa faoi ċuileógaiḃ (no cosa croinn faoi na cearcaiḃ), the man is that “classical” (tricky) and that plausi- ble, that he would put feet under flies (Meath), or wooden legs under the hens (Galway).
’Nuair a fáiġte cú, ní fáiġte fiaḋ, when a hound is found, a deer is not forthcoming (= faġ-tear).
An rud ċoinneoġas an fuaċt amaċ, coin- neóġaiḋ sé an teas, what keeps out the cold will keep out the heat.
An fear naċ n-iomċrann a ċóta inn lá breáġ, ní ḃiḋeann sé aige inn lá fliuċ, ná fuar, the man who does not carry his coat on a fine day, is without it on a wet or cold day.
Tá mé idir breac agus riaḃaċ mar a ḃiḋeans na fraganna ins an ḃfóġṁar, I am between bracket and brown (grey?), as the frogs are in harvest.
Aċ maiseaḋ! Tá tú an-aisdeaċ, mar an tsean-ḃean a d’aiṫin a cuid salainn féin ar ḃroċán a coṁarsan, well, but you are very clever, like the old woman who recog- nized her own salt in her neighbour’s gruel.
Duine ar biṫ a ḃiḋeans a’magaḋ faoi ḋuine eile, biḋeann a leaṫ faoi ḟéin, when any one makes game of another, the half of it tells against himself.
Is milis an faiḋirín an tsláinte, agus is searḃ an rud a ḃeiṫ gan í, health is a plea- sant “fairing” (boon), and it is a bitter thing to be without it.
Is mac duit do ṁac go bpóstar é, aċt is inġean duit d’inġean go dteiḋiḋ sí ’sa gcré, your son is your son till he is married, but your daughter is your daughter until she goes to the grave.
Ċoṁ gnaiṫeaċ le sean-ḃean ar aonaċ, as busy as an old woman at a fair.
Leiṫ-ṗiġinn cloċ-ḃuin puint, a halfpenny is the foundation stone of a pound.
O’n Doċtúir Pádraig O’Róiġin. “Is maiṫ liom a ráḋ go dtaitniġeann an t-Iriṡ- leaḃar liom go riġ-ṁaiṫ, agus naċ ḃfeud- fain ḋéanaḋ dá uireasḃaiḋ, ar ċaoi ar biṫ, anois. Cuirim cugat an ’Gníoṁ Grása ṫar éis Béiliḋ’ a ḃí aig m’aṫair; ní ḟacas riaṁ in aon leaḃar é, agus níor ċualas ó ḋuine ar biṫ eile é. Tá an ġrása gearr blasta mar leanas:— In ainm an Aṫar, agus an Ṁic, agus an Spioraid Naoiṁ. Amén. Míle buiḋeaċas ḋuit, a Ṫiġearna Dé, an té ṫug an ḃeaṫa so ḋuinn go dtugaiḋ sé an ḃeaṫa ṡíorruiḋe d’ar n-an- mannaiḃ. Má’s fearr atámuid andiu, go mba seaċt ḃfearr a ḃéiḋeas muid bliaḋain ó ’ndiu; ar gcuid agus ar ndaoine slán, i ngráḋ Dé agus i ngráḋ na coṁursan, i dtrócaire agus i ngrásta, i saoġal agus i sláite. Amén.”
In Proverb 51, in last Number, the meaning is: “Mere words of others do not support the friars.” Com- pare the English proverb: “Fair words butter no parnips.”—(T. O’F.)
In No. 30, the word aḋarta (?) is probably hiarta, a word often heard in Munster for and, from the English “hearth.”