Lioar-lhaih Ghaelgagh
Original Manx Gaelic Prose 1821-1907
edited by Christopher Lewin
Lioar-lhaih Ghaelgagh
Original Manx Gaelic Prose 1821-1907
excerpts from the Manx newspapers
together with the original writings of Ned Beg Hom Ruy
in normalized orthography
edited by Christopher Lewin
Preface
In recent years there has been an upsurge in numbers learning Manx and a consequent
increase in demand for reading material. Much new material has been composed, but
there has also been an increase of interest in the traditional native Manx of the
eighteenth and nineteenth century as attested in writings of that time. The purpose of
this collection, made up of pieces from the Manx newspapers and the stories of
Edward Faragher, is to put in the hands of readers, learners and teachers and their
classes a series of short texts written by men who acquired Manx in a natural
environment, when the language was still vigorous, in the first half of the nineteenth
century.
This material, like the Bible and other ‘classical’ texts, is rich in natural idiom
and vocabulary, but at the same time covers a wider variety of topics, including
everyday life, politics, traditional industries, social change, and folklore, than most of
the predominantly religious translated material which has been more widely available
hitherto. It is also significant that this is the only major body of original prose in
Manx (apart perhaps from some of the manuscript sermons). The decision was taken
to render these texts in normalized Manx spelling, with new paragraphing and
punctuation, in order to facilitate comprehension and ease of reading, together with
notes on particular words and constructions, and historical background. It is to be
hoped that this volume will be an aid in learning Manx Gaelic, and discovering
enjoyment in reading çhengey ny mayrey Ellan Vannin. ’Sy traa t’ayn, aigh mie dy
row lhiat!
Christopher Lewin,
Edinburgh, July 2013.
Contents
Part One
Newspapers
1. Dys Robin Briw [Manks Advertiser 13.12.1821]
2. T’eh dooghyssagh [Manks Advertiser 10.06.1824]
3. Yn emshyr [Manks Advertiser 17.06.1824]
4. Keesh son kied dy varroo ushagyn [Mona’s Herald 28.09.1833]
5. Pleadeilys 1 [Monas Herald 27.12.1833]
6. Pleadeilys 2 [Monas Herald 21.02.1834]
7. Leighderyn [Mona’s Herald 06.06.1834]
8. Coyrle da Manninee [Mona’s Herald 06.02.1835]
9. Dys Manninee dooie [Mona’s Herald 07.02.1837]
10. Gaelg [Mona’s Herald 22.12.1840]
11. Raaghyn creeney jeh pobble China [Monas’s Herald 05.01.1841]
12. Vanninee ghooghyssagh [Manx Sun 20.12.1845]
13. Saggyrt Brown [Mona’s Herald 30.12.1846]
14. Ny Methodee [Mona’s Herald 07.08.1850]
15. Yn lhaih Gaelgagh ec Purt ny Hinshey [Mona’s Herald 10.01.1872]
16. My chaarjyn as gheiney çheerey [Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872]
17. Screeuyn veih Juan Thomase Mac y Chleree [Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872]
18. Aa-vioghey yn çhenn ghlare [Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872]
Part Two
Stories, reminiscences and letters of Edward Faragher
1. Oie ayns Baatey-Eeastee
2. Oie ec yn Scaddan
3. Reddyn ren taghyrt ayns my vea hene
4. Skeealyn mysh yn eeastagh
5. Juan Hom Drummey
6. Cooinaghtyn elley er yn eeastagh
7. Deiney kione-lajeragh ec yn eeastagh
8. Slattyssyn ny eeasteyryn
9. Toshiagh-jioarey as y Caashey
10. Pollonagh, Ben y Pollonagh, Buggane
11. Cooinaghtyn my vea
12. Skeeal beg mysh Thom Hal
13. Feaill Breejey ayns Earyween
14. Oie Houney
15. Skeeal mysh mac eirinnagh
16. Sheean ayns y thie
17. Strung as Bridjen
18. Shenn ven as yn tey
19. Tey, coffee as feeacklyn
20. Skeeal yn Woy Wooar
21. Scaa ayns y rellick
22. Saggyrt yn Valley-hollee
23. Saggyrt as ny shellanyn
24. Ayr Kelly
25. Shenn ven as Thurot as Elliott
26. Ny ferrishyn er Cronk Veayl
27. Thom Gordon as ny ferrishyn
28. Soilshaghyn ferrish er yn cheayn
29. Skeeal Chassemish as Harry yn Chorvalley
30. Fin McCool as yn Foawr
31. Dairmod as yn Fer Darig
32. Skeeal yn glashtin va spoiyt
33. Skeeal yn saggyrt
34. Cooinaghtyn
35. Saggyrt Aitken
36. Screeuyn gys Karl Roeder 1
37. Screeuyn gys Karl Roeder 2
38. Screeuyn gys Karl Roeder 3
39. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 1
40. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 2
41. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 3
42. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 4
Introduction
The present collection incorporates most of the extant original secular1 prose in Manx
Gaelic, namely short pieces on various topics printed in the Manx newspapers in the
nineteenth century, and the stories, reminiscences and letters of Edward Faragher. As
such it is a trove of idiom and vocabulary scarcely attested elsewhere, especially the
vernacular and conversational, and also a valuable witness to the historical, social and
linguistic changes in Man from the early nineteenth century until the beginning of the
twentieth.
1. Newspapers
The bulk of the newspaper pieces appeared between 1821 and 1850, initially in the
Manks Advertiser and later in the Mona’s Herald and the Manx Sun. This was a time
which saw ‘an increase in the number but a decrease in the scale of Manx
publications’ (Thomson and Pilgrim 1988: 16). The period of large projects such as
the Bible translation was over, but in the first half of the nineteenth century there
remained a large native Manx-speaking population and the propagation of the Manx
scriptures, hymn books etc. in the preceding decades had made literacy in Gaelic
fairly widespread, which meant there was an audience for occasional Manx pieces in
the papers. At this time writings in Manx were still aimed at the needs of the general
public; the language was a means of communication, not an object of interest in itself.
This stands in contrast to the many later Manx pieces in newspapers which begin to
appear in the second half of nineteenth century, which tend to have an antiquarian,
nostalgic or preservationist purpose, and were often composed or translated by
learners and revivalists. The four texts (15-18) taken from reports on the Manx
readings in Peel and Douglas in 1872 could be placed in this category, but they have
been included since they are written in idiomatic Manx, clearly by native speakers,
1
Although religion is a significant theme in several of the texts.
and shed a valuable light on the state of the language, and so complement the earlier
pieces on the same subject (1, 10, 13).
1.1 Contents of the newspapers
The newspaper pieces consist of articles and letters on two main topics: politics (4-9),
and either attacks on or defence of the Manx language (1, 10, 13, 15-18). In addition
there are philosophical and/or religious ruminations 2, 3, 11 and 14. Sometimes there
is overlap: for example 12, which discusses the importance of Manx-speaking clergy,
is overtly political when it accuses the English-speaking elite of promoting their own
young non-Manx-speaking relations within the church over the heads of older, more
deserving and more effective Gaelic-speaking candidates, and asks why the House of
Keys does not look into the matter.
1.1.1 Politics
Most of the political pieces (5, 6, 8, 9 and 12) discuss and promote reform of the
House of Keys from being self-elected to being chosen by popular vote. This was a
live issue in the 1830s and 40s, though the change was not enacted until 1861. In 4,
the writer reacts with outrage to a proposal to enact a law which would allow rich
strangers to buy a licence to shoot birds on private land, without the permission of the
Manx landowner, while in 7 the topic is the activities of lawyers and judges.
In contrast to pieces from the Manks Advertiser (1, 2, 3), run by the
conservative George Jefferson, which are non-political and preach submission to the
will of God (3) and the benefit of newspapers to edify the reader (2), the Mona’s
Herald was set up by Jefferson’s nephew Robert Fargher in 1833 expressly as an
outlet for more reformist, radical views. It is thus not surprising that political reform
was strongly advocated in the Herald’s Manx articles, as well as in the paper as a
whole. Criticism of the establishment is also explicit in 12, and the paper is so openminded as to publish a collection of Chinese wisdom (11) at a time when Britain was
at war with China over the opium trade. Fargher’s strong Methodist beliefs should
also be borne in mind when considering the criticism of laxness within the Methodist
movement in 14. Two of the political pieces (5 and 6) are in the form of dialogues,
using the form of a realistic vernacular conversation to highlight the relevance of
Keys reform to ordinary Manx people, as well as to promote the Mona’s Herald over
its rival, the Manx Sun. The latter paper did not publish so many pieces in Manx; in
12 moderate reform of the Keys is supported, but with a less radical and more
conservative tone.
1.1.2 The Manx language
The other pieces are concerned with the Manx language, whether it should be
preserved and promoted, or left to die. This was a much debated point, and the
language had avid supporters as well as strong opponents. As might be expected in
view of the fact that these pieces are written in Manx, most of them are supportive of
the language, although text 1 is against. It should be noted that this text is nonetheless
written in good idiomatic Manx: according to Broderick (1999: 27):
Had it been in English, [the writer] could have been accused of being anti-Manx language
because he could not speak or write Manx. He writes it in (good) Manx to show that he knows
what he is talking about, but nevertheless prefers to place his loyalty with English (Broderick
1999: 27).
The writer makes a passionate argument that Manxmen are not fools and accuses
promoters of Manx of recommending ‘ignorance and lack of learning’ and wishing to
keep Manxmen ‘to their old habit, that they shall not speak for long ages any particle
of a language but Manx’. The writer of 10, nineteen years later, although he is favour
of the language and wishes that it ‘had never been pushed into a corner’ does not
really provide any robust refutation of the arguments against the language, merely
observing mildly that ‘still there are not many Manxmen who do not like the mother
tongue’, while conceding that ‘there are some of them, I know, who think much more
of English, because it gives more light in the things that concern news and
knowledge’. However, he shows an awareness of the situation of other endangered
languages, noting that ‘the Welsh publish papers in their national language’.
A comparison with the situation of Welsh is made more strongly in 16 by Rev.
Thomas Caine, chairman of the Manx reading in Douglas:
The Welsh maintain their own language in a wonderful way, so that they hear the Word
preached every Sunday, or very frequently, and they must get bishops who understand and
speak their own language language (Rev. Thomas Caine Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872 m.t.).
As would befit a pro-Manx event, more robust arguments in favour of the language
are made in texts 15-18, including a refutation by Rev. J. T. Clarke of the oft-repeated
argument, found in 1, that Manx holds people back and needs to be replaced by
English (17):
at the same time they could have Manx as well as English, without the one getting in the way
of the other. It is the biggest stupidity in the world to believe that knowledge of speaking and
reading Manx would ever get in their way in learning English (Rev. J. T. Clarke Mona’s
Herald 21.02. 1872 m.t.).
In 18 Caine concludes the event by saying
It has been said that some Manxmen used to be ashamed of the language of their own country,
but they should be proud of it, instead of being ashamed of it—what would we say, if the
English were ashamed of English or the French of the French language (Rev. Thomas Caine
Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872 m.t.).
Nevertheless there was a limit on enthusiasm for the language even among its most
ardent supporters. Clarke in 17 sees its demise as inevitable and sees its provisional
maintenance as serving mainly religious ends:
This is the only advantage, as far as I am able to make out, that would arise from teaching all
those who are not educated in the Island to read the Word of God in the mother tongue, which
would lead to the salvation of their souls (Rev. J. T. Clarke Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872)
In 13, too, the main point is that ‘the poor Manxman who does not understand much
English’ should be able to hear the gospel preached in the language he best
understands.
2. The writings of Edward Faragher
2.1 Farming and fishing
The writings of Edward Faragher of Cregneash (1831-1908), also known as Ned Beg
Hom Ruy (‘little Ned, son of red-haired Tom’),2 give a valuable insight into life in a
fishing and farming community in the south of the island. Texts 1-8, 11-12 and 34
deal mainly with his own life and experiences of the fishing, and of the characters he
encountered. Here the reader will find much information on such matters as: the
measuring of herring; preparation of the nets and the boat for going to sea; the kinds
of provisions that the men would take with them on board; the dangers of stormy
weather and of drink; the struggle of the fishermen against their age-old and recurring
enemy, the dogfish; the semi-ritualized dialogue between men on different boats as
they shared information and wry jokes; the superstitious code of conduct which
obtained at sea and the seriousness with which they were taken the rivalry between
Irish and Manx fishermen, and the fights that could break out between them, and
much else.
2.2 Other stories
Many of Faragher’s other writings are ostensibly true stories from his community,
usually ones that he has heard from others, including his parents, ‘the old people’, etc.
Many of them recount humorous incidents, such as the Woy Wooar being dragged by
the hair by his horse (20), the priest fleeing from his church because of bees in his
trousers (23), or the coroner using his knowledge the Manx language to acquit the
thieves and to cover his own back (9). Often a character is made a fool of, such as the
old woman who is tricked into believing that Bridget has visited her house (13), the
maidservant who falls asleep at the side of the road and ends up getting whipped on
the backside (15), or the priest whose sexual proclivities result in his losing seven
cows (33). Sometimes there is a moral, such as that tea and coffee rot the teeth (19),
with the implication that things were better in the olden days before such innovations.
Some of the stories recount supernatural experiences and superstitions,
sometimes recounted with scepticism, but often presented as fact. We read of
encounters with and sightings of supernatural beings and monsters such as fairies (12,
25, 26, 27), mermen and mermaids (10), and bugganes (10), superstitions connected
with specific times of the year such as St Bridget’s Eve (13) and Hallowe’en (14), and
several of the stories contain recognizable folktale motifs (cf. Broderick 1982b:
154ff.). Supernatural agents in the tales are mostly fairies and other creatures of
folklore, although 24 has a specifically religious figure, St Michael, who appears in a
vision (and 34 is a Christian conversion story where the supernatural element is the
miraculous reach of the preacher’s voice). 30, the story of Fin MacCool and the giant,
is a Fenian tale attested widely in Ireland and also in Scotland, and is a remnant of
what must have been a rich Gaelic folklore tradition in the Isle of Man, as is the song
Fin as Oshin (cf. Broderick 1990) recorded in the eighteenth century.
2.3 His own life and perspectives
At the beginnings or ends of these texts Faragher often makes reference to his current
life: in 1899 when he wrote 1-35 for Archdeacon Kewley, at the age of sixty-eight, he
was still going to sea fishing. He records the weather and his current circumstances,
for example:
2
For details of the life and times of Edward Faragher, see Broderick (1982b: Introduction).
The weather is so wet and stormy here. One does not have an opportunity to write for there is
not much room in the cabin, and it is too windy to sit on deck. I don’t know when better
weather and mackerel will come about’ (15).
Many pieces are marked as being written in Crookhaven in Ireland, or even mooie er
yn aarkey ‘out on the sea’ (35). Sometimes he is on dry land at home, and we are
given a glimpse of his crofting life:
I have been thinning the turnips every day until today and my bones are very sore. The work
has brought back the rheumatism to me (16).
Often he seems world-weary, complaining about the ravages of old age: ‘an old man
is not much use when he is labouring painfully. This world does not give him much
comfort’ (11). Still he is stoical and puts his hope in religion:
We must strive to labour as long as we are in this life, and I don’t know how soon I will be
summoned to put down the load to rest in the earth out of which I was taken (1).
My joints are so full of pains and I am failing all the time. Nevertheless I have much reason to
be thankful to God for all his mercy, for it is by grace that I draw my breath (35).
He is also prone to occasional outbursts of nostalgia and grumpy disapproval of the
ways of the younger generation:
I think that there are more mischief-makers in the world at present than there ever were
before. People get a lot of education now. Nonetheless they aren’t much better in their lives.
Many of the old people were very innocent, and there were some men in my own life who
wouldn’t harm a child (9).
And:
every generation is getting bolder and worse and it is very likely that that is how we shall
remain until the measure of our sins has been filled up, and I often see children doing things
now that I wouldn’t have done when I was a man (35).
He concedes though that at least ‘the fishermen do not drink now as they used to’ (1).
He maintains a wry sense of humour and frequently adds gently questioning
asides to his accounts of superstitions and folk-tales, such as his comment on the
fairies:
So it seems they weren’t very good at making a song (26)
and his linking the army of the Fer Darig with real-world wars and history:
there has not been much war in the world for a while and the Fer Darig’s army are very old
men if they are still alive, but that sort of people I have heard live to a great age (31).
Commenting on the story of the castrated glashtin, he says:
it may be that someone else castrated the father of the fairies and the mermen for they have all
gone away (32).
Separately he links the disappearance of the fairies to their having acquired the
capacity to cross running water (25), to witches having given up their skill at
witchcraft and having disappeared with the fairies to their own country (17), and to
people giving up speaking Manx (26). He is serious at least in his linking the demise
of the language to the decline in the old customs, for he says:
the old men do not gather in the houses as they used to to tell stories, but the young people
gather to talk English and to tell trivial things that old people do not take any pleasure in (26).
He recalls going on the unnysop and the quaaltagh when he was young (39), but that
is all in the past now. He remains proud of his native language, applauding attempts
by individuals to learn it, and saying
if all the Manx took pleasure in reading Manx they would do well (7).
Although strongly religious and from 1880 a tee-totaller (Broderick 1981:
116), Faragher was no prude and is not afraid to mention the colourful expressions of
the fishermen such as lane-pytt-ushag ‘a bird’s vagina-full [of rum]’ and Ta’n bwoid
echey gaase mollagh ‘his penis is growing hairy’ (2), nor to record bawdier tales such
as that of the Buggane losing his claghyn ‘balls’ (32) or of ‘Jacob going to Egypt’
(33). This particular item evidently fell foul of Victorian standards of public decency,
for he mentions that
I wrote it for Roeder in English and he named it in the book, and that was all (33).
2.4. His later years
In his later years, a number of scholars and antiquarians, both local and foreign, took
an interest in Faragher, and like the last native speakers in the twentieth century, it is
likely he was mainly called upon to use Manx for their benefit. He wrote to
Archdeacon Kewley in Manx, and records (34) that his friend the German scholar
Karl Roeder encouraged him to write to him in the language. These people tended to
have an interest in ‘Celtic’ and in connecting Manx traditions to the wider scheme of
things, and pestered Faragher for information on things about which he knew little:
Roeder has been often questioning me about Fin McCool, but I never told him about himself
and the giant. I got a letter from him today and he wants the name of various things that I
never heard (24).
Scottish strangers told Faragher that his surname was ‘Farquhar’ and that he was in
fact Scottish (34); but Faragher remained ambivalent to the enthusiasms of outsiders,
saying:
Yet it is little concern to me what people think of me. My life has been quite sorrowful at
times, like a spring day of showers and sun (34).
He grew quite cynical towards these visitors, who would usually promise to return or
involve Faragher in some project or other, but from whom he would usually not hear
again:
Many of the strangers I talk to promise that they will come again and that they will get my
writing printed, but they forget me when I am out of their sight (11).
3. Language and style
3.1. The vibrancy of Manx
The language of the newspaper articles and Faragher’s writings is Late Manx, the
stage of the language’s development following the Classical Manx of the Bible and
other eighteenth century texts. There is no precise dividing line between the two
stages, and the differences are fairly slight: in general, nineteenth century Manx is
slightly more grammatically progressive than the Manx of the Bible. For example,
lenition in this collection is applied with less rigour than in the eighteenth century
texts; it being particularly erratic in the marking of prepositional and genitive case (cf.
Broderick 1999: 94), and certain sounds resist lenition more than others, especially f
and s.
The use of possessives for pronoun objects of verbal nouns is very rare, having
been almost replaced by the sole use of personal pronouns as with finite verbs:
examples of rare preservation of the older system are ta dy nyn gummal seose ‘who
upholds us’ and ta dy nyn ymmyrkey ‘who bears us’. Both of these examples are from
1.3, which dates from 1824 and is thus relatively early; moreover dy nyn is itself a
progressive analogical development from the older form dyn, and within the same text
the most progressive and, within this collection, most common form is also found,
having only a personal pronoun and no trace of the possessive element, t’eh geginagh
shin ‘he forces us’, as well as a half-way variant with both a remnant of the possessive
(generalized from the masculine third person singular) and also the pronoun, t’eh dy
chur shin ayns cooinaghtyn ‘he reminds us’ (for comment on this see Broderick 2010:
346).
As a touchstone of the change in the language, Thomson (1998: vi) notes the
decline of what he calls “the preceding object rule” which
is almost invariably observed in this text [Yn Fer-raauee Creestee], while in the version of
some of the Homilies printed in 1822 I have found only a single example, a contrast between
the usage of the beginning of the eighteenth century, when Paul Crebbin [translator of Yn Ferraauee Creestee] was learning Manx, and the end of the same century when the translator of
the Homilies was being educated (Thomson 1998: vi).
The present texts belong to the same period as the Homilies and later, and as expected
the preceding object rule is very rarely found in them, although instances of it do
occur, even in Faragher’s writings from the very end of the nineteenth century, such
as
ennym Creestee yn dooinney ren ad y phoosey
‘the Christian name of the man whom they married’ (2.14).
In addition in two places in the newspapers the preceding object rule is applied in
environments where it is not historically required, perhaps suggesting an attempt to
adhere to the rules of the classical literary language of the Bible without fully
understanding them:
ny toyrtyssyn bannee ta deiney dy ghoaill soylley jeu
‘the blessed gifts which men enjoy’ (1.3),
lheid as nagh jinnagh eash erbee, agh ny heashyn s’dorraghey, y choyrt biallys daue
‘such as no age, except the darkest ages, would obey’ (1.8);
cf. Broderick’s (1982b: 178-179) comment on the language of Faragher:
his reading of the Manx Bible is reflected in certain aspects of his grammar, which can be
shown to be Biblical, rather than from native speech, and which may be due to his desire for
style (Broderick 1982b: 178-179).
Some of the texts, especially the dialogues (1.5-6), are written in a more
colloquial style, and evidently attempt to capture the language of everyday
conversation in the nineteenth century, including many English borrowings such as:
fihn ‘fine’, jus ‘just’, wahll, wahll ‘well, well’ sins ‘sense’, madyr ‘matter’, bissness
‘business’, boy ‘boy’, sideal lhien ‘side with us’, son instans ‘for instance’, dy chooilley wan
‘everyone’, settlal y chooish ec slap ‘settle the matter at a slap’.
Note that several of these have common native equivalents, such as keeall ‘sense’, son
mac-soyley ‘for instance’, dy chooilley unnane ‘everyone’, reaghey ‘settle’, er y
çhooyl ‘at once’, meaning that English borrowings were encroaching even where they
were not necessary. This is not new: even in the relatively formal translation of
Wilson’s sermons from 1783 Anglicisms such as consideral, explaynal, plain and
serious are attested, as well as the ubiquitous interjection well (cf. Lewin 2011). These
usages reflect a community in which speakers were becoming ever more at ease in
English; among bilinguals, code-switching was probably common, and even among
monoglots commoner English expressions would be known and adopted.
However, at the same time these texts show a grammar fully maintaining its
integrity, complexity and expressive potential, and are peppered with idiomatic native
expressions such as:
shoh eer bree as smuir y chooish
‘this is the very essence and marrow of the matter’ (1.6)
Ta’n Kiare-as-Feed as sneih currit orroo
‘the House of Keys are annoyed’, lit. ‘the House of Keys are and annoyance put on them’
(1.5).
The Manx in this volume represents a language increasingly ready to draw on the
vocabulary and phraseology of English, but whose native idiom is still vigorous and
vibrant; it is not yet pathologically dependent on its neighbour and competitor, even
though it was increasingly threatened and set to suffer massive collapse within a
couple of generations.
In 1.5 we should also note the stringent maintenance of the feminine gender of
lioar—and by analogy, of ‘dicksinerry’, in the anaphoric pronouns eck, assjee and
aynjee. Contrary to the assertions of Thomson (1969: 174) that the gender system of
Manx was unstable and use of feminine pronouns for feminine inanimate nouns rare,
use of these pronouns is in fact common both in the Bible and also in the newspaper
articles and in the writings of Ned Beg, who quite consistently refers to books (lioar),
porpoises (perkin), fishing buoys (mollag), the Manx language (Gaelg), sheep
(keyrrey), dreams (ashlish), gold (airh), cakes (berreen), countries (çheer), cows
(booa), beds (lhiabbee), cloths (aanrit) vats (doagh) and schools of herring
(thammag) with feminine personal and prepositional pronouns, all in accordance with
the expected gender of the relevant nouns (lioar and airh might be expected to be
masculine based on the other Gaelic dialects, but are both well-attested as feminine in
Manx).
It seems unlikely that Faragher picked up and assimilated the gender of these
words merely from reading the Bible, or indeed a dictionary, so it is more probable
that the gender system remained strong in the 1830s when Faragher was learning
Manx—note that it was in the same decade that Cregeen’s dictionary was published,
which accurately marks gender of most nouns—and this would probably be especially
true in Cregneash, where Manx is said to have remained strong longer than anywhere
else. Conservative usage would be expected in an area where, certainly in Faragher’s
youth, there would still have been many monoglots; J. T. Clarke recalls (1.15)
encountering children who had no English in the Cregneash area as late as 1849, two
decades after Faragher’s birth into this community. Nevertheless the possibility that
Faragher’s grammatical usage was influenced by his reading of the Manx Bible and
Cregeen’s Dictionary, cannot be ruled out, and Faragher’s lack of contemporaries in
Manx writing mean that conclusions based on his usage can only be tentative.
3.2. The increasing influence of English
Apparent English influence is apparent in two common syntactic constructions. The
first is the use of geddyn with the past participle in imitation of English ‘get
something done’ etc., for example,
Ren mee ec y jerrey geddyn yn baatey beg currit magh
‘I eventually got the little boat put out’ (2.1),
cha voddin geddyn dooinney erbee dooisht
‘I couldn’t get anyone awake’ (2.1),
dy jean ad geddyn yn screeu aym printit
‘that they will get my writing printed’ (2.11).
The second construction is the appearance of passives of phrasal verb such as soit jeh
from soiaghey jeh, which are historically illogical since soiaghey in soiaghey jeh has
no direct object that can become the subject of a passive. (However, in relation to
Wilson’s sermons, I discuss (Lewin 2011: 186-187) the possibility that this may be
partly a native development in Manx.) These constructions are already common in
Classical Manx, and continue to be so in the present texts. For example,
lhisagh eh ve jiooldit rish ‘it should be rejected’ (1.2);
yn slane Kiare-as-Feed dy ve votit er nyn son
‘the whole House of Keys to be voted for’ (1.9);
keesh, ta goit rish dy ve ymmyrçhagh as femoil
‘a tax, which is admitted to be needful and necessary’ (1.9);
yn dooinney ta eeckit er e hon ‘the man who is paid for’ (1.13).
Of course, writing in Manx was never a widespread or well developed practice, and
grew up in the overbearing shadow of the English example, and so such texts as are
gathered in this volume can only be a limited witness to the natural language of the
Manx-speaking people. The attempt to conform Manx writing to the model of
nineteenth century English is revealed in letter formulae such as:
tannaghtyn nyn sharvaant biallagh
‘remaining your obedient servant’ (2.37) or
creid shiu mee dy ve, Gheiney seyrey, Nyn sharvaant smoo imlee
‘believe me to me, gentlemen, your most humble servant’ (1.9),
and clumsy verbose expressions such as the following:
Ny vud ocsyn t’eh yn currym ain dy ghoaill rish dy vel shin kianlt ayns ymmodee booise daue,
son yn aigney mie as yn chummal seose oc
‘among those whom it is our duty to admit that we are obliged in many thanks to, for their
goodwill and support’ (1.8).
The use of the verb as an abstract noun with the definite article in the latter example
(yn chummal seose oc), although grammatically defensible in Gaelic because the
verbal noun is indeed historically a noun, is stylistically speaking highly characteristic
of formal English, and it is also noticed in yn pointeil jeh trusteeghyn ny raaidyn ‘the
appointing of trustees of the roads’ (1.9), where simply pointeil trusteeghyn ny
raaidyn would be more natural in Manx. It is thus evident that the less skilful or more
hasty writers, though they might have been good speakers of conversational Manx,
sometimes thought in English when applying their Manx to unfamiliar constraints of
letter-writing and political discourse. Similarly, in his first Manx letter to Roeder,
Faragher makes clear that he is not used to writing Manx:
This is the first letter that I wrote in the mother tongue of the Isle of Man but I hope that you
will excuse me. I am like a schoolboy beginning to learn. I have written more in Manx
recently than I wrote all the days of my life… I am growing tired of writing this Manx
language; it would be easier for me to write in the English language, for there are few words
in Manx to write clearly (2.36).
And again in a later letter, he remarks with evident irritation:
It is nothing but bother to my mind writing in the two languages: I am growing tired of it.
When my comrades are lying and sleeping, that is the time I have an opportunity to write,
although I need sleep like the other men (2.38).
It is unclear to what extent this irritation at having to use Manx is caused by rustiness
owing to general desuetude of the language—for it might be expected that in the
1890s the older fishermen and inhabitants of Cregneash would still converse in Manx
often enough—and to what extent it is because he was more practised in writing
English than Manx. His suggestion that English has a larger number of words to
‘write clearly’ may not be reflection on his command of conversational Manx, for
despite his discomfort in writing Manx, and the occasional evidence of English
influence, his command of idiom and vocabulary is apparent in all these texts, and
Roeder notes that he ‘is considered to be one of the best vernacular conversationalists
extant in the Island’ (Faragher 1901: introduction).
The quality of the Manx in these texts therefore varies, with some being more
influenced by English syntax, style and modes of thought than others, although even
the most ‘contaminated’ texts are nonetheless written in highly expressive Manx
overall. Some of the texts bear comparison to the highest achievements of the
eighteenth century such as Yn Fer-raauee Creestee, Coyrle Sodjeh and parts of the
Bible in their ability to use idiomatic, natural Manx in writing about complex topics:
most notably, the compositions on the death of Rev. Brown and the use of Manx in
the church (1.13) and on issues within the Methodist movement (1.14) are
commendable models of Manx essay-writing. Edward Faragher, too, writes in good
Manx, which though slightly more anglicized and more grammatically progressive,
can be favourably compared with the classical literary texts, and his narratives in
particularly are well-structured, although his reminiscences can on occasion be
somewhat rambling and his sentences repetitive.
3.3. Subtleties of style
Subtly different attitudes to the relationship between Manx and English are shown by
differing treatments of the name of the newspaper ‘Mona’s Herald’. In the dialogues
(1.5-6) it is referred to simply as Yn Heral, reflecting the Manx pronunciation of the
English name with reduction of the final consonant cluster; in 1.14 the English
spelling is retained, y Herald. The heading of 1.14 translates the full title, maintaining
the English / Latin name ‘Mona’ but with Manx syntax, Herald Vona. The writer of
1.13, which has a strong pro-Manx-language stance, chooses to replace the term
‘Mona’ with the native demonym, yn Heral Manninagh, as well as conforming the
borrowing ‘herald’ to Manx phonology. The writer of 1.7 elects to go all the way, and
translate the term ‘herald’ by a somewhat clumsy native equivalent çhaghterkiaulleeaght (‘musical messenger’) and using the native name for the country instead
of ‘Mona’, i.e. Çhaghter-kiaulleeaght Vannin. Although this text is not about the
language, it is nonetheless strongly on the side of the common people, and its Manx
patriotism is illustrated by the adoption of the pen-name Mannanan Mac Lear.
Similarly, the writer of 1.4, who is outraged about the depredations of the elite against
the Manx by means of an unfair law, calls himself Illiam Dhone after the Manx hero
William Christian.
3.4. Explicit comment on the language within the texts
Occasionally the usage and phraseology of the language itself is explicitly referred to.
From J. T. Clarke we learn that clergyman bore the nickname mwannal bane in the
Cregneash area (1.17), and from Faragher that fishermen called the herring Juan Beg
(2.2) and the sea Juan Gorrym (2.10), and that the old people called short prayers and
blessings on oneself such as Shee Yee orrym, sheayney—as is confirmed by
Cregeen—and we learn many of the taboo terms for animals and supernatural beings
whose normal names could not be uttered at sea (2.2,10). Faragher also gives us an
account of the dialectal differences in the pronunciation of the word cuirr / cur
between Peel and Port St. Mary; not surprisingly he claims that the southern form is
more natural (2.4). Faragher also tells us (2.12) that ‘Thom Hall’ used to say
arryltagh mie, an expression he had not heard from anyone else.
4. The texts
The newspaper articles have been taken from issues of the Manks Advertiser, the
Mona’s Herald and the Manx Sun accessed via Manx National Heritage’s iMuseum in
Kingswood Grove, Douglas. Two of them (1 and 5) were previously reproduced
diplomatically in George Broderick’s (1999) Language Death in the Isle of Man. The
speech by Rev. T. Caine (with translation) and the letter by Rev. J. T. Clarke (with
translation) were also printed under the title ‘The Manx language in the ’70’s,
conservation efforts’ in 1919 in the Manx Quarterly, no. 20, vol. 4 pp. 272-281, and
the letter by Clarke was again printed in 1957 in Journal of the Manx Museum vol. 6,
no. 74 p. 28-32 edited and translated by C. I. Paton. The original manuscript of the
letter is preserved in the Manx Museum as MS 1423A.
The manuscripts of most of the Edward Faragher material are also held in the
Manx Museum archive, MS 431C for all items apart from 38 which is in MS
2146(7)A. Three of his letters (36-38) are in the Karl Roeder collection in Manchester
Central Library: M277/12/1/41, M277/12/1/55, M277/12/1/56. Six of Faragher’s
writings (1, 20, 21, 27 and part of 4, plus a prayer to get rid of toothache which is not
included here because it belongs with Faragher’s religious material) were published in
standardized spelling by John Gell in Béaloideas, the journal of the Irish Folklore
Society, in 1948 (no. 18 pp. 45-58) and reissued by Yn Cheshaght Ghaelgagh in 1973
and again in 2005. Although this work has similar aims to the present publication,
namely to make Faragher’s writings accessible to a wider readership by means of
standard Manx orthography, it has been found to be inadequate due to the limited
number of stories included and Gell’s heavy-handed and sometimes erroneous
corrections of Faragher’s Manx.
A complete edition of Faragher’s secular original prose writings did not
appear until 1981-2 when thirty-four texts were published as ‘Manx stories and
reminiscences of Ned Beg Hom Ruy’ in the Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie (no. 38
pp. 113-178 and 39 pp. 117-194), edited with a biographical introduction, linguistic
(mostly phonological and dialectological) notes and translation by George Broderick.
This edition was reprinted in 1991 in two volumes by Yn Cheshaght Ghaelgagh.
Broderick reproduces Faragher’s orthography diplomatically, though without his
punctuation, since it contains many indications of the pronunciation of Late Manx in
Cregneash. A list of minor corrections to this edition was published by Patrick Le
Besco in 2000 in ZCP 51 pp. 148-159. Four of the pieces had been previously edited
by Broderick in 1974-76 as ‘Four Manx Folktales’ in Béaloideas 42-44 pp. 41-61.
Broderick’s edition forms the basis for the present version except in the case
of the eight texts not included in it (35-42) which have been transcribed directly from
Faragher’s manuscripts by the editor. Of these, the letter to Archdeacon Kewley
which appears here as text 36 was published, with notes and translation into French,
by Le Besco in An Tribann 85 pp. 21-22 under the title ‘Co-reggyrtys Edward
Faragher’.
Although the text on ‘Saggyrt Aitken’ (35) has a religious theme and is
partially based on something Faragher says he has read (presumably in English) and
could be placed with Faragher’s numerous religious tracts, it was decided to include it
here due to the references to his own life and the Manx historical subject matter,
which stands in contrast to most of the other religious pieces, which are mostly
translations of religious tracts and fables set in England, Scotland, Germany etc. The
letters (36-42) too deal with Faragher’s own life, and contain reminiscences of old
customs, especially 42 which was written in December 1907 at Blackwell in
Derbyshire less than six months before his death: it thus probably constitutes the last
text ever composed in Manx by a native writer.
4.1. The orthography
The orthography used here both in the newspaper articles and the writings of Edward
Faragher is ‘standardized’, that is, basically that of the Manx Bible and Cregeen’s
dictionary. New punctuation and paragraphing have also been added. The grammar
has been left unchanged, except that the mutations have been regularized according to
the writers’ own most common usage, though not hypercorrected. Those wishing to
examine these details in the originals should consult the newspaper archives and the
manuscripts held by the Manx Museum and Manchester Library; but it is hoped that
overall the texts presented here give an accurate picture of the language usage of the
originals. No diacritics have been used, except for the modern device of the cedilla to
differentiate çh representing Gaelic slender t from ch representing the lenition of c/k,
which has been adopted to facilitate correct reading.
The book is divided into two parts, Part 1 consisting of the newspaper pieces
and Part 2 of the writings of Edward Faragher. The texts in Part 1 appear in
chronological order of original publication and are numbered 1-18. In Part 2
numbering follows that of Broderick in his edition, except that the unnumbered text
appearing at the beginning of Broderick’s edition has been numbered 34 and given the
title Cooinaghtyn. The text on Aitken is numbered 35 and the seven letters to Roeder
and Kewley 36-42; these are given the titles Saggyrt Aitken, Screeuyn gys Charles
Roeder 1-3, and Screeuyn gys John Kewley 1-4 respectively. Most of the newspaper
articles have no titles, or only general headings like ‘Gailc’ or ‘From Our Manx
Correspondent’, so I have given them Manx titles based on their contents; the titles of
the texts in Part 2, except for the last five, retain the titles given to them by Faragher,
or when untitled in the manuscript, Broderick. Within the notes references are to the
first or second part of the book, followed by the number of the text, e.g. 1.1 for the
first text in the first part.
5. Acknowledgements
In preparing the material for this book I would like to offer my thanks to the
following:
To Manx National Heritage for permission to publish manuscripts from the
National Archive, and to the staff of the iMuseum and the Manx Museum Library for
their willingness and assistance in the provision of materials; to Manchester Libraries,
Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, for permission to publish letters
by Edward Faragher in the Karl Roeder collection; to George Broderick, University of
Mannheim, for helpful discussion, mainly of a linguistic nature, in the preparation of
this book; to Stephen Miller, University of Vienna, and Geoffrey Faragher, Dorset, for
their consultation concerning letters by Edward Faragher; and to Manx National
Heritage for the provision of the front cover picture.
Christopher Lewin,
July 2013.
Part One
Newspapers
1. Dys Robin Briw
Dys Robin Briw3, ny quoi-erbee eh hene ta shirrey cur lesh stiagh y Ghaelg reesht.
3
This letter appears to be a response to a notice in the Manks Advertiser three weeks previously
(22.11.1821) by the ‘Manks Society for promoting the Education of the Inhabitants of the Isle of Man,
through the medium of their own Language’. ‘Robin Briw’ would seem to be ‘Mr. Robert Brew,
Treasurer, Athol-Street, Douglas’ to whom the public were asked to direct their donations to the
Society. Despite the vehement objections of the Manx writer, the Society’s aims were rather modest,
and seem intended to be as uncontrovertial as possible: ‘When it is known, that there are from fifteen to
twenty thousand of the inhabitants who are incapable of receiving religious instruction in any other
language than the Manks; and when it is considered that a large proportion of that number are unable to
read, who does not perceive the necessity of making vigorous efforts to teach them to read their
vernacular tongue? It is, by no means, the design of the Society to perpetuate the Manks language, or in
the smallest degree to impede the progress of the English tongue amongst the inhabitants of the Island,
Doolish, Jecrean, yn un laa yeig jeh Mee veanagh y yeuree, 1821.
Cha s’aym’s nee Robin ny Thom ny Juan t’ort; agh dy veeit mee rish yn
ennym Robin Briw ’sy phabyr, as dyn ennym elley: agh ta mee ouryssagh ny-yeih dy
vel shiu myr y çhenn Legion roish nish, as dy vel shiu ymmodee4; son cheayll mee jiu
roie. Ta mee goaill yindys cre ta jannoo ort, solley ta5! Va mee dy slane kiarail loayrt
rhyt roish nish, agh duirree mee orrym tammylt, jerkal rish tooilley ommijys void.
T’eh jeeaghyn nish myr dy r’ou er n’ghoaill fea; agh ta mee dooyteilagh dy bee oo ec
obbyr reesht, cha leah’s yiow caa.
Cre wooishagh oo? Nee dy chur lesh Gaelg reesht er e toshiaght, as myr shen
dooney magh schlei as soilshey as tushtey veih Manninee? T’ou steetagh6 dy liooar,
raad t’ou gra nagh vel oo shirrey lhiettal y Vaarle—ec y traa cheddin dy vel oo
moylley Gaelg! Vel oo sheiltyn ayns dty chree, dy re blebbinyn sleih? Verrym’s fys
dhyt er, nee blebbinyn Manninee, mannagh nee! Manninagh, t’ou fakin mish,
chammah rhyt’s: agh ghoin nearey moylley mee-hushtey as lhag-ynsagh da my
gheiney çheerey. Shynney lhiam ad foddey ro vie dy chraidey moo myr shen, na dy
chur lheid y vranlaadee ayns nyn ging, as çheu-mooie jeh shen cur shaghrynys er y
çheeloghe aeg ta girree. Wooishin ad dy heet myr çheernyn7 elley—ynsit—as geyrit,
as coamrit lesh schlei; choud’s t’ou uss, t’eh laik, son freayll ad sheese dys nyn shenn
oayll, nagh loayr ad dys earishyn foddey brenneein dy ghlare agh Gaelg. Gow coyrle,
lah, as bee feagh.
[Manks Advertiser 13.12.1821]
2. T’eh dooghyssagh
T’eh dooghyssagh da deiney geearree reddyn noa; cha nee edyr son dy vel ad veg
share na lheid’s v’ad cliaghtit orroo, agh eer son dy vel ad noa, as dyn oyr arragh. Ta
aigney dooinney myr shen er ny chummey, dy vel eh graihagh er caghlaa: shoh
dooghys yn annym beayn. Ta e breeghyn cha earrooagh nagh vel mooads erbee dy
hushtey ny dy schlei, fysseree erbee cha dowin as cha soilshit shen, nagh vel sthill
fondagh as shegin er caghlaa ynsagh. Cha vel lheamys dy ve currit son shoh, myr
foill—er yn oyr dy vel eh cummey nyn dooie, as dy vel eh myr shen pointit cour
ymmydyn y vea. Agh lhisagh twoaie ve currit da’n jerrey. Caghlaa erbee ta jeh foays,
shen as shen ynrycan lhisagh ve yn ard red huggey dy yeeaghyn. My t’eh jeh foays,
t’eh eisht jeh scansh, as lhisagh eh ve taaghit. Mannagh vel, lhisagh eh ve jiooldit rish.
Nish red ta cur brah er nhee dy vel mie as vondeishagh, cha vod red erbee ve
n’oi. Ta resoon, yn ard-vree t’ayns dooinney, gynsagh shin dy plain dy vel yeearree
dy ynsagh nhee erbee mie kiarit son foays y pheiagh; as er yn oyr shen, t’eh ardchiarail Yee ny grayse dy beagh eh eiyrit da. Ta caghlaa tushtey jeh dagh nhee kiarit
dy leeideil shin dys foays. Er-y-fa shen t’eh choud shen mie, as t’eh ard-chreenaght
but simply to teach both children and adults to read their Bible in the only language which they fully
comprehend.’
4
Legion…as dy vel shiu ymmodee - A reference to Mark 5:9, ‘And he [Jesus] asked him [an evil
spirit], What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many’.
5
solley ta - ‘so it is’ Kelly
6
steetagh - ‘cunning, sly, knavish’ Kelly. In Jude 1:4 and 2 Timothy 3:6 dy steetagh is an adverb
meaning move in a creeping fashion; Cregeen identifies steet with skeet.
7
çheernyn - This alternative plural of çheer is also found in 1.5. Cf. Phillips chirynyn (Thomson 1955:
105).
sheelnaue, dy ooraghey lheid y mian. Son ta miandys hene goaill cummey veih’n
jerrey ta jeeaghit huggey. Ta tushtey as schlei, ta resoonys as keeall jeh caghlaaghyn
sorçh jeh foays ayns wheesh as dy vel ad dys vondeish.
Eer myr shen bentyn da’n ynsagh ta ry gheddyn ayns coontaghyn naightoilagh
cadjin y laa, ny’n çhiaghtin ta goll shaghey. T’eh ooilley son soilshaghey shin ayns
caghlaaghyn nhee; t’eh myr shen cur caa dooin jannoo’n reih shen lhisagh ve ayns
pooar dagh unnane dy yannoo, jeh ny reddyn ta kiongoyrt rish ’sy theihll. Tra ta shin
lhaih coontaghyn jeh reiltys, jeh caghlaaghyn taghyrt fud sheshaght chadjin, marish
ny reddyn ta goaill seose aignaghyn slane reiltyssyn as pobble—t’ad ooilley son
soilshaghey as son jannoo sleih ny share bentyn da annym as callin. T’ad son cur er
sleih reih ny reddyn s’feeu, as shaghney lheid’s ta neu-vondeishagh. Shoh’n foays ta
ayns cur magh pabyryn cour y çhiaghtin, ayndoo ta dagh nhee ta taghyrt, mie as sie,
ayns coorse y theihll dy baghtal soilshit—as shoh yn vondeish ta ayns ny jirmayd
newspabyr rish. Er-y-fa shen, ta lheid feeu moylley, my she shen dy vel y sleih ta dy
chur magh eh er çheu foays as aigney mie da deiney; bee lheid jeh foays cadjin da’n
slane theay.
[Manks Advertiser 10.06.1824]
3. Yn emshyr
S’aalin y traa ta er jeet orrin—s’mie son slaynt—as s’mie son soylley yn vea; as cre
cha booisal as lhisagh sleih y ve er cur my ner yn ghrian sollys jannoo cha boggoil jeh
dagh nhee heihlt lesh e ghoullyn gerjoil! Agh beggan ta’n wooise ta dy cadjin ennit as
soilshit son ny toyrtyssyn bannee ta deiney dy ghoaill soylley jeu. Er dy chooilley heu
yiow main y vunnys8 aarloo dy hrughanys as dy phlaiynt. Jir ad dy vel rour çhirmagh—dy vel y faiyr shymley—ny messyn ayns gaue ve cummit, son laccal y druight ta
gientyn messoilys; dy vel ny cretooryn gaueagh goll neeal—as nagh vel caslys dy bee
palçhey. She, shoh yn red ta marvaanee ny hooirey kinjagh shegin er—yn phalçhey.
Agh eshyn ghow shin ass brein nyn mayrey, as ta dy nyn gummal seose er dyn
traa ruggyr shin, as dys nyn gione lheeah—as eer dys oor y vaaish ta dy nyn
ymmyrkey; ny lomarcan echeysyn ta fys cre ta dys nyn voays. Dasyn er-y-fa shen
lhisagh shin faagail dagh nhee—son eshyn yn ayr ain ooilley—shinyn e chloan, as
echey share ta fys cre share dooin. As my t’eh ny cheayrtyn fakin eh mie dy reayll
vondeishyn beggey voin, shegin dooin ny-yeih goaill rish dy vel ain nastee foddey
erskyn nyn doilliu. Liorish e lhiettys jeh nyn mian t’eh gynsagh shin—liorish cur orrin
gennaghtyn nagh vod main veg y yannoo jin hene—t’eh dy chur shin ayns
cooinaghtyn dy re veihsyn ta dagh nhee; as myr shen t’eh geginagh shin dy yeeaghyn
seose, as dy chur nyn marrant ynrycan er e feoiltys. My ghoys mayd ain hene y
chooish ayns eer aght resoon, yiow main dy vel y seihll reillt, lurg ooilley, foddey
share na oddagh shinyn reill eh, ga dy beagh ain nyn aigney. Son dy beagh eh ain, cre
yinnagh shin?
Lhig da dagh eirinnagh reih emshyr er-lheh da hene. Lhig da fliaghey y chur
lesh neose er e faiyr, as er e vagher foghanagh9. Ta fer jeeragh son thooilley—da fer
8
bunnys - ‘majority, most’. Irish bunadhas, usually masculine, but here treated as feminine as is
common for nouns ending in -ys. This word is also used an adverb meaning ‘almost’ (cf. Lewin 2011:
198).
9
This word is spelt foaghanagh in the original, but Cregeen has foghan ‘bruit, the young bud or
herbage of any thing’ and foghanagh ‘of bruit or bruits’ and foghanit ‘bruited, budded’. (‘Bruit’ is
explained in the Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect as ‘‘breward’, young springing corn’ (Moore et
elley, echey ta giareeyn10 as lheeantyn, ta çhiass ny greiney ny s’vondeishee. Ec yn un
oor jeh’n laa ta ooilley shoh dy ve jeant. Cre’n sorçh dy heihll veagh ain? Ta’n
traagh11 traa-vuinn,—son eck shoh ta çhiass ny greiney mie. Ta’n ghrian as y çhiass
eisht freilt cour ny magheryn shen er-lheh; er son yn arroo as ny glassyreeyn elley,
ta’n fliaghey mie. Cre’n aer veagh ain—cre ny goullyn-twoaie! Thooillaghyn ayns un
ynnyd, tuittym veih’n vodjal dullyr—çhiass as sollyssid ayns ynnyd elley! Ec yn un
oor, ’syn un laa, nyn shassoo er mullagh slieau, heeagh shin whilleen caghlaa bodjal,
as whilleen shilley neu-chadjin as verragh nyn dappey voin.
Agh faag main y thalloo, as vermayd shilley er yn aarkey. Whilleen baatey, as
ny shlee na ta ardjyn y chombaase, ta daa-yeig as feed ayns earroo. Ta dagh unnane
oc shirrey goaill coorse er-lheh; as er-y-fa shen, ta feme caghlaaghyn geay dy heidey.
Nagh beagh ad er y cheilley? Cre’n chragh veagh fud ny baatyn—cre’n scaalhean er
ny lhongyn shiaulley dys whilleen ard er eaghtyr yn eaynagh vooar!
[Manks Advertiser 17.06.1824]
4. Keesh son kied dy varroo ushagyn
Vanninee dooie, my gheiney çheerey hene, eaisht-jee rhym, as gow-jee slane tastey
jeh ny ta mee goll dy ghra—son t’eh feeu nyn imnea! Ta shiu er chlashtyn, dyn dooyt,
jeh’n leigh12 tadyr13 nish mysh jannoo, bentyn da keesh son kied dy varroo ushagyn.
Cre hug ayns nyn gione lheid yn ommijys cha s’aym—mannagh re dy voddagh fer ny
jees ny vud oc, ta miandagh er bee blaystal as feieys14, goaill ass laue dy voddagh ad
jannoo gamman jin. Shickyr dy liooar ’sy traa t’er n’gholl shaghey, va lheid y
roosteyrys surrt, tra haghyr da ve aigney baanrit ree ny çhiarn ennagh son freayll
ooilley ny reddyn mie da hene. Agh nish ta sleih son toiggal ny share—ta fys as
shickyrys oc dy vel cairys ec dagh dooinney da e chooid, as nagh b’lhoys da fer erbee
çheet stiagh er e circle nagh vel eh lowal jeh, chamoo vees eh spooillit noi e yioin.
Vanninagh! Shoh yn leigh t’ad nish son jannoo noi ayd. T’eh dy reayll oo veih
lhiggey shott er ushag ayns ny magheryn ayd hene, choud’s shegin dhyt cur kied da
al. (1991: 23).) In Scottish Gaelic, Dwelly has fochann ‘young corn in the blade’ and fochannach ‘of,
or pertaining to, growing com’, and for Irish Dinneen has fochan ‘cornblades’, and as an adjective
‘young and tender in the blade’. For Early Irish DIL has fochan ‘young corn in the blade’.
10
giaree - ‘sourland’ Broderick (2006: 207), in place-names such as ‘The Garey’ (Lezayre),
‘Ballagarey’ (Braddan, Malew, Marown). ‘Giaree, marsh’ Kelly, ‘garee, s. f. a sour piece of land,
(from Geayr sour)’ Cregeen. In Scottish Gaelic Dwelly has ‘geàrraidh sm Point or knuckle-end of
land, often used in placenames in Uist, as Hougharry, Tigharry, geàrraidh dubh, &c. 2 Green pastureland about a township. 3 The land between the machair and monadh, the strip where the houses stand
— Lewis. 4 Fenced field. 5 Enclosed grazing between the arable land and the open moor. 6 Common
grazing and arable land between the moor and the crofts. 7 Place where the sheilings are built.’
11
traagh - ‘s. f. hay’ Cregeen. Note the feminine pronoun eck.
12
‘An Act for the better Preservation of Game’ was presented to Tynwald in July 1833, and
promulgated on 14th August 1835 (Gill 1886: 64-67). Licences cost £2 2s and the fine for shooting
game without a licence was between £1 and £5, at the discretion of the Deemster.
13
tadyr - they are (cf. Ir. tádar). 3pl. inflection which is preserved in Manx alongside the analytic form
t’ad. Tadyr is found here and in 1.5, the past tense vadyr (cf. Ir. bhíodar) is found in 1.5. (also in the
Illiam Dhone ballad, cf. Broderick 1982a). It is interesting to note the continued use of these synthetic
forms into Late Manx. A partially reanalysed form with metathesis tar ad is found in 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8
(cf. Thomson 1960: 529).
14
feieys - ‘venison, the flesh of a wild or untamed animal’ Cregeen. It translates ‘venison’ in the Bible,
but since there are no deer in Man and the piece is concerned with birds, ‘game’ would the apt
equivalent here.
joarree joogh erbee ta fort echey geeck daa phunt ’sy vlein dy chur lesh e ghreiebaaish çheu-sthie jeh dty gharey—dy jarroo çheu-sthie jeh stundayrt jeh dty chione—
as goaill y chooid ayd hene ec dty chosh, fegooish dty chied, ny geill erbee da dty
vaggyrt ny dty oghsan. Vel shoh resoon, my heshee gheiney? Nee shoh cairys? Jir
shiu dy vel lheid y reamys leighoil, ny dy lhisagh eh ve jeant leighoil, choud as ta bree
meeyl faagit ayns Manninee? Meeyl dooyrt mee! She beishteig s’inshley na meeyl
yinnagh surranse lheid yn oltooan; son oltooan hrome eh, dy ghra yn chooid sloo jeh,
dy ve soit orrin myr shen ayns nyn eer magheryn, as b’lhoys lhien kionnaghey greiebaaish son ny hymmydyn lowal ain hene, fegooish hoshiaght shirrey kied er—quoi?
As my haghyrys da guiy-feie, ny thunnag, ny patrag, ny eer lhon getlagh shaghey,
shegin faagail eh da’n chied joarree, da’n chied vaarliagh hed harrish nyn gagliagh!
Veagh shoh naareydagh lhiggey lesh ayns çheer erbee, foddey smoo ayns
çheer, ny leighyn eck ta resoonagh, as follan, as mie—ta cur slane reamys da dy
chooilley unnane jannoo cre saillish rish e chooid hene. Agh cha vel y leigh noa shoh
ennee15 foast er ve lowit jeh liorish y ree, chamoo credjym dy bee eh; as t’eh yindys
vooar lhiam’s dy row eh rieau er ny chummey er çheu-sthie jeh’n ellan. Nee yn
Chiare-as-Feed oddagh cur nyn laue dys lheid y leigh? Nee slane ooashley yn ellan
ghoghe ass laue lheid y red?
Agh my gheiney çheerey, ny surr-jee lheid dy ve jeant riu. Fockle-jee magh
nyn giarail dy gow shiu yn leigh jeh dooinney erbee ghoys er dy hooyl trooid ny
magheryn eu lesh gun; as varr-a-mish diu nagh lhoys da. Ta paart er n’yannoo shoh,
as tar ad choud shen creeney; son lurg shoh cha bee leshtal ec y roosteyr. Ta’n leigh ta
dy reayll dooin nyn gooid hene ny s’troshey na leigh erbee dy vel er ve jeant, ny vees
jeant dy bra.
Slane lhiu. Foddee dy glinn shiu voym reesht. Ta shiartanse dy reddyn elley ta
foym dy screeu foast, tra vees caa aym.
Illiam Dhone.
Mee veanagh yn ouyr, yn 26oo laa, 1833
[Mona’s Herald 28.09.1833]
5. Pleadeilys 1
Pleadeilys eddyr daa Vanninagh dooie.
(Juan as Illiam meeiteil.)
Juan.—T’ou çheet.
Illiam.—Ta, t’ou uss çheet neesht.
J.—Ta moghrey fihn ayn.
I.—Ta shen ayn, agh ta traa mie rastagh harrish ain.
J.—Ta dy jarroo. Geayll oo jeh’n lhong va trait laa chaie mooie jeh Kione
Yurby?
I.—Dy ve shickyr—nagh row eh ’sy phabyr?
J.—Cre’n pabyr t’ou uss goaill?
I.—Ta ghaa ny three jin goaill yn Heral eddyr shin; as shimmey oor pleasal
t’eh cur orrin ceau; t’eh cur shaghey yn traa, choud’s t’eh ginsh jeh ny reddyn ta goll.
15
ennee - ‘identical’ Cregeen. He gives the example yn dooinney shen ennee ‘that identical man’, but
‘particular’ might be a better rendering.
J.—Ta Juan Bouyr as mee hene goaill y Sun eddyr shin. Ta wite pleat jeant
ayn er y gherrid shoh mychione y Chiare-as-Feed—wite çhengleyrys.
I.—Hoh! Ommijys lah—jus rud dy lhieeney yn duillag.
J.—Ta ny smoo na shen ayn. Vel oo toiggal ad?
I.—T’ad mie doillee lhiam ny cheayrtyn, foast strou hene dy vel mee lane vie.
J.—Insh dou cre ta’n fockle liauyr shen meanal, ‘rebrezentashyn’. T’ad gusal
mennick eh, agh cha vel y cheeall my chione cre t’eh meanal.
I.—Cha s’ayd cre rebrezentashyn! T’ou dty voght glen ny-yeih, mannagh
s’ayd cre rebrezentashyn. Jeeagh ’sy dicksinerry, ghooinney as yiow jeeragh eh. Vel
dicksinerry ayd—foddee nagh vel—eeaseeym’s nane dhyt.
J.—Oh ta shenn unnane aym ny lhie er y latt16 ayns shen sthie, agh ta ny
duillagyn eck faggys ooilley raipit assjee; agh yioym un ockle aynjee17 foast—nee un
duillag shen.18
I.—Cre sheeu dhyt boirey? Inshym’s mee hene dhyt, ghooinney.
Rebrezentashyn—ta shen fer shassoo ayns ynnyd fer elley. Ta’n Heral shassoo er dy
lhisagh sleih jannoo leighyn dy phleasal ad hene, cha nee faagail da’n Kiare-as-Feed
ad. As dy jarroo ta mish mee hene goaill toshiaght dy leaystey red beg bentyn daue.
Nagh beagh eh foddey share dooin stroak ve ain ayns ny coonseilyn oc? Shen myr
tadyr ayns Sostyn. Ta dagh skeerey cur stiagh dooinney ayns yn ynnyd oc: dooinney
reiht lioroo hene. As nagh mie veagh eh dy voghe shin kied voish y Ree dy reih
dooinney ayns y skeerey ain, fer veagh toiggal feme y skeerey, as myr shen veagh
fondagh dy chiarail leighyn fondagh dooin?
J.—Cha vel mee gobbal. Nish hene t’ad taggloo jeh gobbal kied da ny
heirinnee ta shirrey19 cur pudaaseyn ass çheer; as ta fys mie ain ooilley er dy vel shoh
red feer neu-chreeney; son cre’n phrice yiow nish er yn arroo? As cre’n aght nee yn
tannys y mayl? Er son feme cha bee ayn: yiow main palçhey voish Nalbin, as shen
ayns traa giare, lhig da gennid ve ayn ny dyn; agh ta fys ain er un red, bee curnaght
voish ny çheernyn mooie lhieeney stiagh orrin, as freayll sheese price yn arroo myr
boallagh eh, myr shen nagh bee çhionse edyr faagit dooin.
I.—Ta’n irrin ayd. C’raad yiow sleih argid ec y traa t’ayn dy eeck ny feeaghyn
bleeaney oc? Agh bee eh ny share da ny leighderyn.
J.—Wahll, wahll, cha vel shoh agh un red ny-yeih, agh shimmey red t’ayn.
I.—Shoh yn queshtan, vel eh lowal da’n Chiare-as-Feed jannoo leigh erbee
fegooish consent y theay? Er-nonney lhig daue ve reiht liorish y theay, as eisht veagh
dagh skeerey as çhionse echey son cairys; son oddagh ad eisht jannoo stiagh rish y
dooinney mooar oc hene er dy chooilley oyr jeh egin foshlit ny feme erbee oddagh ve
reaghit liorish leigh noa.
J.—Veagh shoh resoonagh, dy ghra yn chooid sloo jeh. Agh cre sheeu
taggloo? Cha vowmayd nyn aigney!
I.—Kys s’ayd’s son shen? Foddee dy now.
16
latt - ‘a lath, railing, rack’ Kelly. He gives er y latt as an example phrase.
eck…assjee…aynjee - The loanword dicksinerry (i.e. ‘dictionary’) takes its feminine gender from
lioar, as does Bible, as in yn Vible. Fockleyr, however, which is used in text 14, is masculine according
to Cregeen, which is to be expected from the ending -eyr (Ir. -óir).
18
At this point the original has the following footnote in English: ‘Juan may shortly avail himself of
purchasing a new Dictionary, as we understand Mr. Cregeen is making arrangements for the
publication of his forthcoming volume,—in which undertaking we heartily wish him success.’
Cregeen’s Manx-English dictionary was published in 1835 or thereabouts.
19
The original text has ‘shin ayn’ here, which does not seem to make sense and is probably a printing
error.
17
J.—Beggan! Ta’n Kiare-as-Feed as sneih currit orroo, as t’ad gra dy vel ad
corree, as dy vel paart jeu hene screeu ayns y Sun cha keoi as dy beagh ad dy feer
baanrit.
I.—Cha voddym credjal shen—ta sins20 smoo ayndoo na dy ghoaill olk rish yn
irriney, shickyr. Ta fys mie oc er nagh re noi oc hene myr deiney er-lheh ta’n chooish
bentyn, agh daue myr king-leeidee yn theay, as shen-y-fa cha vel eh queshtan ta
bentyn da resoon cadjin, chamoo t’eh madyr erbee dauesyn agh dys vondeish y çheer;
çheu-mooie jeh shen, dy beagh ad currit ass oik mairagh veagh eh dys y vondeish oc
hene, son haueagh eh cost daue cha nee beggan, goll dys Balley Chashtal myr
whilleen goayr dys bwoaillee. Ec y chooid smessey veagh ad myr vadyr: as eer
bentyn da nyn ooashley oddagh eh ve ny share, son oddagh ad, whilleen as ta feeu, ve
reiht ass y noa. As lurg ooilley quoi s’fondagh veagh son y vissness na ad hene?
J.—Cha s’aym’s boy, agh hee main cre jir yn Heral tra hig eh. Ta mish
coontey lane jeh’n Heral. Ta mee treeal goaill eh son y nah raiee. Eeasee oo dou eh, as
eeasym’s y Sun dhyt’s. Bee pleat dewil goll son shiaghtinyn.
I.—Dyn dooyt cha vod ad ve feagh.
J.—T’ou uss er çheu yn Heral.
I.—Ta mee goaill rish dy vel, as cha nee fegooish resoon. Ta ooilley yn sleih
son echey. Eie stiagh myr t’ou goll shaghey, as jeeaghym’s dhyt eh.
J.—Feer vie, my vees traa aym nee’m gyllagh er y raad back.
[Monas Herald 27.12.1833]
6. Pleadeilys 2
Pleadeilys eddyr daa Vanninagh dooie.
(Juan as Illiam meeiteil.)
Illiam.—Wahll Yuan, kys t’ou goll er bwo? Vel oo rey rish y Heral? Vel oo er
lhaih ny naightyn noa bentyn da’n Chiare-as-Feed?
Juan.—Cre ny naightyn t’ou meanal? Cha vel mish er vakin nhee erbee noa
ayn edyr, ga dy vel y pobble geearree dy beagh reamys oc reih yn Chiare-as-Feed.
Dys shen t’eh ooilley çheet er-lhiam’s—c’red elley?
I.—Oh ta ny smoo na shen. Tar ad nish taggloo jeh jannoo accan, cha nee da’n
Ree, agh da’n Chiare-as-Feed ad hene, dy yannoo leigh dy bee ad maghey shoh reiht
liorish sleih ny çheerey, as cha nee lioroo hene.
J.—Ta’n irrin ayd. Yarrood mish.
I.—Ogh ghooinney, shoh eer bree as smuir y chooish. Ta mish shickyr jeh
nagh vel un er hene jeh’n Chiare-as-Feed nagh jinnagh sideal lhien ’sy chooish, dy
jinnagh shinyn agh jannoo nyn aghin huc hene hoshiaght, geearree ad dy yannoo leigh
ad ve reiht ass y noa, er-nonney ad ve reiht liorish slane consent y çheer trooid-magh
ny skeeraghyn. Son instans, fer son dagh skeerey as y chooid elley son ny baljynmargee. Cre t’ou gra rish shen?
J.—Dy jarroo shynney lhiam’s mie yn resoon ayd; as ta mee dy jarroo credjal
nagh vel wan oc nagh jinnagh21 nyn laue dys y leigh, as myr shen settlal y chooish ec
slap.
20
sins - i.e. sense
nagh jinnagh - The conditional of jannoo is commonly used as the conditional of cur / coyrt, so here
and in 1.9 and my yinnagh shiu my-ner and 2.30 nagh jinnagh yn foawr enney er. An explanation is
21
I.—Boy veen cre’n yllagh veagh trooid yn ellan, scoltagh ad ny creggyn
faggys lesh eam. Boy lah, cre’n boggey vees orrin y laa shen!
J.—Ta mish dy slane jerkal rish y laa shen, Illiam; as son yn oyr shoh.
Inshym’s dhyt red foddee nagh row fys ayd’s er roie. Ta’n chooid smoo jeh’n Chiareas-Feed er e hon. Tar ad slane kiarit, ta mish toiggal, dy yannoo soiagh jeh accan huc
liorish y theay, as gialdyn feaysley.
I.—My t’eh dy feer myr shen, Yuan, cha voddagh Manninee red s’doaieagh y
yannoo na çheet er nyn doshiaght, as cur y chied çhionse daue, as eisht heeagh sleih
cre’n aght harragh ad er.
J.—Veagh eh foddey sloo dy hrubbyl, as çheu-mooie jeh shen, veagh eh ny
s’easal y yannoo, as ooilley çheu-sthie jin hene. Veagh Manninee goll lesh y cheilley
dys yn obbyr, as cha nee roostey nyn dhoin dys joarreeyn, as ginsh daue ayns Sostyn
nagh voddagh shin jannoo n’egooish oc. Ayns Mannin veg veen ’sy traa t’ayn cha vel
keesh orrin agh lheid as ta shin goaill soylley jeh. Ta keeshyn er ny queeylyn—wahll,
ta raaidyn mie ain; ta keeshyn er ny moddee—wahll, ta droghadyn noa jeant; ta
keeshyn er ny thieyn oast—as cooid lhisagh ve, son tar ad jannoo wite assee liorish
miolagh shenn vlebbinyn as scollagyn litçheragh dy iu, as dy chur mow nyn saaseyn
beaghee. Nish ta ooilley ny keeshyn shoh currit magh er ny raaidyn ain, as ta shin
sauail liorish; son ta ny queeylyn, as ny cartyn, as ny greienyn, as ny crouyn cabbil
ain ceau foddey sodjey dooin.
I.—Ta ghooinney; as lurg ooilley, she yn Kiare-as-Feed ren y leigh hug ny
keeshyn shoh orrin.
J.—Dy beagh lesh shen, dy beagh ad er n’yannoo dy chooilley nhee ren ad
chammah’s shen, cha row oyr son plaiynt.
I.—Wahll, wahll, hee main. Lhig daue ve reiht liorish y theay, as eisht—
J.—She, as eisht bee yn sleih cooilleenit. As my hig accan my raad’s laccal
signal, verrym’s my laue huggey.
I.—Verrym neesht. Oie vie, Juan.
J.—Oie vie ayd, Illiam.
[Monas Herald 21.02.1834]
7. Leighderyn
Dys Çhaghter-kiaulleeaght Vannin.
Vainshter, ta mish er n’ghoaill tastey jeh’n ymmodee foays ta shiu er n’yannoo ayns
yn ellan veg shoh, liorish sheidey yn cayrn eu. Gow shiuish kiarail jeh’n ‘Çhenn
Phractitioner’22 va screeu hiu yn çhiaghtin chaie, as ny cur shiu kied da screeu myr
nane jeh ny ymmodee king eu. Tra lhaih mee ny screeunyn echey, va soar yn çhenn
shynnagh cha trome gort jeh, dy row mee eginit dy yeigh my stroin. Haghyr dou
keayrt dy ve ayns y Cashtal, as dennee mee yn soar cheddin ayns shen.
given in Broderick 1982a: 117. However, verragh occurs in 1.3 whilleen shilley as verragh nyn dappey
voin and in derrin in 1.10 dy derrin’s hood screeuyn ayns Gaelg.
22
This piece was written in response to a letter to the editor by ‘An Old Practitioner’ on 23.05.1834.
The background was a series of scandals involving members of the Manx judiciary, including a
deemster you cancelled his Common Law Court in order to travel to Liverpool to listen to the Italian
violinist Paganini (1782-1840).
Ta ny leighderyn nish foddey share na v’ad roish traa Roper23, ga dy vel paart
oc jannoo bingys dy liooar liorish Kiaullane Balloo. Va ny briwnyn as leighderyn
roish yn traa shen ooilley er yn un çheu; nish ta keint dy chairys er ny yannoo da’n
theay, liorish bingys yn derrey yeh as kiaulleeaght yn jeh elley. Ta’n shenn shynnagh
shen pleadeil injil dy liooar, as t’eh goaill ayns laue dy chosney cooishyn myr
boallagh eh. Cha vel mee gobbal nagh vel fer ny jees jeh ny leighderyn aeg ta ceau
famman, gollrish moddee veggey as eddin deiney orroo. Ta mee gra nagh vel mee
gobbal nagh vel resoon dy liooar er çheu yn “Çhenn Phractitioner,” dy choyrt fo
smaght ad. Ta daanys yn jouyl ayns paart oc, as ayns ny jishagyn oc rieau. Foddee dy
vel peccah ny hayraghyn er eiyrtys yn chloan. Gow shiuish kiarail jeh ny
screeudeyryn eu, er son foddee dy
“Geayll shiu jeh Athaliah24, yn moddey-oaldey dewil,
Tra stroie ee pobble Yudah, as ghow ee hene yn reill.”
Foddee eh taghyrt dy glinn shiu reesht voish
Mannanan Mac Lear.
Follaghey Vannin, yn çheyoo laa yeig jeh’n sourey.
[Mona’s Herald 06.06.1834]
8. Coyrle da Manninee
Coyrle da Manninee.
Ny vud ocsyn t’eh yn currym ain dy ghoaill rish dy vel shin kianlt ayns ymmodee
booise daue, son yn aigney mie as yn chummal seose oc, ta shin ayns yn pabyr shoh,
ta er ny yannoo ny smoo, ayns aght er-lheh goaill stiagh nyn vud lheid as ta Manninee
dooie, jeh sluight ooasle Mannanan Mac Lear. Ny whail ocsyn ta shin dy kinjagh er
n’yeeaghyn, ayns yn streeu ain dy chummal seose ny privilegeyn çhymnit dooin
liorish ny shenn ayraghyn ain. Shassoo shickyr ayns yn chiarail ain dy chummal seose
cairyssyn ny çheer ain, as ayns rooteil seose ny mee-chairyssyn ta er choyrt ayns
danjeyr çhiamble casherick yn constitution ain, liorish fir-oik goaill orroo dy reih ad
hene, as goaill yn oik er mainshtyraght, ayns ynnyd ad ve reiht liorish cummaltee yn
ellan, as ve currit ayns yn oik lioroosyn, dy hassoo seose er nyn son as dy yannoo
cairys ayns nyn ynnyd, ta shin ec dy chooilley hraa er choyrt nyn dreisht er
cummaltee yn çheer ain hene.
Ta shin er n’gholl er nyn doshiaght myr deiney caggee noi noidyn yn ellan; ta
shin er neginagh ad dy ghoaill rish dy vel ny hobbraghyn oc lheid as nagh vod ve er
ny hurranse liorish yn çheeloghe shoh; ta shin er cheau foshlit dorrys yn çhiamble
dyn-yss, as er neginagh ad dy choyrt clashtyn da, as dy ockley magh ny haccanyn ain.
Agh cha vel shin foast er ve abyl dy choyrt fo chosh dy chooilley hranlaasagh ta
freayll shin voish feddyn slane reamys; cha vel shin foast er ve abyl dy choyrt mow
dagh drogh chliaghtey ta er nirree seose voish traa dys traa ny mast’ain, lheid as
veagh ayrn erbee jeh reeriaght Hocsyn ayns nearey roish, as lheid as nagh jinnagh
eash erbee, agh ny heashyn s’dorraghey, y choyrt biallys daue.
23
William Roper, Vicar General between 1824 and 1828. He was a layman in a rôle traditionally given
to a clergyman. He had been a lawyer in Ireland, and came to the Island to avoid being thrown in a
debtors’ prison, and was unpopular in the Island (Gelling 1998: 54).
24
Wife of Jehoram, king of Judah in the Old Testament. After the death of her son Ahaziah, she
assumed power herself, and ‘destroyed all the royal seed’ (2 Kings 11:1), except her grandson Joash
who escaped the massacre and later regained the throne.
Ta’n cooney ta’n laboragh ain er n’gheddyn voish cloan Mannanan Mac Lear,
ga nagh vel ad foast er ve feer vondeishagh, feeu jeh nyn mooise share—agh ta shin
ginsh dy foshlit da ny fir-çheerey ain, dy re liorish cummal magh ny lomarcan ta’n
varriaght dy ve ry gheddyn. Accanyn ny shenn ayraghyn ain, as ynrickys ashoon
Hocsyn ayn va ny leeideilee dy hroailt ayns yn toilshey er nyn doshiaght.
Ta’n chooish ain mie as troggit er undin shickyr, cha nee er undin neufondagh; she dy charraghey, cha nee dy choyrt mow, Kiare-as-Feed yn çheer ain ta
shin streeu. As ta shin geearree er cummaltee Ellan Vannin dyn gaase skee ayns
jannoo dy mie, son ga nagh vel eh ayns pooar cretooryn ny lomarcan dy phointeil
daue hene leagh nyn laboragh, lhig daue cooinaghtyn er dy vel ny smoo ayns yn pooar
ock—tar ad abyl toilçhin eh.
[Mona’s Herald 06.02.1835]
9. Dys Manninee dooie
Dys Manninee dooie, cummaltee Ellan Vannin.
Gheiney Seyrey, ayns screeuyn dys cummaltee yn ellan, er yn laa chaie, ghow
mee yn reamys dy ghra focklyn giarrey mychione cairys ta eu dys yn “elective
franchise”—ta shen dy ghra, privilege dy reih as dy choyrt stiagh Kiare-as-Feed ny
çheerey ain. Ayns yn screeuyn cheddin hass mee magh noi as dob mee firrinys goan
va loayrit liorish unnane jeh ny hard leighderyn ny mast’eu, “dy beagh yn privilege
shoh mollaght as cha nee bannaght.”
Va’n resooney aym’s er ny levallal noi yn Chiare-as-Feed, fir-oik nagh vel
shiuish ayns aght erbee reih ny pointeil, agh fir-oik ta reih as pointeil ad hene dy
hassoo ’syn oik cheddin son ooilley laghyn nyn mea: cha vel oghsan eu dy choyrt
daue ny sneih dy choyrt orroo. T’ad jannoo leighyn, ta kiangley shiuish as nyn gloan,
veih sheeloghe dys sheeloghe. Va goan yn leighder wheesh as gra, dy beagh yn
phooar eu ny mast’eu hene, voish traa gys traa dy reih as dy phointeil Kiare-as-Feed
ny çheerey, dy hoie ass nyn lieh as er nyn goontey, son traa veagh er ny enmys, as yn
phooar ve freilt dy chaghlaa ad, my yinnagh shiu my-ner nagh row ad jannoo nyn
gooid share son foays ny çheerey. Va ny goan loayrit, ta mee ginsh diu, gra “dy beagh
yn phooar shoh—pooar ta slane cairys eu huic—mollaght, as cha nee bannaght.”
Cha jeanym reesht gentrail ayns cooish liauyr dy phrowal neu-firrinys ny goan
shoh, agh ayns aght giare dy hoiagh reue reddyn yinnagh çheet mygeayrt, dy beagh yn
phooar shoh ec ny Manninee, dy reih Kiare-as-Feed ny çheerey, chammah as yn
phooar dy choyrt dys lhiattee unnane erbee jeu, ec kione yn traa v’ad dy hassoo, nagh
beagh shiu credjal va er yannoo e phaart son foays ny çheerey.
Lhisin hoshiaght gra, dy beagh eh cairagh dy stowal yn “elective franchise,”
ny yn chairys dy votal son fir-oik yn Chiare-as-Feed, er dy chooilley ghooiney ayns
dagh skeerey veagh ayns possession ayns yn chairys echey hene, as da hene bentyn
thalloo, thieyn, ny intackyn feeu daeed skillin ’sy vlein; as myrgeddin er dagh cotlerthallooin veagh geeck queig puint mayl, as erskyn. Ayns ny baljyn-margee lhisagh yn
chairys shoh ve ec dagh cummaltagh geeck queig puint ’sy vlein dy vayl thie, as
erskyn. Yn reih shoh dy ve jeant, yn slane Kiare-as-Feed dy ve votit er nyn son, as
jerrey dy ve currit er yn pholl ayns un laa; as slane pooar ve oc dy hassoo seose ayns
ynnyd nyn vir-çheerey son three bleeaney dy hraa, ny sloo ny veagh ad currit ass bree,
as poll noa ve oardyrit liorish Kiannoort ny çheerey.
Ta shoh myr oirr mooie, ny sketch giare, jeh’n plan lhisagh ve er ny ghoaill dy
stowal ny mast’eu yn “franchise,” ny yn phooar dy reih Kiare-as-Feed ny çheerey: dy
ve lhieent seose ny lurg shen; as t’eh pooar ta cairys, as slane cairys eu huggey
fegooish foayr voish dooinney erbee.
Nee’m nish genmys ghaa ny three jeh ny vondeishyn yinnagh girree voish yn
plan shoh dy ve currit ayns bree.
Veagh yn Chiare-as-Feed eisht ayns firrinys ny hassoo ayns ynnyd yn theay;
yinnagh ad cur cleaysh gys accanyn yn sleih, as lesh daanys shassoo seose ass nyn
lieh, noi tranlaasee erbee veagh er nyn vaggyrt nyn oi, as er son dagh nhee veagh
ymmyrçhagh as femoil dy ve jeant er nyn son. Myr t’ad nish er nyn reih, cha vel ad
jannoo yn chied unnane jeh ny reddyn shoh, as cha lhoys daue yn unnane elley y
yannoo.
Currit ayns pooar liorish yn theay, yinnagh ad jeeaghyn lurg argid cadjin ny
çheerey as shassoo seose ayns nyn ynnyd, as goaill kiarail dy beagh coontey firrinagh
currit jeh, as dy row eh er ny vaarail son ny reddyn smoo ymmyrçh as femoil.
Veagh yn pointeil jeh trusteeghyn ny raaidyn ayns laue yn sleih; as veagh oc
fo’n chiarail oc ny keeshyn troggit voue hene dy yannoo raaidyn noa, as dy chummal
seose ny raaidyn cheddin. Veagh oc marish shoh yn pointeil jeh dagh fer-oik bentyn
dys ny raaidyn fo ny hard reiltee, erreish da’n phointeil cheddin ve liorish skeeraghyn,
liorish sheidjinyn25, ny liorish committee er coontey yn slane ellan.
Veagh ec yn sleih yn chairys dy reih daue hene briwnyn beggey ny baljyn
margee, as persoonyn jeh’n un oik fud yn çheer, marish dagh fer ayns oik injil trooid
balley as çheer.
Cha beagh ’sy traa shen, keesh, ta goit rish dy ve ymmyrçhagh as femoil, son
cummal seose boghtyn yn ellan, cur aggle as creau ayns ny heirinnee as ny
cummaltee, son wheesh as dy beagh yn cheesh cheddin er ny oardrail as er ny hroggal
lioroo hene dagh blein, ny keeshyn cheddin dy ve currit er y thalloo, er jagheeyn, as er
mayl thieyn—yn ayrn smoo dy huittym, myr lhisagh eh, er yn sleih jeh’n verçhys
smoo. Veagh yn slane argid er ny rheynn liorish offishearyn er ny phointeil liorish yn
sleih; as son wheesh as dy beagh ayrn jeh’n cheesh shoh tuittym orroo hene, veagh eh
yn vondeish oc dy ve cha sparalagh as ayns nyn booar ayns baarail yn argid.
Veagh keeshyn son cummal seose ny baljyn-margee er ny hroggal ’syn aght
cheddin, agh veagh ad shoh ayns y clane er ny eeck liorish cummaltee yn valley.
Ta mee er screeu ny focklyn giarrey shoh hiuish ta Manninee dooie ayns
çhengey ny mayrey, goaill ayns laue dy bee ny ta mee bwooishal dy hoilshaghey diu,
toiggit ny share ayns yn ghlare shen.
Foddee eh ve dy jean shiu clashtyn voym keayrt ennagh elley mychione ny
reddyn shoh; ayns y traa t’ayn creid shiu mee dy ve,
Gheiney seyrey,
Nyn sharvaant smoo imlee,
Britannicus.
[Mona’s Herald 07.02.1837]
10. Gaelg
Gaelg.
25
sheidjinyn - ‘sheadings’. The Isle of Man is divided into six sheadings: Ayre, Glenfaba, Garff,
Michael, Rushen and Middle, which are now mainly significant as the basis of electoral constituencies
and the districts of the coroners. (For a discussion of the word ‘sheading’, see Broderick 2006: xvii.)
Ta mee clashtyn dy vel oo son çheet magh reesht, Robin, as t’eh cur boggey dou, boy.
Shynney lhiam lhaih yn pabyr ayd, er yn oyr dy vel eh cur naightyn firrinagh,
chammah’s dy vel eh jeh ymmyd ayns caghlaaghyn aght. T’eh cur ny fir-reill ayns
cooinaght jeh nyn gurrym, as ny fir-oik jeh’n chiangley t’ad fo dy chooilleeney cairys.
T’eh myrgeddin bentyn da foays dagh unnane26.
Hig oo er ash myr y ghrian lesh goull y voghree, ga dy vel oo son tammylt er
ve fo dullyr. Nee yn soilshey brishey magh ny vegganyn veih’n vodjal dorraghey, as
skeaylee eh harrish sleityn as coanyn Vannin veg villish nyn gree.
Mastey ymmodee screeudeyryn dy ainjys, smooinee mee dy derrin’s hood
screeuyn ayns Gaelg. Strou hene dy lhisagh Manninee soiagh jeh nyn ghlare ghooie
hene, as soilshagh shen nyn soiaghey liorish ny cheayrtyn jannoo ymmyd jeh ayns
screeu chammah’s pleadeil. Ta’n pabyr ayd enmyssit shen ta cur lesh fysseree da’n
ellan: lhisagh eisht cowrey ennagh ve ry akin liorish dty gheiney-cheerey, dy vel ayd
aigney braaragh nyn guail, as cur brah er yn aigney shen liorish y scansh t’ou dy
yannoo jeh dagh nhee bentyn daue.
Ta paart jeu, ta fys aym er, ta coontey foddey smoo jeh Baarle, er yn oyr dy
vel eh cur ny smoo dy hoilshey ayns ny nheeghyn ta bentyn da’n naight as da’n
schlei. Agh foast cha nhimmey Manninagh nagh laik lesh çhengey ny mayrey. Ta ny
Bretnee cur magh pabyryn ayns nyn ghlare ashoonagh. As s’mie veagh eh er ve da
Mannin veg, nagh row rieau yn ghlare eck scughit dys corneil! T’ou toiggal mee,
sheillym pene; as neem’s my phaart dy jean oo maghey shoh toiggal mee sthill ny
share. Son ta lane orrym foast dy ghra—as clinnee oo voym’s reesht. ’Sy traa t’ayn,
aigh mie dy row lhiat!
[Mona’s Herald 22.12.1840]
11. Raaghyn creeney jeh pobble China
Gaelg.
Ta ny raaghyn creeney shoh jeh pobble China, ta shin ec y traa shoh ayns
caggey roo27, jeeaghyn nagh vel ad sleih cha giare-cheeallagh as ta shin cliaghtey
jeeaghyn orroo ve.
1.—Ta’n red ta shin feme, mennick freayll ayns nyn laue shen ny t’ain.
2.—Mannagh vel caslys jeh sterrym, fenee daa cheayrt jeed hene, caid arrys y
chiunid shoh?
3.—Ghoghe dooinney rish lane foays ve echey hene, roish yinnagh eh
beaghey ny mast’ocsyn, ta lesh cooid y veggan jeh.
4.—Cha vel fer ayns jeih thousaneyn feddyn baase voish pyshoon, as foast ta
dy chooilley wan ayns aggle roish: ta ny thousaneyn feddyn baase voish laanid
beaghey, neu-heeltys, as beggan lheill, as ny-yeih cha nhimmey peiagh ta ayns aggle
roish ny huilk shen.
5.—Dy goghe oo ayns laue shiaulley harrish slyst ny marrey er bleddyr, cre
cha imneagh as veagh oo dy endeil eh veih bred28 snaidey! Freill arrey er dty chree as
dty ymmyrkey lesh yn imnea cheddin.
26
unnane - Usually unnane in written Manx, in the original this word is spelt annan, which represents
the northern pronunciation (Broderick 1984: 9, 469). In writing it also occurs in a version of the song
Fin as Oshin (Broderick 1990: 59).
27
The First Opium War between the British Empire and China lasted from 1839 to 1842.
6.—Ta dyman29 lesh lheamys, jeh feeuid smoo na ta clagh chadjin ta dyn cron.
Ta raa creeney myrgeddin cadjin ny vud oc bentyn da ny saaseyn dy lheihys.
Jir ad—dyn goaill ayns laue geebyrt ooilley ny drogh umouryn ass y chorp ec keayrt,
er aggle dy bee ny umouryn mie er nyn vollaghey—er-nonney dy jean y martyr
gannoonaghey. T’eh dy liooar my vees yn çhiaghtoo ny’n hoghtoo ayrn ass y jeih
jeh’n nieunys vaasoil er ny chastey liorish medjin, ayns wheesh as dy jean dooghys
jeh hene yn chooid elley ny vegganyn. Ta’n raa creeney shoh smoo feeu ayns reill
reeriaghtyn as gurneil lughtyn-thie.
[Monas’s Herald 05.01.1841]
12. Vanninee ghooghyssagh
Vanninee ghooghyssagh, as ooilley shiuish yoarreeyn feeudagh ta cummal ayns
thalloo Vannin.
“Liorish moyrn ta anvea brishey magh: agh ta creenaght maroosyn ta goaill
coyrl.”30
Lesh lane taitnys ta mee goaill orrym pene dy oltaghey shiu, er graih yn shee
as fea ta nish ayns yn çheer ain.
Ta mee goaill boggey meriu veih grunt my chree, ayns dy vel yn boiraneys va
mastey’n theay blein y touree chaie,31 choud shoh er gholl dy bollagh lesh yn kione
my lhie; s’feer eh, “Nagh vel mooaralys ny drogh-yantee agh giare.”
My chaarjyn. Quoi va ny screbblagyn32 shen, ren liorish raaghyn molteyragh,
shliawin, as sleetçhagh,33 cleayney whilleen jeh ny Manninee (paart ayns onid nyn
gree, as paart trooid bolvaneys) dy chur nyn laue gys aghinyn, geearree son toyrtmow yn Chiare-as-feed, marish ooilley ny hoardaghyn, as vondeishyn, va cha
kiaralagh çhymnit dooinyn, as da nyn gloan, liorish nyn shenn-ayraghyn? Cammah
my chaarjyn: ny traitooryn shen nagh goghe fea jeh’n Ard-whaiyl, er-derrey hooar ad
leigh noa dy chaghlaa towshan yn argid ruy34 (as ta nish, as rieau er-dy-henney dy
croutagh geam dy vel yn labree, as y dooinney boght, currit gys coayl liorish yn eer
leigh cheddin), as nagh der veg smoo son ping Hostynagh nish, na v’ad coyrt roie son
ping Vanninagh; adsyn ren liorish myngyraght, as saaseyn mee-lowal elley, jannoo
cooid as cowryn jeh lhuingys-vrisht, etc.; bouyranyn ta comyssey35 marish drogh
vraane; fir-thammag36 nagh vel fys quoi va nyn ayraghyn; as ad shen ennee, ren
liorish saaseyn molteyragh goaill feeaghyn orroo hene, as nagh jean geeck nyn
lhiastynys, ga dy vel palçhey fort ayns nyn laue; marish lheid as ta mie er doilçhin
nyn gleayshyn ve pollit son nyn immeeaght-bea bleeantyn er-dy-henney; caghlaaghyn
28
bred - ‘a prick, a puncture’ Kelly, same as brod. Cf. brott / brett ‘broth, soup’ (fn. 121).
dyman - i.e. diamond
30
Proverbs 13:10.
31
In 1844 the British government introduced a series of reforms to the Manx fiscal system, which were
hotly debated within the island (Belchem 2000: 42-44).
32
screbblagyn. Cf. screb ‘scab’. Perhaps ‘scabby, worthless people’. Cf. also Irish screaball,
screablach.
33
sleetçhagh - ‘slimy’ Cregeen.
34
A reference to the ‘Copper Row’ of 1840, when the the Manx currency (in which there were fourteen
pennies in a shilling instead of twelve) was assimilated to that of Britain, leading to rioting in Peel and
elsewhere (Belchem 2000: 51).
35
comyssey - ‘cohabiting, copulating’ Cregeen.
36
fir-thammag - ‘bastards’.
29
jeh ny fragymyn37 cheddin ta ceau fainaghyn airhey, ny prashey, cooatyn doo,
bussalyn baney, as mennick markiaghey ayns fainee: ny-yeih, my yinnagh dooinney
oney erbee treishteil booa ny cabbyl er fer jeu, fegooish yn argid laue, ny feanish
fondagh, veagh eh bunnys shickyr jeh surranse coayl.
Cha vel mish gra nagh vel focklyn dy ynsagh-lioaragh ec paart jeu, son ta mee
er chlashtyn dy vel un dooinney ny vud oc oddys, er oyryn vondeishagh da hene,
caghlaa keeadyn gys thousaneyn lesh un çhyndaa jeh’n edjag-screeuee.
Ny sodjey na shoh, ta fer-ynsee bentyn gys yn Agglish38 er ghoaill laue maroo;
gyn-oayltagh39 t’er chionnagh croit hallooin, as t’er-y-fa shen smooinaght dy lhisagh
yn theay lessoon y ghoaill voishyn, as dy negin daue credjal, as jannoo, myr ver eh
roue. Ta’n jeeoilagh40 shoh loayrt dy lajer, as dy lunagh, noi’n Chiare-as-feed ardooasle as raahoil. “T’eh daaney as creoi-wannallagh, cha vel aggle er dy loayrt olk jeh
ny pooaraghyn syrjey.”41 Ta mee clashtyn neesht dy vel eh mennick goaill yn
veshtallys, loo as gweeaghyn, brishey Dooneeyn y Çhiarn, as ceabbey ny jeirkee ta
çheet raad e ynnyd-vaghee.
She ny lheid oc shoh son yn chooid smoo, ayns commeeys rish strane42 jeh ny
joarreeyn comleayrtagh—stroialtee ta jiuleanys43 ’syn ellan (caghlaaghyn jeu ren dy
neu-yesh çhea gys Mannin veih nyn growaltee44, ec yn imbagh shen tra nagh voddagh
slattyssyn y çheer oc hene goaill greme orroo ayns y çheer shoh)—hug toshiaght da
ooilley yn boirey, as va dy slane kiarit dy hilgey shin bun-ry-skyn; as ta mee clashtyn
fou dy vel ny dhonnanyn45 mee-viallagh cheddin mysh coyrt breb elley.
Nish heshey ellanee, as shiuish yoarreeyn reajagh46, ooilley ry cheilley myr ta
shiu, ta mee guee erriu gow-jee fockle dy choyrle veih shen Vanninagh, as shass-jee
magh dy dunnal noi ny roiederyn as ny cassidee. Ny cur-jee wheesh as cooney nyn
eddin da ny flaieyn47 fergagh ta shegin er olk; agh lhig dooin, lesh un chree as un
aigney, lheid y quaaltys y chur daue, as ver yn daanys vee-hushtagh oc er slat e
ghrommey dy choyrt yn kred48 s’jerree.
37
fragymyn - Cregeen cites fragym as an adjective: ‘out of the way of duty, awry. A low word’. Here it
is a noun with evidently derogatory meaning.
38
This section was evidently considered slanderous, and this may be one reason the letter was written
in Manx, for the following apology was printed by the newspaper two months later (Manx Sun
07.02.1846): ‘We were inadvertently, in the hurry of business, not being profoundly learned in the
Manx language, led to publish a letter signed “Eubonia,” written in Manx, on the 20th December last,
which we afterwards regretted to find was considered to reflect offensively on the private character of a
gentleman, supposed to be therein alluded to’.
39
gyn-oayltagh - ‘a foreigner’ Cregeen.
40
jeeoilagh - ‘a divine, a theologian’ Cregeen. It is clear from the use of this word that the writer has
taken it from Cregeen’s dictionary, for the latter states under jeeoil: ‘This, and the two words following
[jeeoilagh and jeeoilys], I have never heard nor seen, but as the language stands in need of them, and
the words purely Manks and appropriate, I have inserted them.’
41
Cf. 2 Peter 2:10.
42
strane - ‘a file of men, a rank’ Cregeen.
43
jiuleanys - ‘s.m. sojourning, cotlery, living as not at home’ Cregeen, here as a verbal noun. Manx
jiulean from Old Irish deidblén ‘weakling, orphan, pauper’ (DIL; Thomson 1988: 142); in Manx the
semantic development is from ‘pauper’ to ‘petty farmer’.
44
crowaltee - ‘creditors’. Cregeen crowaltagh - ‘a craver, a claimant, a dunner’.
45
dhonnanyn - ‘dolts’.
46
reajagh - ‘orderly, correct, discreet’ Cregeen.
47
flaieyn - cf. Cregeen flaiee - ‘s.m. a fiend, an imp; pl. id.’. Here, however, the plural is regular.
48
kred - ‘a grunt, a hem, the act of discharging the breath with force; a sigh is made by drawing in the
breath, this by forcing it out, a weak cough’ Cregeen, Gaelic cnead.
Mannagh jeanmayd er yn aght shoh, as my yiow ny cowagee49 vee-cheeallagh
as ny co-vollaghtee50 nyn mian, bee eh ny smessey dooinyn as da nyn gloan na dy
darragh yn chragh dy’n çheer: bee main dy bollagh astyrit ass ny fraueyn, as bee
Mannin veg veen ayns poyll-sluggee dy vondiaght.
Cre dooyrt yn Fer-ynsee Bowring51 tra loayr eh rish yn theay ec Thie-oast
Vona? Doshil eh e veeal as ren eh fockley magh er yn aght shoh: “Myr va mee çheet
er y raad, cheayll mee coraa geamagh ‘sheese lesh ny Ogheryn52.’ My chaarjyn, cha
vel mish er jeet ayns shoh dy yannoo shen. Ta ny Ogheryn jeh scansh erskyn towse
mooar da Ellan Vannin. Foddee dy vel ad er naase mergagh; ta beggan ymmyd er ve
jeant jeu, as she my choyrle’s eh, shiu dy ghlenney seose ad ayns lheid yn aght as ver
orroo fosley ny dorrysyn.” Choud shoh ta’n dooinney seyr shen er gheddyn e yeearree
cooilleenit, ayns wheesh as dy vel dorrysyn Thie yn Chiare-as-feed nish ceauit feaynfoshlit, myr shen dy vod dy chooilley ’nane clashtyn as cur-my-ner er e hon-hene cre
ta’n Whaiyl gra as jannoo er çheu-sthie.
My vees caghlaa sodjey ymmyrçhagh, lhig da ve (myr dooyrt Robert y
Karragher53) ayns yn chied ynnyd dy chur lesh er ash, as dy hannaght dooin, quaiylyn
myr v’ec nyn ayraghyn jeh’n çhenn earish; ta shen dy ghra, lheid as v’er ny chummal
ec Cashtal Rushen eddyr ny giattyn kiongoyrt rish Harry Vyron, Kiannoort Vannin,
Anno Domini 1430. As reesht ayns yn vlein 1643 ec Balley ny Peeley kiongoyrt rish
Jamys Eearley Gherby, raad va aigney ooilley cummaltee Vannin er ny hoiggal,
liorish yn ard-fer-reill, y Choonseil, as yn Chiare-as-feed, ec jannoo ny leighyn; trooid
deiney v’er ny reih liorish yn theay son yn oyr shen: as lhig da dy chooilley nhee v’er
ny yannoo, cha nee er vullagh ching54, ny liorish kirkinyn55 baanrit, agh lesh traa
feeudagh, as liorish deiney fastagh, firrinagh, as creeney.
My chaarjyn, ny bee veg eu dy yannoo marish ny condaigee roonagh shen ta
shleeuit er anvea. “Ny bee-jee mollit; ta drogh heshaght cur mow ellyn mie.”56 Lhig
dooinyn er-y-fa shen ve sniemmit dy cheilley ayns arrym as ammys gys yn Ven-rein
smoo graysoil ain Victoria; biallagh dauesyn t’ayns pooar foee, çheh gys coadey
oardaghyn mie nyn jeerey, as bioyr gys freayll seose cairys nyn sheshaghyn
cummaltee.
Cha vel aym nish dy ghra, agh, myr dooyrt Juan Jamys y Dowan, erreish da ve
brisht. “Ta mee gennaghtyn dy vel mee ayns towse ennagh er chooilleeney my
churrym hym pene, as gys my heer;” as shoh my phadjer gys my Er-croo, “Soilshee
dt’obbyr da dty harvaantyn, as da nyn gloan dty ghloyr.”57
Dec. 1845. Eubonia58.
49
cowagee - from cowag, ‘chat, loud talk, unintelligible discourse’ Cregeen.
co-vollaghtee - ‘conspirators’. Cf. Acts 23:13 As va erskyn da-eed jeu fo yn cho-vollaght shoh ‘And
they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy’.
51
The Liberal MP John Bowring who as member for Bolton between 1841 and 1849 championed the
interests of the Isle of Man in the House of Commons (Belchem 2000: 41ff.). He and his wife visited
the island in September 1844 and were fêted wherever they went (Manx Sun 28.09.1844). Bowring
made the speech quoted here (the Manx is a close paraphrase) at the Castle Mona Hotel in Douglas on
the day of his arrival on 23rd September.
52
A calque on English ‘Keys’ rather than the usual Kiare-as-Feed: the joke in the English about the
Keys’ being ‘rusty’ would not otherwise work.
53
Robert Fargher, editor of the Mona’s Herald and campaigner for political reform: see Introduction.
54
er vullagh ching - ‘rashly’. Cf. Acts 19:36.
55
kirkin - ‘an unsteady, inconstant person’ Cregeen.
56
1 Corinthians 15:33.
57
Psalm 90:16.
58
A name for the Isle of Man found in the 9th century Historia Brittonum; cf. also Eubonia bright, a
song in praise of strong drink by Bishop Samuel Rutter (1661-1663) which was translated into Manx.
50
[Manx Sun 20.12.1845]
13. Saggyrt Brown
The Late Rev. Robert Brown.
Parish of Braddan: Manx Epistle.
Huggeysyn ta cur magh yn Heral Manninagh.
Vainshtyr, ta mee er chlashtyn lesh lane trimshey jeh baase Saggyrt Brown,
saggyrt yn skeerey shoh, son v’eh dooinney mie, dooinney va’n slane yeearree as yn
bwooishal echey dy yannoo foays da’n sleih va currit fo’n kiarail echey myr
shirveishagh, as cha nee ynrycan dauesyn, agh da dy chooilley unnane v’eh abyl
jannoo mie da. S’coan my59 vees lheid yn saggyrt currit dooin ’syn ynnyd echey. Ta
mee er chlashtyn dy row eh dooinney feer ynsit, dy row eh toiggal Hebrew, Greek, as
Latin; agh er yn oyr nagh row shinyn Manninee voghtey toiggal ny glaraghyn joarree
shoh—dy jarroo ta paart jin nagh vel toiggal Baarle feer vie, ny eer toiggal monney
jeh—tra haink eh gys yn skeerey shoh hoshiaght, ren eh failley saggyrt Manninagh va
toiggal Gaelg, dy phreaçheil dooin ’sy ghlare shen, ta shen dy ghra, çhengey ny
mayrey Ellan Vannin. Honnick eh nagh row eh cairagh da dy ve ayns boayl raad nagh
row ooilley yn sleih toiggal Baarle, fegooish yn sushtal ve er ny phreaçheil da’n
dooinney Gaelgagh chiart cha mie as da’n dooinney Baarlagh. Myr shen ayns wheesh
as nagh voddagh yn saggyrt Gaelgagh fuirraght foddey marish, ghow eh hene ayns
laue dy ynsagh Gaelg, as ayns traa giare, lesh laboragh creoi oie as laa, v’eh abyl
lhaih as preaçheil yn ghlare shen. Ga dy row eh hene Manninagh, cha naik eh rieau
cre cha ymmyrçhagh as v’eh da saggyrt skeerey ’syn ellan shoh dy hoiggal Gaelg,
derrey haink eh fud sleih Gaelgagh.
Ta ymmodee taggloo ’sy nabooys shoh, nish dy vel yn dooinney crauee shoh
ersooyl dy ghoaill soylley jeh’n leagh echey ec laue yesh Yee ayns ny niaughyn, quoi
yn saggyrt yiow yn skeerey shoh?60 Ta paart gra un red, as paart red elley; agh ta’n
vunnys oc ooilley gra dy re joarree ennagh, ny fer ennagh nagh vel toiggal Gaelg,
vees currit ayn, son dy vel ny fir-reiltee ain soiaghey beg jeh’n Ghaelg, as jeusyn ta
taggloo as toiggal eh; myr shen dy vel ad bwooishal dy beagh yn Ghaelg as adsyn ta
taggloo eh, currit ass Mannin ooilley cooidjagh, t’eh çheet wheesh ’sy raad oc. Son yn
oyr shen t’ad smooinaghtyn, my ver ad saggyrtyn nagh vel toiggal Gaelg ayns ny
skeeraghyn, dy bee yn sleih eginit dy haggloo Baarle. Agh veagh eh chiart cha mie
daue cur saggyrt ayns dy chooilley skeerey nagh vel toiggal Baarle, as gra dy begin da
dy chooilley unnane nagh vel toiggal Gaelg gynsagh eh. Nagh beagh shoh smooinit
59
S’coan my - the English translation renders the Manx idiom literally as ‘hardly if such a parson will
be given to us in his place’; i.e. ‘such a parson will hardly be given to us’, ‘it is unlikely that such a
parson will be given to us’. Cf. s’lioar my vees (1.14).
60
The parishioners of Braddan did indeed get their wish in 1847 and were sent a native Manx vicar,
William Drury (1808-1887) who ‘delighted in talking broad Manx’ and whose ‘Manx sermons drew
crowds of people’ (Gelling 1998: 96). According to Edward Faragher (2.11), who encountered him on
an excursion in the south of the Island and whose father saved the clergyman from drowning, Drury
was very supportive of Manx and told him ‘I would not give my Manx for my hat-full of gold’. The
death of Parson Brown and his succession was an important political issue for other reasons too, for
there were debates in Tynwald on establishing one or more new parishes for the rapidly growing town
of Douglas, which at the time was still part of Braddan.
neu-resoonagh? Cha vel dooyt nagh beagh61;—agh nagh vel eh chiart cha neuresoonagh er yn laue elley?
Ta’n Manninagh boght nagh vel toiggal monney Baarle, ga dy vel eh cha beg
soit jeh, laboragh chiart cha creoi dy eeck jaghee da’n Aspick as saggyrt yn skeerey
echey, as yn joarree nagh vel toiggal Gaelg. Nagh negin da, eisht, lurg da gobbragh
creoi ooilley yn çhiaghtin, ve feer seaghnagh da tra t’eh goll gys yn cheeill er y
Doonaght, nagh vod eh clashtyn yn sushtal er ny phreaçheil dy plain ’sy ghlare shen
t’eh ny share toiggal. As, reesht, tra t’eh çheet dy lhie er lhiabbee dy hingys, nagh vod
yn dooinney ta eeckit er e hon jeeaghyn da yn raad oddys eh çheet dy ve aarloo son yn
chaghlaa echey.
Vel shiu smooinaghtyn dy beagh ny deiney mooarey ain booiagh lheid ve
jeant roosyn, as ad ve cha beg soit jeh? Ta mee sheiltyn nagh beagh. Nagh lhisagh
adsyn eisht jannoo rish feallagh, myr veagh adsyn bwooishal feallagh elley dy yannoo
roosyn? Tra ta shinyn sleih çheerey meeiteil cooidjagh, ta ymmodee co-loayrtys ain
ny cheayrtyn, as ga nagh vel shen monney soit jeh, ny-yeih ta shin fakin as taggloo
jeh’n aght lhisagh ymmodee reddyn ve jeant nagh vel goll er jannoo.
Tra va saggyrt skeerey cliaghtey geddyn baase, ny currit gys skeerey elley,
va’n saggyrt s’niessey da ayns eash currit ’syn ynnyd echey: agh nish ta saggyrtyn
aegey, nagh vel eddyr son lhaih ny loayrt Gaelg, currit ayns ny skeeraghyn my
haghrys daue ve mooinjerys da fer erbee jeh ny fir-reiltee ain, as eisht t’ad foast
geddyn paart jeh ny saggyrtyn boghtey Manninagh ta toiggal Gaelg, as ta foddey
shinney na ad hene, dy chooney lhieu. Myr shen t’adsyn ta son jannoo nyn gurrym
sharvaantyn dauesyn nagh vel fondagh dy yannoo shen er e hon t’ad geddyn nyn
meaghey. Heillagh shiu dy jinnagh yn Chiare-as-Feed jeeaghyn stiagh ayns ny reddyn
shoh, as geddyn cairys da dy chooilley unnane, boght as berçhagh.
S’coan my va Kiare-as-Feed ny Garrane62 er lowal jeh ny reddyn shoh. Ta
whilleen joarree nish ’sy Chiare-as-Feed, nagh vel monney ec ny Manninee ta fud oc
dy ghra, myr shen dy vel ny joarreeyn geddyn ooilley yn raad oc hene, er yn oyr dy
vel ad ny s’creenee (t’ad smooinaghtyn) na ny Manninee voghtey.
Vel shiu smooinaghtyn dy jean ny deiney mooarey ain ginsh veg jeh ny
reddyn shoh da’n Aspick noa ain? Lhisagh ad ve inshit da. Agh t’eh rait “nagh vel ny
Manninee creeney dys yn laa lurg yn vargey;” ta mee jerkal eisht, nagh bee eh myr
shoh nish; agh dy jean sleih yn skeerey shoh er y çhooyl jannoo accan gys yn
Kiannoort ain, dy hirrey er yn Ven-rein smoo graysoil ain, dy chur saggyrt er yn
skeerey shoh oddys soilshaghey yn raad dy haualtys da’n Manninagh nagh vel toiggal
Baarle, chiart cha mie as dasyn ta toiggal eh.
Veign feer vooisal diu son cur shoh ayns corneil ennagh jeh’n pabyr eu yn
çhiaghtin shoh çheet, my ta shiu coontey feeu jeh; as myrgeddin dy jinnagh shiu hene,
ny fer ennagh elley, çhyndaa eh gys Baarle son yn pabyr yn çhiaghtin er-giyn63.
Foddee dy jean shiu clashtyn voym reesht ayns traa gerrid.
Ta mee tannaghtyn yn sharvaant biallagh eu,
61
Note that Manx uses a negative after expressions of doubt where English uses a positive: where
English says ‘There is no doubt that it would be so’, the sense of the Manx idiom is ‘There is no
suspicion that it would not be so’.
62
Kiare-as-Feed ny Garrane - ‘the House of Keys of the carranes’, here and in 1.17. Notice the genitive
plural with nasalization after the article, which shows that this is a fixed expression. It seems to refer to
a supposed golden age when the House of Keys was composed of ordinary Manxmen who were on the
side the people. The carrane (Ir. cuarán) is an animal-hide sandal traditionally worn by the Manx.
63
A translation in fact appeared on 20th January 1847.
Skeerey Vraddan, Manninagh Dooie.
yn jeihoo laa jeh mee s’jerree yn vlein,
un thousane hoght cheead as shey as daeed.
[Mona’s Herald 30.12.1846]
14. Ny Methodee
Wesleyan Methodism64.
Gys Scrudeyr Herald Vona.
Charrey Deyr,—Myr va shiartanse jin çheet cooidjagh voish y chlass65 fastyr y
laa chaie, hie shin stiagh ayns thie ’nane jeh ny braaraghyn dy gheddyn jough ushtey,
as huitt shin er taggloo son tammylt mooar mychione anvea ny Methodeeyn. Fy
yerrey hoal, ghow shin ayns laue dy phrowal ruleyn Wesley row ad cordail rish ny
Scriptyryn Casherick, as dy chormal66, chammah as oddagh shin, ymmyrkey-bea ny
Methodeeyn rish ny ruleyn cheddin, er-çhee dy gheddyn magh cre va bun yn olk. Va
fys mie dy liooar ain dy dreill ny chied Vethodeeyn ny ruleyn ayns yn aght t’ad
screeut, myr ren shin hene keayrt dy row, (son cha nee olteyn aegey va veg jin,) agh
va shin er n’ghoaill baght rish bleeantyn dy hraa, abbyr daeed blein ny erskyn, dy
row’n ymmodee mooar er chooyl-skyrraghtyn veih’n çheshaght ain liorish cur raad da
moyrn, lhiggey lesh yn eill ayns nheeghyn gyn feme, çhaglym seose berçhys er y
thalloo, braar goll gys y leigh rish braar, &c. As ren nyn gooinsheanseyn hene shin y
gheyrey son paart jeh ny foiljyn cheddin.
Agh erskyn ooilley, hayrn shin gys cooinaghtyn dy row shin dy mennick er
nyn oltooaney liorish cloan y theihll—as cha row eddin ain dy obbal ad—dy row ny
reiltee, ny fir-oik, as ny hard-gheiney ain kinjagh brishey ny saraghyn, as nagh
nhimmey Wesleyan va veg share na sleih elley, mannagh row ny smessey. Nish eer
my va’n oltooan shoh, ayns ayrn, er-gerrey dy laue kiart, cha voddagh shinyn jannoo
rish; son, tra b’lhoys da fer erbee jin oghsan y chur da veg jeh nyn mraaraghyn, red
ren shin keayrt as keayrt, as er-lheh, son goaill bolgymyn dy yough, yiarragh ad rish
er y çhooyl, “C’red ta shen dhyt’s? T’ou uss as dty horçh jannoo foddey ro chreeney
jiu hene. Ta’n shirveishagh ain gra, as ta shin hene toiggal, dy vel jough coyrt
gennallys ’sy chree as aash gys yn aigney. Cre’n cree oddys v’ec dooinney ta fegooish
bine dy yough? Ta jough as liggar cretooryn mie Yee, as dy ve goit lesh toyrt-booise
lioroosyn ta credjal as toiggal yn irriney; shen-y-fa cum uss dty hengey jin, as faag
void sleih ta ny share na oo-hene. Cha row Wesley agh dooinney, as ta deiney chiart
cha creeney rish ’sy theihll foast.”
My veagh veg rait roo mychione saynt, ny rour imnea dy haglym cooid
heihltagh, cha gredjagh ad dy row assee ayn, liorish dy row Solomon er ghra, “Ta
argid gansoor dy chooilley nhee.” Inshagh ad dooin neesht, dy row Abram, ayr ny
credjuee, “feer verçhagh ayns maase, ayns argid, as ayns airh.” My yiarragh shin roo
dyn ad dy hreishteil ayns berçhys neu-hickyr, agh ayns y Jee bio, chassagh ad nyn
64
Wesleyan Methodism - the denomination of Christianity founded by John Wesley (1703-1791) in the
late eighteenth century which split off from the Anglican church.
65
class - class meeting ‘A subdivision of a Methodist congregation, meeting together under the
direction of a class leader’ OED
66
cormal - ‘to make equal’; here, ‘to compare’
ghib orrin, as cha neaishtagh ad rooin. S’firrinagh t’eh, “Tra ta’n berçhagh loayrt ta dy
chooilley ghooinney ny host: as jeeagh cre erbee t’eh dy ghra, t’ad dy voylley eh gys
ny bodjallyn: agh my ta’n boght fosley e veeal t’ad gra, Quoi eh shoh?” Va shin er
chlashtyn neesht dy re shoh myr va paart jeh ny localyn67 share v’ain dellit roo, ny
cheayrtyn ec ny meeteilyn raiee.
Wahll, lurg dooin v’er ghoaill hooin hene ny reddyn shoh, marish red ny ghaa
elley, haink gys nyn gooinaghtyn, chammah as ny coontaghyn va shin er chlashtyn as
er laik er dagh çheu jeh’n chooish, as lurg dooin v’er hyndaa ad harrish as harrish dy
kiaralagh ayns nyn aignaghyn, choard shin ooilley myr lesh un chree ayns y vriwnys
ain, va shen, dy row mwane yn anvea shoh ta nish ny vud ain, er ny yientyn ayns
Lunnin, ec y traa va shirveishee yn Agglish ain hoshiaght dy brynnagh er nyn slaa
seose lesh yn fockle “Reverent,” hug leshtalyn daue son cummey ad hene gys
cliaghtaghyn mooaralagh berçhee yn ard-valley, as feallagh elley veagh veih traa gy
traa fakin ad, goaill huc hene ayns towse smoo ny sloo jeh ny cliaghtaghyn
staydoilagh cheddin, as cummal magh ad gys y sleih raad v’ad troailt, myr gra roo,
“Vraaraghyn, eiyr-jee orrinyn—myr ta shinyn eu son sampleyr;” as by-chyndagh rish
shoh dy row earrooyn mooarey jeh ny Methodeeyn er nynsagh drogh oashyn, as ny
vegganyn er n’gholl geiyrt er fardail gyn ymmyd, bunnys gyn-yss daue hene.
Ny-yeih, ga dy row ny reddyn shoh oyr dy hou-aigney dooin, foast v’eh yn
credjue onneragh ain, dy beagh eh red feer aggairagh da fer erbee ghoghe er dy
charraghey ny brishaghyn lesh lheid ny saaseyn as veagh gaueagh dy yannoo ny
smessey jeu, as nagh row saase nyn gour agh, ayns y spyrryd meen dy ghunnallys
crauee, nyn gheayltyn ooilley y choyrt dy cheilley ’syn obbyr, as lesh un chree as
aigney shassoo er dy negin da ruleyn shenn Yuan Wesley ve er nyn gooilleeney liorin
maghey shoh, cha nee ayns ayrn agh “ayns y clane;” as quoi erbee eh hene, lhig eh ve
ard ny injil, boght ny berçhagh, ynsit ny neu-ynsit, “nee jannoo cliaghtey jeh brishey
veg jeu, lhig da ve inshit dauesyn t’er nyn arrey harrish yn annym shen—as raaue v’er
ny chur da mychione shaghrynys e raaidyn. Eisht mannagh gow eh arrys gyn ayrn
sodjey ve echey ny mast’ ain.”
Dooyrt shin ooilley dy re shoh va’n ynrycan red yinnagh jannoo, as dy re nish
hene va’n traa er e hon. Dy firrinagh-focklagh, va shin coontey dy beagh eh yn
vlebbinys smoo ’sy theihll dooin dy yerkal rish monney erbee dy vieys beayn ny
mast’ain, choud’s hannagh shin jeh nyn yioin ayns commee marish ny lheid as nagh
vel s’coan veg oc agh shliawnid skeetagh, marish giootyn dooghyssagh yn kione as y
gob, as ta lhiggey orroo dy vel ad cha spyrrydoil shen derrey heillagh fer dy jinnagh
ad nyn mioys y chur sheese son ny braaraghyn; ec y traa cheddin cha jean un mac
dooinney jeu eh hene y obbal jeh lhongey dy vee blaystal ny gless dy stoo, as e chrosh
y hroggal er graih ny braaraghyn annoon, my sailloo tuittym as çherraghtyn runt
mygeayrt-y-mysh!
As ren shin nyn aignaghyn dy slane y yannoo seose dy choyrlaghey nyn
sheshaghyn Creestee, ad dy yannoo ny oddagh ad ayns cooney lesh ny Methodeeyn
Sostynagh, dy scughey ny kip-snapperal ass raad y pobble, as shen dy bieau, roish
vees tooilley jeeill jeant ’sy çhioltane.
Er-jerrey, ayns wheesh as dy row yn irree-magh as yn imraa dy irree-magh
cheayll shin jeh ny Methodeeyn voish çheu elley jeh’n ushtey brishey nyn greeaghyn,
as lhieeney ny sooillyn ain lesh jeir oie as laa, hionn ny braaraghyn dy creoi orrym’s
mee dy yannoo yn bit shoh dy screeu, as dou dy ghra dy beagh shin feer wooiagh eh
67
local - local preacher ‘(among the Methodists), a layman who is authorized to preach in the district in
which he resides, as distinguished from the ordained itinerant ministers’ OED
’ve currit ayns y Herald; myr va shin dy imlee treishteil my veagh yn choyrle giare as
aashagh t’ayn er ny ghoaill cha onneragh as t’eh chebbit, nagh voddey derrey yioghe
shin slane livrey.
Ta reyggyryn dy gheiney sheelt, cairal, as crauee, foast çheu-sthie chammah as
çheu-mooie jeh’n Chonference68, nagh jean ad hene y ymmyrkey myr çhiarnyn
harrish eiraght Yee, as nagh vel jannoo jee jeh nyn molg, ny gooashlaghey yn jalloo
airhey—deiney meen as creeney, fegooish neu-chormid as fegooish craueeaghtoalsey, nee streeu dy yannoo dy chooilley nhee dy feeudagh as cordail rish yn
oardagh. Agh lurg ooilley, c’red nee sleih my haghrys da tranlaase laue yn eaghtyr y
gheddyn jeu? Cammah, my vees eh eer myrshen, (red s’lioar my vees69,) nagh vod
sleih kiarail y ghoaill jeh’n sporran shickyr? As varramayd, mannagh vel shin mollit
glen, dy der shen lesh dy-chooilley nhee gys kiartys lane-vie tappee, as cha bee yn
“Dooinney Baarlagh” ain arragh jeeaghit er liorin myr “Fer ny faillee.”
Foddee dy bee foill er ny gheddyn son nagh vel y chooish ain er ny chur hiu
ayns Baarle, agh ta shen red nagh voddym’s dy jesh y yannoo. Cha ghow mee rieau
orrym dy screeu red erbee dy ve fakinit liorish sooillyn y theay, er-lhimmey jeh mysh
lieh-dussan dy charvalyn ayns Gaelg, as ta traa liauyr er-dy-henney. Der shiu shoh
ayns y phabyr? Mannagh der, ta shin choud shen aarloo: agh ta treisht ainyn ayndiuish
nagh jean shiu beg y hoiaghey jin as nyn gooish, ny jeh çhengey ny mayrey Ellan
Vannin.
Slane lhiu, &c.,
Juan as e heshaghyn.
Mannin, Meanagh y Touree, 1850.
[Mona’s Herald 07.08.1850]
15. Yn lhaih Gaelgagh ayns Purt ny Hinshey70
The Chairman’s opening address was in Manx, and was something to the following
effect:
Dy row eh feer wooiagh dy row cummaltee Phurt ny Hinshey er ghoaill toshiaght yn
chied eallagh dy hoiaghey seose çhengey ny mayrey oc hene. Ren eh prowal
mygeddin veih Goo Yee chammah yn Shenn Chonaant as yn Conaant Noa dy row
Goo Yee ayns yn ansh71 v’eh currit dooin cha aalin as cha gloyroil ayns y ghlare ain
nagh row red erbee harragh harrish. Phrow eh myrgeddin liorish screeudeyryn lheid
68
Conference - ‘The annual assembly of ministers and other representatives of the Wesleyan Methodist
Connexion, constituting its central governing body (first held in 1744)’ (OED).
69
red s’lioar my vees - ‘which will scarcely be the case’ according to the English translation printed in
the Mona’s Herald 14.08.1850. Kelly has this to say on s’lioar: ‘it is sufficient, enough, and yet it
signifies hardly, scarcely, as slioar lhiam shen, I can scarcely think it’. The development of meaning
would appear to be ‘sufficient’ > ‘barely sufficient’ > ‘barely’. Cf. Yn Fer-raauee Creestee (Thomson
1998: 60) tra slioar daue argid ve oc dy chionnaghey arran ‘when they have scarce Money to buy
bread’.
70
This was an event which took place in Peel on Wednesday 3rd January 1872 in a hall owned by
Charles Morrison, the father of Sophia Morrison. It was organized by a certain John Dawson, an
ironmonger in Peel, who despite much discouragement had resolved to start a series of Manx readings.
The meeting was chaired by Harry Cubbon of Laxey.
71
ansh [yn nainsh] - a variant pronunciation of aght, cf. ansherbee [ã n ә'bi ] for aght erbee and
[a
] for aght (Broderick 1984: 6). In a piece in the Mona’s Herald (08.08.1834) the form ash is
found.
as Adam Clarke72 as feallagh elley marish va toiggal ny chied ghlaraghyn dy row yn
aalid eck mooar as nagh lhisagh tribe ve caillit ayns Israel. Va dooinney yn stoyldrommey myrgeddin coyrlaghey yn aegid dyn goaill nearey rish yn ghlare oc hene, as
geddyn foill daue er yn oyr tra yinnagh fer fenaght nhee erbee jeu ayns Gailk, dy re
ansoor Baarlagh yinnagh eh geddyn, goaill nearey rish yn ghlare oc hene.
Ren eh myrgeddin lhaih screeunyn screeut liorish Juan Thomase Mac y
Chleree, Swansea. V’ad screeut ayns çhengey ny mayrey. V’ad lane dy chreenaght as
jeh aalid vooar. Ta shin booisal da’n saggyrt er e hon. Ren dooinney yn stoyldrommey çhyndaa ad dys Baarle, as ad y lhaih ayns clashtyn yn phobble. Va soiagh
mooar jeant jeu.
Va’n pobble voish dagh ard jeh’n çheer er nyn jaglym cooidjagh as va laa ayns
Purt ny Hinshey nagh bee dy leah er ny yarrood. Ta faggys yn balley ooilley er ny aavioghey, goaill wheesh dy haitnys ’sy çhenn ghlare. Ta veg agh sheean trooid ooilley
ny straidyn goaill boggey as goltaghey y cheilley lesh ny goan, “Shoh Ollick yennal
as blein vie noa as slaynt dys y Stoyl-drommey.” Ta’n Bayllee hene er ghoaill lane
taitnys ayns cur er e hoshiaght eh wheesh as t’eh abyl. Ta soiagh mooar jeant jeh
trooid y valley. Cha vodmayd rour onner y choyrt da paart dy vraane va ayns shen.
Ren ad cur magh yn çhenn ghlare lesh taitnys.
[Mona’s Herald 10.01.1872]
16. My chaarjyn as gheiney çheerey73
My chaarjyn as gheiney çheerey, cha row mee rieau er yerkal dy akin lheid yn
çhaglym mooar as t’ayns shoh yn oie noght, er jeet dy cheilley dy chlashtyn arraneyn
as co-loayrtys Gaelgagh, as myrgeddin Goo Yee er ny lhaih ayns çhengey ny mayrey
Ellan Vannin. T’eh boggoil dy akin lheid y shilley. T’eh prowal dy vel ny Manninee
booiagh clashtyn glare nyn shenn-ayraghyn: va’n traa, as cha vel eh foddey er dy
henney, ta shen, çheu-sthie jeh three feed blein, tra va feer veg dy Vaarle loayrit ayns
yn ellan shoh, çheu-mooie jeh ny baljyn-margee, as va’n Goo er ny phreaçheil ayns
Gaelg ayns ny kialteenyn skeerey ghaa ny three dy Ghooneeyn ’sy vee.
Roish va ny scriptyryn er ny chaghlaa gys Gaelg, va ny saggyrtyn lhaih
shirveish ny killagh veih’n Vaarle ayns Gaelg, myr v’ad jannoo yn çhirveish. Tra va
ny scriptyryn hoshiaght çhyndaait gys Gaelg, va ayrn y pheesh currit da dagh saggyrt
dy yannoo, as tra va’n obbyr oc jeant, v’ad printit ayns three ayrnyn. Va’n Shenn
Chonaant ayns daa ayrn as yn Conaant Noa er hene, as tra haink yn ayrn s’jerree va
printit gys Aspick Hildesley, ghow eh lheid yn boggey jeh, ga nagh row eh hene
toiggal eh, dy dooyrt eh, “Hiarn, nish t’ou cur kied da dty harvaant paartail ayns shee
cordail rish dty Ghoo, son ta my hooillyn er vakin dty haualtys.” (Luke 2nd chap.,
29th verse). Va shoh Jesarn; daa laa lurg shen, v’eh bwoaillt lesh palsy myr shen nagh
loayr eh arragh, as shiaghtin lurg shen, phaart eh.
T’eh red feer yindyssagh nagh vel yn Ghaelg gollrish yn Vaarle, son fer erbee
ta toiggal as loayrt yn Ghaelg dy mie, t’eh toiggal dy chooilley ockle jeh. As eer ny
scriptyryn t’ad ayns ymmodee boaylyn cur bun ny toiggal er y Vaarle. Cha vel feme
72
A Methodist theologian and biblical scholar born near Tobermore in Ireland (c. 1760-1832).
This text and the following two are taken from a report on a subsequent reading, held on Monday
19th February 1872 at Victoria Hall in Douglas, and chaired by Thomas Caine, Vicar of Lonan, whose
addresses . The letter in 16 addresses John Dawson, so it is to be presumed that he was still involved
and there is a connection between this reading and the first in Peel.
73
ocsyn ta clashtyn eh er lioar fockleyr ny dictionary ve lioroo dy gheddyn meanal
ymmodee jeh ny focklyn ta loayrit.
Er laa ny Kingeesh74, va’n gioot dy hengaghyn currit da ny hostyllyn, chied
phreaçhooryn e ghoo, dy voddagh ad fockley magh ny naightyn mie dy haualtys
dauesyn ooilley v’ec Jerusalem ec yn traa shen, son va sleih ec Jerusalem ec yn traa
shen veih dy chooilley ayrn. Haink aggle yindyssagh orroo ooilley tra cheayll ad ny
hostyllyn loayrt dy chooilley ghooinney ayns glare e ghooie hene. Harragh ad shoh
thie gys yn çheer oc hene, as ginsh da nyn gheiney çheerey ny reddyn yindyssagh
v’ad er chlashtyn, myr shen va ny naightyn mie dy haualtys er ny skeayley. (Jannoo
ny Hostyllyn 2nd c. 1st v. &c., 1st Corinthianee 14th c., 1st-16th v.) Kyndagh rish ny
ymmodee joarreeyn ta çheet dys Mannin cooinaghtyn jeh, nagh jig eh ooilley
cooidjagh sheese.
V’eh cliaghtey ve grait ayns Mannin, tra va fer erbee goll gys Purt ny Balley
ny Hinshey dy chummal, “T’eh cur seose yn seihll, as goll gys Purt ny Hinshey,” agh
cha vel eh myr shen nish, son ta deiney Purt ny Hinshey soiaghey sampleyr roin
veagh eh mie dooin geiyrt er, ta shen, dy reayll seose yn ghlare ain hene, glare nyn
shenn ayraghyn. Ta ny Bretnee freayll seose yn ghlare oc hene, ayns aght yindyssagh,
myr shen dy vel ad clashtyn yn Goo er ny phreaçheil dy chooilley Ghoonaght, ny feer
vennick, as shegin daue geddyn aspickyn ta toiggal as loayrt ayns yn ghlare oc hene.
Cha vel monney ayns yn ellan shoh nagh vel toiggal Baarle, ga nagh vel ad
taggloo eh feer vie, agh bare lhieu shoh clashtyn yn Goo er ny phreaçheil ayns Gaelg
na ayns Baarle, son t’ad toiggal dy chooilley ockle jeh. Ta paart ’sy skeerey aym pene
share lhieu mee dy haggloo roo as dy phrayal maroo ayns Gaelg na ayns Baarle. Bee
eh mie my oddys mayd aa-vioghey yn çhenn ghlare. T’eh smooinit dy vel daa cheead
glare ny ny smoo ’sy theihll, myr shen dy vel adsyn ta currit magh dy phreaçheil yn
sushtal da ny hashoonee quaagh gynsagh glare yn sleih huc t’ad goll, as çhyndaa ny
scriptyryn ayns yn ghlare shen, dy vod ad clashtyn as lhaih yn Goo ’sy ghlare oc hene.
Va shirveish Ghaelgagh cliaghtey ve freilt ayns yn çhenn cheeill ’sy valley shoh, as
veagh eh lane sleih dy chooilley cheayrt v’eh foshlit son yn çhirveish shoh. Ta mee
clashtyn dy vel shirveish Ghaelgagh freilt foast ayns cabbal Wesley ’sy valley shoh.
Tra hie Saggyrt Brown75 gys skeerey Braddan, ga dy row eh er roie dy mie
ayns eash, ec yn traa shen dynsee eh Gaelg, as ayns traa gerrid v’eh abyl lhaih as
preaçheil ayns çhengey ny mayrey Ellan Vannin. As myr sodjey v’eh goll er, ny smoo
dy haitnys v’eh goaill ayn, as ny smoo dy aalid v’eh fakin ayn. Ga dy row eh toiggal
Hebrew, Greek, as Latin, va’n Ghaelg jeh ny smoo dy ymmyd dauesyn v’eh preaçheil
daue son v’ad toiggal eh. Cha jean eh mie dou goaill seose veg smoo jeh traa yn
meeiteil, son ta sheshaght vooar çheet geiyrt orrym dy lhaih as dy ghoaill arraneyn as
dy yannoo kiaulleeaght.
[Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872]
17. Screeuyn veih Juan Thomase Mac y Chleree
T’eh jannoo lane taitnys da my chree (ga bunnys three cheead meeilley jeh) dy
chlashtyn dy vel Manninee fey-yerrey, ga yn laa lurg y vargey, doostey ass nyn
merriuid haveenagh dy hauail çhengey ny mayrey veih ve ooilley cooidjagh oanluckit
’syn oaie.
74
75
Kingeesh - Pentecost
See 1.13 above.
Ga dy vel ee roie dy tappee gour y vullee, gollrish ny banglaneyn elley jeh’n
çhenn ghlare ghooie va keayrt dy row gurneil yn trass ayrn jeh’n Rank, ny-yeih cha
vel eh yindys erbee dy vel ad ooilley goll sheese y lhiargagh agh er-lheh yn Ghaelg
Vanninagh son ta cha beg dy chummaltee ’syn ellan.
Ta Jee er choyrt wheesh dy cheeall da dooinney nish dy vel eh gimman ny
greienyn-aileagh, t’eh jannoo eer er famman ny geayee, as ta wheesh dy schlei currit
da, dy vel eh er n’yannoo mollagyn-aeragh dy chur lhieu seose eh dys ny bodjallyn.
Ta siyn-shiaullee echey myrgeddin dy gholl veih çheer dy heer eer noi sooill ny
geayee, tidaghyn ny marrey, as gaalyn yn aer. Eer er grunt y cheayin vooar hene, ta
saase ec dooinney dy chur çhyrrys veih un ayrn jeh’n seihll dys ayrn elley lesh
bieauid yn tendreil.
Shen-y-fa ta sleih ny cruinney mestit fud-y-cheilley wheesh shen smoo na
v’ad rieau roie, dy re yn ghlare s’cadjin ta ’sy theihll vees y ghlare smoo ymmyd vees
jeant jee. She shoh yn oyr, son y chooid smoo, dy vel yn Ghaelg Vanninagh ain er
gholl kione my lhie cha tappee. Ta Mannin nish jeant myr dy beagh ee ayrn jeh
Sostyn, raad ta’n Vaarle glare chadjin y theay.
Ayns Sostyn er-y-fa shen cha vel yn Ghaelg dys ymmyd erbee. Myr shoh ta’n
Vaarle goaill yn reiltys as yn reiltys vees eck. Ta’n oyr feer vaghtal. Ta dellal Vannin
currit lesh çheu-sthie jeih queig ny shey dy ooryn dys margaghyn Hostyn, as dy
ghellal ayndoo shen, she Baarle, as Baarle ynrycan, shegin ve oc.
Ta sleih aegey Vannin myrgeddin, chammah as y çhenndeeaght, troailt veih
boayl dy voayl er feai ny cruinney: paart dys yn aill, paart dys keird, as paart elley
goll shiaulley foddey jeh dy haglym cooid as couryn76 gour y laa fliaghee. Son y
chooid smoo, she Baarle t’ad loayrt, as ayns Baarle t’ad dellal.
Fakin shoh ro-laue eisht ta sleih coontey beg jeh’n ghlare ghooie oc hene; ec y
traa cheddin, oddagh Gaelg ve oc chammah as y Vaarle, fegooish yn derrey yeh çheet
ayns raad y jeh elley. T’eh yn fardalys smoo ’sy theihll dy chredjal dy jinnagh tushtey
jeh taggloo as lhaih yn Ghaelg dy bragh çheet ’sy raad oc ayns gynsagh yn Vaarle.
Cha daink shoh rieau my raad’s ayns gynsagh yn Vaarle. Ec jeih bleeaney dy eash va
mee abyl dy loayrt dy floaoil ayns Gaelg rish cotleryn my yishag nagh row Baarle
erbee oc, as roish va mee feed blein dy eash, va ymmodee lioaryn beggey Baarlagh
çhyndaait aym dys Gaelg as er nyn gloughey son ymmyd y theay. Nish lesh ooilley’n
obbyr shoh ayns Gaelg, cha row eh rieau ayns my raad, edyr ayns loayrt ny lhaih yn
Vaarle.
Agh ta ard-reiltee Ellan Vannin noi’n Ghaelg. Ta shirveishee yn Ghoo jeh dy
chooilley chredjue noi eck; ta briwnyn as leighderyn noi eck. As ta’n aegid troggit
seose nish ny s’mee-hushtee jeh çhengey ny mayrey na va maase y vagheragh
cliaghtey ve.
Ayns traa Aspick Wilson as Aspick Vark, cha voddagh dooinney aeg erbee
geddyn stiagh ayns oik y taggyrtys fegooish Gaelg vie ve echey. Tra va Kiare-as-Feed
ny Garrane reill roish nish, she Gaelg ooilley v’oc—as ayns traa yn Vriw Cain77 as yn
Vriw Crellin78 cha b’lhoys da turneyr erbee çheet kiongoyrt roo nagh voddagh
arganey ayns Gaelg.
Ta cooinaghtyn aym pene, ayns laghyn my aegid, dy re ayns Gaelg va shin
ooilley loayrt rish nyn gabbil as nyn ollagh. Eer ny moddee hene mannagh loayragh
shin roo ayns Gaelg cha jinnagh ad cloh dooin, agh jeeaghyn mygeayrt-y-moo, goaill
76
cooid as couryn - ‘treasure’ Prov. 15:6, ‘goods and the emblems’ Kelly s.v. cowryn. The phrase also
appears in the Christmas verse in 2.42.
77
John Cain, an advocate of the Manx Bar in 1815.
78
John Crellin, First Deemster from 1812 to 1816.
yn yindys smoo ’sy theihll c’red va shin laccal ad dy yannoo dooin. Cha row ny
moddee voghtey hene toiggal Baarle, son she Gaelg ooilley v’oc, as cha row ad goaill
nearey jee noadyr.
Cha nhimmey blein er dy henney neayr’s verr mee er shenn ghooinney ’sy
raad vooar, geiyrt roish lieh-ghussan dy vooaghyn bluight voish y vagher raad v’ad er
ve gyndyr, dy chur stiagh ad ’sy thie ollee.
Va injeig veg choon combaasal yn vwaane; cha leah’s hooar ny booaghyn
stiagh ayns shen, lesh nyn muilg lane, hie ad dy ghleck ry cheilley choud’s va’n shenn
ghooinney fosley yn dorrys dy gheddyn stiagh ad. Cha leah’s haink eh magh, ghow eh
ny vud oc ayns farg-eulys bunnys brishey ny hasnaghyn ayndoo79 lesh y vad v’echey
ny laue, gyllagh ny henmyn oc ayns Gaelg, my v’ad broo y cheilley lesh nyn eairkyn,
as gra:
“Ghonnag80” ny “Veeataig81 dyn nearey myr t’ou, gow stiagh dys dty
eiystyr82, as yiow fea.
“Vriggin83! Mannagh der oo seose ayns traa brishym ny craueyn aynyd—y red
vrein myr t’ou. Stiagh lhiat ta mee gra rhyt!
“Ghooag84 ghaaney, der oo seose, der oo!” As cheau eh yn vad urree, woaill
eh ee er ny heairkyn as huitt ee sheese er ny glioonyn eck. Heill mee shickyr dy liooar
dy row ny heairkyn eck brisht. Fey-yerrey liorish gyllagh as geealley hooar eh ad
ooilley stiagh er nyn eiystyr as va fea er.
“My henn ghooinney,” dooyrt mee rish, “ta ny booaghyn ayd’s er ve ynsit dy
mie ’sy Ghaelg.”
“Gaelg voght orroo,” dooyrt eh. “Tra ta nyn muilg lane as ad goll stiagh, ta’n
gleck as y reaid t’oc dy liooar dy vrasnaghey Job hene, dy beagh eh ny vud oc—agh
ta mish er chur er ny craueyn ocsyn jeesternee dy mie as lhig daue shen y ghoaill son
shibber daue.”
Myr shoh, Ghawson, t’ou cur-my-ner dy row eer maase y vagheragh, ayns ny
shenn traaghyn roish nish, toiggal yn Ghaelg ny share na ta’n chooid smoo dy leih
nish.
“Lhig jee goll roee,” jir ad, “cre sheeu ee dooin nish? Cha vodmayd dellal
aynjee ayns Sostyn ny s’coan boayl erbee elley. Cha vel ee er-y-fa shen dys veg yn
ymmyd da’n ellan nish—lhig jee goll roee raad saillee.”
Agh ta mysh thousane dy Vanninee ayns ayrn jeh America, enmyssit
Cleveland, nagh niarragh shoh, “Lhig jee goll roee raad saillee.” She Gaelg t’oc
ooilley ec meeiteilyn y cheilley ayns nyn ghellal dagh laa, ayns soilshaghey Goo Yee
da’n phobble, as bunnys dy chooilley nhee elley, ec y traa cheddin nagh vel sleih
erbee mygeayrt-y-moo ta Baarle veg share oc.
Va jees jeu keayrt ec my hie’s bleeantyn dy mie er dy henney. Va fer ruggit
ayns America, ga jeh ayr as moir Vanninagh—v’eh ynsit son leighder. Va’n fer elley
mac shayrey dou hene, hie roish ’syn aegid echey dys America, as tra daag eh yn
ellan, cha row eh toiggal veg agh Baarle. Hug ad yindys orrym pene dy chlashtyn yn
Ghaelg vie v’oc—as cha row eh jannoo hyntyr85 erbee da’n Vaarle v’oc. Va’n daa
79
brishey ny hasnaghyn ayndoo - Note this idiom, lit. ‘breaking the ribs in them’, for ‘breaking their
ribs’, cf. two paragraphs below brishym ny craueyn aynyd and in 2.20 Faragher has dy jinnagh eh
brishey ny craueyn ayn. Note also dy beagh ny claghyn giarit assym in 2.32.
80
Dhonnag - ‘a name for a brown cow’ Cregeen
81
Beeataig - ‘a jade, a hussy’ Cregeen
82
eiystyr - ‘a halter, a tie’ Cregeen, Gaelic adhastar.
83
Briggin - ‘the name given to spotted cows’ Kelly
84
Dhooag - ‘a general name for a black cow’ Cregeen
85
hyntyr - i.e. ‘hinder’
ghlare oc ayns ynnyd unnane. Ta un red elley ayn hoilsheeym dhyt, Yuan Ghawson,
as verrym jerrey er my choontey.
Mysh three bleeaney as feed er dy henney, hie mee laa dy row dy akin y
Cholloo marish shenn ainjyssagh haink dy yeeaghyn mee veih Lunnin. Tra rosh shin
dys mullagh yn Howe va boayl ayns shen va keayrt ennagh dy row raad va ny
creggyn er nyn scoltey as raipit veih my cheilley ayns aght feer yindyssagh ec craa
vooar hallooin. Ta’n boayl enmyssit ny Scauryn86.
Va shiartanse dy yuillyn aegey ayns shen mysh jeih ny dussan dy vleeantyn dy
eash, gastyrt freoagh son aile. Vrie mee jeh’n er smoo jeu ayns Baarle c’raad va ny
Scauryn. Yeeagh ad ooilley orrym as yiargee ad seose ’syn oaie—agh cha dooar mee
un ockle dy ansoor. Vrie mee reesht jeh’n yuilley smoo jeu ayns Baarle kyndagh rish
y joarree va marym, row ad er choayl nyn jengey ’sy freoagh. Cha row mee veg
s’creeney na va mee roie: doshil ny guillyn nyn meeal gollrish shenn scarrag87 er y
dooan—as heillagh fer dy datt nyn sooillyn ’sy vollag oc lesh yindys.
Smooinee mee çhelleeragh er y Ghaelg, as vrie mee jeu kys nagh dug ad
ansoor dou tra loayr mee roo ayns Baarle? Cha leah’s cheayll ad yn Ghaelg, heillagh
peiagh dy row spyrryd noa sheidit stiagh ayndoo er çheu-sthie son v’ad lheimyragh,
goaill kesmad, as cor-lheimyragh, streeu ry cheilley, quoi yioghe hoshiaght dy
yeeaghyn yn boayl dooin. Fey-yerrey, roish daag shin ad, vrie mee jeu row thie scoill
’syn naboonys oc dy ynsagh yn Vaarle. Oh va, dooyrt ad, “agh cha vel traa ain goll
huggey. Ta un yuilley beg ayns shid ta goll, as ta Baarle echey agh ta Gaelg share
echey,” dooyrt eh.
Tra va mee goll roym dy aagail ad, yeeagh yn fer shinney jeu feer yennal
seose ayns my eddin as lesh sooill feer vitçhooragh vrie eh jeem kys nagh loayr mee
roo hoshiaght ooilley ayns Gaelg. Agh roish va traa aym freggyrt eh, dooyrt eh roosyn
va mygeayrt-y-mysh lesh lane yindys, “Agh quoi heillagh,” dooyrt eh, “dy beagh
Gaelg ec mwannal bane88?”
Ta mee dy slane credjal, Dawson, dy vel ny feedyn ’syn ellan ain foast, ayns
shid as ayns shoh chammah jeh’n aegid as y çhenndeeaght, nagh vod lhaih Goo Yee
edyr ayns Baarle ny Gaelg.
Nish ga dy vel yn Ghaelg bunnys ersooyl (as roee hig ee nane jeh ny laghyn
shoh), shickyr ta shin ooilley credjal dy lhisagh dy chooilley unnane ve ynsit dy lhaih
Goo Yee ’sy ghlare shen share toiggal t’oc jeh. Fys feer vie t’aym’s dy jinnagh adsyn
t’er ve troggit ’sy Ghaelg veih’n chlean, myr dy beagh eh, gynsagh dy lhaih ayns
Gaelg ayns kerroo yn traa ayn ynsagh ad yn Vaarle er yn oyr dy chooilley ockle t’ad
gynsagh dy lhaih, t’ad toiggal ro-laue.
Shoh yn ynrycan vondeish, choud’s ta mish abyl dy ghoaill tastey jeh, yinnagh
girree ass gynsagh ooilley adsyn nagh vel scoill oc ’syn ellan dy ve ynsit dy lhaih Goo
Yee ayns çhengey ny mayrey, yinnagh leeideil dys saualtys nyn anmeenyn.
Cha vel mee coyrlagh oo dy ghoaill tastey jeh red erbee nagh vel mee hene er
n’gholl ny hrooid as er phrowal.
Roish va mee feed blein dy eash va daa scoill Ghaelgagh aym ayns Skeerey
Yurby as keead dy lieh scoillar ayndoo—paart jeu va oeghyn oc.
Ga, son y chooid smoo, cha row monney ynsagh oc roish shen, ny-yeih va
paart jeu oddagh lhaih yn Vaarle feer vie. Agh t’eh yindyssagh cre’n taitnys ghow
shenn as aeg ayns gynsagh dy lhaih yn Ghaelg—as v’eh oc bunnys çhelleeragh, er yn
oyr dy row ad toiggal dy chooilley ockle v’ad gynsaghey. Hie ymmodee jeu lurg shen
86
ny Scauryn - the Chasms, fissures in the ground above the cliffs south of Port St. Mary
scarrag - ‘a skate or ray fish’ Cregeen
88
mwannal bane - a ‘white neck’, i.e. a minister with a dog-collar
87
dys America—cur lhieu nyn ynsagh Gaelgagh maroo ta tannaghtyn ny vud oc gys y
laa t’ayn jiu.
Va ymmodee jeusyn myrgeddin, duirree ec y thie, ghow rish er nyn lhiabbeevaaish, dy re yn taitnys ghow ad ayns lhaih yn Ghaelg hug orroo dy chooilley laa dy
lhaih ayrn ny ayrn ennagh jeh Goo Yee as ren fey-yerrey leeideil ad dys Creest nyn
Saualtagh, son leih peccaghyn as credjue bioal ’syn ennym echey. Va shiartanse jeu,
tra detlee nyn anmeenyn thie dys Jee, as y lioar chasherick shen ayn, ghow ad wheesh
dy haitnys dy lhaih ayns nyn ghlare ghooie hene, ry gheddyn ny lhie rish y lhiattee oc,
tra va’n spyrryd ersooyl.
Shen-y-fa my she yn yeearree creeoil ayd dy ynsagh sleih dy lhaih Goo Yee
ayns Gaelg, glare v’ad cliaghtey toiggal foddey share na’n Vaarle—my she er coontey
dy hayrn sleih dys tushtey dy Yee trooid Chreest, dy vel oo laccal aa-vioghey yn
Ghaelg ta paartail feer tappee—cre smoo oddym’s gra rhyt na ta mee er ghra, agh
shoh:
Aigh vie dy row lhiat, markee er dty hoshiaght er coontey yn Ghoo dy irrinys,
dy veenid, as dy chairys, as dy der Jee dhyt e vannaght. Amen.
Juan Thomase Mac y Chleree,
’Sy Thalloo Vretnagh.
February 16th89, 1872.
[Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872]
18. Aa-vioghey yn çhenn ghlare
Ta’n çhaglym mooar shoh prowal dy vel ny smoo dy leih Gaelgagh ’sy valley shoh,
na va mee smooinaghtyn. T’eh er ve rait dy row paart dy Vanninee cliaghtey goaill
nearey jeh glare yn çheer oc hene, agh lhisagh ad ve moyrnagh jeh, ayns ynnyd goaill
nearey jeh—cre yinnagh shin gra, dy beagh ny Sostynee goaill nearey jeh Baarle as
ny Frangee jeh’n ghlare Frangagh. Shegin da ve feer boggoil da ny deiney shoh t’er
jeet choud dy raad dy gheddyn seose yn meeiteil shoh dy vel whilleen er jeet dy
eaishtagh roo, as hig ad thie lesh gennallys, nagh vel yn laboraght oc ayns fardail,
ayns streeu dy aa-vioghey yn çhenn ghlare, çhengey ny mayrey Ellan Vannin.
[Mona’s Herald 21.02.1872]
Part Two
Stories, reminiscences and letters of Edward Faragher
1. Oie ayns baatey-eeastee
Ta mee nish goll dy insh diu mychione oie ren mee ceau er yn cheayn ayns baateyeeastee, as va ooilley ny deiney ny lhie scooyrit agh mee hene fud ny hoie nagh
voddagh ad gleashagh, as ren mee streeu dy ghoostey ad ymmodee keayrtyn agh va
mee eginit dy lhiggey daue lhie.
V’eh ayns yn ouyr mysh yn traa veagh shin cliaghtey jannoo scaddan nyn
dhie, as va’n scaddan er ve feer goan son shiaghtin ny jees mysh yn traa shen, myr
89
Although the report on the first reading on the 3rd January makes mention of letters by J. T. Clarke,
this particular one cannot be meant, since it is dated 16th February.
veagh dy mennick. Hooar shin wheesh un oie as ren jannoo da fer jeh ny deiney, as
tra va’n scaddan currit ersooyl ayns yn chaart, dooyrt yn mainshter dy row eh cairagh
da dy coyrt boteil dy rum da’n çheshaght, er yn oyr dy row eh er gheddyn yn stock
thie as dy beagh dy chooilley ghooinney eginit dy chur boteil myrgeddin tra yinnagh
eh geddyn scaddan e hie.
Myr shen y chied oie va shin mooie ny lurg shen hooar shin wheesh dy
scaddan as va shirveish ooilley yn çheshaght. Va’n baatey currit stiagh ayns yn phurt
as tra va’n scaddan ersooyl er y çheer, as kuse dy yough iuit oc, ren shin shiaull as
goll magh reesht. Tra va shin goll sheese lesh Kione Spaainey ren fer jeu geddyn yn
boteil as cur eairk y pheesh daue.
Va mish yn aarleyder ayns ny laghyn shen, as va’n guilley dy gholl dy lhie dy
chooilley fastyr tra veagh yn baatey faagail yn baie. Myr shen hie mish dy lhie as ren
mee cadley son tammylt mie dy hraa, as tra ren mee doostey va mee geaishtagh dy
chlashtyn ny deiney, agh cha row red erbee er ny chlashtyn. Eisht haink mee ass yn
cabbane as cha row dooinney ry akin agh fer va ny lhie er y chullee-yerree, agh va’n
chooid elley jeu ayns yn cabbane ny lhie myr kirp marroo. Ren mee fakin eisht cre va
er haghyrt.
Tra ren ad geddyn scaddan nyn dhie yn un laa, ren ad cur lesh boteil y pheesh
as ren ad giu ooilley yn rum er yn raad gys yn Cheyllys, as tra v’ad er gheddyn trooid
yn Cheyllys cha row veg dy gheay er yn cheayn twoaie, agh ren yn tidey coyrt ad
magh voish ny creggyn, as tra v’eh kiune ren ad ooilley lhie sheese as goll dy chadley.
Tra v’ad lane dy rum, ren paart jeu cur braagyn y cheilley ayns yn aile as
lostey ad, as va fer ayn as cha row braag echey dy chur er e chassyn dy hooyl gys e
chummal laa-ny-vairagh, agh v’ad ooilley ec shee tra haink mish ass yn cabbane.
Va’n chooid elley jeh’n flod ersooyl magh ass shilley, as va’n tidey tayrn shin dy
siyragh lesh yn Çhiggin Vooar90. Va mee fakin dy row yn baatey goll urree dy tappee,
as cha row saase erbee aym dy eiyrt yn baatey raad erbee. Ren mee ec y jerrey geddyn
yn baatey beg currit magh lesh lane dy hooilleil as va mee kiarail dy hauail my vioys
hene ayns yn baatey beg, my yinnagh yn nane vooar goll er yn Çhiggin.
Va’n ghrian er gholl sheese traa shoh as va’n eayst er nirree ayns yn shiar agh
v’eh cummal goll kiune. Va’n baatey beg ayn rish lhiattee yn vaatey mooar aarloo dy
lheim aynjee, my veagh ee çheet ro faggys er yn Çhiggin, agh ren yn tidey cur kest jee
ec corneil twoaie yn Çhiggin, as ren ee goll shaghey fegooish strugey yn chreg. Va
mee ec reamys marrey reesht, as va’n aggle aym harrish son tammylt beg.
Hie mee sheese ayns yn cabbane, as va ooilley ny deiney ny lhie myr kirp, agh
va fer ny lhie er baare yn cabbane as ny cassyn echey er-gerrey da’n aile, as v’eh
jeeaghyn dou dy row eh gennaght yn çhiass son v’eh sprettal dy mennick. Ec jerrey
haink fynneraght beg dy gheay as va mee stiurey ee lesh Purt le Moirrey gys va mee
ec Kione Spaainey, agh ren yn gheay lheie ersooyl reesht.
Eisht ren yn tidey caghlaa, as va’n tidey cur lesh mee sheese lesh yn Çhiggin
reesht. Va mee eisht feer faggys da’n thalloo, as ren yn tidey cur lesh mee sheese lesh
Clettyn yn Vurroo91 as va mee smooinaght shickyr dy liooar dy beign er yn Clett as
cha voddin geddyn dooinney erbee dooisht. Ren mee yn swing92 y yannoo shickyr gys
yn anchor as lhig mee sheese ec çheu har93 jeh’n Clett. Ren ee cummal as cur lesh
90
yn Çhiggin Vooar - ‘rocky outcrop just south of Calf of Man’ Broderick (1982b: 120)
Clettyn yn Vurroo - ‘i.e. the Burroo cletts, on the main island opposite the Calf of Man’ Broderick
(1982b: 120)
92
‘the ‘swing’ referred to the hawser holding the train of nets to the stern of the boat’ Broderick
(1982b: 120)
93
çheu har - ‘far side’ Broderick (1982b: 120)
91
toshiaght yn vaatey gys yn tidey agh ren yn baatey tayrn ee ersooyl myr clea94, agh
cha ren ee bwoalley yn chreg; eisht ren yn baatey goll seose çheu sthie jeh’n Çhiggin,
as yn anchor sleaydey er yn ghrunt gys va mee mooie ayns yn cheayn twoaie.
Tra honnick mee dy row shin ass danjeyr, hie mee ayns yn cabbane reesht, as
ren mee goaill ooilley ny cainleyn v’er boayrd as cur soilshey ayndoo ooilley as festal
ad er dy chooilley voayl mygeayrt y cabbane. Haink fynneraght braew dy gheay, agh
cha voddin shiaulley yn baatey er yn oyr dy row yn anchor roie; agh cha row mee
ayns gaue, as ren mee ceau yn ayrn elley jeh’n oie fegooish aggle erbee.
Ec yn jerrey haink soilshey yn laa; v’eh moghrey Jesarn. Mysh shiaght er yn
chlag ren paart jeu doostey, as ren ad doostey yn mainshter. Eisht haink ad ooilley
seose as ren ad goaill seose yn anchor as jannoo son Purt le Moirrey, agh cha row
dooinney gra fockle rish dooinney elley. Agh tra va ny kiartaghyn jeant, va fer
fegooish braagyn dy chur er e chassyn. Va daa phiyr jeh ny braagyn echey losht agh
ren fer elley eeasaght braagyn da dy gholl thie.
Ta mee er ve boirit keayrt ny ghaa er dy henney lesh deiney veagh goaill yn
scooyr, agh cha row mee rieau ayns lheid yn stayd as va mee yn oie shen, as ta mee
treishteil nagh jean y lheid çheet orrym arragh ayns my vea, son cha vel ny eeasteyryn
giu nish myr v’ad cliaghtey. Ny-yeih ta paart jeu jannoo broutyn jeu hene ayns Crook
foast tra nagh vel yn lught-thie oc hene fakin ad.
Ta mee er ve ec yn scaddan traaghyn feer sterrymagh as er jeet trooid gaue ny
ghaa, agh ta ny traaghyn shen ooilley jarroodit aym, son dy beagh ny eeasteyryn
freayll ayns cooinaght ny danjeyryn t’ad er heet trooid, cha jinnagh ad goll gys yn
cheayn arragh.
Ta shin er ve ayns gaue ymmodee keayrtyn lesh kay, as she ayns ceau
sniaghtee va’n traa s’dorrinagh ren mee rieau ceau er yn cheayn. Ny-yeih tra veagh
shin geddyn stiagh ayns yn phurt veagh yn danjeyr dy leah er ny yarrood. Ta mee er
ve ymmodee keayrtyn ayns gaue as smooinaghtyn dy beagh eh yn traa jerrinagh aym
as aarloo dy chur seose son y vaase, agh ny-yeih ren yn Ooilley-niartal coadey shin as
leeideil shin gys yn phurt ayns sauçhys.
Ny-yeih cha vel graih aym er yn cheayn nish. Ta mee er ve goll gys yn
scaddan as gys ny balkyn as gys eeastagh brick ec Kinsale as Glendore, Castlehaven
as Baltimore, Beerhaven as Crookhaven rish kiare bleeaney jeig as daeed, as er-lhiam
dy vel eh traa dou dy gheddyn aash as dy cheau my henn laghyn ec shee ayns yn
boayl share shynney lhiam jeh ooilley ny çheeraghyn ta mee er vakin lesh ooilley my
hroailt. Ny-yeih shegin dooin streeu dy laboragh choud as ta shin ayns yn vea shoh, as
cha vel fys aym cre cha leah as vee’m sumnit dy chur sheese yn laad dy ghoaill aash
ayns yn thalloo ass va mee er ny ghoaill.
2. Oie ec yn scaddan
Ta ny reddyn er chaghlaa nish as cha vel scaddan hene95 ry gheddyn. Cha vel ny
deiney coyrt geill da ny shenn chliaghtaghyn, myr v’ad keayrt. Ta ny deiney ayns ny
laghyn t’ayn nish goll dy lhie ec faagail yn vaie, as ta’n Mainshter soie dy stiurey, as
tra t’eh coontey dy vel eh foddey dy liooar jeh’n thalloo t’eh geam yn çheshaght seose
dy chur yn lieen. Ta mee er vakin shin cur yn lieen ec kiare er y chlag fastyryn aalin
’sy tourey, fegooish jeeaghyn son perkin vooar ny sharkagh.
94
myr clea - ‘like a barred gate’ Gell (1948: 54), Broderick (1982b: 120)
scaddan hene - Hene with an indefinite noun means ‘a single, one’; cf. er-yn-oyr tra deïe mee, nagh
ren fer hene freggyrt ‘because when I called, none did answer’ (Is. 66:4) and below (2.9) cha vel
toshiagh-jioarey hene son taggloo Gaelg ‘not a single coroner is able to speak Manx’.
95
Agh tra ren mee hene goll gys yn scaddan ayns my aegid, veagh shin coyrt yn
lieen magh er çhyrmagh dy chooilley Yesarn. Eisht veagh shin goll er gys yn phurt
moghrey Jelhein, as giu ghaa ny tree dy phintyn jough y pheesh, eisht goll gys yn
vagher dy hroggal yn lieen, eisht veagh shin coyrt yn lieen er boayrd as geddyn eh
aarloo son y chur. Veagh paart jeh ny deiney coyrt lesh mullag veg dy vainney geyre.
Myr dooyrt Jack Andra, cha row tey gra monney96 ayns ny laghyn shen. Va dy
chooilley ghooinney geddyn e arran hene, paart jeu kionnagh bwilleenyn, as paart cur
lesh arran corkey voish y thie as jyst beg dy fuygh lane eeym.
Veagh shin eisht goll as geddyn daa lane-bastag dy gheayl as daa lane-mullag
dy ushtey, as tra veagh ooilley ny kiartaghyn jeant, fer goll dy gheddyn boteil dy rum
choud as veagh shin çhyndaa yn baatey mygeayrt lesh yn ghrian. V’eh coontit feer
neu-luckee dy ve eginit dy hyndaa yn raad aggairagh. Eisht veagh shin soiagh ny
shiauill as soiagh yn shiaull-toshee goll magh ayns yn baie.
Ta cooinaght aym er un laa as va’n flod ooilley ersooyl hoshiaght roin. As myr
va’n traa aalin fegooish monney geay, cha row shin goll feer tappee tra rosh shin yn
Kione Doo. Eisht dooyrt Ned Mooar y Cheyllys dy row eh traa geddyn lane-pyttushag ass yn boteil, as dy iu gys slaynt buggane yn Chione Doo. Tra va shen jeant ren
shin cur yn baatey mygeayrt. As ayns traa gerrid haink shin gys baatey lhie huggey
çheu mooie jeh ny Wartyn97, as tra ren shin roshtyn ee, “Cre ren oo fakin ayns shoh,
boy?” dooyrt Ned Mooar.
“Va’n pherkin vooar ayn,” dooyrt ad.
Ayns traa gerrid chur shin yn baatey mygeayrt reesht as hie shin son yn flod.
Tra va’n Bollagh er Cronk Sharree Mooar, as Cronk y Feeagh er Kione Veg yn
Calloo98, honnick shin paart dy ghantyn goll mygeayrt. Eisht va’n boteil currit lesh
reesht as shirveishit er ny deiney choud as va bine ayn. As lurg da’n boteil ve follym,
ghow ad toshiaght dy haggloo mysh ny mraane as dy insh mychione yn traa v’ad
deiney aegey as sooree er ny mraane aegey.
V’eh mee-lowit dy enmys mwaagh er boayrd, as conning, marish roddan as
kayt. Va’n mwaagh ‘fer yn chleaysh vooar’, as yn conning ‘pomet’, as yn roddan
‘sacote’, as yn kayt ‘scraverey’. Agh cha row whisteragh99 lowal er oyr erbee, son
v’ad gra dy row eh boirey yn gheay. As my va dooinney erbee jarrood eh hene as
brishey ny slattyssyn, va er dy chur boteil dy rum laa-ny-vairagh. Cha row dooinney
erbee dy gholl ’sy chabbane oor roish lhie greiney, agh dy chooilley unnane jeeaghyn
son yn pherkin.
Ghow ad ayns laue dy gholl magh gys yn flod va lhie huggey mooie er yn
Bollagh Mooar dy yeeaghyn row caslys erbee oc. Dooyrt Bill Jack dy row red ennagh
oc tra v’ad lhie mooie ayns shen.
Yn chied shiaull ren shin roshtyn, “C’red honnick oo ayns shoh boy?” dooyrt
Ned Mooar.
“Cha ren shin fakin veg,” dooyrt ad.
Eisht roie shin son fer elley, as tra ren shin roshtyn eh, “Ren oo fakin yn
pherkin?” dooyrt Bill Jack.
“Va unnane ayns shoh, agh cha vel shin er vakin ee rish tammylt dy hraa,”
dooyrt ad. “V’ee gollrish nane veagh er boggeeys.”
Eisht roie shin son fer elley, as ren Ned Mooar briaght jeh ren eh fakin yn
pherkin.
96
cha row tey gra monney - ‘tea wasn’t common’ Broderick (1982b: 122)
ny Wartyn - ‘a fishing-mark south-west of the Calf of Man’ Broderick (1982b: 122)
98
place-names
99
whisteragh - ‘whistling’ Broderick (1982b: 123)
97
“Vel unnane ersooyl void?” dooyrt ad.
Tra nagh row briaght100 ry gheddyn er caslys erbee ny vud yn flod, dooyrt yn
mainshter dy row eh ny share dy roie stiagh reesht gys yn boayl ren shin fakin ny
gantyn, as tra ren shin roshtyn gys shen, honnick shin yn pherkin as paart dy ghantyn
as foillanyn crowal mygeayrt, as va kitty virree ny jees ny lhie er yn ushtey.
“T’eh traa dooin goaill aanrit,” dooyrt yn mainshter, “as goaill cuirr101 marish
ny gantyn shoh.”
Myr shen ghow shin ny shiauill sheese, as filley ad seose son yn oie, as goaill
toshiaght dy chur: agh ayns traa gerrid ghow yn scaddan toshiaght dy chloie, eisht va
shin ooilley ayns gien mie, as cur yn lieen cha tappee as oddagh shin; fer va cur yn
lieen as fer elley cur yn tead, as fer elley ceau magh ny mollagyn, as yn Mainshter
stiurey, gys v’eh ooilley ceaut magh.
Eisht va’n croan-toshee er ny lhieggal as toshiaght yn vaatey currit gys yn
gheay; eisht ren shin geddyn dy chooilley ghooinney e rimlagh102, as goaill toshiaght
dy eeastagh hakeyn. Va ny hakeyn gee dy tappee.
“Quoid dy how103 ayd?” dooyrt Ned Mooar rish fer elley.
“Tree feiyghyn104 jeig,” dooyrt eh.
“Quoid ta ayd’s?”
“Feed feiy,” dooyrt eshyn.
Veagh fer tayrtyn hake ayns toshiaght yn vaatey as fer elley ayns yn jerrey, as
veagh ad dy mennick briaght mychione yn thow; ren shin eeastagh son oor dy lieh.
Eisht dooyrt yn mainshter dy row eh traa dy phrowal yn lieen dy yeeaghyn
row Juan Beg105 thooilley, as ren shin goaill piyr106 stiagh as va mysh daa cheead as
lieh cheead ayns yn piyr.
“Lhig dooin ceau ee ayn tammylt elley,” dooyrt yn mainshter, eisht ren shin
ceau ee ayn reesht, as goll dy eeastagh hakeyn. “Yiowmayd troor dy scaddan
moghrey,” dooyrt yn mainshter.
Tra veagh ny hakeyn gee, veagh dy chooilley ghooinney freayll arrey. Va’n
flod çheu-mooie prowal reesht, agh cha row monney scaddan goll. As v’ad cur er
boayrd107 dy gholl er y vriaght. Cha row eh feer foddey gys haink shiaulteyr er-gerrey.
“R’ou prowal ayns shen?” dooyrt ad.
“Va, boy.”
“Quoid hug oo ass yn piyr, boy?”
“Mysh lieh veaish108, boy.”
“R’ou prowal agh keayrt, boy?”
“Cha row.”
“Vel oo fakin foyd eh, boy? Ta reeayllagh109 braew ayn.”
Myr shen ghow eh shiaull as ren eh cur harrish yn greie ayn. Haink fer ny jees
elley, as va meaishyn dy scaddan oc. V’ad gollrish ponniar110.
100
briaght - probably ‘discovery’ not ‘enquiry’ here, i.e. ‘when no sign could be discovered’
goaill cuirr - ‘shoot the nets’ Broderick (1982b: 123)
102
rimlagh - ‘a fishing line’ Cregeen
103
thow - ‘a line used to tie the buoy to the net in fishing’ Cregeen
104
feiy - ‘fathom’
105
Juan Beg - ‘name for herring’ Broderick (1982b: 124)
106
piyr - ‘the ‘pair’ referred to the extent of net between two mollags, or buoys’ Broderick (1982b:
124)
107
cur er boayrd - ‘hauled the nets on board’ Broderick (1982b: 123)
108
meaish - ‘a measure is 500 herring’ Broderick (1982b: 124)
109
reeayllagh braew [reelagh] - ‘a fine thin spread’ Broderick (1982b: 124); ‘reeayllagh, s. m. anything
thinly scattered or spread’ Cregeen
101
“Cre’n eash yn ponniar, boy?” dooyrt Ned mooar.
“Mysh three jeig ny kiare jeig dy vleeantyn, boy.”
Lurg tammylt dy hraa haink shiaull elley, as cha dooyrt ad fockle erbee.
“Cre’n stoyr scaddan, boy?” dooyrt Ned Mooar.
“Ponniar, boy.”
“Cre’n eash yn ponniar, boy?”
“Ta’n bwoid echey gaase mollagh,” dooyrt ad.
“Quoi yn baatey ec shen?” dooyrt Ned.
“Yn Monkey,” dooyrt adsyn. Va’n Monkey voish Ramsey, as v’ee ec deiney
Skylley Chreest yn imbagh roish shen, as v’eh jeeaghyn nagh dug ad monney ayrn
jee111.
“Vel yn Monkey bio foast?” dooyrt Ned.
“Ren shin goaill yn famman jeh’n Monkey ayns Purt le Moirrey,” dooyrt
adsyn.
“Gow shiu thie as cur shiu post as fishyraght112 da,” dooyrt Ned, “dy yeeaghyn
jean yn famman gaase er reesht.”
Myr shen cha ren deiney yn Vonkey coyrt ansoor erbee da; ghow yn laa
toshiaght dy vrishey, as ghow shin toshiaght dy chur er boayrd, as va eeastagh mie
aynjee. Agh va paart jeh ny baatyn coyrt harrish dooin, as va ny greienyn ain fud y
cheilley. Agh lurg tammylt dy obbyr as dy naaragh hooar shin er boayrd, as mysh jeih
meaishyn as daeed dy scaddan.
Ren shin geddyn seose yn croan as soiagh ny shiauill as goll lesh yn phurt.
Ayns yn traa shen va palçhey kionneyderyn ayns baie Phurt le Moirrey as va ny
baatyn oc çheet dy veeiteil yn flod choud as yn Calloo. Myr shen haink Yernagh er
boayrd ain, as chur eh lesh shin gys lhiattee wherree113. Tra va’n scaddan craait ain
ren shin toshiaght dy choontey, as va ny mainshteryn freayll tailley noi ry hoi.
Agh va mainshter yn wherree shooyl mygeayrt, as tra va’n scaddan er boayrd
echey cha row yn tailley oc corrym; va daa cheead smoo ec yn mainshter ain. As
dooyrt yn Yernagh nagh jinnagh eh geeck; agh va steamer-caggee ayns y vaie, as
dooyrt yn mainshter ain dy row eh goll gys yn steamer lesh yn chooish. Dooyrt yn
Yernagh dy row eh goll marish. Myr shen hie ad cooidjagh. Tra haink ad er-gerrey
dooyrt yn Yernagh dy row yn dooinney shoh molley eh ass daa cheead scaddan.
Ren captan yn steamer jeeaghyn harrish yn lhiattee as dooyrt eh rish yn
Yernagh, “Gow er boayrd as eeck yn dooinney, nagh derrym bullad ayns gunn as
coyrt yn wherree gys grunt ny marrey.”
Myr shen haink ad er boayrd as ren eh geeck dy chooilley phing. Veagh shin
booiagh geddyn hug Yernagh, son dy row bine dy whisky echey er boayrd. Eisht hie
shin gys yn cheayn reesht, as cha row cadley goll yn laa shen.
3. Reddyn ren taghyrt ayns my vea hene
Ayns yn nah vlein lurg dou goll gys yn eeastagh scaddan hoshiaght va’n traa va ny
baatyn currit er traie ayns Gansee, as va’n baatey ain brisht myrgeddin as yn snaie
110
ponniar - ‘lad, boy’. In the following section the fishermen compare the catch of herring to a boy.
The size of the catch corresponds age of the boy and hairiness of his genitals.
111
nagh dug ad monney ayrn jee - ‘they did not look after it very well’ Broderick (1982b: 124)
112
post as fishyraght [post ass fishyraght] - ‘magic’ Broderick (1982b: 124). This phrase is obscure,
though fishyraght would seem to be from fysseraght, which Kelly defines as ‘knowledge of a
supernatural kind, such as the power of magic, the knowledge of astrology, and necromancy, etc’
113
wherree - ‘a two-masted boat with fore and aft sail’ Broderick (1982b: 125)
rowlit er yn traie myr famlagh. Ren my ayr cordail rish sheshaght yn Prince of Wales
dy gholl maroo, eh hene as mish myrgeddin son yn chooid elley jeh’n traa eeastee. As
ren eh cur mish maroo son shiaghtin choud as veagh eh hene kiartagh yn snaie; v’ad
sheshaght dy veshtallee. Va Billie Yeaman y Cubbon yn mainshter. As va Harry
Cooil—veagh ad gra Meseff rish—as Thom Yuan Andra—veagh ad gra Butters rish—as Juan Bill y Greasee—v’eshyn dooinney aeg, as shenn John Quayle as e vac
marish Charles Archie as yn aarleyder Billy Phat Chustal—v’ad gyllagh Giarran114 da
er boayrd; va Billy Phat as mee hene daa aarleyder.
Hie shin magh yn chied oie jeh’n çhiaghtin ayns yn astyr er yn oyr dy row yn
tidey anmagh, as va shin shiaulley dy akin yn scaddan ayns yn ushtey, as haink shin er
reeayllagh braew. Ghow shin aanrit as ghow shin toshiaght dy chur snaie jee115. Va
Charles cur yn lint116 as cha row eh son ceau magh eh tappee dy liooar. Ren mee
goaill voish yn lint as ceau magh eh cha tappee as va’n baatey goll. Lurg dooin ve
coyrt cha row ad gra padjer erbee roish goll dy lhie. Ayns yn voghrey ren shin troggal
mysh shiaght meaishyn dy scaddan. Ren fer jeh ny cadjeryn kionnagh yn scaddan
ayns baie Phurt le Moirrey as ren shin cur yn scaddan ayns yn baatey beg, as hie
Meseff as Butters stiagh ayns yn phurt lesh.
V’ad traa liauyr er thalloo as tra haink ad magh v’ad lieh scooyrit. As v’eh
jeeaghyn dy row ad er yannoo seose nyn aignaghyn dy yannoo irree-magh as yn
vainshteraght ad hene. V’eh tammylt mie er yn fastyr tra haink ad er boayrd as va’n
flod ersooyl. Ren shin geddyn fo raad cha tappee as oddagh shin as goll geiyrt er ny
baatyn elley. Tra va shin goll sheear ec Perwick hie Meseff sheese er y chullee yerree
as ghow eh greme er yn mainshter dy chur eh voish y maidjey stiuree as dy ghoaill yn
vainshteraght eh hene. Ren yn mainshter goaill holt er Meseff as ceau eh seose ayns
shamyr yn snaie.
“C’raad t’ou nish, Stych?” dooyrt Meseff.
Haink Stych agh cha ren eh jannoo cooney erbee da Meseff. Va sheean dy mie
oc as arganey mysh quoi jeu veagh yn mainshter gys ren Juan Bill y Greasee galloo
yn fomp117 as dooyrt eh dy jinnagh eh marroo ad ooilley. Eisht ren ad cur seose ayns
aggle roish Juan as goaill shee.
“Cha vel mee madyral.” Va John Quayle gra dy beagh eh son y yuilley
quaagh; shen va mee hene. V’eh smooinaght dy beign’s agglit oc as dy jinnin faagail
ad; ny-yeih ren mee ceau yn çhiaghtin maroo. Va shen yn chied cheayrt ren mee rieau
fakin deiney tuittym magh er boayrd baatey, as cha ren mee rieau fakin agh feer veg
jeh er dy henney118. Hooar shin gys yn flod keayrt ennagh ayns yn oie, as ren shin cur
yn snaie, as hie Meseff as Butters dy lhie.
Tra haink shin seose dy chur er boayrd ayns yn voghrey v’ad ooilley cordit dy
liooar, agh va’n greie ain fest ayns greie Tommy Arklow as va ny Tommeeyn119
114
Giarran - ‘a Galloway pony’ Broderick (1982b: 125), ‘a gelding…but in general it signifies a poor
worthless horse, a hack’ Kelly.
115
Faragher refers to the noun aanrit ‘cloth’ with a feminine pronoun, which accords with the feminine
gender given for anraid in Irish by Dinneen; but Cregeen gives it as masculine. It is followed by
unlenited adjectives and attributive nouns in the Bible. In Old Irish it is neuter, and can later be either
masculine or feminine (DIL).
116
lint - ‘Netting for fishing-nets’ OED
117
galloo yn fomp - ‘put an end to it’ Broderick (1982b: 126)
118
On its own, er dy henney means ‘since, since then, since that time’ (cf. Deuteronomy 34:10 As cha
hrog phadeyr er-dy-henney ayns Israel gollrish Moses ‘And there arose not a prophet since in Israel
like unto Moses’); following measurements of time it means ‘ago’.
119
Tommeeyn - ‘i.e. from Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland’ Broderick (1982b: 126)
geamagh dooin dy row shin er ghoaill unnane jeh ny mollagyn moddee120 oc, agh cha
ren shin goaill ee edyr. Dooyrt yn mainshter roo nagh row shin er ghoaill mollag
erbee voue, ny-yeih v’ad geamgh. Dooyrt John Quayle roo ec y jerrey, “She moddey
elley uss!” as ren ny Tommeeyn goaill shee.
Cha row tuittym-magh oc ny lurg shen choud as va mish maroo. Agh haink
Jesarn as va’n baatey currit stiagh ayns y phurt. As ren ad gaarlagh lane-pot dy
scaddan as jannoo brott121 scaddan ayns thie-oast, as v’ad ooilley cordit dy liooar
harrish yn brott scaddan as ny gogganyn jough. Ren mee gobbal dy gholl maroo ny
sodjey.
Ren my ayr, tra v’eh er thalloo kiartaghey yn snaie, meeiteil rish Thomas
Nicky. V’eh mainshter baatey mooar va enmyssit H. B. Duke. V’eh hene ny
veshtallagh as sheshaght dy veshtallee myrgeddin. Va ooilley ny deiney va ny baatyn
oc currit er traie as brisht er gheddyn burt122 ayns ny baatyn elley va foast er-mayrn.
Va my ayr eh hene taaghey yn thie-oast feer vennick, as t’eh er ny ghra dy vel
ushagyn jeh’n un fedjag çhaglym cooidjagh as taaghey sheshaght y cheilley. Va
sheshaght yn H. B. Duke Thomas Nicky yn mainshter. Veagh ad gyllagh yn Gaaue
Garroo da er yn oyr dy row eh goll gys thie yn gaaue smoodee ayns Balley Chashtal
cha mennick.
V’eh poost rish ben Yernagh; Rose va’n ennym eck, as v’ee freayll shapp ayns
thie ec mullagh Broogh Perwick creck tey as shugyr, as veagh Thomas cur lesh ny
reddyn shen voish Rose, as cha row eh cur lesh coontey erbee cre wheesh v’eh cur
lesh, agh goaill punt ny jees jeh’n voayrd as gra dy row eh goll dy chur lesh shoh hug
Rose. As va’n çheshaght agglagh roish nagh jinnagh ad gra veg mygeayrt-y-mysh.
Veagh eh geiyrt er ny drogh vraane ayns dy chooilley phurt v’eh goll ayn. She yn
gorley-scoaldee123 ren marroo Rose as ren cur jerrey er yn vea echey hene ny lurg
shen.
Va fer elley jeh’n çheshaght Johnny Yuan Bet—Pally Beg v’ad gyllagh da. Va
fer elley Johnny Nicky—Clim v’ad gra rish. Danny yn Chenegs as Jim Fayle—yn
Tabernacle v’ad gyllagh da. As Nick Johnny Nicky, braar da’n mainshter, as yn
aarleyder Johnny Cooil; v’ad gyllagh eh Cronybock Beg. Veagh Clim tra v’eh çheet
er boayrd toshiaght yn çhiaghtin cur lesh cabbage dy chaashey marish v’eh er gheid
ass thie ennagh yn oie Jedoonee. V’eh mie dy gheddyn reddyn liorish geid as t’eh er
ve ymmodee bleeantyn currit ersooyl son y gheid. Va fer elley v’ad gra Thom Elly
rish as v’ad ooilley son goaill yn cappan dy neu-heeltys agh Nick as mee hene.
Hie shin shiar gys yn Vack124 as ren shin eeastagh feer vie son shiaghtin ny
jees, as haink shin gys Purt le Moirrey Jesarn. Ayns toshiaght yn çhiaghtin ny lurg
shen tra haink yn Gaaue Garroo gys yn phurt, dooyrt eh nagh voddagh eh goll voish
yn thie son dy row Rose feer çhing as dy row my ayr dy ve yn mainshter. Myr shen
hie shin shiar gys yn Vack reesht. Va shiaghtin dy earish feer aalin ayn, as va eeastagh
mie ain dy chooilley oie. Veagh shin creck yn scaddan ayns Roonysvie rish Clague va
120
mollagyn moddee - ‘made of dogskin and used as buoys to hold the net in the water’ Broderick
(1982b: 126)
121
brott - ‘broth’. Brett in the original. Although brott / broit (ScG. brot) is the form given in
dictionaries, brett with a vowel [ ] is attested from native speech in Broderick 1984: 45. Cf. bred fn.
28.
122
burt - i.e. berth
123
gorley-scoaldee - ‘syphilis’ Broderick (1982b: 127)
124
‘The ‘back’ fishing began at Douglas about the last week in August when the Peel herring fishing
ended (v. A.W. Moore, S. Morrison, E. Goodwin, Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect (Oxford U.P.,
1924)). It takes its name from ‘the back’, a bank running parallel with the coast near Douglas’ Broderick (1982b: 127)
jannoo scaddan jiarg da Holmes. Veagh ad cur baatey mooar magh, yinnagh cur lesh
keead meaish as veagh unnane jeh ny baatyn-eeastee goll er dagh çheu jee as coontey
scaddan as deayrtey aynjee.
Tra haink shin magh er y Vack yn oie Jeheiney va ny baatyn ooilley coyrt as
v’ad ayns daa hammag125 as va baarney vooar eddyr yn daa flod. Ren shin cur ayns yn
vaarney foddey voish dy chooilley unnane coontey nagh row veg dy scaddan ayns
shen, as dy voghe shin oie dy chadley as dy ghoaill nyn aash. Cha row gobbag er yn
Vack ayns ny laghyn shen, as veagh shin lhie son daa oor jeig ny cheayrtyn. Myr shen
ren shin lhie fud ny hoie, as tra ghow shin toshiaght dy chur er boayrd, cha leah as
haink snaie haink scaddan. Ren shin troggal mysh keead meaish.
V’eh feer chiune as aalin, agh tra va shin er boayrd haink farrane beg dy gheay
voish yn twoaie. Tra haink shin er-gerrey da Ellan yn Fort va dooinney voish Purt le
Moirrey ayns shen ayns baatey beg. As dooyrt eh dy jinnagh eh cur skillin ’sy veaish
smoo dooin son goll gys Purt le Moirrey lesh yn scaddan, as va shin booiagh dy liooar
dy gholl gys shen Jesarn; as va’n tidey goll sheear er yn Fort traa shen.
As cha row shin foddey gys va shin sthie ec mullagh yn phurt. Cha row shin
foddey ayns shen gys haink yn Gaaue Garroo as chur eh lesh boteil dy rum marish.
Tra va’n boteil follym, ghow shin toshiaght dy chraa yn scaddan ass yn snaie, as ayns
traa gerrid va boteil elley geddynit. As va ny deiney va ny hassoo craa yn scaddan
tuittym ayns yn scaddan bwoalley gollrish gantyn dooey. Va Clim as Thom Elly
caghlaaghyn keayrt er yn thalloo dy yeealley y cheilley, as va my ayr gra roo dy
jinnagh eh goll roish as faagail ad. Eisht veagh ad çheet er boayrd reesht. Ec yn jerrey
hooar shin ooilley yn scaddan ass yn snaie, as ghow shin toshiaght dy choontey yn
scaddan as cur eh er boayrd smack126 va rish yn lhiattee ain. Haink yn oie orrin as va
ny deiney gaase thanney cour y traa gys nagh row ayn agh Nick as mish. Va shin
lhieeney ny baskadyn gys v’eh mean-oie, as cha row aynjee traa shen agh ghaa ny
three dy veaishyn.
Ren Nick as mee hene gaase skee as ren shin goll dy valley as faagail yn
baatey myr v’ee gys Jelhein, as va lane scaddan brisht as trustyr aynjee. Ghow eh traa
liauyr dooin dy niee as dy ghlenney ee. Cha row monney scaddan goit ny lurg shen.
Hie shin shiar er y Vack reesht agh cha row caslys erbee ry akin as haink shin gys
baie Ghoolish. Eisht hie ad ooilley er thalloo ayns Doolish ec yn oie as va mee faagit
er boayrd ny lomarcan fud ny hoie gys fastyr laa-ny-vairagh. Haink fer jeu magh ayns
yn baatey beg dy gheddyn beaghey, son v’eh feer accryssagh.
Choud as v’eh gee, hooar mish ayns yn baatey beg as ren mee goll er thalloo.
Va mee kiarail dy gholl dy valley as dy aagail yn baatey agh cha row enney aym er yn
raad. Hooar mee my ayr ayns thie-oast as paart elley jeh’n çheshaght. Hie mee stiagh
ayns shamyr raad va mee clashtyn garaghtee, as va shenn John Quayle ayns shen
daunsin marish Stick-in-the-Mud127 as v’eh paagey ee. Haink ad er boayrd as hooar
shin gys Purt le Moirrey reesht. Va’n eeastagh harrish.
4. Skeealyn mysh yn eeastagh
125
daa hammag [hummag] - ‘two packs’ Broderick (1982b: 128). The spellings thammag and thummag
are both used below. This is probably the same word as thammag ‘bush’, so ‘group, bunch, pack etc.’
(of boats or fish).
126
smack - ‘a single-masted sailing-vessel, fore-and-aft rigged like a sloop or cutter, and usually of
light burden, chiefly employed as a coaster or for fishing’ OED
127
Stick-in-the-Mud - ‘nickname of a local ?streebagh’ Broderick (1982b: 129)
Ta cooinaght aym er yn traa va’n thammag vooar dy scaddan çheet er coorse yn Daa
Hoilshey128; tra veagh yn keayn lhieeney jees er yn chlag, veagh yn thammag vooar
çheet as veagh yn lieen goll marish gys yn ghrunt as cha row eh çheet seose arragh.
Veagh shin coayl ooilley. Veagh shin cuirr lieh jeh’n ghreie as paart dy cheayrtyn
coayl shen.
Va enney aym er shenn ghooinney va mainshter baatey, as v’eh cuirr ayns yn
thammag. Ren ad prowal ayns traa gerrid as va eeastagh mie aynjee. Dooyrt ad dy
row eh traa dy chur er boayrd.
“T’eh ro leah foast,” dooyrt yn mainshter. “Ceau shiu ayn ee tammylt elley as
lhig da ny boghtyn meeney thooilley.”
Myr shen ren ad ceau ayn ee reesht. Kione oor ny jees ren ad prowal reesht as
cha dooar ad veg agh teadyn, as myr v’ad goaill ny teadyn er boayrd va moggylyn129
dy lieen fest rish ny teadyn. Ayns traaghyn veagh ny moggylyn lane jeh’n fer beg. As
va’n mainshter jeeaghyn er. V’eh gra roish shen, “Lhig da ny boghtyn meeney
thooilley.” Agh v’eh gra roo eisht, “Jeeagh shiu er yn boayl ta ny jouill veggey fest
nish!” Ren eh caghlaa e aigney dy siyragh.
Veagh dooinney Purt ny Hinshey gra ‘cur’ rish ceau magh yn lieen, as veagh
dooinney Purt le Moirrey gra ‘cuirr’130 rish. Er lhiam dy re ‘cuirr’ yn red
s’dooghyssagh dy ghra rish.
Veagh ooilley yn flod coayl nyn lieen ayns yn thammag shen, chammah
Yernee as Sostnee.
Ren shin cuirr lieh jeh’n ghreie un fastyr er coorse yn thammag vooar as ren
shin prowal cha leah as va lossan131 ’syn ushtey as va warpyn aynjee. Eisht ren shin
cuirr ooilley as lhie mysh oor dy hraa. Eisht ren shin prowal reesht as va’n lieen lane
scaddan. Ghow shin toshiaght dy chur er boayrd, agh cha dooar shin veg agh teadyn
ayns yn ayrn va cuirt hoshiaght. Ny-yeih ren shin troggal eeastagh mie. Ta mee aarloo
dy smooinaght dy re coayl lieen as scaddan ren cur er yn scaddan faagail yn coorse
shen, son cha vel monney er ve ayn rish daeed blein, as tra ren ny eeasteyryn geddyn
lieen dy chotton, v’ad coontey dy voghe ad scaddan dy liooar eisht, agh myr s’liauyr
va’n lieen as myr s’lhean v’ad jannoo eh, shen myr sloo dy scaddan v’ad goaill. As
rish jeih ny daa vlein jeig cha vel eh feeu dy eeastagh scaddan.
Ta’n scaddan er naase goan as ta’n sleih er naase goan ta gee scaddan lurg da
ve goit as ta ny brick myrgeddin. Va brick dy liooar ayn roish ren ad jannoo greieyn
liauyr as ta mee er vakin ad creck ad son shey punt y keead as veagh brick ry gheddyn
ayns y vaart. Veagh eeastagh mie ayn Laa Parick, agh cha vel monney dy vrick çheet
nish gys ta’n sourey ayn, as ta punt y keead coontit leagh mie. Ta Crook feer faagit as
creen, as cha vel ny blaaghyn puddase agh beg dy vie foast.
Ta mee er chlashtyn shenn eeasteyryn ginsh mychione baatey va cuirt keayrt
ayns yn Vaie Vooar132 oie feer aalin magh jeh Bradda, as v’eh kiune as feer
128
yn Daa Hoilshey - ‘name of a fishing mark. The ‘two lights’ refer to the two lighthouses on the Calf
of Man.’ Broderick (1982b: 129)
129
moggylyn - ‘meshes’. Faragher has moblyn, with unexplained [b], unless it is assimilation to [m], or
simply a miswriting.
130
cuirr - quir in Faragher’s spelling. Originally cuir is the stem, cur the verbal noun, but in Manx
generally cur seems to be used for both stem and verbal noun with the meaning ‘put, send, give’, and
cuir(r) is used for ‘sow [seed], cast [nets]’, and also ‘invite’ (with vn. cuirrey). Faragher here tells us
that there were also dialectal distinctions.
131
lossan [loddan] - ‘s. f. luminous particles seen in the sea by night, and on fish that are not dry, in the
dark’ Cregeen, ‘reflection of [the herring] in the water’ Broderick (1982b: 130).
132
The Big Bay is ‘between Bradda and Niarbyl, on the south west of the island’ Broderick (1982b:
130)
dorraghey, as v’ad mysh goll dy phrowal yn lieen, agh dooyrt yn mainshter dy row eh
traa dy liooar foast. Hie ad ooilley dy lhie agh yn fer va freayll arrey. Hie eh seose
gour e hoshee as chur eh my-ner dy row yn lieen ’sy thalloo133, as ren eh doostey yn
çheshaght dy chur er boayrd. Haink ny deiney seose as ghow ad toshiaght dy ghoaill
stiagh yn swing agh va’n lieen fest ayns yn thalloo. V’ad streeu lesh ooilley nyn niart
agh v’eh feer trome; agh v’ad geddyn trie lurg trie stiagh, as goaill aash nish as reesht,
as ec yn jerrey haink yn lieen gys mullagh yn ushtey. As ren eh soilshean er ny sleityn
mygeayrt myr dy beagh eh er ve mullagh eayst. As cre v’ayns yn lieen agh pearl
mooar, as va ny shenn gheiney cha agglit lesh yn sollyssid echey, chur ad yn raad
da’n lieen gys yn thalloo reesht, as va’n pearl mooar ersooyl. As lesh ooilley yn
eeastagh as trawlal rieau er dy henney cha vel dooinney erbee er haghyrt er yn pearl
mooar. Dy beagh ad er ghoaill eh er boayrd tra v’eh heose oc v’ad ooilley er ve
berçhagh dy liooar, agh she jeih gys unnane my nee dooinney erbee geddyn e laueyn
er reesht ny geddyn shilley jeh. Agh ren yn sollyssid echey coyrt nyn dappey voue;
agh ta fer ny ghaa gys yn laa t’ayn jiu currit cha ommijagh.
Va Charles y Killey134 cliaghtey çheet gys Purt le Moirrey voish Rhumsaa dy
eeastagh hakeyn. Cha row eh cha keeallagh as dy chooilley unnane. Ta mish er ve
taggloo rish keayrt ny ghaa. Ta mee er chlashtyn Juan y Corrin ginsh mychione un oie
v’eh mooie maroo as va’n oie feer aalin, v’adsyn cuirt ayns y Vaie Vooar magh jeh
Purt Yiarn. V’ad eeastagh hakeyn son tammylt dy hraa, agh ghow ad ayns laue dy
phrowal yn lieen, as tra haink yn lieen gys mullagh yn ushtey va eeast mooar ayn. Ta
ny eeasteyryn gyllagh eh guilley purn135. Ta’n kione echey tree keayrtyn wheesh as yn
corp as ta beeal feer vooar er; yinnagh yn beeal echey cummal lane poagey as ta
skianyn feer lhean er.
Ren Charlse briaght jeu, “Cre yn vrout va ayns yn lieen?”
As dooyrt fer jeu dy re yn shenn yuilley v’ayn.
“Jean shiu shassoo dunnal, my yuillyn,” dooyrt Charles, “as marr shiu eh son
nagh bee eh mollaght sheelnaue ny smoo.” V’eh gra rish ny deiney shassoo dunnal,
agh v’eh hene jannoo lesh yn cabbane cha tappee as oddagh eh. Va Corrin briaght jeh
Charles bleeantyn ny lurg shen row cooinaght echey er yn traa v’ad marroo yn shenn
yuilley. Va, dooyrt Charles, “agh cha vel eh marroo foast,” dooyrt eh.
Ta’n earish feer sterrymagh ayns shoh, geay as fliaghey, as cha vel monney
reamys ayn dy screeu ny traa dy smooinaght, agh jerkal dy bee laghyn aalin çheet
ayns traa gerrid136.
5. Juan Hom Drummey
Va shenn eeasteyr cummal ayns Fistart137. Veagh eh fuirraght sthie ooilley yn geurey
as çheet magh tra veagh yn earish aalin ayns yn tourey. Veagh yn sleih gyllagh Cook
Cook138 da son dy row eh gollrish yn chooag; as veagh eh feer fargagh. V’eh feer vie
dy insh skeealyn beggey v’er haghyrt ayns y vea echey hene. Veagh eh dy mennick
133
thalloo - i.e. the bottom of the sea
Charles y Killey - ‘a local wag from the north. There are still today many yarns told about his
eccentricity’ Broderick (1982b: 131)
135
guilley purn - ‘the flat angler fish Lophius piscatorius’ Broderick (1982b: 131)
136
‘this story probably written while at Crookhaven’ Broderick (1982b: 131)
137
Fistard near Port St Mary
138
cf. Scots Gaelic gug gùg [gug gu g], noise of cuckoo (Scottish Council for Research in Education
1964: 13, Bauer 2011: 302, 472).
134
ginsh dooin mychione Juan Hom Drummey. Cha vel fys aym cre va’n sliennoo echey,
agh v’eh jeeaghyn dy row eh feer litçheragh as ny chadlag.
Veagh Moore gra dy ren ad faagail Purt le Moirrey un cheayrt dy gholl gys yn
eeastagh scaddan, as ren Juan Hom Drummey goll dy lhie, son veagh eh dy mennick
ny chadley tra veagh obbyr dy yannoo. Ren ad shiaulley er yn laa shoh gys v’ad er
Geaylin yn Cholloo139. Agh va Juan Hom Drummey ny chadley foast. Tra v’eh ergerrey da croymmey ny greiney va Juan ny chadley foast. Honnick ad yn pherkin
vooar agh va Juan ny chadley foast. Ren ad cur yn lieen. Va Juan foast ny chadley. Ec
yn vean-oie ren ad prowal yn lieen, as va warpyn140 mie dy scaddan ayn, agh va Juan
Hom Drummey ny chadley foast. Moghrey tra ren yn laa brishey ren ad tayrn yn lieen
er boayrd agh va Juan ny chadley foast. Ren ad troggal yn shiaull as jannoo son yn
vaie. Va Juan ny chadley foast. Ren ad craa yn scaddan as yn lieen er yn raad gys y
vaie, agh va Juan ny chadley foast. Tra ren ad roshtyn yn vaie va Juan ny chadley
foast. Haink ad gys lhiattee kionneyder, agh va Juan foast ny chadley. Agh tra va’n
boteil currit lesh er boayrd, va Juan Hom Drummey dooisht as yn chied dooinney ny
chione141.
6. Cooinaghtyn elley er yn eeastagh
Va mish goll er gys yn scaddan roish haink yn ghobbag mygeayrt dy ee yn lieen as yn
scaddan. Veagh shin lhie fud ny hoie ayns ny laghyn shen er yn Vack as prowal ayns
yn lhiggin142 dy yeeaghyn row yn Fer Beg thooilley. Veagh ny buick ghlassey143
çhewal yn lieen agh cha row ad jannoo monney skielley da’n lieen. Tra veagh shin
prowal as cur ghaa ny three dy cheeadyn assjee veagh eh yn currym ain dy heidey yn
cayrn, agh cha row ad sheidey yn cayrn gys veagh yn greie er boayrd er yn oyr dy
beagh ny baatyn çhaglym mygeayrt-y-mooin as cuirr er mullagh ny mollagyn ain.
Ta cooinaght aym er oieghyn kiune er yn Vack as gyn monney scaddan goll,
as veagh ad geamagh dy cheilley myr shoh:
“Hi, yn baatey shen sthie hiar144 shen!”
“Hi oo hene, lah!”
“R’ou prowal ayns shen, boy?”
“Va, boy.”
“Quoid hug oo ass yn phiyr, boy?”
“Ushtey, boy.”
“Row uss prowal ayns shen, boy?”
“Va, boy.”
“Quoid hug oo as yn phiyr?”
“Ushtey myrgeddin.”
Eisht veagh shin geamagh da fer elley, “Hi, yn baatey shen mooie heear, lah.”
“Hi oo hene, lah.”
139
Geaylin yn Cholloo - ‘headland on the Calf of Man’ Broderick (1982b: 132)
‘a warp is three herring; in a long hundred there were forty warps, plus another for luck, plus an
additional herring called the Talley, which made a total of 124 fish.’ Broderick (1982b: 132). The
OED’s definition (warp n.1 III.5.a.) is ‘a tale of four (occas. three or a couple), esp. used of fish and
oysters.’ It cites Hall Caine’s Manxman (1894), ‘Every man ate his warp of herring’.
141
ny chione - ‘at the head of the queue’ Broderick (1982b: 132)
142
lhiggin - ‘slack-water’, ‘the turn or slack of the tide, whether at high or low water’ Kelly, (also, ‘the
low tides between new and full moon’ Kelly).
143
buick ghlassey [bwick ghlassey] - ‘grey geldings i.e. porpoises’ Broderick (1982b: 133); ‘a large
fish of the dog-fish or shark kind; literally, a grey horse’ Kelly (s.v. bock-glass)
144
Note hiar and heear in this passage mean ‘in front, over yonder’ and ‘behind’.
140
“R’ou prowal ayns shen, boy?”
“Va, boy.”
“Row uss prowal?”
“Va, boy.”
“Quoid hug oo ass yn phiyr?”
“Mysh keead, boy. Quoid hug uss ass yn phiyr?”
“Ushtey.”
“Quoid dy how ayd, boy?”
“Kiare feiyghyn jeig.”
“Cre’n ushtey t’ayd, boy?”
“Feiy as feed.”
Veagh paart jeu gra, tra veagh shin briaght, “Cre’n ushtey boy?” “Ushtey
sailjey, boy.”
Veagh ad ooilley cur er boayrd tra veagh ad geddyn briaght er145, as goll lesh
yn baatey va’n scaddan snaue urree, as towse yn ushtey gys veagh shin geddyn feiy as
feed. Eisht veagh shin cuirr reesht as paart dy cheayrtyn geddyn eeastagh mie
moghrey, agh dy mennick gyn geddyn veg. Agh lurg da’n ghobbag çheet cha row
shee erbee ec deiney er yn Vack agh prowal dy chooilley lieh oor er aggle roish yn
ghobbag.
Tra veagh shin cur warpyn dy scaddan ass yn phrowal veagh shin goaill
toshiaght dy chur er boayrd çhelleeragh roish veagh yn ghobbag çheet dy ronsagh
mygeayrt. As ta mee er vakin shin geddyn eeastagh mie ny cheayrtyn as keayrtyn
elley cha beagh shin geddyn veg agh gobbag. Tra veagh shin cur er boayrd veagh ny
baatyn geamagh dooin:
“R’ou prowal ayns shen, boy?”
“Cur er boayrd, boy.”
“Quoid t’ou cur ass yn phiyr, boy?”
“Gobbag dy liooar, boy.”
Ta mee er vakin yn lieen ooilley er ny stroie ayns un oie as ta mee er vakin
shin geddyn eeastagh mie son ghaa ny tree dy oieghyn fegooish fakin gobbag. Ta
ymmodee lieen er ve stroit ec yn ghobbag liorish yn arreyder tuittym ny chadley as
scaddan ayns yn lieen, agh cha row unnane freayll arrey as va’n ghobbag gee yn lieen
marish yn scaddan. Ta’n ghobbag palçhey dy liooar ec Crook. Ny cheayrtyn ta mee er
vakin lane yn baatey beg dy vrick brisht ain. Ta cooinaght aym er dooinney veagh ad
gra Parick Mooar rish, as veagh eh gra dy mennick tra va ny deiney jannoo lieen noa
as jannoo eh dowin as liauyr, veagh eh gra dy row eh traa dy chur screeuyn gys yn
ghobbag dy heet reesht son dy stroie yn lieen daue.
Ta mee er chlashtyn shenn eeasteyryn gra dy row yn ghobbag feer palçhey
ymmodee bleeantyn er dy henney. Veagh ad gee ooilley agh ny teadyn as ayns ny
laghyn shen veagh ad prayal ayns ny kialteeyn dy gheddyn yn ghobbag goit ersooyl.
As ren yn ghobbag goll ersooyl, as cha row gobbag ny scaddan mygeayrt yn ellan son
145
Cf. 2.2 fn. 100. Again, this seems to be ‘discover’ not ‘enquire’ (i.e. they have now found out where
the herring are and are following them). Broderick (here) and Thomson (1981: 120 on John 11:57) both
seem unaware of this idiom, although Kelly in his definition of briaght gives: ‘an enquiry, a search, a
discovery, advice, news. Briaght çheet er, a discovery made’, and there are numerous examples in the
Bible such as ver eh briaght er dty pheccaghyn ‘he will discover thy sins’ (Lam. 4:22) and Tra cheayll
Saul dy row briaght er David, as er ny deiney va marish ‘When Saul heard that David was discovered,
and the men that were with him’ (1 Sam. 22:6). Briaght is apparently related to brah ‘betray, reveal’,
and there is another variant of the idiom cur brah er ‘reveal’ (in 1.2, 1.10). (Cf. Williams 1994: 734.)
feed blein; agh haink yn scaddan reesht, agh v’eh ymmodee bleeantyn roish haink yn
ghobbag reesht.
Shen yn aght va Parick Mooar gra dy row eh traa cur screeuyn gys yn ghobbag
dy heet reesht dy ee ny greieyn liauyr va ny eeasteyryn jannoo ayns ny laghyn shen.
Veagh shin jannoo yn lieen ec y traa tra va mish goll gys yn scaddan hoshiaght, as va
Parick Mooar jannoo jeebeeyn146 noa eh hene ec yn traa shen, as paart jeh ny chied
oieghyn v’eh cuirt er y Vack ren yn ghobbag gee ooilley yn lieen noa echey agh ny
teadyn. Shen yn traa haink yn ghobbag mygeayrt reesht, as t’ad er fuirraght gys yn laa
t’ayn jiu. Myr shen cha vel shee er ve ain dy chadley ayns yn oie rish ymmodee
bleeantyn.
Va Parick Mooar er yn Vack cuirt un oie roish haink yn ghobbag, as va John
Thalhearagh ny ghooinney aeg maroo, as v’ad ny lhie er yn vack oie chiune as va
John freayll arrey, as v’eh geamagh daue dy gholl dy phrowal agh cha row ad cur
geill da. Myr shen ren eh jeigh yn dorrys as dooney yn çhimlee as ren yn cabbane
lhieeney dy yaagh, as v’ad eginit dy heet ass ny lhiabbaghyn dy gheddyn ennal, as va
John agglagh eisht dy osley yn dorrys daue, as ren eh goll er folliaght voue. Ec y
jerrey ren ad brishey yn boalley fuygh va jeigh ad sthie as hooar ad magh. Va Parick
Mooar prayal son meenid nagh jinnagh eh marroo yn dooinney, as v’ad ronsagh son
John, as cha row eh ry gheddyn as v’ad ayns aggle dy row eh ersooyl harrish boayrd.
Agh tra va ooilley harrish as ad ayns gien mie reesht, haink John ass towl ennagh, as
ren ad leih ooilley da.
Ta cooinaght aym er traaghyn veagh shin roie stiagh ayns purt Ghoolish lesh
sterrymyn dy gheay niar ayns yn oie ayns aggle nyn mioys, as ny baatyn brishey y
cheilley. Agh ta Doolish nish shiaght keayrtyn smessey ny v’eh rieau. Ta mee er ve
cuirt oie sterrymagh ny ghaa agh cha ren mee rieau fakin monney cosney liorish, agh
dy mennick raipey yn lieen; agh ta mee er vakin fastyryn sterrymagh as yn sterrym
goaill jeh ayns yn oie, as yn moghrey aalin veagh eeastagh mie goll keayrt ny ghaa.
Ta mee er chlashtyn ny deiney naaraghey y cheilley jerrey fouyr tra veagh yn
eeastagh ec kione, mysh mingey as scrapey ny mraane, feallagh nagh beagh enney oc
er y cheilley. Veagh paart jeu gra tra veagh ad shiaulley shaghey fer va ny lhie cuirt,
“R’ou prowal ayns shen, boy?”
“Va, boy.”
“Vel eh jannoo veg ort?”
“Cha vel, boy.”
“T’eh traa dhyt cur er boayrd as goll thie dy chleiy ny puddaseyn.”
Veagh fer elley gra, “Gow thie as yeeal yn ven myr boallagh oo.”
Veagh fer elley çheet as geamagh, “Cre t’ou jannoo ny lhie ayns shoh, boy?”
“Ceau yn traa gys moghrey.”
“Vel yn ghobbag gee, boy?”
“Cha vel monney.”
“Naik oo caslys erbee tra chuirr oo, boy?”
“Va’n pherkin ayn, boy.”
146
jeebeeyn - pl. of jeebin, ‘s. f. a deeping of nets, a net’ Cregeen; Sc.G. dìpin(n) from Eng. deeping
(cf. Broderick 1984: 231), which the OED defines as ‘each of the sections (a fathom deep) of which a
fishing-net is composed’. For dìpin, Dwelly says ‘Properly the allotted length of a net made, as a day’s
work, by hand, at the time when nets were home-made. It was customary to meet in a house, in turn, so
as to finish the train of nets required by each fisherman, as quickly as possible, the day’s work being
called ‘dìpin’.’ For the plural in -eeyn, cf. Faragher’s shiaghteeyn in 2.34, murleeyn in 2.15 and
skilleeyn 2.37.
Nane ennagh va er boggeeys as veagh ad gra red ny ghaa nagh row eh lowal
dy ve grait er yn cheayn. Agh tra veagh yn eeastagh ec kione veagh ad gra focklyn
feer ommijagh. Ny-yeih cha row ad goaill yn chorree rish y cheilley. Ta cooinaght
aym er un oie feer aalin as va shin mooie ayns traa fastyr, agh cha row veg jeh ny
baatyn elley mooie ayns traa, son ren eh gaase kiune, agh va shin er faagail yn vaie
hoshiaght roue, as va shin ny lhie cuirt tra haink yn chied nane er-gerrey. Va dooinney
voish Lingague147 er boayrd ain as va fer elley voish Linguage ayns yn chied vaatey
ren geamagh dooin, “R’ou prowal ayns shen, boy?”
Dooyrt fer, “Cha row, boy.”
Dooyrt yn fer Linguage ain, “Vel oo fakin foyd eh, boy?”
“Ta reeayllagh mie ayn,” dooyrt eshyn.
“Nee shen oo Sargeant?” dooyrt yn fer ain.
“She,” dooyrt eh.
“Nee shen uss Weaver?”
“She,” dooyrt Weaver.
Shen va’n far-ennym oc, as v’ad gyllagh yn baatey ‘Hurdy Gurdy’, agh
Phoenix va’n ennym cair eck. Va Thom Yeorge yn mainshter eck, as va Juan Nan as
Puther Beg as ghaa ny three elley feer luckee ec yn scaddan, as va leagh mie goll son
scaddan ayns yn traa shen: veagh eh dy mennick er-gerrey da punt y meaish, ga dy
beagh ooilley yn flod as eeastagh mie oc.
7. Deiney kione-lajeragh ec yn eeastagh
Va paart jeh ny eeasteyryn feer chione-lajeragh. Va mish shiaulley marish mainshter
keayrt dy row as va daa ghooinney jeh’n çheshaght er yn un laue, as va’n mainshter
goaill yn choyrle oc ayns dy chooilley red, as v’ad myr ny Ishmaeliteyn: veagh ad noi
dy chooilley red veagh ny deiney elley laccal jannoo as cha row ad feer tushtagh veg
smoo na deiney elley.
Ren shin cuirr yn lieen un fastyr aalin as kiune, agh va’n aer jeeaghyn quaagh,
ginsh dy row geay as fliaghey er-gerrey. Tra va’n oie er jeet, ren shin prowal yn lieen
as va tree cheead ayns yn piyr, as ren shin ceau ee ayn reesht dy lhiggey daue
thooilley. Kione tammylt dy hraa ren shin prowal reesht as hug shin mysh meaish
assjee, as ren shin ceau ee ayn reesht. Ren shin prowal ayns traa gerrid as v’ee lane
reesht, as va’n lieen ny lhie er yn ghrunt lane scaddan.
Dooyrt mee hene roo dy row eh traa dooin cur er boayrd, agh dooyrt yn daa
ghooinney shoh dy row eh traa dy liooar. Va’n gheay goaill niart as va builley148 er yn
eayst as v’eh traa dooin cur er boayrd, mannagh row veg dy scaddan aynjee. Va mee
brasnagh ad dy chur er boayrd; ooilley yn traa va’n mainshter er ve booiagh dy liooar
dy chur er boayrd, agh cha jinnagh eh gra veg noi’n daa ghooinney shoh. Ec yn jerrey
ren fer jeu briaght jeem nee agglagh va mee dy beagh rour aynjee.
“She,” dooyrt mee.
“Cha ren mee rieau fakin rour foast,” dooyrt eh.
As ec yn jerrey ren yn mainshter goaill my choyrle, as ghow shin toshiaght dy
chur er boayrd, as va wheesh dy scaddan aynjee, nagh row shin abyl geddyn ee er
boayrd. Hooar shin paart jee goit er boayrd, as dooyrt fer jeh ny deiney shoh, “Vel
saase erbee dy gheddyn yn scaddan ass dy cheau ayn ee tammylt elley?” Agh dooyrt
yn mainshter dy row ee ayn foddey dy liooar. Myr shen va shin tayrn ee er boayrd cha
147
148
Lingague - ‘up country from Port St. Mary’ Broderick (1982b: 135)
builley [bwilley] - ‘halo’ Broderick (1982b: 136)
tappee as oddagh shin, as ren yn lieen çheet seose gys mullagh yn ushtey as v’eh lane
scaddan. Cha row veg ry akin agh scaddan.
Tra hooar shin kiare ny queig dy pheeshyn stiagh, haink baatey-shiaullee goll
er son yn purt as ren ee goll trooid yn lieen ain as brishey eh. Myr shen cha dooar shin
arragh, agh va’n gheay sheidey dy tappee. Ren shin cur yn croan er mullagh e ching
as troggal shiaull agh ren yn baatey cur y jerrey fo’n ushtey daa cheayrt. Jus v’ee
aarloo dy gholl sheese, agh ren yn mainshter cummal ee roish yn gheay as roie stiagh
lesh yn traie son dy hauail nyn mioys. Agh roish ren shin roshtyn yn traie hooar shin
yn ushtey currit magh, as va shin cur magh ushtey ooilley yn raad gys yn purt.
Hooar shin stiagh ayns purt Howth ayns Nerin ec brishey yn laa moghrey
Jesarn as va daa ayrn jeh’n lieen ain caillit. Va mysh keead meaish dy scaddan ain.
Haink lheid yn sterrym gys nagh dooar shin yn scaddan assjee gys yn oie laa-nyvairagh, va wheesh dy scaddan ayns yn lieen ain as va er lughtagh three baatyn dy
beagh shin er chur er boayrd ayns traa. Va palçhey scaddan er ve ain as yn lieen
neesht agh cha jinnagh ad goaill coyrle, as va ny smoo dy choayl ain na v’ain dy
chosney. Myr shen ta shin fakin nagh vel eh mie dy ve sayntoilagh.
Ta mee er ve marish deiney as v’ad er choyrt wheesh dy scaddan ayns baatey
gys v’ee er gholl sheese. Honnick mee unnane goll sheese un voghrey as cha row
monney geay ayn, agh ren ad cur wheesh dy scaddan er boayrd gys ren yn keayn
çheet aynjee as cha voddagh ad geddyn eh assjee. Myr shen ren ad ooilley goll ayns
yn baatey beg as hie ee sheese ayns traa feer gherrid ny lurg shen. Parick Noo voish
Purt ny Hinshey va’n ennym eck as va keayn ooilagh goll sheear lesh yn Cholloo son
shiaght ny hoght dy hiaghteeyn ny lurg shen, as cha vel thammag dy scaddan er jeet
er yn choorse shen rieau er dy henney, boayl va shin cliaghtey geddyn eeasteeyn mie.
Ta mee er ve marish deiney as myr veagh shin shiaulley ayns yn oie dy akin scaddan
ayns yn ushtey tra veagh shin çheet ayns thammag, veagh ad goll er finnue as roie
mygeayrt gollrish reddyn keoi. Ta mee er vakin shin coayl lesh ve ayns rour siyr as
keayrtyn lesh rour lhiggey shaghey. T’eh yn aght share goaill ny reddyn ayns yn aght
meanagh gyn rour siyr ny rour lhiggey shaghey.
Ren mee fakin ayns pabyr dy ren shiu geddyn er feer vie lesh yn Ghaelg ec
Doolish, as ta mee jerkal dy jean ny Manninee streeu dy gheddyn çhengey ny mayrey
Ellan Vannin seose reesht. T’eh jeeaghyn dou dy vel yn sleih mygeayrt yn Owe149
goaill paart dy haitnys ayns yn Ghaelg. Va fer jeh ny deiney haink ayns yn steamer
riyr ginsh dou dy row eh er chur lesh lioar dy arraneyn spyrrydoil Gaelgagh marish, as
v’eh streeu dy lhaih ee. Dy jinnagh ooilley ny Manninee goaill taitnys ayns lhaih
Gaelg yinnagh ad jannoo dy mie.
8. Slattyssyn ny eeasteyryn
Tra hie mish gys yn eeastagh scaddan mee hene, veagh ny shenn eeasteyryn dy
mennick ginsh yn slattys dou; cha row mish agh scollag traa shen. My veagh fer erbee
jeh ny deiney ny chadley nagh row oor gys croymmey ny greiney, va’n leigh dy row
eh dy eeck er boteil laa-ny-vairagh. As my yinnagh fer erbee enmys mwaagh va boteil
er myrgeddin. Va’n conning as yn roddan myrgeddin mee-lowit. Va’n mwaagh dy ve
‘fer yn chleaysh vooar’ as va’n conning ‘pommet’. As va’n roddan ‘sacote’.
Agh va whisteragh ny smessey na ooilley. Veagh ad baggyrt dy cheau mee
harrish boayrd son whisteragh. Veagh ad çhyndaa yn baatey mygeayrt lesh yn ghrian
dy gholl magh ass yn purt, as ta’n cliaghtey shen er ny chummal seose gys yn laa jiu.
149
The Howe near Cregneash (Broderick 1982b: 137)
As va mee shiaulley marish mainshter keayrt nagh jinnagh lowal jeh genmys saggyrt
ny aspick er boayrd ec y cheayn, son dy row eh cur lesh drogh luck. Agh veagh ad dy
mennick taggloo jeh mraane as ginsh mychione yn traa v’ad sooree, tra veagh warpyn
scaddan ain dy ghoaill ass yn lieen, as lane-eairk ny jees dy rum goll ass yn boteil.
Cha vel monney smoo ayn dy insh diu nish. Shegin dou jeeaghyn son red
ennagh elley tra vee’m goll dy screeu reesht. T’eh er-gerrey da traa lhiabbagh as ta’n
gheay vooar sheidey as yn fliaghey shilley sheese. Myr shen ta mee goll gys my
lhiabbee dy reayll mee hene souyr. EF.
9. Toshiagh-jioarey as y Caashey
Ta mish er chlashtyn Boy Ruy Willy Kency ginsh mygeayrt sloop veg va currit er ny
creggyn ec yn Traie Vane. V’ee lughtit dy chaashey, as va ooilley yn sleih tayrn
caashey gys ny thieyn oc hene as follagh eh gys va slane lught yn sloop ersooyl, paart
ersooyl lesh yn cheayn, as yn chooid elley currit lesh ec yn sleih mygeayrt, as paart
jeu voish skeeraghyn elley. Myr shen va’n caashey ooilley goit.
Ny lurg shen ren mainshter yn sloop goaill ass laue dy choyrt bing orroo dy
voddagh eh geddyn magh quoi ren geid yn caashey. Va ymmodee sleih sumnit gys yn
ving, as va turneyr ny jees ayn marish y toshiagh-jioarey. Cha row veg jeh ny
turneyryn ny deiney-bingey toiggal Gaelg, agh va’n toshiagh-jioarey son loayrt ee dy
mie. As va eshyn reiht dy phrowal ny deiney.
Myr shen v’eh gyllagh ad fer lurg fer cordail rish nyn ennym, as myr v’ad
çheet gys yn lioar, v’eh gra roo eh hene, “Va paart euish jeh, as va paart aym’s jeh, as
cha row unnane jin follym150.” V’eh gra shoh roo ayns Gaelg.
Eisht v’eh gra roo ayns Baarle, “Kiss the book ye dog ye, pack away ye rogue
ye.”
Myr shen cha row dooinney erbee eginit dy ghoaill y loo liorish keeall yn
toshiagh-jioarey. V’ad ooilley er ny heyrey as cha row unnane goit dy ve maarlee.
Ren yn Ghaelg prowal feer vie ec yn traa shen dy follagh ny maarlee. Agh ayns ny
laghyn t’ayn nish cha vel toshiagh-jioarey hene son taggloo Gaelg dy heyrey ny
kyndee as dy hauail ny maarlee. V’eh jeeaghyn dy row yn toshiagh-jioarey shen son
geid caashey marish yn chooid elley jeh’n sleih, as ren eh geddyn magh yn crout shen
son dy hauail eh hene marish yn sleih elley.
Ta paart dy sleih feer chroutagh er ve ayns yn seihll roish nish. Ny-yeih ta
mish smooinaght dy vel ny shlee mitçhoor ayns yn seihll ec y traa t’ayn na va rieau
ayn roie. Ta’n sleih geddyn lane ynsagh nish. Ny-yeih cha vel ad monney share ayns
nyn mea. Va ymmodee jeh’n çhenn sleih feer oney, as va paart dy gheiney ayn rish
my vea hene nagh jinnagh assee da lhiannoo.
10. Pollonagh151, Ben y Pollonagh, Buggane
Ta mee er chlashtyn ny shenn eeasteyryn genmys yn keayn ‘Juan Gorrym’ as yn
pollonagh yn ‘guilley beg’, er yn oyr dy row eh mee-lowit dy ve enmyssit pollonagh
er boayrd baatey. Veagh ny shenn eeasteyryn fakin eh dy mennick ayns yn traa t’er
gholl shaghey, as veagh ad ceau braghtan dy arran corkey as eeym er huggey, kied
echey v’eh gee eh ny dyn. Va dooinney ginsh dou dy ren eh fakin eh keayrt snaue
150
151
cha row unnane jin follym - ‘there’s not one of us without it [lit. empty]’ Broderick (1982b: 138)
pollonagh - ‘merman’ Broderick (1982b: 129)
eddyr Cashtal yn Staggey152 as yn thalloo as v’eh jeeaghyn gollrish dooinney. V’eh
cur war153 lesh un laue ec keayrt.
Ta my ayr er ve ginsh dou dy ren eh fakin yn pollonagh keayrt mooie er
Geaylin yn Challoo, agh cha ren eh fakin veg jeh agh yn kione.
As va shenn ghooinney elley ginsh dou dy ren eh hene as e ghaa huyr fakin
ben y pollonagh ayns Cass Strooan ny hoie er creg, as va keeaghyn feer vooar urree.
Dooyrt eh, cha leah as ren ee fakin adsyn ren ee lheim ayns yn cheayn, as cha ren ad
fakin ee arragh. Agh ayns laghyn yn vea ain t’ad ersooyl gollrish ny ferrishyn. Cha
vel unnane fakin ad ec traa erbee, as ta’n pollonagh neesht er immeeaght marish
ooilley ny bugganeyn elley.
Va buggane goaill ayns towl t’ayns yn Chione Doo. Ta mee er chlashtyn my
ayr mooar ginsh mysh. Veagh eh geamagh lesh coraa feer niartal. V’eh keayrt ergerrey da’n towl geeastagh bollanyn, as v’ad greimmey feer tappee, agh ghow yn
buggane toshiaght dy eamagh, as v’eh eginit dy roie er e hon. Cha vel yn towl
jeeaghyn agh myr scoltey ayns yn eaynin, as ta mish er ve ayns yn towl daa cheayrt.
Cha vel fys aym vel fer erbee elley er ve ayn, agh ta’n towl mooar çheu-sthie as laare
dy chlaghyn baney ayn, as ta’n laare spreiht lesh red jiarg gollrish fuill. Va’n sleih
cliaghtey gra dy re dunverys v’er ve jeant ayn, as dy jarroo t’eh gollrish dy beagh lane
saagh dy fuill er duittym er ny claghyn baney t’ayns yn laare. Oie vie eu.
11. Cooinaghtyn my vea
Ta mee goll dy insh skeeal beg diu jeh reddyn t’er gholl shaghey ayns my vea hene.
Ta mee smooinaghtyn ny cheayrtyn dy voddin ginsh mysh ny reddyn t’er gholl
shaghey, myr ta’n ‘Thollag Faiyr154’ er screeu ayns yn lioar jeh cooinaghtyn shenn
Vanninagh.
Ta cooinaghtyn aym’s myrgeddin er laa roish nish tra va mee goll gys yn
scaddan marish Jacky yn Dooinney Nicky155. Va laa dy row as va’n gheay niar
sheidey creoi, as dooyrt Jacky dy row eh ny bare dooin fuirraght ayns yn purt dy
varkagh156 yn lieen, son dy row rour geay ayn dy gholl gys yn cheayn. Va mee hene
cummal ayns Ballafesson ayns ny laghyn shen. Ghow shin toshiaght lesh yn barkagh
ec keayrt; as va’n barkagh jeant mysh jees er y chlag. Agh va’n gheay niar er ghoaill
fea traa shen as v’eh feer aalin as çheh. Dooyrt mee rhym pene dy row eh ny bare dou
goll gys Creneash gys thie my ayr dy gheddyn slat-eeastee, as dy gholl gys yn chreg
dy eeastagh bollanyn157.
Myr shen hie mee gys Creneash, as tra haink mee gys thie my ayr, va eshyn ec
yn thie myrgeddin as geddyn aarloo yn slat dy gholl gys yn Cheyllys dy eeastagh
neesht. Eisht hie shin roin cooidjagh gys yn chreg. Tra haink shin gys yn Cheyllys, hie
eshyn dy scrapey son bite ayns yn Cheyllys Veg158, as hie mish dy scrapey son bite
ayns Carrick ny Haa. As hooar mee shiartanse dy veishteigyn ayns traa gerrid. Eisht
ren mee goll dy eeastagh er Creg y Cubbon, agh cha row ny bollanyn jannoo monney.
152
Cashtal yn Staggey - ‘the Sugarloaf’ Broderick (1982b: 139). A sea-rock off Spanish head near Port
St Mary.
153
war [ware] - ‘a stroke (like an oar)’ Broderick (1982b: 139); ‘war, s. m. the stroke of an oar in
rowing or plying’ Cregeen
154
Thollag Faiyr - ‘a shrew mouse, a field mouse’ Cregeen
155
‘John the Nickyman. A nicky was a small fishing boat with two lug sails.’ Broderick (1982b: 140)
156
barkagh - ‘repair’ Broderick (1982b: 140)
157
bollan - ‘rock fish’ Broderick (1982b: 140)
158
yn Cheyllys Veg: ‘between Kitterland and the Isle of Man’ Broderick (1982b: 140)
Ayns traa gerrid haink my ayr dy eeastagh er yn chreg marym, as ren eh ginsh
dou mysh sheshaght dy leih seyrey va goll mygeayrt er yn Pharade159, as dy row aile
foaddit oc dy hiow ushtey. As va un dooinney feer thollee ayn, dooyrt eh. As va slateeastee ec yn dooinney mooar. As ren eh goll sheese er Gob ny Claghyn Baney dy
eeastagh, as va my ayr er-gerrey da jeeaghyn son bite ec yn traa shen. Ayns traa gerrid
ren yn dooinney mooar tuittym ayns yn cheayn, as roie my ayr dy chooney lesh dy
gheddyn ass yn ushtey. As dy be160 dy row eh cha faggys da, dooyrt my ayr, cha row
eh er gheddyn ass yn cheayn. Agh va’n fastyr feer çheh ec yn traa shen.
Dooyrt my ayr rhym dy row yn dooinney mooar laccal eh dy ghoaill beaghey
maroo, agh va my ayr feer neu-arryltagh mysh goaill beaghey ayns thie erbee agh yn
thie echey hene. Dooyrt mish rish dy bare lhiam, dy beign’s er ve ayns shen, dy row
mee er ghoaill yn çheb echey. Ren shin soie er yn chreg mysh oor; as va ny bollanyn
feer lhag. Dooyrt my ayr nagh row eh feeu ceau yn traa ayns shen ny sodjey. Dooyrt
mee rish dy row mish goll gys y Pharade dy yeeaghyn er yn çheshaght vooar dy
yoarreeyn va er. As my yinnagh ad çhebbal bee dou dy jinnin goaill eh.
Myr shen ren mee goll gys yn Pharade, as va sheshaght vooar ayn nyn soie
mygeayrt-y-mysh yn dooinney mooar, as v’eh coamrit lesh oanraghyn ny mraane. Va
aile mie oc, as ren mee briaght jeu beagh ad booiagh cur kied dou dy chur aile ayns
my phipe ec yn aile oc ayns Baarle.
Dooyrt yn dooinney mooar rhym ayns Gaelg, “Foddee oo coyrt aile ayns dty
phipe as yiow beaghey neesht my nee oo goaill eh.”
Ren mee cur booise da son yn çheb as goaill beaghey maroo. Chur ad palçhey
dou dy ee, as tra va mee lesh gee haink yn dooinney mooar, as ren eh soie sheese rish
my lhiattee. As ghow eh toshiaght dy insh dou cre va undin yn sharmane echey
Jedoonee roish shen. As dooyrt eh rhym dy re joarreeyn va ooilley yn çheshaght va
marish.
“Agh Manninee shinyn,” dooyrt eh. “As cha jinnin cur yn Ghaelg t’aym,”
dooyrt eh, “son lane my edd dy airh.”
Ren paart elley jeh ny deiney çheet er-gerrey, as ren fer jeu fakin lioar veg
v’ayns my phoshag161. As ren eh briaght jeem nee lioar dy arraneyn spyrrydoil v’ayn
ayns my phoshag. Dooyrt mee rish dy row ee paart gollrish arraneyn spyrrydoil, as
ren mee goaill ee ass my phoshag as cur da ee. As ren yn dooinney mooar goaill ee
voish as goaill toshiaght dy lhaih ee. She arraneyn graihagh gys ny mraane aegey
v’aynjee v’er ve currit dy cheilley aym pene. As va’n dooinney mooar lhaih paart jeu,
as ren ny mraane aegey çhaglym mygeayrt-y-moom dy chlashtyn ny harraneyn va’n
dooinney mooar lhaih ayns yn lioar.
As v’eh briaght jeem quoi gys v’ad screeut. As cha row mee booiagh ginsh da
ennym ny mraane aegey ren mee jannoo ny harraneyn orroo. V’ad smooinaght dy row
mish scollag ec yn traa shen. Ren eh lhaih un arrane, as dooyrt ad ooilley dy row eh
feer vie. As vrie eh jeem quoi gys v’eh shen currit, as dooyrt mee dy re gys my ven
heshey. As tra ren ny mraane aegey va mygeayrt-y-moom clashtyn dy row mee
dooinney poost, ren ad skeayley ersooyl, myr dy beagh ushtey feayr er ve ceaut orroo.
159
‘the ‘Parade’ was a flat piece of land on the coast by Shennvalley opposite the Sound’ Broderick
(1982b: 141)
160
dy be dy [dy bee dy]: i.e. er-be dy ‘were it not that’. Cregeen (addendum) ‘dy-be or dy-bee, adv. for
cause, because. see also erbey’. Cf. ScG. mura b’ e gun.
161
poshag - ‘pocket’ Broderick (1982b: 141)
Ren yn dooinney mooar briaght jeem dy heet dy chur shilley er ayns traa
gerrid. Saggyrt Drury162 v’eh, dooyrt eh, saggyrt Skylley Braddan, as dy beagh eh
booiagh mee dy heet gys yn thie echey son laa ny jees, agh cha row traa aym dy gholl
ayns yn imbagh shen, son va mee goll gys yn scaddan. Ren mee screeu ‘Creg dy
Eashyn’163 da ayns Gaelg—as v’eh feer voyrnagh jeh, dooyrt eh. Va mee smooinaght
er goll gys yn thie echey son traa liauyr ny lurg shen, agh cha ren mee rieau goll.
Ren mee meeiteil eh ayns Doolish mysh blein ny lurg shen, as ren shin goaill
shooyl cooidjagh. As v’eh ginsh dou dy row eh kiarit dy heet gys yn Cheyllys dy
eeastagh son mee ayns yn ouyr, as dy chummal ayns thie-tashtee Cary164 son yn vee.
Agh tra ren eh briaght jeh shenn Chary son kied dy gholl ayns yn thie, ren Cary
gobbal yn thie da. Cha row fys echey cre dy ghra mysh Cary ayns Gaelg, dooyrt eh,
agh she dooinney doillee v’eh; as cha ren eh rieau çheet gys yn Cheyllys dy eeastagh
ny lurg shen.
Agh va mac165 da preaçheil ayns Creneash blein er dy henney, as ren eh lhaih
paart jeh’n çhirveish ayns çhengey ny mayrey. As v’eh kiarail çheet reesht, dooyrt eh,
as jannoo yn sharmane ayns Gaelg. Lurg da çheet magh ass yn cheeill, haink eh dy
loayrt rhym’s, as haink eh gys yn thie ain ny lurg shen. As tra v’eh er vakin paart
jeh’n screeu aym, hie eh roish. Agh dooyrt eh dy beagh eh fakin mee reesht ayns traa
gerrid, agh cha vel eh er jeet foast. V’eh gra roo ayns Purt le Moirrey dy row eh
kiarail dy phreaçheil ayns Gaelg ayns Creneash, agh dy row eh agglagh roish paart jeh
deiney Chreneash dy beagh ad jannoo faghid jeh; as cha ren eh çheet yn vlein shoh.
Ta ymmodee jeh ny joarreeyn ta mee taggloo roo gialdyn dy jean ad çheet
reesht as dy jean ad geddyn yn screeu aym printit, agh t’ad jarrood mee tra ta mee ass
nyn shilley. Haink fer dy akin mee three bleeaney er dy henney, Albinagh; v’eh son
taggloo Gaelic feer vie, dooyrt eh, as ren mee cur kied da dy screeu unnane jeh
skeealyn breagagh Aesop, as ren eh goaill sheese m’ennym. As dooyrt eh dy jinnagh
eh ginsh da e chumraagyn mychione aym, dy row mee son screeu Gaelic. Agh cha vel
mish er vakin ny er chlashtyn jeh foast. Va Albinagh elley ayns shoh blein er dy
henney, as veagh eh çheet yn vlein shoh reesht, dooyrt eh, as yinnagh eh cur lesh
printer marish, dooyrt eh, son dy phrintal ny lioaryn aym, agh cha vel eh er ve gys e
ockle.
Va fer elley mysh kegeesh er dy henney gra yn un red rhym, dy jinnagh eh
ayns blein elley cur lesh printer marish voish Lunnin dy phrintal ny lioaryn aym, as
my vee’m spaarit nee’m fakin. Bee yn Sostnagh ny share na ny hAlbinee, agh cha vel
mee cur treisht erbee ayns goan veg jeu. Va dooinney voish Merica fakin mee mysh
three bleeaney er dy henney, as v’eh laccal mee dy gholl gys Merica marish, son v’eh
shickyr jeh, dooyrt eh, nagh beagh feme aym jannoo thurn dy beign ayns yn ayrn jeh
Merica ren eshyn çheet veih. Agh va mee coontey dy row mee er gholl rour ayns
bleeantyn, as nagh beagh feer foddey aym dy ve ayns yn vea shoh.
162
Parson William Drury (1808-1887), vicar of Kirk Braddan and successor of Parson Brown (1.13).
See fn. 60.
163
‘Creg dy Eashyn’ - ‘Rock of Ages’, a hymn
164
‘George Drinkwater Lucius Cary farmed on the Calf of Man at that time. He owned quite a bit of
land around Port St. Mary’ Broderick (1982b: 142).
165
Both of Drury’s sons were clergymen. This is either his elder son William, whom Drury tried to
make chaplain of St Thomas’ in 1867 and who was later vicar of Holy Trinity, Burton-on-Trent, or else
his younger son Thomas Wortley (1847-1926), Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1907 to 1911. It is
interesting to note that the sons must have known Manx as well. ‘On 14th June 1908 [Bishop Drury]
preached at St Luke’s, Baldwin, and before the sermon he asked anyone who could join him in saying
the Lord’s Prayer in Manx to do so. About six of the older people did so’ (Gelling 1998: 214). He was
thus the first native Manx Bishop of Man since the 1300s, and the last Manx-speaking one.
As ny cheayrtyn veign booiagh dy liooar dy beagh yn traa aym ceaut ayns yn
seihll boiragh shoh, son cha vel shenn ghooinney gys monney ymmyd tra t’eh
laboragh dy piandagh. Cha vel yn seihll shoh jannoo monney gerjagh da.
Screeut yn wheiggoo laa jeh’n vee s’jerree jeh’n ouyr, ayns yn vlein hoght
cheead yeig kiare feed as nuy jeig. Liorish E Faragher.
Ayns Creneash, Ellan Vannin.
12. Skeeal beg mysh Thom Hal
Ta cooinaght aym er shenn ghooinney va cummal ayns Bradda. V’eh croobagh dy
mie166 as v’eh feer mennick ayns yn thie-oast. Cha vel fys aym c’red va’n sliennoo
echey, agh Thom Hal yn Cabbyl Maidjey veagh ny eeasteyryn gyllagh da. Veagh eh
cur lesh maidjey marish dy kinjagh, son cha row eh son shooyl fegooish. Veagh yn
sleih gra yn Cabbyl Maidjey rish son yn chooid smoo. V’eh er ve sidoor cabbyl ayns
laghyn e aegid son shiartanse dy vleeantyn, as v’eh feer aghtal lesh yn cliwe. Veagh
eh ny cheayrtyn tra veagh bine beg rour dy yough ayns e volg goll mygeayrt lesh e
vaidjey ayns e laue, as yinnagh eh goaill yn smug jeh’n chainle lesh yn maidjey; v’eh
son gobbragh yn maidjey gollrish yn cliwe. As tra veagh ad tuittym magh ayns yn
thie-oast my veagh yn Cabbyl Maidjey ny vud oc, yinnagh eh glenney yn thie ayns
traa gerrid.
Va un laa toshiaght shiaghtin ayns traa scaddan yn Vack, as va ny baatyn ayns
purt Roonysvie; shen va cliaghtey ve yn purt dy chooilley Yesarn ayns traa eeastagh
yn Vack, as veagh deiney Skylley Chreest shooyl dy valley dy chooilley oie Jesarn.
Tra haink ny eeasteyryn gys Roonysvie Jelhein, va’n earish er naase feer rastagh as
cha row ny baatyn goll magh, as va ny deiney giu ayns thie Johnny Yuan Anthony as
thie Turnbull. Shen va ny thieyn-oast va ayns Roonysvie tra va mish my yuilley beg
as my aarleyder ayns y Britannia. Haink Andra Hick ass thie Johnny Yuan Anthony
as v’eh mysh lieh scooyrit. Va ny eeasteyryn Manninagh giu ayns thie Kelly—Johnny
Yuan Anthony veagh ad gra rish ayns ny laghyn shen—as veagh deiney Arklow giu
ayns thie Turnbull, son cha row cordail erbee eddyr oc; agh va’n Cabbyl Maidjey giu
fud ny Yernee.
Haink Andra gys thie Turnbull, as dooyrt eh dy jinnagh eh caggey rish Roman
167
jiarg erbee dy row ayns yn thie. Ren ny Yernee ooilley girree seose ec keayrt dy
ghoaill Andra. As ren yn Cabbyl Maidjey girree neesht as ayns traa gerrid cha row
dooinney ayns yn thie nagh row er roie er e hon agh yn Cabbyl Maidjey as Andra: ren
yn Cabbyl Maidjey glenney yn thie lesh e vaidjey. Va Andra er ve broojit ec ny
Yernee dy be dy row yn Cabbyl Maidjey er-gerrey dy choyrt cooney da.
Va’n Cabbyl Maidjey goll gys yn scaddan tra va mish ny yuilley aeg. Veagh
eh ginsh ayns ny thieyn-oast harrish yn cappan mysh yn traa v’eh son sidoor as ny
reddyn veagh eh hene as e chumraagyn jannoo. V’eh son bleeantyn ayns boayl
ennagh ayns Nerin raad va’n balley s’niessey kiare ny queig dy veeillaghyn jeh, as
veagh ad geddyn kied dy gholl gys yn balley ny cheayrtyn my veagh ad gymmyrkey
ad hene doaieagh. Agh veagh ad dy mennick jannoo olk, as geddyn ad hene broojit
liorish ny Yernee ayns ny thieyn oast ayns yn valley. Va droghad fo’n raad eddyr yn
boayl va ny sidooryn cummal as yn balley, as va’n sleih gra dy row buggane goaill er
166
croobagh dy mie - ‘quite lame’. Dy mie used as a qualifier of adjectives is placed after the adjective,
as in Irish (Dinneen s.v. maith). Other examples are: ayns traa gerrid dy mie (2.17), Va’n oie liauyr dy
mie dy hoie ec yn aile (2.33), Ta my vea er ve seaghnagh dy mie ayns traaghyn (2.34), t’eh feayr dy mie
foast (2.37).
167
Roman jiarg - ‘red Roman’ i.e. Roman Catholic
yn droghad. As veagh ny sidooryn, tra veagh ad fuirraght ro anmagh, jannoo magh
da’n cornal dy re yn buggane va goaill er yn droghad va sthappal ad, nagh jinnagh ny
cabbil goll er nyn doshiaght.
Va Thom Hal eh hene ec yn valley keayrt, as tra hooar eh gys thie-oast ayns y
valley as shiartanse dy Yernee dy haggloo roo, ren eh jarrood eh hene ny vud oc
geaishtagh rish ny skeealyn v’ad ginsh harrish ny gogganyn jough gys v’eh foddey er
yn oie, eisht ren eh geddyn yn cabbyl as markiagh thie cha tappee as oddagh eh. Nyyeih v’eh lurg yn traa.
Laa-ny-vairagh v’eh currit lesh feanish yn cornal dy chur stiagh yn oyr c’red
ren freayll eh cha anmagh. Dooyrt eh dy row eh çheet er yn raad thie traa dy liooar
agh tra haink eh gys yn droghad, ren yn cabbyl fakin yn buggane as cha voddagh eh
geddyn eh dy gholl harrish y droghad, as dy ren eh streeu dy gheddyn eh dy gholl er y
hoshiaght son traa liauyr, as fey yerrey dy ren eh lhiggey harrish as nagh voddagh eh
ve cummit gys v’eh ec y thie. Ren eh ginsh da kys v’eh yeealley as breddey eh as goll
lesh yn valley reesht eisht çhyndaa mygeayrt as çheet son yn droghad, agh cha
jinnagh eh goll harrish gys ren yn buggane follaghey eh hene. Dooyrt yn cornal rish
dy lhisagh eh v’er hayrn e chliwe as er roie eh trooid yn cabbyl. As ren eh lhiggey
lesh un cheayrt.
Va keayrt elley ayns traa gerrid ny lurg shen, as va Thom laccal goll gys yn
balley reesht, son v’eh gaase feer paagh as hooar eh kied voish yn cornal dy gholl as
v’eh curmit dy heet thie ayns traa. Hie eh roish gys yn valley kiarail dy heet thie
reesht ayns traa, agh tra ren eh geddyn fud ny Yernee as geddyn e haie jough ren eh
jarrood eh hene reesht. As tra ren eh çheet er gys yn droghad haink eh jeh’n chabbyl,
as hayrn eh yn cliwe, as ren eh roie eh trooid yn cabbyl as marroo eh ayns shen. Eisht
ren eh goaill yn jeelt er e ghreeym as çheet thie lesh. Dooyrt eh rish yn cornal dy ren
yn cabbyl gobbal dy gholl harrish yn droghad as dy ren eh marroo eh. Dooyrt yn
cornal dy ren eh kiart dy liooar.
Tra haink eh gys Mannin ny lurg shen, cha vel fys aym nee yn traa echey va
heose ny dyn. Agh v’eh ny eeasteyr lurg shen goll er gys yn scaddan, as goll gys yn
valk dy ghoaill boddee.168 Va paart jeh ny baatyn va geeastagh boddee un cheayrt
sheebit jeh lesh gale dy gheay niar, as va’n Cabbyl Maidjey ayns unnane jeh ny
baatyn. Cha vel cooinaght aym er yn traa agh ta cooinaght aym er shenn Bill Karran
ayns Creneash. Va eshyn ayns nane jeh ny baatyn neesht as va ordaagyn ny cassyn
echey riojit. Veagh eh çheet gys yn thie ain ny cheayrtyn dy gheddyn paart jeh’n
shelliu va my voir jannoo, son veagh ny hordaagyn echey brishey magh ayns yn
geurey tra veagh rio çheet. Va paart jeh ny deiney marroo lesh yn feayraght er yn raad
gys Nerin. Ren mainshter yn baatey va’n Cabbyl Maidjey aynjee cur seose ec keayrt,
as ren yn Cabbyl Maidjey stiurey ee ooilley yn traa ny lurg shen gys hooar ad gys
thalloo. Tra v’ad tayrn er-gerrey da’n phurt, dooyrt yn Cabbyl Maidjey, haink Juan
Phil huggey lesh braghtan dy arran corkey as eeym, as dooyrt eh, “Ta shen arryltagh
mie dhyt.” Cha ren mee rieau clashtyn yn fockle shen ec dooinney erbee elley. Hooar
ad stiagh ayns purt sauçhey ayns Nerin.
Ta cooinaght mie aym er Juan Phil. Va magher echey ec kione kiare bayryn
Vallagawne tra va mish goll gys scoill roish nish, as veagh eh ayns yn vagher dy
mennick bochillagh ny guillyn beggey veagh goll harrish yn cleigh. Agh ta’n Cabbyl
Maidjey as Andra as Juan Phil as shenn Jack Andra myrgeddyn ersooyl gys nyn dhie
foddey farraghtyn, as cha vel imraa sodjey er ny yannoo jeu.
168
boddagh - ‘cod’
Va shenn Jack Andra dooinney lesh coraa feer niartal. V’eh un cheayrt ayns
toshiaght yn eeastagh scaddan goll magh un laa feer aalin, as va ny deiney va ayns ny
baatyn elley clashtyn Jack taggloo as ad foddey veih. As ren ad troggal paart jeh ny
goan v’eh loayrt. V’eh jeeaghyn dy row Jack gaarlagh shibber da’n çheshaght. Dooyrt
eh, “Dy voghe shin sluight dy vannaght, yiowmayd piyr dy vellysyn169 noa my ghoys
mayd nyn mee dy mie. Cha bee lowanse gra monney,” as veagh ad dy mennick
gyllagh shen da Jack ny lurg shen.
Va keayrt elley va ny baatyn er gholl gys Doolish dy eeastagh boddee. Hie ad
er thalloo dy akin cre va goaill toshiaght ayns Doolish. Hie Jack as yn çheshaght
stiagh ayns thie Rodger Roney dy yeeaghyn cre’n aght v’eh creck ny cooidyn. Dooyrt
Rodger dy row rum feer vie echey, as ren eh lhieeney saagh beg dy voddagh ad
ooilley blashtyn eh. Chur eh yn saagh da Jack Andra, yn chied er. As ren Jack giu
ooilley as strugey e volg gra rish Rodger, “T’eh feer vie son yn bolg, vainshter.” Ren
Rodger coyrt e vollaght er yn bolg echey. Va Andra yn mac echey dooinney feer
tastagh. Veagh eh taggloo Baarle as gra reddyn ommijagh dy chur er yn sleih gearey
er. Ta mish er ve goll gys yn eeastagh scaddan marish son bleeantyn. Va shin un
cheayrt feer faggys dy ve caillit. Ren faarkey mooar brishey er yn baatey ain, as v’ee
goaill toshiaght dy gholl sheese. Dooyrt yn mainshter dy row ee goll sheese as dy
ghoaill yn shiaull mean sheese. Agh ren mee hene tayrtyn holt er yn hallyr170 dy
chummal y shiaull heose, as dooyrt mee rish yn mainshter dy chummal ee roish yn
gheay. As ren shin troggal ee seose gys hooar shin yn ushtey currit magh. Dy beagh
yn shiaull er ve goit jee, cha row shin dy bragh er jeet thie reesht.
Ta mish er ve lane keayrtyn ayns aggle jeh my vioys. Ny-yeih ta Jee er
lhiuragh magh my vea, agh cha vel monney gerjagh aym ayns my henn laghyn. Agh
cha bee eh foddey nish gys vee’m ec shee raad nagh bee boirey erbee: ayns yn oaie.
13. Feaill Breejey ayns Earyween
T’eh jeeaghyn dou dy row cliaghtaghyn feer ommijagh ec ny shenn vraane ayns yn
traa t’er gholl shaghey. Ta mee er chlashtyn my voir ginsh jeh paart jeu: kys veagh ny
mraane eirinnee jannoo lhiabbee ayns yn toalt as cur jough as bee as soilshey ayn da
Breejey, jerkal rish Breejey dy chur shilley ayn, as kied eck goaill jeh’n beaghey ny
dyn, dy row ee faagail bannaght orroo son yn vlein shen.
Ta mee er chlashtyn my voir gra dy row shenn ven eirinnagh cummal ayns
Baldwin ayns boayl va enmyssit Earyween: ben voish Earyween va mwarree my ayr,
myr shen dy row ad jannoo mooinjerys roo. As va’n çhenn ven shen goll gys yn
dorrys dy chooilley oie roish veagh ee goll gys e lhiabbee as gra: “My vannaght lesh
ny ferrishyn.”
Veagh ee myrgeddin ec yn Eaill Breejey kiartagh yn toalt da Breejey, my
yinnagh ee çheet dy cur shilley orroo. Haink yn Eaill Breejey keayrt dy row as va’n
soalt er ny yannoo aarloo ny chour eck. Va boayrd runt currit ayn as kuse dy arran as
caashey as caart dy yough lhune. Veagh ny heirinnee gimbyl y jough oc hene ayns ny
laghyn shen; as va cainle vooar veayl currit er yn voayrd son soilshey da Breejey, as
va’n lhiabbee er ny chraa seose dy yannoo ee meeley, as yn dorrys er ny aagail foshlit
dy lhean.
169
bellysyn - ‘?bellows’ (Le Besco); Lhuyd in his Geirieu Manaweg has bellusan ‘A Pair of Bellows’
(Ifans and Thomson 1979-1980: 150.
170
hallyr - ‘a rope, a halyard’: ‘A rope or tackle used for raising or lowering a sail, yard, spar, or flag’
OED
Eisht veagh ee gra: “Breejey, Breejey, quoi erbee yn thie hig oo huggey, tar
gys yn thie ainyn noght.”
Shen myr v’ee jannoo dy chooilley Feaill Breejey. Va keayrt dy row as va
dooinney aeg shooyl geiyrt er ny mraane aegey, as v’eh er yn raad thie tra ren eh fakin
soilshey ayns soalt Earyween. V’eh yn dooinney ren jannoo yn arrane mysh yn toot
dy inneen vooar eirinnee nagh dod rieau cummal thie171; va’n ennym echey Juan
Lewin172. T’ad gra dy row eh mooinjerys ennagh da my voir173. Tra honnick eh ny
reddyn er yn voayrd runt, hoie eh sheese er yn stoyl drommey as ren eh gee jeh’n
arran as caashey gys v’eh er ny yannoo magh, as ren eh giu ooilley yn jough lhune.
Eisht ren eh goll ayns yn lhiabbee as ren eh rowlal eh hene as jannoo yn lhiabbee dy
ve myr dy beagh peiagh er ve ny lhie urree, as tra va’n laa mysh brishey hie eh roish
gys y cummal echey hene. Tra haink shenn ven Earyween gys yn toalt dy yeeaghyn
row Breejey er ve coyrt shilley ayn, as tra honnick ee dy row yn arran as caashey er
ny ee as yn jough ooilley er ny iu, ren ee troggal seose e laueyn as sheayney ee hene.
Shen ta mee er clashtyn yn shenn sleih gra rish “Shee Yee orrym” ny “Shee Yee dy
row marym”: ‘sheayney’ v’ad gra rish. As ren ee bwoalley e bassyn noi ry hoi ayns
boggey dy row Breejey er ve ayns yn toalt as dy row ee er jannoo soiagh jeh’n arran
as caashey as yn jough lhune, as veagh ee geamagh da’n sleih veagh goll shaghey, dy
beagh bannaght Vreejey urree yn vlein shoh, er yn oyr dy row Breejey er ve goaill
aaght ayns yn toalt, as veagh ee ginsh daue dy row Breejey er ve ny lhie er yn
lhiabbee. As cha ren Juan Lewin gra fockle mygeayrt-y-mysh gys lurg baase shenn
ven Earyween.
Myr shen hooar ee baase credjal dy re Breejey v’er ve ayns yn toalt yn oie
shen as dy ren ee gee yn arran as caashey, as giu yn jough lhune as lhie ayns yn
lhiabbee v’ee er kiarail ny chour eck. Va paart dy sleih feer ommijagh ayns yn ellan
ayns shenn traaghyn as ta paart jeu credjal ayns ny ferrishyn gys yn laa shoh. EF
14. Oie Houney
Ta mish er chlashtyn dy mennick jeh ny saaseyn veagh ec ny mraane aegey dy
gheddyn magh quoi veagh yn sheshey oc. As Oie Houney veagh yn traa v’ad jannoo
ny reddyn shoh. Veagh ad ny cheayrtyn jannoo soddag dy flooyr ny jeh arroo ennagh
elley. Veagh ad genmys ee soddag valloo, son cha row unnane jeu dy ghra fockle
voish yn traa v’ad goaill toshiaght dy yannoo yn soddag er gys moghrey laa-nyvairagh. Veagh ad gee yn soddag as goll gys nyn lhiabbee gour nyn drommey as cur
paart jeh’n soddag fo nyn ging, jerkal dy akin co-chaslys yn dooinney veagh nyn
sheshey ayns ashlishyn ny hoie.
Ta mee er clashtyn paart jeh ny shenn vraane ginsh ny skeealyn shoh
mychione yn traa v’ad nyn mraane aegey. Veagh paart jeu greddey scaddan sailjey er
yn aile as gee eh craueyn as ooilley, as goll gys nyn lhiabbee fegooish giu bine dy
ushtey dy yeeaghyn jinnagh co-chaslys yn dooinney veagh nyn sheshey çheet ayns
ashlish ny hoie174 dy chur jough daue. Va paart jeu gra dy row ad er vakin eh shickyr
dy liooar. Ta mee er clashtyn paart elley gra dy beagh ad goll gys çhibbyr veagh
cummal ushtey car ny bleeaney as goaill lane nyn meeal jeh’n ushtey, as goll gys thie
171
The song Inneenyn Eirinnee, composed c. 1800. For text see Broderick (1980-1: 23-5).
‘Juan Lewin, Sumner of Jurby, was a renowned song composer in his day’ Broderick (1982b: 147)
173
Faragher’s maternal grandmother was Ann Lewin.
174
ashlish ny hoie - ‘dream of the night’, apparently a fixed expression with retention of the feminine
genitive form, since ashlish on its own can mean simply ‘vision, revelation’. For dreams while
sleeping, the Manx Bible generally uses the English borrowing dreamal.
172
ennagh dy eaishtagh gys yinnagh ee clashtyn ennym Creestee dooinney ennagh
enmyssit, as veagh ad dy mennick gra dy re ennym Creestee yn dooinney ren ad y
phoosey va’n chied ennym ren ad clashtyn enmyssit.
Cha vel yn cliaghtey jeh goaill lane beeal dy ushtey jarroodit ec ny mraane
aegey foast, son cha vel eh feer foddey er dy henney neayr as haink mee giare er175
paart jeu geaishtagh ec yn dorrys aym pene, as ren mee goaill lane yindys cre v’ad
jannoo ayns shen gys ren mee cooinaght dy re Oie Houney v’ayn, as dy row ny
hinneenyn shen cummal seose yn shenn chliaghtey, myr va nyn moiraghyn ayns
laghyn nyn aegid. Ta mee er chlashtyn ny shenn vraane ginsh ymmodee skeealyn
mysh nyn sheshaghyn çheet er gys yn lhiabbee tra nagh row enney oc er ny fys quoi
v’eh, agh ren ad cur enney er yn chied cheayrt ren ad fakin eh ny lurg shen.
Ta mee er chlashtyn jeh red elley veagh ny mraane aegey jannoo er Oie
Houney, agh ta mee smooinaght dy vel yn cliaghtey currit seose oc rish traa liauyr.
Veagh yn ven aeg er-gerrey da’n vean-oie er Oie Houney goll magh gys yn toalt ayns
aght feer chiaralagh nagh jinnagh unnane goaill tastey jee, as veagh ee cur lesh maree
bluckan dy snaie olley, as tra veagh ee ayns yn toalt as dy chooilley red ec shee,
veagh ee ceau yn bluckan ersooyl choud as oddagh ee cummal kione yn snaie er ny
chassey mysh mwannal e laue. Eisht lurg tammylt beg dy hraa veagh ee togherys yn
snaie seose reesht ayns bluckan myr v’eh roie mannagh row red erbee cummal eh agh
my v’eh er ny chummal veagh ee geamagh three keayrtyn: “Quoi ta cummal shoh?”
as veagh paart jeu geddyn ansoor, agh mannagh row unnane gra veg veagh ee ny
shenn ven aeg.176
Ta mee er chlashtyn jeh eirinnagh va feer verçhagh as cha row echey agh un
lhiannoo, as va’n lhiannoo inneen, as veagh e hayr as e moir cur lane jeh e raad hene
jee. Va’n ayr feer verchagh ayns thalloo, argid as cooid; va’n inneen yn ynrycan
lhiannoo va echey. Tra ren ee gaase seose as goaill toshiaght dy cheau sooill er ny
guillyn aegey, v’ee feer voyrnagh as cha row guilley aeg erbee mastey ny hainjyssee
eck v’ee jannoo soiaghey jeh. Va shiartanse dy fir-vooinjerey ec yn ayr eck va
cummal ayns yn thie maroo, as va fer beg ayn veagh bochillagh yn ollagh. Va trustyr
ennagh ayns yn uill echey, son va’n eddin echey feer screbbagh; Parick va’n ennym
echey agh v’ad gyllagh eh Paddy Carragh. Cha vel mee toiggal cre va’n sliennoo agh
she Paddy Carragh v’ad gyllagh da son far-ennym.
Un cheayrt tra haink Oie Houney ren yn ven aeg goaill ayns laue dy gholl gys
yn toalt, agh cha ren ee ginsh da unnane dy row ee kiarit goll. Ren ee goll gys y
çhamyr lhiabbagh ec traa lhie myr v’ee cliaghtey, as tra va’n lught-thie er gholl gys
fea ren ee çheet magh ass yn çhamyr feer veeley son nagh jinnagh ad clashtyn ee. Tra
ren ee roshtyn yn toalt ren ee soie son tammylt dy hraa geaishtagh dy beagh ee
shickyr jeh nagh row veg jeh ny guillyn mygeayrt, agh cha ren ee clashtyn red erbee.
Eisht ren ee goll seose er lout yn toalt as geaishtagh reesht gys v’eh er-gerrey da’n
vean-oie. Eisht ren ee fosley dorrys yn toalt as goaill yn bluckan snaie va currit lesh
maree as cassey yn derrey chione jeh mysh mwannal e laue, eisht ren ee jeeaghyn
magh ayns yn dorraghys as ceau yn bluckan ersooyl lesh ooilley e niart. Ren ee
farkiagh son tammylt beg dy chur traa da fer ennagh, dy bee quoi177 veagh eh, dy heet
dy chummal yn snaie.
Eisht ghow ee toshiaght dy hogherys yn snaie reesht; v’ee myr shen togherys
agh cha row ee togherys feer siyragh son dy beagh palçhey traa ec red ennagh dy
175
giare er - ‘near’ Kelly
shenn ven aeg - ‘spinster’ cf. shenn scollag aeg ‘bachelor’ in 2.32.
177
dy bee quoi - ‘whoever’; also in 2.22. Cf. Irish cébí cibé or gibé (Dinneen s.v. cé); for Manx dy bee
quoi cf. Connacht Irish cibé cé (Dinneen s.v. cé), Scottish Gaelic gu bith cò, ge be cò.
176
ghoaill holt er, son v’ee ayns aggle dy beagh ee moidyn ooilley e bea, tra va’n snaie
bunnys eck v’ee gaase feer dooyteilagh, agh fey-yerrey va’n snaie cummit.
“Quoi ta cummal shoh?” dooyrt ee. Cha row ansoor erbee. “Quoi ta cummal
shoh?” dooyrt ee reesht; cha ren ee clashtyn veg. “Quoi ta cummal shoh?” dooyrt ee
yn trass cheayrt.
Eisht ren ee clashtyn coraa feer faase gra, “Paddy Carragh.”
Cheau ee yn bluckan ersooyl ayns e heulys as ren ee gialdyn dy jinnagh ee
dunverys Paddy cha leah as veagh caa eck. Hie ee roee gys yn thie, agh va Paddy ayns
yn lhiabbee ny chadley marish fer elley jeh ny deiney, as cha voddagh ee geddyn
cooilleeney er yn oie shen, as ren ee goll gys y lhiabbee. Agh cha voddagh ee cadley
lesh smooinaghtyn er Paddy boght, dy row eh cha daaney as dy reayll arrey urree goll
gys yn toalt as dy chummal yn snaie jee.
Laa-ny-vairagh tra haink ny deiney stiagh dy vrishey nyn drostey v’ee feer
fargagh as slane kiarit dy ghoaill cooilleeney er Paddy son jannoo faghid jee. As tra
haink Paddy stiagh hrog ee yn clou jeh’n çhiollagh as ren ee cur da er mullagh e
chione gys ren eh tuittym er y thalloo as va’n uill echey roie myr strooan gys v’ad
ooilley ayns aggle dy voghe Paddy baase. Tra ren yn uill goaill stop chur ad lesh eh
thie gys e voir, as lurg tammylt mie dy hraa ren eh couyral, agh va cowrey faagit er y
chione echey choud as v’eh bio.
Cha ren eh goll gys thie yn eirinnagh ny lurg shen, agh hie eh roish gys çheer
foddey veih. Lurg shiartanse dy vleeantyn haink eh thie reesht gys e oayll lesh kuse
dy verçhys, as cha row enney ec veg jeh’n sleih er tra haink eh thie. Va’n voir echey
marroo as va ny hainjyssee echey ooilley ersooyl. Va’n eirinnagh as e ven marroo
neesht, as cha row yn ven aeg rieau er phoosey ga dy row ee berçhagh dy liooar.
Cha row enney ec Paddy urree ny ecksh ersyn, tra ren ad meeiteil y cheilley ec
giense. Agh cha row eh Paddy Carragh traa shen, agh dooinney seyr. Va Paddy as ish
daunsin cooidjagh ec yn giense as traa gerrid ny lurg shen haink Paddy dy akin ee, as
myr shen ren ad tuittym ayns graih rish y cheilley. As ayns traa gerrid ren Paddy
poosey ee, as v’ad feer vaynrey son tammylt dy hraa myr sleih aegey elley ta geddyn
poost.
Agh un laa feer çheh va Paddy shooyl ayns sleityn marish ny moddee as tra
haink eh thie ren eh gaccan rish yn ven dy row yn kione echey feer çhing. Dooyrt yn
ven rish dy hoie sheese er stoyll drommey as dy jinnagh ee cur red ennagh er yn
chione echey dy feayraghey eh son dy re yn çhiass greiney va er yannoo eh çhing.
Myr shen ren Paddy soie sheese as ghow ee toshiaght dy niee yn kione echey. Agh
ayns tra gerrid ren ee gennaghtyn yn cowrey ren builley yn clou jannoo, as va fys eck
eisht dy nee Paddy Carragh va’n sheshey eck ny-yeih. Ren ee tuittym neealloo er yn
thalloo, as va Paddy feer agglit, agh ren eh troggal ee seose as ren eh paagey ee as
haink ee ass ayns traa gerrid; as v’ad ny neesht ayns yindys mooar dy row yn coraa
ren ee clashtyn gra “Paddy Carragh” er jeet gy kione.
Myr shen t’eh jeeaghyn dy row red ennagh cummal yn snaie jee, as dy vel
pooar ennagh elley kiarail dy chur yn sleih aegey cooidjagh as nagh vel eh ooilley yn
aigney oc hene. Agh ta lane jeh ny shenn chliaghtaghyn ersooyl marish yn çhenn
sleih. Oie vie eu as cadley kiune as sauçhey. Yn çhiaghtoo laa jeh’n chied vee dy ouyr
ayns yn vlein hoght cheead yeig kiare feed as nuy jeig.
EF
15. Skeeal mysh mac eirinnagh
Ta mee er chlashtyn my ayr ginsh mychione mac eirinnagh; v’eh yn ynrycan lhiannoo
as v’eh ny vac stroialtagh. Veagh eh dy mennick rouail voish yn thie as va’n ayr
echey feer fargagh rish as freayll yn argid voish, agh va’n voir echey dellal rish lesh
meenid as cur paart dy argid da ny cheayrtyn gyn-yss da’n ayr. As tra veagh eh
geddyn argid veagh eh goll gys balley va ghaa ny three dy veeillaghyn voish yn
ynnyd-vaghee echey as fuirraght ayns shen gys veagh yn argid baarit.
Va un cheayrt as ren e voir gobbal dy chur argid da, er yn oyr nagh row eh
cooilleeney e yialdyn agh stroie ooilley myr v’eh geddyn eh, as v’eh son laghyn goll
mygeayrt yn thie; cha row fys echey cre’n aght dy gheddyn eh. Ren eh girree feer
voghey un laa as hie eh roish gys yn valley. As va seyr-thieyn ayns yn valley veagh
jannoo yn obbyr seyr da e ayr. Haink eh gys thie yn seyr, as va yindys er yn seyr dy
row eh ayns yn valley cha moghey. Vrie yn seyr jeh row red erbee er haghyrt da tra
v’eh cha groamagh. V’eh er choayl moir vie, dooyrt eshyn.
“Vel dty voir marroo?” dooyrt yn seyr.
“Ta,” dooyrt eh, “as ta mee er chur lesh towshan dy yannoo covin jee.”
Dooyrt eh dy row ee dy ve oanluckit laa-ny-vairagh as va’n aigney echey cha
boirit, dooyrt eh, v’eh er yarrood cur lesh argid marish dy gheddyn reddyn son yn
oanluckey. Agh dooyrt yn seyr dy jinnagh eshyn eeasaght paart da. Dooyrt eh dy row
eh thurn mie as dy row eh booisal nagh row eh eginit dy gholl thie reesht. Myr shen
ren yn seyr cur daa phunt jeig da. Eisht hie eh roish dy iu marish e chumraagyn.
Tra va’n covin aarloo hie yn seyr as yn prindeys thie lesh, as tra haink ad gys
thie yn eirinnagh va’n ven ny hassoo ec yn dorrys.
“Cre’n boayl ta shiu goll lesh yn covin aalin?” dooyrt ish. As tra honnick yn
seyr ee v’eh feer agglit, agh ny-yeih ren eh roie as ginsh jee ooilley mygeayrt-y-mysh.
Dooyrt ee rish gyn gra veg jeh rish e ayr, as ren ee geeck yn argid da as ren eh cur
lesh yn covin thie marish reesht. Agh va’n dooinney aeg goll mygeayrt ayns yn valley
gys va’n argid ooilley ersooyl, as va aggle er dy gholl thie kyndagh rish ny v’eh er
yannoo, as v’eh shooyl mygeayrt fegooish ping ayns e phoshag.
Agh un voghrey ren eh meeiteil sheshaght dy Yernee va er ve buinn arroo da
eirinnagh, as va’n meailley178 goit oc as v’ad shooyl son obbyr. Dooyrt eh roo dy
jinnagh eshyn obbyr daue as dy beagh ad ooilley goll dy lhie ayns yn un shamyr ec yn
oie, as dy row eh ny share daue my va argid oc dy chur da gys veagh yn buinn
echeysyn jeant, er aggle dy jinnagh ad geid er y cheilley as dy jinnagh eh cur sheese
ayns lioar quoid va dagh fer coyrt da. Myr shen v’ad streeu quoi yinnagh geddyn yn
argid currit da hoshiaght.
Tra va’n argid ooilley echey, dooyrt eh roo goll dy gheddyn jinnair ec thieoast ayns yn valley. Eisht hie eh maroo gys magher mooar va er-gerrey da’n valley,
agh cha row yn arroo creen dy liooar, agh ren eh cur ad gys obbyr. Dooyrt eh dy row
eshyn goll gys yn thie-oast dy oardrail jinnair daue, as hie eh roish. Cha row ad feer
foddey ec obbyr gys honnick yn eirinnagh ad buinn ayns yn vagher, as ren eh
çhaglym ny nabooyn as ren ad geiyrt ooilley ersooyl.
Hie ad eisht gys yn thie-oast dy yeeaghyn son yn dooinney ren cur ad gys
obbyr, agh cha row eh ry gheddyn. Myr shen ren ad goll jees as jees ayns sheshaght
dy yeeaghyn er e hon. Fey-yerrey ren jees jeu meeiteil rish, as dooyrt ad rish cur yn
argid oc daue.
178
meailley - ‘The Meillia…was the name given to the last corn stook of the harvest. After the harvest
was done there would be a giense, or session at which fiddlers and other musicians would be invited
and there would be dancing, drinking etc. The Meillia session would usually be held in a local barn. A
meill was a band of reapers or shearers in a field cutting corn.’ Broderick (1982b: 152)
“Quoid dy argid ren shiu cur dou?” dooyrt eshyn. Dooyrt ad wheesh shoh. Ren
eh jeeaghyn ayns yn lioar.
“Ta shen kiart,” dooyrt eh.
Ren eh fakin arreyder ayns yn traid as dooyrt eh rish yn arreyder dy ghoaill
kiarail jeh ny deiney shoh choud as veagh eh geddyn e chumraag dy chur enney orroo,
as hooar eh ersooyl reesht. Tra va’n argid shen stroit echey v’eh naaragh dy gholl thie,
as ren eh failley son fer-moonjer da eirinnagh. As tra v’eh ayns shen v’eh hene as yn
çharvaant tuittym magh as cha jinnagh ee jannoo yn lhiabbee da.
V’eh un laa ayns magher traaue, as haink yn mainshter dy chur shilley er.
Eisht ren eh faagail ny cabbil as goll lesh yn thie. Vrie yn mainshter jeh cre’n boayl
v’eh goll.
“Goll thie dy yannoo yn lhiabbee,” dooyrt eh.
“Gow gys dty obbyr,” dooyrt yn mainshter, “as verrym’s orroo jannoo yn
lhiabbee dhyt.”
Myr shen ren yn mainshter cur urree jannoo yn lhiabbee da yn oie shen, agh
ren ee cur conney-aittin fo’n carmeish, as ren ny jilg goll ayns e ghreeym tra ren eh
lhie sheese. Ren eh glenney yn lhiabbee, agh cha dooyrt eh veg mygeayrt-y-mysh.
Lurg tammylt dy hraa va giense ec ny fir-vooinjer as ny sharvaantyn ayns yn
nabooys keayrt ’sy vlein, as veagh ad çhaglym voish foddey as gerrid. Tra haink oie
yn giense hie yn çharvaant gys yn giense marish yn chooid elley jeu, agh ren eshyn
fuirraght ec y thie. T’eh jeeaghyn dy re Oie Voaldyn va oie yn giense as va’n earish
feer aalin. Myr shen va’n çharvaant fud ny hoie ec yn giense daunsin, as tra haink ee
thie moghrey laa-ny-vairagh v’ee feer tooillit as cadlagh.
Va’n fer-mooinjer gobbragh ayns magher rish lhiattee yn raad vooar, as ren yn
venainshter cur yn çharvaant dy niee paart dy sick ec spooyt va ec cleigh yn raad
vooar. As myr v’ee er e glioonyn ec yn spooyt, as yn ghrian soilshean feer çheh, ren
ee tuittym ny cadley. Va’n fer-mooinjer ceau e hooill urree, as tra honnick eh dy row
ee ny cadley haink eh harrish ayns yn raad, as hrog eh ny hoanraghyn eck seose
harrish e kione, as daag eh ee myr shen as yn thoin eck rooisht. Ayns traa gerrid haink
Yernagh er yn raad, fer va çhaglym oohyn, as va cabbyl beg echey, as daa vurlin dy
oohyn er e ghreeym.
Tra honnick yn cabbyl yn thoin rooisht eck cha jinnagh eh goll shaghey, as ren
yn Yernagh cur yn kip da. Cha row yn Yernagh fakin ny va’n cabbyl ayns aggle roish,
as va’n cabbyl sprettal as lheimyragh gys ren eh ceau ny murleeyn oohyn er y thalloo.
Eisht haghyr da’n Yernagh fakin ee, as ghow eh yn kip as ren eh yeealley ee er y
thoin gys v’ee geamagh myr mynjeig ghoair. As va’n fer-moonjer ny hassoo jeeaghyn
orroo. Myr shen hooar eh cooilleeney urree son cur yn conney-aittin fo’n carmeish da.
Traa gerrid ny lurg shen hooar yn ayr echey baase as ren e voir coyrlagh eh dy
heet thie reesht. As ren eh goll thie as laboragh ayns yn stayd-hallooin echey hene
lurg da v’er ynsagh creenaght liorish e ommijys, as v’eh grait dy row eh ny ghooinney
mie ny lurg shen as jannoo myr deiney elley.
Ta’n earish cha fliugh as stermagh ayns shoh. Cha vel caa ec peiagh dy screeu
son cha vel monney reamys ayns y cabbane, as t’eh ro gheayagh dy hoie er deck. Cha
vel fys aym cre’n traa hig earish share as brick mygeayrt.
E Faragher, Osprey,179 Purt le Moirrey, Crookhaven, Co Cork, Nerin.
16. Sheean ayns y thie
179
Osprey - ‘fishing boat no. 30 Castletown’ Broderick (1982b: 154)
Va ben ginsh yn laa shoh chaie mysh keayrt v’ee er gheddyn lhiannoo beg as va’n
lhiannoo erskyn shiaghtin dy eash. Va’n dooinney eck ersooyl gys yn eeastagh
scaddan as va’n shenn ghooinney lhie er yn lout. V’ee hene as yn oikan lhie ayns yn
chuillee as va ben elley ny lhie maree son sheshaght. Keayrt ennagh ayns meanagh ny
hoie ren ad clashtyn sheean ayns kione elley yn thie, as dooyrt yn ven va lhie maree
dy re yn kayt va ayns olk, as ren ee girree as goaill cainle dy yeeaghyn c’red va’n kayt
jannoo.
Tra haink ee gys boayl va’n sheean v’eh ayns boayl elley as v’ee goll gys
shen. Eisht v’eh ayns boayl elley. Eisht ghow yn sheean toshiaght ayns yn çhamyr veg
raad v’ad freayll yn bainney. Hie yn ven stiagh ayns shen as cha row red erbee ry akin
ayns shen, as ghow ee aggle mooar, as cha row ee son geddyn ass yn çhamyr. Haink
yn sheean ayns yn chuillee eisht raad va’n ven ny lhie, as dooyrt ee dy beagh ee goit
ny-yeih, as cha voddagh ee jannoo coraa erbee, as v’ee tayrnit bunnys ass yn lhiabbee
tra hooar yn ven elley ass yn çhamyr veg as haink ee gys yn chuillee cha tappee as
oddagh ee lesh yn soilshey. As ren ad faagail yn ven yn derrey lieh er yn thalloo as
lieh elley ayns yn lhiabbee. Ec yn un traa ren yn shenn ghooinney clashtyn yn sheean
as ren eh girree ayns siyr as çheet gys yn chuillee, as va ooilley harrish çhelleeragh as
cha daink ny ferrishyn ny raad oc arragh ny lurg shen.
Ta mee er ve thannaghey ny napinyn dy chooilley laa gys jiu as ta my
chraueyn feer ghonnagh. Ta’n obbyr er choyrt yn rheumatism er ash dou. Cha vel
monney traa er ve aym dy yannoo monney. Ren mee screeu paart mysh Cowley as va
mee eginit dy screeu ee da ny hinneenyn as ny mec ’sy leigh echey.
Cregneash, July 27th, ’sy vlein hoght cheead yeig kiare feed as nuy-jeig.
17. Strung as Bridjen
Ta mee er chlashtyn my ayr ginsh mychione ny shenn eirinnee ayns Creneash, dy row
ad yn chied laa veagh ad goll magh lesh yn shesheragh dy hraaue, dy beagh ad cur
lesh saagh dy vooyn gort as mestey eh fud keck kiark, eisht goaill crouw dy chonney
as spreih eh er ny cabbil as y keeaght er yn oyr nagh jinnagh dooinney erbee lesh
drogh hooill cur saynt daue. Ta mee er clashtyn ad ginsh mysh shenn Strung as
Bridjen. Cha vel cooinaghtyn aym pene orroo agh va enney vie aym er inneen Bridjen
va cummal ayns y çhenn thie. Ta paart jeh ny boallaghyn echey er-mayrn ayns
Creneash foast. Etty Vridjen v’ad gra ree. V’ee troggit ayns Purt le Moirrey gys lurg
baase Vridjen, as v’ee beisht dy ven as atçhim da sleih coair as feagh fastagh ayns
Creneash, agh v’ee eirey yn croit ayns Creneash.
Veagh Bridjen as Strung jannoo shesheragh lesh cabbyl y pheesh, as va Strung
dooinney mooar as niartal, agh va Bridjen dooinney beg. Va keayrt dy row as va ny
cabbil currit magh dy hraaue yn chied laa as va Strung cur ny greienyn er ny cabbil.
Haink Bridjen mygeayrt lesh yn meddyr dy check kiark as mooyn gort as crouw
chonnee echey, as ghow eh toshiaght dy spreih eh er ny cabbil, agh ren paart jeh goll
ayns sooillyn ny cabbil, as ghow ad toshiaght dy yonseragh as dy sprettal as va Strung
lhieggit er yn thalloo. Ren eh girree seose as goaill greme er Bridjen as cur e vollaght
er. Eisht ren eh ceau Bridjen harrish yn cleigh as ny lurg shen cha jinnagh eh surranse
da keck kiark as mooyn gort dy ve spreiht er ny cabbil ny lurg shen choud as v’eh bio.
T’eh jeeaghyn dy row mooinjer yn drogh hooill feer palçhey roish nish, agh
ayns ny laghyn ainyn cha vel yn sleih credjal ayndoo. T’eh feer licklee dy re shen yn
oyr nagh vel ad jannoo assee da’n maase myr v’ad cliaghtey, as t’ad goaill dy
chooilley nhee ta çheet er yn maase dy ve voish oyr ennagh elley. Ren shiaght
booaghyn geddyn baase tra va my ayr bio as shin freayll booa, unnane geiyrt er
unnane elley ayns traa gerrid dy mie. Veagh shin dy mennick fakin mwaagh mooar
ayns yn vagher marish yn vooa, as tra veagh yn vooa lhie sheese veagh yn mwaagh
çheet as lhie sheese maree, as ayns traa gerrid ny lurg shen veagh ee geddyn baase,
agh ta wheesh dy shelgeyryn goll mygeayrt rish shiartanse dy vleeantyn: cha vel
mwaagh dooghyssagh ny buitçh faagit oc er-mayrn. Cha ren mee fakin mwaagh rish
ymmodee bleeantyn as t’eh jeeaghyn dou dy vel ny buitçhyn hene er choayl nyn
schlei dy vuitçhal. T’ad ersooyl nish marish ny ferrishyn gys yn çheer oc hene.
18. Shenn ven as yn tey
Ta mish er chlashtyn my voir ginsh mychione shenn ven va cummal boayl ennagh
ayns Mannin ayns yn traa roish va’n tey er naase feer chadjin er yn çheer, agh v’ad
jannoo tey ayns ny baljyn dy mennick. V’ee ben-treoghe as un inneen eck son
sharvaant ayns thie dooinney seyr, as va’n inneen oayllagh dy liooar er tey agh cha
ren yn çhenn ven rieau giu bine dy hey, as cha row fys eck cre’n aght dy yannoo tey.
Hooar yn inneen laa jee hene un cheayrt dy gholl dy chur shilley er e moir, as
va paart jeh ny cumraagyn eck çheet maree. Ren ee kionnagh kuse dy hey dy voddagh
yn voir eck jannoo tey daue ayns yn astyr, tra yinnagh ad çheet thie voish rouail
mygeayrt fakin ny hainjyssee as sleih-mooinjerey. Chur ee yn tey da e moir as dooyrt
ee ree jannoo tey daue son yn traa harragh ad reesht. Myr shen hie ny mraane aegey
dy rouail mygeayrt dy akin nyn gaarjyn. Tra v’eh tammylt mie er yn astyr dooyrt
inneen yn ven-treoghe dy row eh traa daue goll thie dy gheddyn tey.
Myr shen haink ad gys thie yn çhenn ven jerkal dy beagh yn tey aarloo daue.
Tra ren ad roshtyn thie yn çhenn ven ren yn inneen briaght jeh e moir row yn tey
aarloo eck. Dooyrt ee dy row, dy ren ee broie eh ayns pash beg as deayrtey yn awree
ersooyl as dy ren ee cur ny duillagyn ayns claare beg as meelagh ad lesh paart dy
eeym. Va’n ven voght smooinaghtyn dy re ny duillagyn v’ad goll dy ee as cha nee yn
awree. Myr shen v’ad ooilley er ny volley.
19. Tey, coffee as feeacklyn
Ta cooinaght aym pene er ben ren goll gys Purt Çhiarn as ren ee kionnagh kuse dy
choffee, as tra haink ee dy valley ren ee cur yn pash beg er yn aile, dooyrt ee, as
jannoo tey jeh.
Ta mee smooinaghtyn de re tey as reddyn millish ta cur er feeacklyn sleih
gaase loau, son va’n shenn sleih ayns Creneash fegooish ny beishtyn ooilley laghyn
nyn mea. Ren mee clashtyn Illiam Beg yn Vrandy fenaght jeh e huyr cre’n aght va ny
feecklyn eck. V’ee er ve son traa liauyr son sharvaant ayns thie dooinney mooar
ennagh as geddyn palçhey tey. Dooyrt ee dy row ny feeacklyn eck ooilley ersooyl.
“Cre’n aght ta ny feeacklyn ayd’s?” dooyrt ee.
“Ta ny feeacklyn aym’s cha birragh as feeacklyn quallian moddee,” dooyrt
eshyn.
Myr shen t’eh jeeaghyn dy re yn tey as ny reddyn millish ta’n sleih mooarey
as ny paitçhyn gee ta cur er ny feeacklyn dy shymley ersooyl.
20. Skeeal yn Woy Wooar
Ta cooinaght aym er dooinney va’n thie echey heese ec yn Cheyllys, as veagh guillyn
aegey Chreneash çhaglym ayn Jedoonee. Veagh paart jeh’n sleih gra Juan Illiam Ned
rish as feallagh elley yn Woy Wooar. Va ennym yn ven echey Ealish as va kiare
guillyn echey. Va fer jeu Illiam Beg, fer elley Juan ny Howe Ned Mooar as yn trass
Mwyllar Ealish. V’eh freayll un chabbyl va enmyssit George; veagh ad bwoalley yn
arroo ayns yn thie v’ad cummal ayn. Ta cooinaght aym er goll marish my ayr gys thie
yn Woy Wooar. Veagh paart jeh ny bunneeyn180 ayns cornail yn thie dy mennick, as
tra veagh yn Woy Wooar lesh e yinnair veagh eh lhie er yn arroo.
Veagh yn bock George çheet stiagh ny cheayrtyn dy hayrtyn lane-beeal jeh’n
coonlagh, as un cheayrt haink eh as ghow eh holt er folt yn Woy Wooar marish yn
coonlagh, son va’n folt echey feer liauyr. As ren yn bock lesh yn dorrys tayrn yn Woy
Wooar marish geamagh dy jinnagh eh brishey ny craueyn ayn. As myr shen ren yn
bock sleaydey eh ersooyl gys ren yn folt cur raad. T’eh feer licklee dy row eh ny
s’kiaralagh ny lurg shen.
Edward Faragher.
21. Scaa ayns y rellick
Ta mee er chlashtyn ad ginsh mychione saggyrt va cummal er-gerrey da’n rellick, as
va mac echey va lheamyssit as cha row eh son shooyl agh feer veg. Va un oie ayns yn
geurey as v’ad ginsh mysh scaa va çheet ass yn rellick ayns yn oie as v’ad ooilley ercreau as feer agglagh roish. Dooyrt yn fer croobagh rish yn fer-mooinjer, my yinnagh
eh cur lesh eshyn er e ghreeym magh ayns yn rellick dy jinnagh eh loayrt rish yn scaa.
Dooyrt yn fer-mooinjer rish dy jinnnagh eh cur lesh eh trooid yn rellick traa erbee dy
baillish goll.
Myr shen tra va mean-oie er jeet dooyrt yn fer croobagh dy row eh traa da
goll. Eisht ghow yn fer-mooinjer eh er e ghreeym as hie ad stiagh er giat ny relkey.
Veagh yn saggyrt freayll paart dy chirree ayns yn rellick, myr va saggyrtyn cliaghtey
jannoo, as yn oie shen va daa vaarliagh ayns yn rellick mysh geid kirree. As tra haink
yn fer-mooinjer stiagh as yn fer croobagh er e ghreeym, honnick fer jeh ny maarlee
eh, as smooinaght dy re e chumraag v’ayn as keyrrey echey er e ghreeym, haink eh ergerrey as dooyrt eh:
“Vel ee roauyr, boy? Vel ee roauyr?”
“Roauyr ny boght ee gow ee myr t’ee!” dooyrt yn fer-mooinjer, as cheau eh yn
fer croobagh huggey, as roie eh dy gheddyn stiagh ayns thie yn saggyrt. Agh tra ren
yn fer mooinjer geddyn stiagh va’n fer croobagh sthie hoshiaght, as t’eh feer licklee
dy row eh son shooyl dy mie ny lurg shen.
22. Saggyrt yn Valley-hollee
Ta mee er chlashtyn shenn Hom Collister ginsh mychione saggyrt yn Valley-hollee
ymmodee keayrtyn. Tra veagh eh çheet stiagh ayns y cheeill veagh eh geamagh er ny
wardoonee, “Vel shiu sthie wardoonee?”
As my v’ad gra dy row, veagh eh gra, “Vel veg dy yoarreeyn mooie? Cur shiu
lesh ny joarreeyn stiagh, as cur shiu grindee181 yn Valley-hollagh magh.”
Eisht v’eh goll lesh ny far-enmyn oc, Cuishlin Craile, as Fitlin y Fayle, Turkey
Cogeen, as Cabbagh Bwilleen, as Fer ny Braagyn Dooblit voish kione har yn Valleyhollagh: “Cur shiu eshyn magh er aght erbee.”
Eisht v’eh goaill toshiaght lesh yn sharmane myr shoh:
180
bunneeyn - ‘corn-stooks’
grindee - ‘grindee or grinderyn, s. pl. mockers, taunters, ridiculers’ Cregeen. Presumably from a
noun / adjective grindagh ‘mocking, mocker’, though in Psalm 59:6 and 14, grindee seems to be a
verbal noun ‘grinning’.
181
“Ta fys aym’s er un red nagh vel fys euish er, as ta fys euish er un red nagh vel
fys aym’s er. Ren mee scoltey my vreetçhyn çheet harrish keim ny relkey, as quoi yn
thalleyr charrys ad?”
Eisht v’eh gra, “Raad ta mraane ta pleat, as raad ta guiyee ta keck; raad ta
thalleyryn ta thollagyn, as raad ta seyir ta spollagyn.” 182
Eisht v’eh gra dy beagh dy chooilley villey ayns un villey, as dy chooilley
çhibbyr ayns un çhibbyr, as dy chooilley chlagh ayns un chlagh, as yn chlagh dy ve
currit ayns mullagh yn villey, as raad currit feiy ayns yn çhibbyr, shen yn boayl veagh
yn duvvel dump.183 Ta mee er chlashtyn yn shenn ghooinney ginsh yn skeeal shoh
ymmodee keayrtyn, dy bee quoi va’n dooinney ren jannoo seose eh.
23. Saggyrt as ny shellanyn
Ta mee er chlashtyn mygeayrt saggyrt elley. T’eh jeeaghyn dy row yn sleih goaill
lane taitnys ayns jannoo skeealyn mychione saggyrtyn ayns yn çhenn earish. Cha row
ec yn saggyrt shoh agh un phiyr dy hroosyn, as keayrt dy row ren eh scoltey ad ayns e
ghoal184. Agh va thalleyr er-gerrey da, as fastyr Jesarn chur eh ny troosyn da’n
thalleyr dy charragh ad son Jedoonee.
Agh ghow yn thalleyr yn scooyr yn oie Jesarn, as ren eh jarrood ny troosyn
gys moghrey Jedoonee. As ren eh girree dy moghey as geddyn ny troosyn aarloo ayns
traa son y cheeill. Chur eh e vac thie lesh ny troosyn as dooyrt eh rish jannoo lane
siyr, son dy beagh ad ec yn saggyrt son traa killagh. Agh myr va’n guilley goll er yn
raad honnick eh edd shellan, as ny shellanyn goll womal185 mygeayrt. Ghow yn
scollag ayns laue dy gheddyn gys yn vill as ghow eh toshiaght dy reuyrey son dy
gheddyn yn edd.
Agh va ny shellanyn goll mygeart womal as breddey eh lesh nyn ghahghyn,
myr shen dy row eh eginit dy ghoaill yn bundeil son wappin dy eiyrt ny shellanyn
ersooyl. Myr shen hie yn bundeil ass y cheilley. Eisht ghow eh troosyn yn saggyrt son
dy yeealley ny shellanyn. As lurg tammylt dy hraa v’eh eginit dy roie ersooyl voish
ny shellanyn fegooish geddyn veg dy vill, as gonnagh lesh ny gahghyn oc.
Eisht ren eh cooinaght er yn saggyrt, dy beagh eh ersooyl gys yn cheeill. Eisht
ren eh roie cha tappee as oddagh eh gys v’eh ec thie yn saggyrt. Va’n saggyrt ec yn
dorrys tra ren eh roshtyn, as yn gooyn er, smooinaght dy choodagh eh hene lesh yn
gooyn. Agh tra haink yn guilley er-gerrey ghow eh ny troosyn as chur eh er ad ayns
lane siyr, eisht hie eh gys yn cheeill. Agh tra v’eh lhaih ny lessoonyn ghow ny
182
Broderick (1982b: 159) translates this proverb as ‘Where there are women there are pleats, and
where there are geese there is dung; where there are tailors there are button holes, and where there are
carpenters there are chips.’ But the same proverb is given by Roeder (1904: 58), who translates it as
‘Where there are women there is talk, where there are geese there is keck, where there are tailors there
are crabs, where there are carpenters, there are chips’. ‘Crabs’ here would be ‘crab lice’, or more
properly ‘body lice’, which lay their eggs in clothes and so would be associated with tailors. In A
systematic catalogue of British insects by James Francis Stephens (1829: 329), ‘tailor’s louse’ is given
as an alternative name for the ‘body-louse’ Pediculus humanus. Cregeen defines thollag as ‘a crab
louse’; similarly for Scottish Gaelic Dwelly gives tollag as ‘crab louse’. Cregeen defines pleat as
‘prate, prattle, talk’ and gives a truncated version of the proverb, Boayl ta gioee ta keck, as boayl ta
mraane ta pleat. The saying evidently refers to the undesirable products or accompaniments of the four
categories.
183
duvvel dump - obscure
184
goal - ‘crutch [of trousers]’ Broderick (1982b: 159, also Broderick 1984: 202); ‘the fork of any
thing between where the branches, prongs, or legs branch out or diverge’ Cregeen, cf. gollage ‘fork,
pitchfork’.
185
womal - ‘buzzing’ Broderick (1982b: 159)
shellanyn va ayns ny troosyn toshiaght dy snaue mygeayrt as cur nyn ghah ayns e
leaystyn, as v’eh dy mennick coyrt e laueyn sheese ayns e hroosyn as rubbey e
leaystyn.
Agh ec yn jerrey dooyrt eh rish yn sleih, “My oddys shiuish shassoo shoh, cha
voddym’s shassoo eh ny sodjey.”
Myr shen roie eh magh ass yn cheeill. Agh va’n çhaglym dy sleih smooinaght
dy row yn saggyrt ass e cheeall, as ren ad ooilley roie magh geiyrt er. Agh cha jinnagh
eh fuirraght rish peiagh erbee gys hooar eh gys e hie dy ghoaill ny shellanyn ass e
hroosyn. T’eh jeeaghyn tra va’n guilley yeealley ny shellanyn, dy ren paart jeu
geddyn ayns ny troosyn. Agh cha row fys ec yn saggyrt cre ass haink ad. Agh tra
hooar eh ad ooilley eiyrit ass ny troosyn eisht v’eh ec shee. As ren eh freayll shirveish
ayns yn cheeill fastyr Jedoonee fegooish boirey erbee, as va’n sleih ooilley feer
booisal dy row yn saggyrt ayns e cheeall chair reesht.
T’eh jeeaghyn dy row yn shenn sleih va ayns yn ellan foddey er dy henney cur
dooagh dy mie er ny saggyrtyn. 186
24. Ayr Kelly
Keayrt dy row—shen yn aght cair dy ghoaill toshiaght lesh skeeal—haink saggyrt
Romanagh gys Mannin as ren eh e chummal ayns Roonysvie, as v’eh dooinney feer
choair. Ren eh gynsagh Gaelg ayns traa gerrid as v’eh dooinney feer giastyllagh as
mie rish cloan aegey. Veagh eh preaçheil da ny eeasteyryn er yn traie ayns imbagh yn
eeastagh scaddan, as preaçheil da ny cummaltee ayns yn çhamyr smoo ayns
Roonysvie ayns imbagh geuree. As va’n sleih boghtey coontey eh ny ghooinney feer
vie. V’eh enmyssit Ayr Kelly.
Ren eh fakin ashlish ayns yn oie, as cur-my-ner, va keeill veg er ellan veg yn
Noo Michael. As er jeeaghyn stiagh er yn uinnag, honnick Ayr Kelly eh hene
gliooney ec yn altar. As va’n cheeill soit magh feer aalin. Haink yn Noo Michael ergerrey as dooyrt eh rish dy yannoo myr v’eh er vakin. Myr shen dinsh eh da ny
eeasteyryn mysh yn ashlish laa-ny-vairagh, as dy row eh ny share daue dy gholl gys
yn ellan dy ghoaill baght jeh. As hooar ad yn ynnyd son yn cheeill towshit as yn
rellick myrgeddin. Eisht smooinee Ayr Kelly dy row ee ashlish flaunyssagh, as chur
eh ny deiney ayns cree.
As ghow ad toshiaght dy reuyrey claghyn son yn cheeill. As myr va ny
claghyn ec laue as palçhey, ghow ad toshiaght dy hroggal yn boalley, as ayns traa
gerrid va keeill troggit er yn ellan veg. Agh cha voddagh Ayr Kelly smooinaght cre’n
aght dy gheddyn ny reddyn aalin as costallagh myr honnick eh ’syn ashlish. Myr shen
v’eh goll gys yn cheeill noa dy chooilley oie dy yannoo padjer gys Noo Michael son
cooney dy hoiagh magh yn cheeill cha aalin as va’n cheeill honnick eh ayns yn
ashlish. As myr v’eh ec padjer un oie feer dorraghey, ren eh clashtyn kesmad deiney
ayns yn rellick, as haink eh magh dy eaishtagh roo. Agh v’eh cha dorraghey: cha
voddagh eh fakin veg, agh v’eh clashtyn ad reuyrey ayns yn rellick. As tra va towl
jeant oc, chur ad red ennagh ayns yn towl as ren ad stampey eh sheese. Eisht ren eh
clashtyn ad shooyl sheese gys yn traie, ren eh clashtyn ad tayrn baatey gys yn ushtey
as gymmyrt ersooyl.
Dooyrt fer jeu ec faagail yn traie, “Lhig dooin geddyn ersooyl voish ny
creggyn custey shoh, son ta sterrym mooar er-gerrey.”
186
cur dooagh dy mie er ny saggyrtyn - ‘thought much of the priests’ Broderick (1982b: 160)
Ayns traa gerrid ren yn gheay vooar sheidey trome as v’eh cha dorraghey gys
va Ayr Kelly çhionn dy gheddyn yn raad dy valley. Ayns yn oie rastagh shen, lhong
va shiaulley er-gerrey da’n thalloo va currit er ny creggyn, as va ooilley yn çheshaght
eck caillit agh fer. Va’n fer shen tayrnit ass yn ushtey broojit as yn craue drommey
echey brisht, as chur eh fys er Ayr Kelly dy heet dy chlashtyn eh goaill rish e oiljyn as
soilshagh e pheccaghyn. Ren eh ginsh jeh ymmodee roosteyrys as dunverys er yn
aarkey, agh yn red s’jerree ren fer elley as eh hene geid kishtey beg voish mainshter
yn lhong as ren ad oanluckey eh ayns yn rellick er ellan yn Noo Michael. Va’n
kishtey lane airh, dooyrt eh.
“Foddee oo goaill yn airh,” dooyrt eh rish Ayr Kelly. “Nish ta mee er ghoaill
rish my pheccaghyn,” dooyrt eh, as ren eh paartail.
Ny lurg shen veagh Ayr Kelly dy mennick smooinaght er yn airh, beagh eh
lowal dy ghoaill ee. Agh dooyrt eh rish hene dy row eh lowal dy ghoaill ee voish yn
jouyl da’n Noo Michael, son dy row eshyn ny noid da’n jouyl. As myr shen hie eh gys
yn rellick un oie rehollys, as ren eh reuyrey seose yn kishtey as brishey eh. Eisht
hooar eh palçhey airh son yn cheeill. Va boandey mwannal ayn myrgeddin dy pearlyn
costallagh.
Myr shen va Ayr Kelly ayns eunyssyn. Va palçhey echey dy choamrey yn
altar as jewellyn son yn Voidyn Moirrey, as ayns traa giare va’n cheeill jeant feer
stoamey, as yn Voidyn Moirrey jeant dy chlagh vane as soit ayns gable yn cheeill
erskyn yn altar. Myr shen va Kelly jeant magh, agh ny-yeih v’eh feer ghroamagh
kyndagh rish yn airh, smooinaght nagh row eh er gheddyn eh feer onneragh. As veagh
eh dy mennick shassoo er ny creggyn jeeaghyn harrish yn cheayn.
Agh va’n traa goll shaghey, as va Ayr Kelly er yarrood yn sou-aigney, gys un
voghrey va lhong raad ayns y vaie, as haink çhaghter gys Ayr Kelly dy heet er boayrd
son dy row dooinney geddyn baase, as v’eh laccal goaill rish e oiljyn roish my voghe
eh baase. Myr shen hie Ayr Kelly magh ayns baatey beg, as ren eh fuirraght ersooyl
fud ny hoie.
Tra haink soilshey laa cha row eh er jeet dy valley as va’n lhong ersooyl. Eisht
hie deiney yn voayl dy yeeaghyn er e hon, agh cha row eh ry gheddyn boayl erbee as
v’ad feer trimshagh er e hon. Hie paart jeu gys yn cheeill smooinaght dy row eh ayns
shen, agh tra haink ad gys shen va’n dorrys brisht as ooilley ny reddyn costallagh goit
ersooyl. As va Ayr Kelly croghit erskyn yn altar boayl va jalloo yn Voidyn soit, as e
oaie doo as gorrym, as y Voidyn goit ersooyl marish yn boandey mwannal dy pearlyn
costallagh. Va’n lhong shen shuyr-lhuingey da’n nane va caillit mysh blein dy lieh
roish shen; as haink yn çheshaght eck er thalloo er yn ellan ayns yn oie dy rouail
mygeayrt, as hie ad stiagh ayns yn cheeill, as ren ad fakin yn boandey mwannal dy
pearlyn as coyrt enney er. Ghow ad yn caa shen dy ghoaill cooilleeney er yn saggyrt.
Myr shen cha jinnagh saggyrt erbee elley preaçheil ayns yn cheeill ny lurg
shen, as myr shen ta’n cheeill er ve faagit gys ren yn sterrym lhieggal yn chlea. As
shen myr t’ee faagit gys yn laa jiu. Agh ta paart dy sleih gra dy vel Ayr Kelly dy
mennick ry akin foast oieghyn kiune tra ta’n eayst soilshean, shassoo er ny creggyn as
jeeaghyn lesh yn aarkey. Shoh myr ta jerrey er skeeal Ayr Kelly.
25. Shenn ven as Thurot as Elliott
Ta mee er chlashtyn yn shenn sleih gra nagh voddagh scaa, ferrish ny buggane goll
harrish ushtey roie. Ta mish er chlashtyn yn shenn sleih ginsh mygeayrt yn traa va
Elliot caggey rish Thurot187 er keayn Skylley Mayl, dy row dooinney laboragh ayns
yn clieau er-gerrey da awin veg, buinn foaid feer licklee, as v’eh clashtyn yn sheean
oc lhiggey er y cheilley, as cha row fys echey c’red v’ayn gys haink shenn ven harrish
yn clieau ayns lane siyr as va’n eddin eck jeeaghyn feer shenn as craplagh. Tra ren ee
roshtyn yn awin cha voddagh ee geddyn harrish, as ren ee geamagh da’n dooinney dy
heet as dy hroggal ee harrish yn ushtey. Tra haink yn dooinney huic ren eh briaght jee
c’red va’n sheean v’eh clashtyn, as ren ee gra rish dy re lhongyn va caggey ry cheilley
as nagh beagh yn caggey harrish gys yinnagh ish geddyn gys yn boayl v’ad caggey as
geddyn er boayrd oc.
Myr shen ren yn dooinney troggal ee harrish yn ushtey as hie ee roee er yn
raad dy siyragh lesh yn boayl va’n dooinney clashtyn yn sheean. Ren eh freayll e
hooill urree gys v’ee ersooyl ass e hilley. V’ee jannoo lesh yn raad va’n sheean, as ergerrey da’n traa v’eh coontey dy voddagh ee roshtyn yn caggey, ren yn sheean cur
seose as va’n caggey ec kione. T’eh jeeaghyn dy voddagh ee shooyl harrish yn cheayn
ga nagh voddagh ee geddyn harrish yn awin veg dy ushtey roie.
Ny-yeih t’eh jeeaghyn dy vel ad son goll harrish ny hawinyn ayns ny laghyn
ain, son cha vel mee clashtyn jeh unnane jeu er ny chummal rish lhiattee awin rish
ymmodee bleeantyn. Cha vel mee er chlashtyn dy vel veg jeu er ve fakinit rish traa
liauyr ayns Mannin, ga dy vel ny Yernee coyrt coontey jeu foast goll mygeayrt ayns
Nerin.
26. Ny ferrishyn er Cronk Veayl
Va oayll aym keayrt er shenn ghooinney va mennick fakin ny ferrishyn as v’eh ginsh
dou ymmodee keayrtyn, dy beagh eh meeiteil ad er yn raad thie, tra veagh eh çheet
ayns meanagh yn oie. Veagh keeadyn jeu ayn, dooyrt eh. Inneenyn beggey mysh
wheesh as cloan veagh goaill toshiaght dy hooyl as veagh ad kiaulleeagh lesh arrane
beg. Agh v’eh jeeaghyn dy row ad giare son she ny hun focklyn v’ad gra harrish as
harrish. Veagh ad çheet sheese jeh’n clieau, as shooyl marish gys veagh ad çheet gys
yn raad va goll lesh ny Scauryn. Eisht v’ad goaill yn raad shen as faagail eh. V’eh
ginsh dou un cheayrt yn arrane v’oc:
The battle is o’er Mary Ore Mary Ore
We have met to part no more Mary Ore Mary Ore.
Myr shen t’eh jeeaghyn nagh row ad feer vie dy yannoo arrane.
T’eh er ve ginsh dou ymmodee keayrtyn mysh un oie v’eh çheet thie voish
Purt Çhiarn mysh y vean-oie. As tra haink eh gys Crosh Molley Mooar honnick eh
çhaglym mooar dy sleih, as tra ren eh roshtyn ad she sheshaght vooar dy ferrishyn
v’ayn goll gys Çhibbyr ny Gabbyl188 dy akin yindyssyn va dy ve fakinit yn oie shen.
As ren ad cuirrey eh dy gholl maroo dy akin ny reddyn yindyssagh va dy ve er ny
hoilshagh daue er Cronk Veayl189 er-gerrey da Çhibbyr ny Gabbyl, son dy row reddyn
joarree as mirrilagh dy ve soit seose son yindys da dy chooilley unnane va booiagh
çheet dy akin ad.
187
yn traa va Elliot caggey rish Thurot - ‘naval battle off the Kirk Michael coast, 1760. Thurot
commanded the French fleet, Elliott the English fleet. Thurot was defeated and killed in the action’
Broderick (1982b: 163). There is a Manx ballad on the subject.
188
Çhibbyr ny Gabbyl - ‘one of the thirteen wells in Cregneash’ Broderick (1982b: 164)
189
Cronk Veayl - Mull Hill ‘above Cregneash’ Broderick (1982b: 164)
Myr shen ghow eh cree as hie eh marish yn çheshaght gys yn lhag raad va ny
yindysyn, as haink ad gys thie feer vooar lesh earroo mooar dy hamyryn ayn, as va dy
chooilley hamyr lane dy chaghlaaghyn dy obbraghyn. V’eh er ve ayns Diblyn as
Liverpool, dooyrt eh, agh cha row ny yindyssyn honnick eh ayns ny hard valjyn shen
feeu dy ve coontit ayns co-soylagh jeh obbraghyn schleioil ny ferrishyn. Cha vaik eh
rieau lheid ny reddyn aalin er yn thalloo; agh roish v’eh er vakin yn derrey lieh jeu,
dooyrt ad rish dy row eh traa da dy gholl gys e chummal son dy row yn laa brishey, as
dy row ny deiney as mraane seyr mysh goll gys nyn lhiabbaghyn, as dy row yn thie
mooar dy ve jeight seose gys oie elley, as dy voddagh eh çheet reesht dy akin ny
yindyssyn nagh row eh er vakin yn oie shoh, son va ymmodee shamyryn nagh row eh
er vakin.
Myr shen haink eh magh ass yn thie as va’n moghrey gaase sollys. Myr shen
hass eh dy yeeaghyn cre’n erree harragh er yn thie. Ayns traa gerrid hrog yn thie
seose ’syn aer gys v’eh gollrish bodjal, as hie eh roish shiaulley myr bodjallyn elley
gys hie eh ersooyl harrish Kione Vradda. As ren eh jarrood dy vriaght cre’n oie veagh
eh foshlit reesht, agh cha vaik eh yn thie as ny hobbraghyn yindyssagh arragh, as cha
jinnagh eh jarrood ad choud as veagh eh bio.
Ta mee er chlashtyn eh ginsh jeh ny yindyssyn shoh ymmodee keayrtyn. V’eh
dooinney veagh mennick shooyl feer anmagh as v’eh mennick fakin ny ferrishyn, agh
cha ren ad rieau assee erbee da. Neayr as ta’n sleih er choyrt seose taggloo Gaelg cha
vel ferrish hene ry akin, as ta ny shenn skeealyn ferrish ersooyl. Cha vel ny shenn
gheiney çhaglym ayns ny thieyn myr boallagh ad dy insh skeealyn, agh ta’n sleih
aegey çhaglym dy haggloo Baarle as dy insh reddyn fardalagh nagh vel shenn sleih
goaill taitnys erbee ayndoo. Shen-y-fa t’eh traa goll dy lhie, dy ghoaill nyn aash, oie
vie, oie vie.
27. Thom Gordon as ny ferrishyn
Keayrt dy row—shen yn aght cair dy ghoaill toshiaght lesh skeeal—va dooinney
enmyssit Thom Gordon çheet thie voish Purt ny Hinshey gys e chummal ayns Skylley
Chreest. Haink yn oie er tra v’eh er mullagh ny sleityn, as cha voddagh eh jannoo
magh yn raad; as hass eh dy yeeaghyn mygeayrt-y-mysh, as ren eh cur-my-ner
soilshey soilshean er-gerrey da as ren eh lesh yn soilshey.
Ayns traa gerrid haink eh gys thie mooar as va’n soilshey soilshean voish
ooilley ny huinnagyn, as myr haink eh gys yn dorrys haink dooinney ny whail. As
vrie eh jeh Thom dy gholl marish gys yn eeastagh er yn oyr dy row sheshaght feer
vooar çheet gys shibber marish yn oie shen. Myr shen hie Thom marish sheese gys yn
traie, as ren ad tayrn baatey gys yn ushtey. As ren Thom goaill ny maidjyn-raue as
gymmyrt voish yn thalloo. Ren yn dooinney toshiaght dy eeastagh, coyrt magh daa
chione yn rimlagh, as v’eh goaill eeastyn cha tappee as oddagh eh gys va lane murlin
goit echey. Eisht dooyrt eh rish Thom dy row shen dy liooar eeast son shibber da’n
çheshaght va r’oi çheet.
Eisht ren Thom gymmyrt gys yn thalloo reesht, as dooyrt yn dooinney rish
Thom dy heet thie marish dy ghoaill e aash son dy row eh tooillit. Myr shen haink ad
gys yn thie; eisht dooyrt yn dooinney dy row eh ny share da fuirraght fud ny hoie. Va
doagh feer vooar ec keeill-çhiollee190 er e ching as va towl beg ayns y lhiattee eck, as
chur eshyn Thom fo’n doagh, agh v’eh jeaghyn trooid yn towl. Ayns traa gerrid va’n
thie er ny lhieeney lesh goaldee, deiney as mraane seyr ayns ny coamraghyn aalin oc,
190
keeill-çhiollee - ‘hearth side’ Cregeen
as çhelleeragh hoie ad sheese gys shibber. Va Thom cur-my-ner ad trooid yn towl
v’ayns y doagh.
Va fer ayn lesh kione lheeah as dooyrt eshyn, “Ta mee soaral dooinney.”
Myr shen ren ad ooilley girree voish yn voayrd dy ronsagh yn thie. As ren ad
ronsagh runt mygeayrt, agh cha ren ad geddyn eh. Myr shen hoie ad sheese reesht gys
nyn shibber, agh dooyrt fer yn chione lheeah reesht dy row eh soaral dooinney, as ren
eh shickyragh dy row eh ayns yn thie. Myr shen ghow ad toshiaght dy ronsagh reesht,
agh cha row dooinney ry gheddyn.
Eisht dooyrt fer jeu, “Lhig dooin çhyndaa yn doagh.” As va Thom er creau
agglagh dy beagh eh goit.
As tra ren ad gleashagh yn doagh, ren eh geam lesh coraa ard, “Shee Yee
orrym, ta mee goit!”
Ayns meekey sooill va’n thie as yn çheshaght ersooyl. As v’eh tammylt mie er
e ghreeym, as cur-my-ner, v’eh ayns Lhag ny Killey191 ny lhie er thammag dy
cheynnagh192 as va’n keayn feer faggys da. Shen-y-fa v’eh caillit ayns yindys as ghow
eh toshiaght dy screebey e chione gys smooinee eh er hene dy row eh er ve marish ny
ferrishyn. As haink eh seose ass yn lhag as hooar eh thie gys e ven, as ren ee geddyn
caart jough da. Eisht hie eh gys y lhiabbee as va ooilley jarroodit laa-ny-vairagh.
28. Soilshaghyn ferrish er yn cheayn
Haink dooinney er boayrd yn baatey ain ayns Cook as v’eh ginsh mysh keayrt v’eh
goll gys Whitehaven dy gheddyn lught dy gheayl. Va three deiney elley marish, as
myr v’ad goll er yn raad lesh St Bees, tra v’ad mysh kiare meeilley jeig voish yn
lhong-soilshee, va jees jeh ny deiney ny chadley, as va fer stiurey as fer elley
jeeaghyn magh. Haghyr da cur shilley fo’n shiaull, dooyrt eh, as va soilshey roish
toshiaght yn vaatey, as roie eh seose gour e hoshee dy yeeaghyn er as ayns tullogh
v’eh faggys daue er yn lhiattee elley. Eisht haink toor mooar feer ard as aile lossey er
yn vullagh echey, as va toor elley troggal seose ass yn aile, as va dooinney mooar
gollrish foawr ny hassoo ayns mean yn aile as maidjey mooar echey gymmyltey
mygeayrt gollrish croan lhong, as v’eh cha faggys da jerrey yn vaatey gys v’ad ayns
aggle dy beagh eh er boayrd.
Roie eh sheese ayns yn cabbane dy ghoostey ny deiney elley, as yn chied fer
haink seose ren eh gra focklyn mie. Eisht dooyrt eh dy row ooilley yn keayn er aile as
tra hooar eshyn seose, dooyrt eh, va’n keayn ooilley ayns soilshaghyn choud as v’eh
fakin ooilley mygeayrt. As cha voddagh ad ginsh cre’n coorse dy stiurey nagh beagh
ad ayns paart jeu, agh ren ad cummal yn baatey goll fegooish caghlaa yn coorse, as
cha row ny soilshaghyn çheet veg s’niessey daue. Ec kione oor ny jees ren yn foawr
mooar va gymmyltey yn croan gaase skee, as cha leah as ren eshyn scuirr, ren ny
soilshaghyn ooilley goll ass; as va’n oie cha aalin as v’eh roish haink yn toor ayns
shilley.
Cha ren ad fakin ad ny lurg shen, agh dooyrt eh nagh jinnagh eh dy bragh
jarrood eh choud as veagh keeall as cooinaghtyn echey, son v’ad ooilley feer agglit
farkiagh son clashtyn polt dy chooilley meekey-sooilley, as va ny soilshaghyn cha
faggys daue gys v’ad fakin paart jeu er yn baatey oc hene. Agh tra ren yn foawr cur
seose gobbragh yn croan ren ad ooilley lheie ersooyl. Cha row fys oc cre va ny
191
Lhag ny Killey - hollow with remains of a chapel on the western slopes of Cronk yn Arrey Laa near
Eary Cuishlin, on the south-west coast of the Island.
192
keynnagh - ‘moss’
soilshaghyn ny yn toor; agh cha ren ad rieau fakin lheid ny reddyn ayns nyn mea roish
shen ny rieau er dy henney.
Ta mish er vakin soilshey beg soie er mullagh yn croan-jerree ayns yn oie
keayrt ny ghaa.
29. Skeeal Chassemish as Harry yn Chorvalley
Ta mee er chlashtyn shenn Hom Collister ginsh mysh Cassemish as Harry yn
Chorvalley193 va cummal ayns yn Owe194. V’ad ny neesht feer lajer. T’eh feer licklee
dy re far-ennym va Cassemish, agh c’red va’n ennym cair echey cha voddym ginsh.
Cha row eh jeeaghyn dy ve dooinney feer vooar. Cha row craue yn shleayst echey agh
lhiurid snaid yeebin, as cha voddagh ny craueyn elley v’er ve feer liauyr noadyr.
Veagh ad goll gys Purt Çhiarn as goaill baatey jeh’n traie as gymmyrt sheear gys
Nerin. Veagh ad roshtyn gys shen tra veagh ny hinneenyn çheet dy vlieaun yn ollagh
fastyryn aalin ayns yn tourey as veagh ad geddyn palçhey jough. V’ad gyllagh
‘shellebuck’ da jough lhune as bainney yn ollagh striggit195 ayn.
She voish yn maase veagh ad goll sheear dy mennick dy gheddyn shellebuck,
as veagh ny hinneenyn feer taitnyssagh er yn çheshaght oc, son dy row foawr cummal
ayns yn clieau er-gerrey da’n boayl shen as veagh eshyn çheet sheese dy mennick tra
veagh ny mraane blieaun as goaill ooilley yn shellebuck da hene. As veagh ny
hinneenyn roie ersooyl tra veagh ad fakin eh çheet. Fastyr dy row haink yn foawr
sheese voish yn clieau tra va Cassemish as Harry ayns shen, as ren ny hinneenyn roie
ersooyl myr boallagh ad, agh ren Cassemish as Harry shassoo nyn ghrunt. Haink yn
foawr er-gerrey as v’eh kiarit dy varroo ad ec keayrt.
“Gow greme er, Harry,” dooyrt Cassemish.
“Gow hene greme er,” dooyrt Harry.
Myr shen ren yn foawr as Cassemish goaill greme er y cheilley.
“Cur yn chied chest,” dooyrt yn foawr.
“Verrym yn onner da’n çheer,” dooyrt Cassemish.
Eisht chur yn foawr yn chied chest196 agh ren Cassemish shassoo dunnal as
coyrt e chione eddyr shleaystyn yn foawr as ceau eh er yn thalloo. Eisht ren Harry
çheet gys yn cooney echey as ren ad yeealley as broo yn foawr gys hie yn ennal ass as
yn brout marroo. Eisht haink ny mraane blieaun reesht as v’ad feer taitnyssagh dy row
tranlaase yn foawr ec kione. Eisht hooar ny guillyn palçhey shellebuck dy iu yn fastyr
shen, as arragh ny lurg shen veagh ny hinneenyn cur oltaghey-bea daue tra veagh ad
çheet as palçhey dy ee as dy iu, boayl ennagh er-gerrey da Killagh er yn oyr dy vel
shen yn ayrn s’niessey da Purt Çhiarn, as v’ad ayns aigney mie da Manninee arragh
ny lurg shen gys va’n foawr as Cassemish neesht jarroodit, tra nagh row unnane ermayrn va cooinaght oc er yn foawr as Cassemish, ny fys oc dy row lheid er ve ayns
yn seihll.
As shen myr t’eh dy vel ny bioee jarrood ny merriu lurg tammylt dy hraa,
mannagh vel red ennagh faagit oc nyn gooyl dy yannoo yn cooinaghtyn jeu beayn. EF
30. Fin McCool as yn Foawr
193
Corvalley - ‘near Cregneash’ Broderick (1982b: 167)
yn Owe - the Howe ‘near Cregneash and Corvalley’ Broderick (1982b: 167)
195
striggit - ‘milked’
196
kest - Faragher writes cess, which I take to be Cregeen’s ‘kest, s. m. a turn or cast, a length spun by
a roper at a time; pl. -yn; v. cast or struggle’, ‘kestal v. struggling in wrestling’. Broderick (1982b: 168)
translates it as ‘blow’.
194
Skeeal ta mee er chlashtyn mychione foawr va cummal ec Barrule as Fin McCool va
cummal ec yn Cheyllys, as v’ad gra dy row Fin feer lajer. Va’n foawr clashtyn jeh
troshid Fin dy mennick. Keayrt dy row haink foawr Varrule dy akin eh. V’eh er
chlashtyn lheid ny skeealyn dy row Fin cha niartal as v’eh geadaghey mysh. Myr shen
haink yn foawr dy akin eh un laa. As tra ren Fin fakin yn foawr çheet lesh yn thie,
hooar eh stiagh as ren eh lhie ayns clean yn lhiannoo. Va’n foawr kiarit dy ghoaill
gleck er Fin dy yeeaghyn quoi va’n dooinney stroshey.
Haink yn foawr gys yn thie as ren eh fenaght jeh moir Fin row Mainshter
McCool ec y thie. Dooyrt ee nagh row, agh dy row ee jerkal rish dy heet ayns traa
gerrid.
“Quoi eh shoh t’ayns yn chlean eisht?” dooyrt yn foawr.
“Shen yn mac shinney echey,” dooyrt ish.
Ren yn foawr bentyn rish yn lhieckan echey as dooyrt eh dy row faasaag feer
creoi er son lhiannoo. Eisht hie eh magh ayns yn vagher dy yeeaghyn mygeayrt-ymysh as dy cheau yn traa gys yinnagh Fin çheet dy valley. Eisht ren Fin girree ass yn
chlean as goll magh er dorrys elley as geddyn marish yn ollagh roish haink yn foawr,
tra honnick yn foawr dooinney marish yn maase, haink eh dy loayrt rish as dy
feyshney197 eh mychione troshid Fin McCool. Ren yn foawr briaght jeh quoi v’eh
hene; dooyrt eshyn dy row eh bochil Fin McCool as dy row eh jeeaghyn lurg yn
maase. Ren yn foawr briaght jeh cre va troshid Fin as cre va ny reddyn v’eh er
yannoo.
Dooyrt eh rish dy row Fin çheet thie voish yn vargey keayrt dy row, as haink
eh er cabbyl v’er duittym ayns jeeg rish lhiattee yn raad. As va nuy ny jeih dy gheiney
streeu dy gheddyn eh ass, as cha voddagh ad. Tra haink Fin huc, dooyrt eh roo faagail
yn cabbyl da hene, as ghow eh holt er yn famman echey as tayrn eh seose ass yn jeeg,
tra nagh voddagh ooilley ny deiney geddyn eh ass yn jeeg.
Ren yn foawr eisht briaght jeh cre wheesh dy veaghey va McCool gee ec
lhongey, as dooyrt eh dy row eh gee slane mart. Eisht ghow yn foawr ayns laue dy
chur lesh marish unnane jeh’n ollagh dy yeeaghyn voddagh eshyn gee baagh ec
lhongey, as ghow eh holt er eairk colbagh v’ayns shen dy chur lesh ee. Agh ghow Fin
holt er yn eairk elley as ren ad streeu noi ry hoi gys ren ad raipey ny heairkyn jeh’n
cholbagh. Tra honnick yn foawr dy row bochilley McCool cha lajer, v’eh smooinaght
dy row Fin hene dooinney feer niartal.
Eisht hie eh roish dy rouail fud ny magheryn gys veagh McCool er jeet dy
valley. Tra va’n foawr ersooyl ass shilley, hie Fin roish thie as ren eh caghlaa e
choamrey, son yn oyr shoh nagh jinnagh yn foawr enney er dy row eh er vakin eh rolaue. Dooyrt Fin rish e voir dy yannoo daa verreen dy arran corkey as dy yannoo
unnane braew meeley da hene, as dy chur yn ghryle ayns çhesh-vean berreen yn
foawr. Myr shen ren yn çhenn ven jannoo myr dooyrt eh ree. Ren ee coyrt yn ghryle
ayns berreen yn foawr as çhyrmagh ee roish yn aile gys v’ee creoi dy liooar.
Ayns traa gerrid ny lurg shen haink yn foawr reesht dy yeeaghyn row McCool
er jeet dy valley. As tra v’eh er vakin dy row McCool ec y thie v’eh feer taitnyssagh,
as dooyrt eh rish McCool dy row eh feer vooiagh dy akin eh ec yn thie, son dy row eh
er chlashtyn jeh’n troshid echey ymmodee keayrtyn tra v’eh ec e chummal ayns
Barrule, as dy row eh er jeet dy ghoaill gleck er dy yeeaghyn quoi jeu va’n dooinney
stroshey.
197
feyshney - ‘to question, enquire’ cf. Kelly adj. feyshnagh
Dooyrt Fin rish dy heet stiagh fo’n chlea as dy hoie sheese dy ghoaill aash as
dy gheddyn shibber marish, as dy jinnagh ad goaill gleck er y cheilley laa-ny-vairagh.
Eisht ren yn foawr soie sheese gys shibber marish Fin, as ghow ad toshiaght dy ee.
Agh cha voddagh yn foawr geddyn e eecklyn trooid yn verreen, as va Fin gee ee
aashagh dy liooar. Tra honnick yn foawr shen, va yindys mooar er, as v’eh goaill
toshiaght dy choayl e chree mysh yn streeu oc laa-ny-vairagh. Myr shen ren Fin goaill
e hibber, agh cha ren yn foawr goaill veg son nagh voddagh eh gee yn verreen. Va Fin
cuirrey eh dy ee, agh dooyrt eh nagh row eh dy mie.
Myr shen ren eh fuirraght ayns thie Fin gys yn voghrey, as ren Fin brishey e
hrostey, agh cha row yn foawr son gee yn verreen. Agh v’eh ayns siyr dy ghoaill
gleck er Fin son dy voddagh eh ny lurg shen goll thie gys Barrule dy gheddyn
beaghey da hene. Tra va McCool er vrishey e hrostey dooyrt yn foawr rish dy bare
daue goll magh ayns yn vagher dy ghoaill gleck er y cheilley. Dooyrt Fin dy beagh
eshyn aarloo ayns traa gerrid, agh dy row yn ghrian soilshean feer niartal, as dy beagh
eh feer ymmyrçhagh daue dy gholl as faarkey ad hene hoshiaght son nagh beagh ad
cha çheh. Dooyrt yn foawr dy beagh shen red feer vie as dy row eshyn arryltagh dy
yannoo shen. Eisht dooyrt Fin rish e voir dy chur cabbage dy chaashey ayns yn
poagey as ooilley yn arran as eeym v’ayns yn thie as dy gheddyn eh aarloo cha tappee
as oddagh ee.
“As cre’n raad ta McCool goll lesh ooilley shen?” dooyrt yn foawr.
“Son beaghey dooin tra veesmayd faarkey,” dooyrt Fin.
“Va mish smooinaght,” dooyrt yn foawr, “dy re ayns yn awin veagh shin goll
dy faarkey.”
“Cha vel mish dy bragh faarkey ayns awin,” dooyrt Fin, “agh ayns yn mooir
mooar as ta mee dy mennick snaue choud as yn Thalloo Vretnagh.”
Tra ren yn foawr clashtyn shen, ren ny cleayshyn tuittym er198, as cha row fys
echey c’red dy ghra ny dy yannoo, son va e happey voish, as ghow eh toshiaght dy
yannoo lesh yn dorrys dy gheddyn ersooyl, son v’eh ayns aggle nagh voddagh eh
snaue choud dy raad as McCool as dy beagh eh er ny naaraghey. Myr shen hooar eh
magh, as cha tappee as oddagh eh roie, ren eh lesh Barrule. As tra haink McCool
magh ass yn thie, va’n foawr ass e hilley, son v’eh ayns siyr as v’eh goaill kesmadyn
liauyr. Myr shen cha ren eh rieau çheet dy akin Fin reesht.
Ta’n skeeal shoh feer shenn, as t’eh feer licklee dy re ayns traa Jan-Ben-Jan
va’n foawr as McCool ayns Mannin. Shen va’n dooinney ta mee er glashtyn va reill
yn seihll roish Adam. Ta mee er chlashtyn shenn ven gra tra va mish ny lhiannoo red
ennagh mychione Fin McCool, agh ta’n chooid smoo jeh jarroodit aym; v’eh red
gollrish arrane. Veagh ee gra eh da ny paitçhyn dy reayll ad ayns shee.
Fin McCool as ooilley e chrymsagh199,
Dy jean ad mysh dty lhiabbee çhymsagh;
Ferrish ny glionney as yn buggane,
Dy der ad lesh oo ayns clean suggane.
V’eh jeeaghyn dou dy row ny ponniaryn agglagh roish Fin McCool, as cha vel
mee er chlashtyn red erbee elley mygeayrt-y-mysh. Ta Roeder er ve mennick
feyshney mee mysh Fin McCool, agh cha ren mee rieau ginsh da mychione eh hene as
198
ren ny cleayshyn tuittym er - ‘his face fell’ Broderick (1982b: 170)
Faragher has the obscure chrymsagh, but it is heshaght ‘company’ in the version in Manx Ballads
and Music (Moore 1998: 70).
199
yn foawr. Hooar mee screeuyn voish jiu as t’eh laccal ennym caghlaaghyn dy reddyn
nagh ren mee rieau clashtyn.
Screeut yn çhiaghtoo laa jeh’n nah vee dy ouyr ayns yn vlein hoght cheead
yeig kiare feed as nuy jeig. EF
31. Dairmod as yn Fer Darig
Ren mee clashtyn jeh dooinney va ayns yn seihll ymmodee bleeantyn er dy henney as
va’n sleih gra Dairmod rish son far-ennym. Ren eh troailt harrish lane jeh’n seihll
ayns laghyn e aegid, as ren eh çhaglym kuse veg dy argid. Eisht haink eh reesht gys
yn boayl raad v’eh ruggit as troggit. Ren eh kionnagh croit veg ayns boayl feer
fadane. Va balley beg çheerey mysh kiare ny queig dy veeillaghyn voish, as ayns shen
v’eh jannoo yn dellal echey. Va awin roie eddyr yn thie echey as yn balley, as va
claghyn mooarey currit ayns yn awin dy hooyl harrishdoo200. Tra veagh yn earish
fliugh ayns yn geurey, veagh eh cummit er yn çheu echey hene jeh’n awin liorish yn
thooilley veagh coodagh ny claghyn.
Keayrt dy row ayns yn geurey ren eh ceau feer trome son tammylt mie dy
hraa. As va Dairmod roit ass tombaagey. As tra ren yn earish troggal rish un fastyr,
v’eh kiarit dy gholl harrish yn awin dy gheddyn tombaagey. Agh tra haink eh gys yn
awin ayns yn choleayrtys cha voddagh eh fakin ny claghyn lesh yn thooilley mooar va
roie harrystoo. Shen-y-fa v’eh eginit dy gholl roish dy valley reesht fegooish
tombaagey, as v’eh coontey ny smessey jeh na dy beagh eh er ve fegooish e hibber.
Hie eh dy rouail ayns unnane jeh ny magheryn dy chur shaghey yn traa. Myr
v’eh shooyl neose as seose ayns yn vagher, ren yn eayst girree feer yennal as
soilshean harrish ooilley. Va Dairmod ayns mullagh yn vagher ec yn traa shen. Ren eh
çhyndaa mygeayrt as goll shooyl sheese yn liargagh, as tra v’eh er-gerrey da mean yn
vagher cre honnick eh agh sheshaght-chaggee feer vooar er nyn jaglym ayns kione
heese yn vagher, ooilley er mooin cabbil. Ren Dairmod clashtyn yn ard-reiltagh oc
briaght row ad ooilley aarloo dy gholl er nyn doshiaght as dooyrt fer jeu nagh row
eshyn aarloo foast son dy row eh fegooish cabbyl.
“As cha vel eh feeu diu goll,” dooyrt eh, “fegooish yn Fer Darig201 ve ayns yn
çheshaght, son cha vod shiu geddyn yn varriaght er nyn noidyn.”
Dooyrt yn ard-reiltagh, “Ta Dairmod çheet sheese ayns mean yn vagher; gow
as jean cabbyl jeh.”
Tra ren Dairmod clashtyn shen, ghow eh toshiaght dy phrayal as dy yannoo
cowrey yn chrosh. Agh cha row pooar echey dy gholl ass yn ynnyd v’eh ny hassoo
ayn, son v’eh ayns aggle mooar. Haink yn Fer Darig seose huggey as v’eh coamrit
ayns e gharmad jiarg as edd jiarg er e chione as cliwe dy ghaa foyr ayns e laue, as
dooyrt eh rish Dairmod, “Cha vel mish ayns aggle erbee roish dty phadjeryn as dty
chroshyn.” As ren eh bentyn rish Dairmod lesh e chliwe, as ayns tullogh va Dairmod
jeant ny chabbyl as yn Fer Darig er e vooin.
Myr shen ren yn Fer Darig markiaght er gys yn çheshaght-chaggee as geddyn
ayns yn ynnyd echey hene. Eisht ren yn ard-reiltagh cur yn fockle daue dy gholl er
200
harrishdoo - ‘over them’. The forms harroo, harrystoo and harrishdoo are all found in the Bible
(where harrystoo is the commonest, appearing 71 times; harrishdoo appears twice, and harroo once).
Note that Faragher’s own usage varies in this story.
201
Fer Darig - Faragher writes Fir Darig; from Irish fear dearg ‘red man’ (a well-known folklore
figure), via English (far darrig), with the svarabhakti vowel preserved which occurs in other Gaelic
dialects but not Manx. The word has evidently not been recognized as Manx jiarg.
nyn doshiaght. Myr shen hie ad ersooyl joltey202 gys ren ad çheet er gys yn cheayn.
Eisht dooyrt yn ard-chaptan roo dy gholl harrish yn aarkey. Myr shen ghow ad
toshiaght dy lhiggey harrish ny tonnyn, as va Dairmod lhiggey ayns yn toshiaght as
yn Fer Darig er e vooin gys haink ad gys çheer elley. V’eh jeeaghyn dy row ee çheer
feer vessoil son va palçhey tombaagey gaase aynjee.
Tra haink ad jeh’n cheayn va sheshaght-chaggee elley ayns shen dy choyrt
eddin daue, as ghow ad toshiaght dy chaggey ec keayrt, myr shen dy row ny cabbil
lhiggey noi ry hoi as ny sidooryn gobbraghey nyn gliwenyn er dagh çheu son traa
liauyr, as cha voddagh ad gra quoi yinnagh geddyn yn varriaght gys ren Dairmod
geddyn lhott beg fo e hooill lesh cliwe fer jeh ny noidyn. Eisht ren Dairmod gaase
keoi as feer fargagh, as ghow eh toshiaght dy sprettal as dy yonseragh as dy ymmyltey
lesh e amman, as v’eh lhieggal cabbil ny noidyn gys yn thalloo. As ayns traa gerrid
ren ny noidyn oc cur cooyl as roie ersooyl as faagail yn magher-caggee daue, as ren
ad geddyn yn varriaght trooid Dairmod. As tra va ooilley ny noidyn ersooyl, dooyrt
yn ard-chaptan roo dy haglym yn spooilley as dy gheddyn shibber vie aarloo ayns siyr
dy beagh ad aarloo dy gholl thie reesht roish yinnagh yn laa brishey.
Myr shen va paart çhaglym yn spooilley as paart elley geddyn aarloo yn
shibber, agh va Dairmod goaill aash ayns yn traa shoh. Va’n ard-chaptan jannoo
mooar jeh er yn oyr dy ren eh geddyn yn varriaght daue harrish nyn noidyn. Ayns traa
gerrid va’n spooilley ooilley çhymsit as va’n shibber aarloo. Eisht ren ad ooilley soie
sheese as va reill ass towse203 oc, as hooar Dairmod e haie dy ee as dy iu palçhey
feeyn as jough lajer, gys v’ad ooilley er ny yannoo magh. Eisht dooyrt yn ard-reiltagh
roo dy gheddyn er mooin cabbil as dy ve aarloo, tra yinnagh eh cur yn fockle daue dy
lhiggey harrish y cheayn reesht.
“Agh cha beg as oddys shiu jannoo204,” dooyrt eh, “dy eeck Dairmod son yn
cooney t’eh er choyrt dooin, dy chur lesh lane-doarn y pheesh dy hombaagey ayns
nyn laue da.”
Tra v’ad ooilley aarloo, chur yn ard-chaptan yn fockle daue dy gholl er nyn
doshiaght. Eisht hie ad er nyn doshiaght joltey gys haink ad gys yn cheayn. Eisht ren
ad goaill toshiaght dy lhiggey harrish ny tonnyn freaynagh, as ayns traa feer gherrid
v’ad ec y thie ayns magher Dairmod reesht ec brishey yn laa, as ren ad ooilley goll ass
shilley Dairmod ec keayrt. Eisht ren Dairmod soie sheese er y thalloo dy resooney
rish hene as dy smooinaght er ooilley ny v’er daghyrt da trooid yn oie shen.
As myr va’n laa goaill toshiaght dy aase sollys, ren eh clashtyn fer ennagh
geamagh da. As ren eh girree seose dy yeeaghyn quoi v’ayn agh cha ren eh fakin
unnane erbee.
Agh dooyrt yn coraa v’eh er chlashtyn rish, “Dairmod, gow royd dy valley as
gow dty aash, as ny soie er yn thalloo feayr lurg dhyt v’er ve gollish son cha vel eh
mie er dty hon. T’ou yn baagh share ren mee rieau markiaght, as tra vee’m laccal
cabbyl reesht bee fys aym c’raad nee’m geddyn fer mie; as jeeagh nish er yn thorran
dy hombaagey shoh, t’eh ooilley lhiat hene.”
Myr shen ren Dairmod cur-my-ner thorran dy hombaagey er-gerrey da ayns y
vagher, yn tombaagey ren yn çheshaght-caggee cur lesh ayns nyn laueyn voish yn
çheer v’ad caggey ayn. Eisht ghow Dairmod cree tra honnick eh yn thorran dy
hombaagey, as ghow eh paart jeh marish gys e chummal. As tra hie eh gys y lhiabbee
202
joltey - for Faragher’s yoltey, with permanent lenition? Cf. Kelly joltagh ‘skipping, prancing,
bouncing’, Jeremiah 2:23 t’ou myr dromedaree bieau joltagh er y raad ‘thou art a swift dromedary
traversing her ways’. Broderick (1982b: 173) translates yoltey as ‘in a rush’.
203
reill ass towse - ‘fare in abundance’ Broderick (1982b: 173)
204
cha beg as oddys shiu jannoo - ‘the least that you can do’ Broderick (1982b: 173)
ren eh cadley son traa liauyr gys ren eh doostey reesht. As cre erbee v’eh giare er e
hon ayns e vea ny lurg shen, va palçhey tombaagey echey. Agh cha ren mee rieau
clashtyn dy daink yn Fer Darig dy gheddyn eh son cabbyl ny lurg shen.
T’eh feer licklee dy vel Dairmod marroo foddey er dy henney. As cha vel mee
er chlashtyn jeh dooinney erbee ren meeiteil rish yn Fer Darig er dy henney, as foddee
eh ve dy vel eshyn marroo myrgeddin, ny ersooyl gys yn çheer ren ad cosney lesh nyn
gliwenyn ayns caggey. Agh cha vel monney caggey er ve ayns yn seihll rish tammylt
dy hraa as ta sheshaght-chaggee yn Fer Darig deiney feer shenn nish my t’ad bio
foast, agh ta’n sorçh dy sleih shen ta mee er chlashtyn ceau eash feer vooar205. Ren
mee clashtyn jeh oikan beg dooyrt rish e voir yn chied fockle ren eh loayrt: “Ta mish
queig cheead yeig blein ayns yn seihll, as cha ren mee rieau fakin unnane gimbyl lesh
bleaystyn ooh roie.”
Myr shoh ta jerrey er skeeal Dairmod as yn Fer Darig, screeut yn hoghtoo laa
yeig jeh’n chied vee jeh’n ouyr ayns yn vlein hoght cheead yeig kiare feed as nuy
jeig. EF
32. Skeeal yn glashtin va spoiyt
Keayrt dy row—shen yn aght cair dy ghoaill toshiaght lesh skeeal—va dooinney
cummal ayns Ballachrink206. V’eh enmyssit Costain, ayns traa ny glashtinyn roish
nish, as tra haink imbagh yn arragh mygeayrt, chur eh lesh yn çhesheragh magh er yn
magher dy hraaue, as va ny cabbil ayns stayd feer vie as feer roauyr. Cha row eh agh
traa gerrid mooie gys haink fer jeh ny glashtinyn er-gerrey. As ren eh fenaght jeh
Costain cre’n aght dy row ny cabbil echey cha roauyr as cre va’n oyr jeh. Dooyrt
Costain rish dy re er yn oyr dy row ad spoiyt as ny claghyn giarit assdoo.
“Jinnagh mish gaase roauyr,” dooyrt y glashtin, “dy beagh ny claghyn giarit
assym?”
Dooyrt Costain rish dy jinnagh eh gaase roauyr dy liooar eisht. Myr shen ren
ad cordail dy row Costain dy yiarey ny claghyn ass yn ghlashtin as va’n glashtin dy
yiarey Costain tra veagh eh hene er ny slaanaghey. Myr shen ren Costain cur giarey
gonnagh da as jimmee eh roish gys Lingowl, as cha row eh fakinit son meeaghyn dy
hraa, myr shen dy dooar Costain yn traaue as yn cleiy as yn obbyr cabbil jeant.
Agh lurg meeaghyn dy hraa va’n glashtin fakinit reesht goll mygeayrt. Eisht
va Costain fo aggle trome dy veeiteil yn glashtin, as v’eh ceau yn traa follagh eh hene
ayns e hamyr lhiabbagh. Agh haink yn traa mygeayrt dy row eh traa dy ooiragh207 ny
puddaseyn. Agh cha by lhoys da Costain goll çheu-mooie jeh’n dorrys; fey-yerrey
ghow ben Costain ayns laue dy gholl magh lesh ny cabbil dy ooiragh ny puddaseyn ee
hene. Myr shen ren ee coamrey ee hene ayns garmad yn dooinney as goll magh lesh
ny cabbil ee hene. Agh cha row ee feer foddey ec obbyr gys honnick ee yn glashtin
çheet harrish ny magheryn, as v’ee garaghtee ayns e muinneel dy beagh eh mollit.
Myr shen haink eh er-gerrey agh cha row eh ayns stayd monney share na roish
v’eh giarit. Agh cha ren eh goaill tastey nagh re yn dooinney v’ayn. Dooyrt eh dy row
yn traa er jeet dy yiarey eshyn nish. Agh dooyrt yn ven rish dy row ee giarit dy liooar
205
ceau eash feer vooar - ‘live a very long time’ (Broderick 1982b: 174). Cf. Gen. 25:7 As ad shoh
bleeantyn yn eash ren Abraham y cheau, hoght-feed as queig bleeaney jeig ‘And these are the days of
the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years’; Eccles. 11:8 ga dy
vel dooinney er cheau ymmodee bleeantyn ‘if a man live many years’.
206
Ballachrink - ‘near Fleshwick? There are many farms in Man called Ballachrink’ Broderick (1982b:
175)
207
ooiragh ny puddaseyn - to ‘earth’ the potatoes, i.e. cover with earth, plant
myr v’ee, agh dooyrt yn glashtin dy row eh laccal shilley jeh ny-yeih. Myr shen ren eh
roostey ee as fakin yn giarey as va e happey currit voish.
“Atreih,” dooyrt eh, “t’ou giarit ny smessey na mee hene; cha byrrys dhyt ve
cassey hoaney208 myr v’ou shooyl geiyrt er y keeaght.”
Myr shen hie eh roish. As cha vel eh er ve fakinit veih’n laa shen gys yn laa
t’ayn jiu. T’eh coyrt prowal jeh dy ren Costain coyrt jerrey er sheeloghe ny glashtinyn
liorish spoiy yn ayr oc, son cha vel ad taaghey thieyn eirinnee nish dy vel mee
clashtyn jeu. T’eh jeeaghyn liorish shoh nagh vel sluight erbee ec ny glashtinyn as dy
ren Costain cur jerrey orroo. As foddee eh ve dy ren fer ennagh elley spoiy ayr ny
ferrishyn as ny pollonee son t’ad ooilley er nimmeeaght ersooyl.
33. Skeeal yn saggyrt
Ta mish er chlashtyn dooinney ginsh mychione saggyrt va ny shenn scollag aeg as va
ben echey dy aarlagh beaghey da as dy chummal thie. As myr v’eh preaçheil ayns yn
cheeill un Doonaght ren eh lhaih ny goan shoh son undin yn sharmane: ‘Eshyn ta
yeeasaght da’n Çhiarn bee eh er ny eeck shiaght filley’. Va dooinney dy row ayns y
cheeill geaishtagh rish, myr v’eh cummal magh da’n sleih cre ny bannaghtyn veagh
ad dy gheddyn son yeeasagh da’n Çhiarn. Tra haink yn dooinney shoh dy valley,
dooyrt eh rish e ven-heshey dy beagh eh ny share daue yeeasaght y vooa da’n Chiarn,
son dy beagh ad er ny eeck shiaght filley. Myr shen va’n ven echey feer arryltagh dy
yeeasaght yn vooa.
Tra haink moghrey laa-ny-vairagh ren yn dooinney geiyrt yn baagh gys thie yn
saggyrt, as ren yn saggyrt fenaght jeh cre’n boayl v’eh dy gholl lesh yn vooa. Dooyrt
y dooinney rish dy row eh ayns yn cheeill jea as dy ren eh clashtyn eh ginsh jeh ny
bannaghtyn v’ad dy gheddyn va yeeasaght da’n Çhiarn, as dy row eh er chur lesh yn
vooa huggey dy choyrt ee da’n Çhiarn. Va shiaght ollagh ec y saggyrt ayns magher
er-gerrey, as dooyrt eh rish yn dooinney dy eiyrt ee stiagh marish yn ollagh elley. Myr
shen ren yn dooinney geiyrt yn vooa stiagh maroo.
Myr shen ren yn saggyrt jeigh yn giat: “As neemayd fakin ayns traa gerrid cre
hig gy kione,” dooyrt eh.
Eisht hie yn dooinney roish thie dy cheau yn traa ayns jerkal dy ve eeckit
shiaght filley. Agh tra haink yn fastyr as traa dy striggey yn ollagh, haink yn vooa thie
as shiaght ollagh yn saggyrt ry heshaght ree. As tra honnick yn dooinney ad v’eh ayns
eunyssyn dy row eh eeckit shiaght filley ayns traa cha gerrid. Myr shen ren eh gyllagh
er e ven-heshey magh dy ghoaill boggey marish, agh ayns traa gerrid ny lurg shen
haink yn saggyrt dy yeeaghyn son yn maase. Agh dooyrt yn dooinney rish dy ren eh
hene cummal magh ayns yn cheeill Jedoonee dy beagh yn dooinney yinnagh
yeeasaght da’n Çhiarn er ny eeck shiaght filley, as nish dy row ny goan echey
cooilleenit, “As nish ta’n maase ooilley lhiam’s.”
“Myr shoh,” dooyrt yn saggyrt, “faagym yn ollagh ayd gys moghrey mairagh,
as quoi erbee vees yn chied er jin dy chur moghrey er yn fer elley, lhig da’n ollagh ve
lesh.”
Myr shen ren ad cordail er shen as goll gys ny thieyn oc hene dy farkiagh gys
y moghrey. Va’n saggyrt kiarit dy hoie seose fud ny hoie, as tra yinnagh yn moghrey
brishey dy osley yn dorrys dy meeley as dy ghra “Moghrey” tra veagh eh fakin yn
dooinney çheet lesh e hie. Myr shen ren eh soie ec yn aile ayns shamyr er-gerrey da’n
208
cassey hoaney [cassey hauney] - ‘twisting the bottom’, apparently a fixed expression with preserved
genitive after verbal noun like caigney cheeilley ‘chewing the cud’ and geddyn vaaish ‘dying’.
dorrys, as va’n ven-thie goll dy hoie marish dy freayll eh dooisht. Agh dooyrt yn
dooinney rish hene dy beagh eh ny share dasyn dy gholl gys thie yn saggyrt as dy
follagh eh hene er-gerrey da’n dorrys dy beagh eh aarloo dy chur moghrey er yn
saggyrt tra yinnagh eh fosley yn dorrys.
Myr shen hie eh roish gys yn thie. As va billey mooar gaase er-gerrey da’n
dorrys as ren eh clamberagh seose ayns yn villey as follagh eh hene fud ny
banglaneyn, as v’eh fakin stiagh er yn uinnag as clashtyn ooilley ny va’n saggyrt as
yn ven-thie dy ghra. Ayns traa gerrid haink yn saggyrt as yn ven-thie ayns yn çhamyr,
as va aile mie jeant oc. Agh va’n dooinney ayns banglaneyn y villey freayll arrey
geyre orroo. Myr shen hoie ad sheese, nane ec dagh keeill jeh’n çhiollagh. As ghow
yn ven-thie toshiaght dy yannoo brebbag, myr va cliaghtey ny mraane, as ren ee
troggal ny hoanraghyn seose gys e glioonyn. Va’n saggyrt dy mennick ceau e hooill
urree as ren eh briaght jee cre va’n red shen v’ee çhiow.
“Egypt,” dooyrt ish.
Dooyrt yn saggyrt dy row Jacob echeysyn ayns e vreetçhyn as dy beagh eh ny
share da cur Jacob ayns Egypt. Myr shen hie ee er e cosaayl da as chur eh Jacob ayns
Egypt. Ny lurg shen hoie ad ec yn aile son traa liauyr as myr v’ad gaase cadlagh
dooyrt yn saggyrt dy bare da cur Jacob ayns Egypt reesht dy choyrt yn cadley ersooyl.
Myr shen hie ee er e cosaayl da reesht as chur eh Jacob ayns Egypt yn nah cheayrt.
Va’n oie liauyr dy mie dy hoie ec yn aile, agh va’n dooinney ayns yn villey
feer feayr as va eshyn coontey dy row yn traa feer liauyr neesht. Agh ghow yn laa
toshiaght dy vrishey as haink yn saggyrt gys yn dorrys feer veeley, as ren eh fosley eh
feer chiaralagh as cur magh e chione dy yeeaghyn vaikagh eh yn dooinney çheet, agh
va’n dooinney fakin eshyn ass yn villey.
“Moghrey, haggyrt,” dooyrt yn dooinney.
Hrog yn saggyrt seose e hooillyn as honnick eh yn dooinney.
“Vel oo foddey ayns shen?” dooyrt eh.
“Neayr as hie Jacob gys Egypt yn chied cheayrt,” dooyrt yn dooinney.
“Bannaght dty chione,” dooyrt yn saggyrt, “gow yn maase dhyt hene, agh ny
jean fosley dty veeal mychione ny t’ou er vakin as er chlashtyn!”
Shen-y-fa hooar yn dooinney yn ollagh as v’eh eeckit dy mie son e obbyr, as
ren yn saggyrt coayl yn maase echey hene liorish coyrt Jacob ayns Egypt. Myr shen ta
jerrey er skeeal yn saggyrt. Ren mee screeu eh da Roeder ayns Baarle as ren eh
genmys eh ayns yn lioar, as shen va ooilley.
34. Cooinaghtyn
Hooar mee screeuyn voish Roeder yn laa shoh chaie. T’eh er ve cur shilley er e voir
boayl ennagh ayns Germany rish three shiaghteeyn. Agh t’eh er jeet gys Manchester
reesht. T’eh gra rhym dy screeu huggey ayns Gaelg, tra vee’m screeu reesht. T’eh
coontey dy vel Hall Caine dooinney feer chreoi as ny phrughag, ga dy vel berçhys dy
liooar echey. T’eh jeeaghyn dou nagh vel monney graih ec Roeder er. Agh t’eh
moylley A. W. Moore, dy vel eh Manninagh mie, dy vel shenn raaghyn as shenn
chliaghtaghyn Vannin feer taitnyssagh da. Ta Roeder eh hene goaill lane taitnys ayns
ferrishyn as shenn raaghyn Manninagh. Ny-yeih ta mee smooinaghtyn dy vel eh jerkal
dy yannoo paart dy argid er my lioaryn, tra vees ad printit as currit magh fud yn theay.
T’eh er choyrt paart jeu gys Germany as paart elley gys yn Rank, as t’eh gra dy vel ad
goaill lane taitnys ayndoo as coontey ad feer vie. As t’eh goll dy gheddyn yn nah ayrn
jeu printit ayns traa gerrid.
Cha vel Manninee gollrish ashoonyn elley. Cha vel ad goaill monney taitnys
ayns arraneyn gollrish Sostnee as Bretnee. Cha vel cummaltee Vannin goaill taitnys
erbee ayns yn screeu aym’s as my horçh. Agh ta joarreeyn coontey feer vie jeu. Tra va
mish my ghooinney aeg, va mee mie dy screeu arraneyn graihagh gys ny mraane
aegey. Agh cha row mraane aegey Vannin goaill taitnys erbee ayndoo. Agh tra va
mee cummal ayns Sostyn, va mee coyrt ny mraane aegey er-finnue lesh my arraneyn:
va mee dy mennick eginit dy fuirraght ec y thie fastyr Jedoonee er yn oyr dy row rour
jeu çheet er my eiyrt. As va mee shirveish ad ooilley er yn un chlaare. Tra veagh mish
screeu arrane da unnane, veagh ee lhaih eh da e cumraagyn as veagh ad ooilley streeu
dy gheddyn ainjys orrym, as dy gheddyn mee dy yannoo arrane orroo hene gys v’ad
boirey my chione. Agh ayns my ellan hene cha row ad coontey veg jeu. Shen-y-fa ren
mee cur seose screeu arraneyn graihagh, as goaill toshiaght dy screeu arraneyn
spyrrydoil. As ad shen ta mee er screeu rish ymmodee bleeantyn as ta mee er stroie
ymmodee jeh ny arraneyn ommijagh ren mee screeu ayns laghyn my aegid.
Ta ny joarreeyn Albinagh jannoo magh dou dy re Albinagh mee as dy re
Farquhar yn sliennoo aym. Ny-yeih cha vel eh monney madyr dou cre ta’n sleih
coontey mee. Ta my vea er ve seaghnagh dy mie ayns traaghyn, myr laa arree dy
frassyn as grian.
Ta mee goll yn çhiaghtin shoh çheet, my vees ooilley dy mie, dy gheddyn yn
baatey aarloo son dy gholl gys Crookhaven. Ny-yeih veagh eh lane s’taitnyssagh dou
dy uirraght ec y thie, agh cha voddym jannoo myr saillym hene: agh shegin dou streeu
dy laboragh choud as ta Jee cur slaynt as niart dou.
Cha vel fys aym ren shiu rieau clashtyn skeeal y vannan geurey. Ren mee
screeu eh da Roeder as t’eh printit ayns yn lioar echey ayns Gaelg, agh cha vel eh
ooilley kiart. T’eh feer doillee dy screeu red ta doobley whilleen filley209.
Ta’n geurey shoh er ve feer fowanagh as cha vel yn earish monney share foast.
Ny-yeih ta mee jerkal dy bee earish vie ain ayns Crook lurg wheesh dy gheay as dy
fliaghey. Bee ny Yernee booiagh dy liooar dy akin shin reesht. Agh cha vel monney
graih ainyn er fakin adsyn ga dy vel paart jeu deiney mie, agh ta ymmodee jeu
mitçhooragh. Ta mee hene goit feer vie ec paart jeu, er coontey ny harraneyn ta mee
dy screeu. Agh cha vel ad dy ve treishtit, ga dy vel ad cha brynneragh lesh yn
çhengey. Cha vel yn cree marish yn çhengey ec dy chooilley hraa.
Bee mayd faagail reesht Mannin veen,
Dy gholl gys çheer çheu elley’n cheayn,
Dy laboragh fud Yernee keoi,
Gyn monney shee ny monney graih.
Edward Faragher
Cregneash March 8th 1899
35. Saggyrt Aitken
Ta’n earish feer fowanagh as cha vel caa aym dy yannoo monney screeu. Ta’n earish
er ve feer fliugh as geayagh agh t’eh er ve çhirrym rish shiaghtin as yn gheay niar
sheidey dy lajer. Ta mee gaase feer skee jeh tooilleil er yn cheayn. Ta shin tooilleil
fud ny hoie as cha vel monney traa ain dy chadley ayns yn laa. Dy beagh yn earish
aalin veagh eh lane share dooin. Ta’n earish rastagh er ve doogh son yn rheumatism.
209
doobley whilleen filley [doobley whellyn filley] - ‘intricate and involved’ Broderick (1982b: 118)
Ren mee lhaih coontey beg yn laa shoh chaie jeh Saggyrt Aitken210 tra v’eh
preaçheil yn sushtal ayns Mannin. As er yn oyr dy row eh bentyn rish Mannin, ta mee
er screeu coontey beg jeh ayns Gaelg, çhengey ny mayrey. Ayns yn vlein hoght
cheead yeig as jeih as feed—va shen blein roish va mish ruggit—haink Saggyrt
Aitken gys Mannin as ga dy row eh saggyrt cha row monney graih ec ny saggyrtyn
Manninagh er. Cha row agh daa haggyrt ayns Mannin yinnagh fosley ny kialteeyn oc
da dy phreaçheil ayndoo. Tra ghow eh toshiaght dy phreaçheil as yn obbyr goaill
toshiaght dy mie, va ny saggyrtyn loayrt noi yn obbyr echey. Ny-yeih va Aitken er ny
ghreinnaghey liorish Spyrryd Yee. As va meeiteil yindyssagh va echey ayns Purt ny
Hinshey fud eeasteyryn voish Towl Lugh211 ayns Cornwall.
Ny lurg shen va’n sleih çheeragh cuirrey eh dy phreaçheil ayns ny cabbalyn,
agh cha row eh feer vooiagh dy gholl ayns cabbal er yn oyr dy row eh saggyrt. V’eh
coontey creoi jeh agh dooyrt eh rish hene dy row eh ny share da geddyn yn sleih dy
hyndaa my she ayns cabbal veagh eh hene. As ghow eh toshiaght dy phreaçheil ayns
boayl erbee dy row eh geddyn sleih dy eaishtagh rish as dy chur seose nyn beccaghyn
as çhyndaa gys yn Çhiarn. As v’eh preaçheil ayns cabbalyn as soaltyn as ayns ny
magheryn tra veagh yn earish aalin, ayns boayl erbee dy row sleih çhaglym.
As va ymmodee sleih er ny hauail ec ny meeiteilyn echey as er ny yannoo
cretooryn noa ayns Creest trooid ooilley yn ellan veg gys nagh row s’coan lhiannoo
jeh daa vlein jeig dy eash nagh row er chlashtyn jeh’n saggyrt as yn phooar veagh goll
marish. Va ymmodee jeh ny meeiteilyn echey ayns corneilyn magher as soaltyn agh
va ny soaltyn mennick ro veg dy chummal yn sleih veagh çhaglym ayns dy chooilley
ynnyd veagh eh preaçheil ayn. Tra va’n obbyr vooar shoh ec yn yrjey, va eirinnagh va
mie jeh ayns yn seihll as v’eh troggal staabyl as soalt as thie ollee ooilley ayns nane,
as roish ren eh ayrnyn jeu ghow eh ayns laue dy choodagh eh lesh shiaull as dy
vriaght yn saggyrt dy phreaçheil ayn.
Myr shen ren ad geddyn coodagh er yn thie mooar. Ren ad cur fys gys yn
saggyrt dy heet as va’n saggyrt booiagh dy liooar. Myr shen v’eh currit magh ec ny
meeiteilyn dy row yn saggyrt goll dy phreaçheil ayns yn thie mooar lheid yn oie shen.
Dooyrt yn eirinnagh dy row yn saggyrt gaccan dy row dy chooilley voayl ro veg da,
agh dy row palçhey reamys ayns yn thie shoh son dy jinnagh eh cummal shiartanse dy
housaneyn. Mysh meeilley voish thie yn eirinnagh va’n braar saa echey cummal, as
va lane streeu er ve oc mysh çhymney nyn ayr as tuittym-magh feer dewil; as ren yn
braar saa breearrey nagh jinnagh eh goll stiagh ayns thie yn braar shinney choud as
veagh eh bio.
Tra haink yn fastyr dy row yn saggyrt dy chummal yn meeiteil ayns yn thie
mooar noa as yn sleih jannoo toshiaght dy haglym, er y çhooyl va’n thie mooar er ny
210
Robert Aitken, 1799-1873. He was ordained in 1824, and moved to the Isle of Man for the sake of
his wife’s health. He was a charismatic and unconventional preacher who in the 1830s leanded towards
Methodism. ‘While revivalism was no longer the staple diet of Manchester Wesleyanism there
persisted an inherited or experienced appreciation of its past achievements. There was, too, during the
early 1830s an immediate reminder of its potency in the form of the Rev. Robert Aitken, an ordained
Anglican curate from the Isle of Man, whose spectacular conversion after sixteen days of continuous
fasting and prayer was closely followed by engagements as a freebooting revivalist. His first visit to
Manchester in September 1833 drew mixed reactions from Wesleyan circles. Edmund Grindrod,
superintendent of the Irwell Street circuit, refused him any accommodation in the Salford chapels, and
he failed to appeal to middle class tastes fairly reflected by the wife of James Wood “I thought I could
distinguish very perceptibly an effort in the preacher to produce an animal excitement.... I could not
divest my mind of the idea of a maniac”.’ (Gowland 1979: 46). Aitken designed the methodist chapel at
Crosby.
211
Towl Lugh - i.e. a literal rendering of the name of the village of Mousehole on the south coast of
Cornwall.
lhieeney gys nagh row reamys ayn da ooilley’n pobble. Ren yn skeeal jeh’n thie
mooar goll harrish yn ellan foddey as gerrid, as ren yn sleih çhaglym veih dy
chooilley ayrn jeh lhiattee shen yn ellan veg. Va braar saa yn eirinnagh ayns yn garey
marish e ven-heshey fakin yn sleih goll shaghey, as v’eh feer neu-easal ayns e aigney
nagh row eh son goll dys yn meeiteil marish yn chooid elley jeh’n sleih. Cha voddagh
eh cummal gys e obbyr agh shooyl mygeayrt ayns yn garey marish yn ven.
“Cha vel dooyt erbee,” dooyrt eh rish yn ven ec y jerrey, “nagh beign feer
vooiagh goll gys yn meeiteil marish yn sleih shoh ta goll shaghey dy chlashtyn yn
saggyrt preaçheil lurg ooilley.”
“Cre’n oyr nagh vel oo goll eisht?” dooyrt yn ven.
“Ta mee cooinaght er yn yialdyn ren mee nagh jinnin goll stiagh ayns thie yn
fer shen choud as vee’m bio,” dooyrt eshyn.
“Foddee oo goll stiagh ayns y toalt echey ny-yeih,” dooyrt ish. “Cha vel shen
myr goll stiagh er dorrys yn thie echey.”
Agh cha jinnagh eh goll ny geaishtagh rish ny goan eck. Ayns yn traa shen ren
yn saggyrt goaill toshiaght lesh yn shirveish choud as v’eh hene as yn ven goll
mygeayrt yn garey jeeaghyn harrish ny poseeyn212 ayns yn garey. Va’n fastyr feer
aalin as kiune; cha row ayn agh ennal feer fardalagh dy gheay çheet veih’n toalt lesh
thie yn braar saa. Roish ren eh hene as yn ven faagail yn garey ren ad clashtyn coraa
myr coraa peiagh feer doaltattym.
“Ren oo clashtyn shen?” dooyrt eh.
“Cha ren,” dooyrt ee.
“Ta mee smooinaght dy vel shin clashtyn thassane çheet voish yn toalt,”
dooyrt eh.
Eisht ren ad geaishtagh feer virragh, as ren ad clashtyn dy baghtal yn saggyrt
geamagh magh gloyr gys Jee er yn yrjey. Haink yn coraa harrish meeilley dy
ghrunt—çhaghter Yee gys yn braar saa va cha creoi ayns peccah as nagh jinnagh eh
leih da e vraar shinney.
“O ven,” dooyrt eh, “ren oo chlashtyn shen? Ta’n saggyrt gloyraghey Jee, as ta
shin clashtyn eh meeilley jeh, as ta shinyn ayns shoh shirveish yn jouyl ooilley ny ta
shin son jannoo da!”
Cha dooyrt eh ny smoo. Agh ren eh faagail yn ven gyn-yss jee, as tra honnick
ee dy row eh ersooyl ren ee goll dy yeeaghyn er e hon, as hooar ee eh ayns yn chuillee
er e ghlioonyn ec padjer, as v’eh angaaishagh ayns e annym er çheu-sthie as feer
arryssagh, as v’eh geamagh gys Jee dy yannoo myghin er. Eisht ren yn ven gliooney
marish dy phrayal as dy ghoaill rish e peccaghyn as dy eamagh gys Jee son myghin.
V’ad freayll un sharvaant, as tra ren ee clashtyn ad ec padjer ghow ee lane yindys jeh
er yn oyr nagh ren ee rieau clashtyn ad goaill padjer ayns yn thie, as haink ee gys
dorrys yn chuillee dy eaishtagh roo. Ayns traa gerrid ren ee gennaghtyn dy row ish
ayns feme saualtys myrgeddin, as doshil ee dorrys yn chuillee, as ren ee gliooney rish
lhiattee e benainshter.
Tra va’n meeiteil mooar harrish, va dooinney çheet gys e chummal voish yn
meeiteil, as v’eh dooinney crauee as tra haink eh er-gerrey da thie yn braar saa, ren eh
clashtyn sheean ennagh ayns yn thie, as ren eh goll gys yn dorrys dy eaishtagh. As tra
ren eh clashtyn ad jannoo lheid yn feiyr, doshil eh yn dorrys as hie eh stiagh ayns yn
thie as shen yn boayl hooar eh yn mainshter as yn venainshter as yn çharvaant, yn
three ayns un chuillee moylley Jee as goaill boggey ayns Creest v’er ghoaill ersooyl
212
poseeyn - i.e. English ‘posies’, but in Manx simply ‘flowers’, as in 1 Kings 6:18-35 and Pargys
Caillit l. 1368 (Thomson 1995: 51).
nyn beccaghyn as er chur daue yn feanish firrinagh jeh bea noa as credjal fegooish
dooyt. Myr shen ghow yn dooinney boggey maroo as cheau ad lane jeh’n oie ayns
padjer as booise.
Cha ren mee rieau clashtyn jeh preaçhoor roie ren yn coraa echey goll gys cree
dooinney meeilley jeh agh ta spyrryd Yee pooaral dy liooar dy loayrt rish
cooinsheanse dooinney as dy hoilshagh da yn stayd t’eh ayn. Ta mee er chlashtyn yn
shenn sleih taggloo jeh Saggyrt Aitken keayrt ny ghaa, agh cha ren mee rieau lhaih
red erbee mychione echey er gys nish. Ta feme dy liooar dy jinnagh fer elley jeh’n
sorçh echey çheet gys Mannin ayns ny laghyn shoh, son ta dy chooilley heeloghe
gaase ny s’daaney as goll ny smessey as t’eh feer licklee dy re shen myr neemayd
tannaghtyn gys vees towse nyn beccaghyn er ny lhieeney seose, as ta mee dy mennick
fakin paitçhyn jannoo reddyn nish nagh row mish er yannoo tra va mee my
ghooinney.
Mooie er yn aarkey yn jeihoo laa jeh Mee ny Boaldyn.
1899
36. Screeuyn gys Karl Roeder 1
Cregnaish,
yn un laa yeig as feed jeh yn vee s’jerree jeh’n fouyr ayns yn vlein hoght cheead yeig
kiare feed as shey-jeig.
My charrey deyr,
Ta mee er ghoaill orrym dy screeu ayns ansoor gys yn screeuyn eu jeh’n
chiarroo laa yeig jerkal dy vel shiu ayns slaynt mie as geddyn er dy mie, myr ta mish
braew ec yn traa shoh. Ta ny pianyn cur roym foast. Ny-yeih ta oor ayn dy ve booisal
da Jee son ooilley e vyghin. Ta’n earish feer sterrymagh as feayr ec y traa t’ayn; t’eh
er caghlaa gys yn geurey feer laik. Ta Mainshter Quorryn laccal dy ve cooinit hiu. Ta
my inneen as ny guillyn beggey ayns slaynt vie as wishal dy ve er ny chooinaghtyn
hiu. Ta ny mraane aegey cur lane obbyr dou. Dy beign my scollag aeg nish oddagh eh
ve dy voddin geddyn ben verçhagh agh ta’n ghrian er gholl roud sheear orrym.
Shoh yn chied screeuyn ren mee screeu ayns çhengey ny mayrey Ellan
Vannin, agh ta mee jerkal dy jean shiu goaill my leshtal. Ta mee myr scoillar veagh
goaill toshiaght dy ynsaghey. Ta mee er screeu ny smoo ayns Gaelg er y gherrid shoh
na ren mee screeu ooilley laghyn my vea. Ta mee er hyndaa ‘Yn Moddey as e
Vainshter’ gys Gaelg as ta mee screeu eh dy vod shiu prowal eh vel eh kiart.
[…]213
Ta mee clashtyn jeh ferrishyn agh cha vel ad son cur dou nhee erbee ta feeu dy
chur ayns screeu. Va dooinney ginsh dou dy jagh eh dy helg un oie as haink moddey
bane huggey as v’eh moddey feer yindyssagh. Ren ny moddee echey hene roie
ersooyl as faagail eh agh cha vaik eh rieau moddey gollrish yn moddey shen.
Ta mee gaase skee jeh screeu yn ghlare Manninagh shoh. Veagh eh ny
s’aashagh dou dy screeu ayns glare Sostnagh, son ta beggan goan ayns yn Ghaelg dy
screeu dy baghtal.
Shen-y-fa ta mee cur lesh my screeuyn gys jerrey geearree diu dy chooilley
vannaght as bea liauyr dy screeu shenn raaghyn ammyssagh214 ny shenn Vanninee.
Ta mee myr shen tannaghtyn dty charrey shickyr
213
Here is inserted one of Aesop’s fables, ‘The Dog and his Master’.
Faragher writes ammogh; this is obscure, if it is not a miswriting for ammyssagh i.e. ‘worthy of
respect’.
214
Edward Farquhar
Ta mee goll magh dy chooilley laa dy chiangley arroo geiyrt er yn giareyder. As cha
vel traa aym dy sparail.
37. Screeuyn gys Karl Roeder 2
Creneash,
Yn nah laa jeh’n Vayrt 1899.
My charrey,
Ta mee er ghoaill orrym dy screeu hood ayns çhengey ny mayrey, jerkal dy
vel shiu ayns slaynt vie myr ta shoh faagail mee hene lane vie ec yn imbagh shoh. Ta
mee booisal diu son ny skilleeyn ren shiu coyrt dou son ta ooilley feer ymmyrçhagh.
Ta mee eginit dy gholl gys Crook reesht, agh veagh eh lane s’taitnyssagh dou dy
fuirraght ec y thie as dy ghoaill my aash. Ny-yeih shegin dou laboragh son yn arran ta
çherraghtyn choud as ta Jee sparail mee er yn ooir.
Cha vel traa ec Fer-lhee Clague dy chur cooney erbee dou. Cha vel my vac’sy-leigh geddyn veg share, agh t’eh son rouail mygeayrt ayns yn imbagh aalin shoh.
Ta’n earish fliugh ersooyl shaghey agh t’eh feayr dy mie foast. Ta mish ny s’agglagh
roish yn feayraght na red erbee elley. Va mee smooinaght rhym pene, my va shenn
chooat mooar eu ta ersooyl ass yn fashyn, dy beagh eh aym veagh eh carrey mie ayns
yn oie dy cheau er boayrd yn baatey.
Beemayd goll dy gheddyn aarloo ny baatyn ayns kione shiaghtin elley. Va
mee jerkal dy fuirraght ec y thie yn arragh shoh, myr ta mee er ve rish bleeantyn t’er
gholl shaghey. Agh cha vel ny traaghyn couyral foast. Agh ta’n Goo dy ghra nagh vel
fea erbee ny chour ny mee-chrauee.
Ta Hall Caine feer verçhagh ta’n sleih dy ghra. As ta berçhys bannaght dasyn
ta er chosney eh fegooish peccah. As ta boghtynid mollaght. Ny-yeih cre sheeagh
berçhys da’n dooinney nagh lhig e chree da ymmyd y yannoo jeh, as cre baillish yn
dooinney sondagh jeh argid? Eshyn ta çhaglym liorish molley e chorp hene, t’eh
çhaglym son feallagh elley, nee baarail e chooid dy rouanagh. Eshyn ta olk rish hene,
quoi rish vees eh mie? Cha vel fer ayn ny smessey na eshyn ta mooaraghey da hene,
as ta shoh cooilleeney er e olkys. Myr shen nee dy chooilley ghooinney shassoo son
echey hene.
Ta’n sleih jannoo lane kiartaghyn cour joarreeyn, troggal thieyn son aaght
daue. My vee’m spaarit dy gheddyn thie voish Crook reesht, bee lane caghlaa ayns
Mannin. Ta my inneen as ooilley yn lught-thie geearree dy ve cooinit hiu, as ta Mr
Keig myrgeddyn. T’eh ayns shoh dy mennick. Cha vel red erbee elley aym dy insh
diu ec yn traa t’ayn. Myr shoh ta mee coyrt jerrey er yn screeuyn as tannaghtyn foast
dty charrey firrinagh,
Edward Farquhar.
38. Screeuyn gys Karl Roeder 3
Crookhaven
Yn trass laa jeh April 1899.
My charrey deyr,
Ren mee geddyn yn screeuyn eu Jedoonee as ta mee goaill yn caa shoh dy
ansoor ad. Ta shin ayns Crook rish kegeesh, agh cha vel shin er ve geeastagh foast.
Ren shin geddyn traa feer feayr çheet gys Crook agh ta’n earish er chaghlaa: ayns
ynnyd feayraght ta ain kay as fliaghey. As cha vel eh jeeaghyn monney share foast.
Jedoonee ren mee geddyn yn screeuyn as ren mee geddyn screeuyn voish
Mannin ec yn un traa. Cha vel caa aym dy screeu monney er boayrd baatey son cha
vel reamys ayns yn cabbane. Tra ta’n çheshaght ooilley ayn cha vel mee abyl jannoo
red erbee. Ren mee fakin ayns yn pabyr Manninagh mychione oc taggloo Gaelg as
kiaulleeagh ayns Gaelg ec Doolish. As va sluight dy phingyn goll mygeayrt neesht.
Cha vel eh veg agh boirey my aigney screeu ayns yn daa ghlare: ta mee gaase
skee jeh. Tra ta my chumraagyn lhie as cadley, shen yn traa ta caa aym’s dy screeu, ga
dy vel feme aym’s er cadley myr ny deiney elley. Ta ny shenn ferrishyn va goll
mygeayrt ayns Creneash tra va mish aeg ooilley er gheddyn baase ny ersooyl gys
çheer ennagh elley. Ta mee ayns shoh rish jeih laa as cha vel mee er gheddyn er
thalloo dy akin my chaarjyn ayns Nerin foast. Cha vel ad er chur yn lioar er gys Crook
as t’eh ny share faagail ee ec y thie, son cha bee traa aym jannoo monney rish lioaryn
gys vees yn imbagh shoh harrish, as my vee’m spaarit dy akin Mannin veen reesht.
Cha vel skeeal noa aym dy insh diu, myr shoh ta jerrey er yn screeuyn as ta
mee tannaghtyn foast dty charrey firrinagh,
Edward Farquhar.
39. Screeuyn gys John Kewley215 1
Purt Çhiarn
yn nuyoo laa as feed jeh Mee veanagh yn tourey 1906.
My charrey deyr,
Ta mish geearree dy çhyndaa booise diu son cooinaghtyn orrym ayns traa dy
feme, son cha vel mee jannoo monney dy obbyr. Ta my yuntyn cha lane dy phianyn
as ta mee failleil cour yn traa. Ny-yeih ta lane oyr aym dy ve booisal da Jee son
ooilley e vyghin, son she liorish grayse ta mee tayrn my ennal. Ta mee gennaghtyn yn
traa feer liauyr as ta mee dy mennick screeu padjeryn as arraneyn spyrrydoil dy chur
shaghey yn traa. Ta’n gioot ta shiu er choyrt hym er jeet ayns traa feer femoil.
Tra ta’n earish aalin as çheh t’eh jannoo gerjagh dou agh cha vel monney
taitnys aym ayns earish fliugh. Ga dy vel mee piandagh ny cheayrtyn, ny-yeih ta’n
traa goll dy siyragh. Ta shin er scughey voish Purt le Moirrey gys Purt Çhiarn jerkal
dy yannoo ny share. Ta mee gaase skee jeh rouail noon as noal son cha vel mee abyl
shooyl myr va mee ayns bleeantyn t’er gholl shaghey. Ta my inneen fargagh ny
cheayrtyn son nagh vel mee cur monney cooney jee. Agh ta mee eginit dy chummal
my hengey son cha voddym jannoo ny share. Ta mee nish cur seose dy screeu ny
smoo ec yn traa t’ayn as cur gura mie mooar diu.
Dy firrinagh lhiuish,
215
John Kewley (1860-1941) was vicar of Arbory from 1891 to 1912, and rector of Andreas and
archdeacon between 1912 and 1938. ‘He was an encyclopaedia of Manx history, folklore, civil and
ecclesiastical usages, antiquities and language. His learning was never paraded, but his knowledge and
advice were available to all. He was [a] man of very simple tastes and was equally at home with
scholars or with people on the farms of Arbory and Andreas… He undoutedly learned much folklore
when visiting his people, with whom he could converse in Manx. He revived Manx services at which
he preached himself. Until the end of his life he firmly believed that the Manx language would survive’
(Gelling 1998: 184). He was a good friend of Faragher’s, and the stories and reminiscences in this
volume were written down for him.
Edward Faragher.
40. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 2
Blackwell216 Feb 14th 1907
My charrey deyr,
Ta mee jerkal dy vel shiu ayns slaynt vie as abyl freayll shiu hene çheh ayns
yn earish feayr shoh. Er-lhiam dy vel eh ny s’feayr ayns shoh na ren mee rieau
gennaghtyn eh ayns Mannin, agh ta palçhey geayl ayns shoh son aile as ta feme dy
liooar rish. Cha vel mee er ve mooie rish laghyn son t’eh er ve ceau sniaghtey as
fliugh. Agh ta çhyrmagh ayn jiu as ta mee kiarail dy gholl er walkal. Ta mee
gennaghtyn yn traa feer liauyr as t’eh feer feayr dy hoie screeu, as cha vel mee abyl
screeu myr va mee cliaghtey son ta my laue goaill toshiaght dy chraa as cha vel mee
cha taitnyssagh er screeu as va mee cliaghtey. Ny-yeih cha vel red erbee elley aym dy
yannoo dy chur shaghey yn traa.
[…]217
Ta mee nish jannoo jerrey er my screeuyn, as tannaghtyn nyn shirveishagh
biallagh,
Edward Faragher.
41. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 3
28.VI.07.
My charrey deyr, ta mee feer wooisal diu son yn gioot ta shiu er choyrt dou. Ta mee
geearree dy ve booisal da Jee son e vyghin as e hurranse-foddey as ooilley
bannaghtyn yn vea shoh. Cha vel mee screeu monney nish, Gaelg ny Baarle, son ta
my laue craa ny cheayrtyn as cha vel mee son screeu. Cha vel mee gennaght aslayntys
erbee agh rheumatism, ta mennick lhiettal mee voish rouail myr ta mee geearree.
Ta mee faagit ny lomarcan jiu. Ta my vac ersooyl marish brigad ny guillyn er
gys oirr yn cheayn as s’arryltagh va mish er goll maroo dy akin yn keayn keayrt elley.
Ta red gollrish margey er ve ayns shoh rish laghyn, as ta ymmodee sleih voish ny
baljyn beggey mygeayrt er ve geiyrt er yn ommijys oc. Cha vel eh jannoo cosney da
veg jeh’n sleih ayns shoh agh da fer yn thie-oast, as ren yn fliaghey çheet noi oc son
t’eh er ve fliugh as feayr slane yn vee, as cha row Mee Voaldyn monney share.
Cha vel naight noa erbee aym dy insh diu agh dy vel my inneen as e mec
ooilley er gheddyn obbyr ayns Canada as jannoo mie. Ta mee geearree dy jean shiu
cooinaghtyn mee gys Fer-lhee Clague tra nee shiu meeiteil eh; cha vel fer erbee elley
ta mee smooinaght briaght mychione aym.
216
‘In 1906 Lina [Faragher’s daughter with whom he had been living in Port Erin and Port St. Mary,
see the previous letter above] was persuaded to emigrate to Canada, and did so with her three boys
towards the end of that year. As Ned Beg had no one to look after him—his wife having died some
years before—his son William Albert, who was working as a joiner/P.T. instructor at Blackwell
Colliery in Derbyshire, came over and took his father back with him. In late January 1907, Ned Beg
left Cregneash for Blackwell’ Broderick (1981: 114). Blackwell is a small mining village in the east of
Derbyshire.
217
Here follows some religious proverbs in Manx, either of Faragher’s own invention or translated, and
a short poem in English about Derbyshire. These are omitted.
Nish çhyndaa booise diu son yn gioot shoh reesht, ta mee cur jerrey er yn
screeuyn as tannaghtyn nyn shirveishagh arryltagh,
Edward Faragher
42. Screeuyn gys John Kewley 4
Blackwell December 1907
My charrey deyr,
Ollick reagh as blein vie noa diu tra hig ee. Ta mee jerkal dy bee eh laa Ollick
aalin dy vod shiu goaill walkal mygeayrt as dy bee nyn gaarjyn çheet dy akin shiu. Er
my hon hene cha vel mee jerkal rish monney gennalys ny carrey erbee çheet dy akin
mee son ta mee my yoarree ayns yn ynnyd shoh: myr screeu yn shenn phoet ‘she
joarree ayns yn seihll ta mish agh imlee goaill jurnaa’. Ta’n traa ersooyl shaghey tra
veign smooinaght lesh lane taitnys er yn Ollick as dy rouail marish my chumraagyn as
dy gholl er yn unnysop218 as er ny quaalteeyn219 daa oor roish yn laa. ‘Dooinney ta ny
lhie marish ben dooinney elley t’eh boght da girree ayns traa’220.
Ta paart jeh ny shenn chliaghteeyn shen currit sheese agh t’ad goll er ny
quaalteeyn foast as t’ad ginsh dou dy vel yn cliaghtey shen cummit seose oc ayns yn
ayrn shoh myrgeddin. Tra va mish cummal ayns Liverpool veagh ad briaght jeem
shiaghtin ro-laue dy heet son quaaltagh son dy row palçhey folt er my eddin, son cha
row ad laccal fegooish palçhey faasaag agh dooinney mollagh. Ny-yeih cha vel yn
Ollick traa son reaid as ommijys agh traa dy ve booisal da nyn Ayr flaunyssagh son
yn gioot jeh e vac nagh jinnagh quoi-erbee yinnagh credjal ayn çherraghtyn agh yn
vea dy bragh farraghtyn y chosney.
As nish ta mee tannaghtyn slane lhiu hene
E Faragher.
Geearree diu,
Ollick reagh as blein feer vie,221
Luck222 as slaynt da’n slane lught-thie,
Bea as gennalys eu bio ry cheilley,
Shee as graih eddyr mraane as deiney,
Cooid as couryn, stock as stoyr,
Palçhey puddase as scaddan dy liooar,
Arran as caashey, eeym as roayrt,223
Baase mie lugh224 ayns yllin225 as soalt,
218
unnysop - ‘I believe the English tune known as The Hunt is up was commonly played at this visit
[the quaaltagh]. These words, corrupted in the south of the Island into “Unnysup,” and in the north of
the Island into “Wandescope,” are used for the gifts given to the “White-boys” and other performers at
Christmas.’ (Paton 2004: 29) .
219
quaaltagh - first-foot, ‘the first visitor to the house after midnight on the last day of the year: i.e. the
first visitor on New Year’s Day’ (Paton 2004: 25).
220
An extract from the Unnysup song, which is recorded in Manx Notes and Queries (Roeder 1904: 38)
as: Goll er yn unnesup, goll er yn unnesup, / Daa oor roish yn laa, / Dooinney ta ny lhie marish ben
dooinney elley, / Te bwaagh dy girree ayns traa.
221
A version of a well-known rhyme found in Cregeen’s Dictionary s.v. quaaltagh. Faragher adds the
last two lines.
222
Luck as slaynt - Cregeen’s version has seihll as slaynt ‘long life and health’.
223
roayrt - this word is somewhat obscure. Paton (2004: 28-29) changes it to rouyr (i.e. roauyr) and
translates it ‘fat’, but a noun is needed, not an adjective; perhaps it is a form of roauyrid or riurid.
Cadley sauçhey tra hig shiu dy lhie,
As feeacklyn yn jargan nagh bee dy mie:
Lhig da’n vlein noa ve blein dy hee,
As bannit liorish bannaght Yee.
Cha vel lane maynrys ny lane gien226
’Sy theihll tra ta mee er naase shenn,
Agh ayns traa gerrid bee’m ec shee
Jarroodit as jarrood dagh nhee.
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224
Baase mie lugh - In Cregeen’s version baase myr lugh. According to Paton (2004: 29), ‘“Death like
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225
yllin - Cregeen’s version has uillin ny soalt which Paton (2004: 29) translates as ‘nook of a barn’.
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226
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