DASG Blog

Seanfhaclan agus Shennocklen: Càirdeas agus Comasan ann an Seanfhaclan Gàidhlig na h-Alba agus Gàidhlig Mhanannach (2)

Last week we discussed comparisons in Scottish Gaelic and Manx proverbs and, as I wrote in last week’s blog, we have some more about different topics today:

I chose some that were similar concerning “Caution”:

• "Moyll y droghad myr heu harrish” [“Praise the bridge as thou wilt go over it”]. This one is very similar to two other I found in the same book that mean the same thing, almost. “Coontey ny hein roish ta ny hoohyn guirt” [“Counting the chickens before the eggs are hatched”] and “Lurg roayrt hig contraie” [“After spring tide will come neap”]. I thought that they were very similar to “Mol an là mu oidhche” [“Praise the day by night”] that we have in Scotland.
• “Ta laane eddyr raa as jannoo” [“There’s much between saying and doing”] – “‘Theab ’s cha d’ rinn,’ [an] cù [a] bu mhiosa a bha riamh aig na Féinne” [“‘Almost and didn’t do,’ the worst dog the Fenian [warriors] ever had”]. This one is connected with the Fenians and their hunting dogs. Concerning the first one I know of a that I read in a book of proverbs in Irish, “‘Sin méadú ort!’ Arsa as dreoilín nuair a rinne sé a mhún san fharraige” [That’s an amount for you! Said the wren when it peed in the sea]. This one is used when one says that one is helping but they really aren’t! I made reference about the wren, with proverbs and idioms connected to it, in a blog here.
• “Eddyr daa stoyl ta toinn er laare” [“Between two stools the bottom is on the floor”] – “Eadar dà stòl tuitidh tòin”. They’re almost identical with their imagery and their messages.
• “Tra s’reagh yn chloie, share faagail jeh” [“When the play is merriest it is better to leave off”] – “Fear nach bi glic san oidhche, bidh e glic sa mhadainn”. The first one in Manx is very similar to “Stiark keart ta dooinney siyragh ass seaghyn” [“Seldom is the time that a hasty man is out of trouble”] although it doesn’t mean the same thing at all. It was interesting enough to mention though!
• "Tra ta thie dy naboo er aile gow cairail jeh dty hie hene” [“When thy neighbours house is on fire take care of thine own house”] – “Sguabaidh fear taobh a theine fhèin mus tèid thu gu taobh an teine neach eile”. Although the two proverbs are not completely identical the meaning behind them is very true. Although the imagery of the fire is clear in them both it’s the people are doing that are different.
• "Cha jean un ghollan-geayee sourey, my un chellagh-keylley geuray”] – “Cha dèan aon smeòrach samhradh” [“One mavis does not make a summer”].

The ones here deal with “Deception”:

• "Cha nee yn woa smoo eieys smoo vlieauyns” [“It is not the cow which lows the most will make the most”] – “Chan e a’ bhò as motha beum a’ bhò as motha bainne” [“The cow of the most lows is not the cow of the most milk”] and “Sieyn follyn smoo sheean nee” [“Empty vessels will make the most noise”] that are similar to the first one.
• "Cronk ghlass foddey vohm, lhome, lhome tra roshym eh” [“A green hill far from me, bare, bare when before me”] – “Itean bòideach air eòin fad às” [“Beautiful feathers on far away birds”]. This one here is not mentioned in the book above (here) but I read it in the book “Saoghal Bana-mharaiche” as well.

Well, as I said last week, I have many things to say about other phrases but there will be another time to speak about similar and disimilar proverbs for another blog. Do you know any of the proverbs mentioned above? Do you have any of your own proverbs? Let us know onfacebook, twitter and our own website!