[ 71 ]1. Faġann ciaróg ciaróg eile. |
[ 72 ]1. One chafer finds another (i.e., one ugly person finds another). |
[ 71 ]2. Dá ṁince ṫéiḋeanns an crúisgín go dtí an tobar, bristear é air deireaḋ. |
[ 72 ]2. Tho’ often the pitcher goes to the well, it gets broken at last. |
[ 71 ]3. Tobac ’ndiaiḋ bíḋ, is air ḃean an tiġe atá sin. |
[ 72 ]3. Tobacco after food is to be provided by the housewife. |
[ 71 ]4. Ní’l ḟios ag éinneaċ cé ’n áit a ġoilleanns an ḃróg, aċt an té atá ġá ċaiṫeaṁ. |
[ 72 ]4. No person knows where the shoe pinches but the person that is wearing it. |
[ 71 ]5. Is iomḋa sórt ceól, mar duḃairt an fear a raiḃ an trompa maide aige. |
[ 72 ]5. There is many a sort of music, as the man said that had the wooden trumpet. |
[ 71 ]6. Is cosaṁlaċt droċ-aimsire, tóin an ċait leis an teiniḋ. |
[ 72 ]6. It is the sign of bad weather, the cat’s back to the ire. |
[ 71 ]7. An té naċ ḃfaġann an ḟeóil, is mór an sóġ leis an anḃruiṫ. |
[ 72 ]7. He who does not get the meat finds great consolation in the broth.
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[ 71 ]8. ’Siad na daoine boḋra a ġníḋeas na bréuga. |
[ 73 ]8. It is the deaf people that make the lies. |
[ 71 ]9. Bíḋeann bolg le gréin go minic folaṁ. |
[ 73 ]9. A belly to the sun is often empty. |
[ 71 ]10. Is furas fuil do ḃuaint as cúl carraċ. |
[ 73 ]10. It is easy to make a scabby head bleed. |
[ 71 ]11. Ná corruiġ é, mar duḃairt an ḃean ḟalsa leis an bpota bréun. |
[ 73 ]11. Don't stir it, as the lazy woman said of the stinking pot. |
[ 71 ]12. Táir ċoṁ bréugaċ leis an ḃfear aduḃairt gur ċuala sé an féur a’ fás.
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[ 73 ]12. You are as great a liar as the man who said he heard the grass growing. |
[ 72 ]13. Is ualaċ eudtrom foġluim, aċt is áḋḃar aċrainn í go minic. |
[ 73 ]13. Learning is a light load, but it is often a cause of contention. |
[ 72 ]14. Saoileann an t-amadán, naċ ḃfuil aon duine críonna aċt é ḟéin. |
[ 73 ]14. The fool thinks there is no one wise but himself. |
[ 72 ]15. ’San áit i mbíḋeann mná bíḋeann caint, ’gus san áit i mbíḋeann laċain bíḋeann salċar. |
[ 73 ]15. Where there are women there is talk, and where there are ducks there is dirt. |
[ 72 ]16. Saoileann an preuċán gur deise a éun féin ioná aon éun eile sa gcoill. |
[ 73 ]16. The crow thinks that his own bird is prettier than any other bird in the wood. |
[ 72 ]17. Is iomḋa rioċt i n-a dtagann an bás. |
[ 73 ]17. Death comes in many forms. |
[ 72 ]18. Is feárr marcuiġeaċt air ġaḃar, ioná siúḃal coise. |
[ 73 ]18. Riding on a goat is better than travelling on foot. |
[ 72 ]19. Ríoġaċt uile ḋuine, a intinn féin. |
[ 73 ]19. Every man’s mind is his kingdom. |
[ 72 ]20. Is luġa ioná friġde máṫair na hurċóide. |
[ 73 ]20. Smaller than a fleshworm is the mother of mischief. |
[ 72 ]21. Tá tú ċoṁ mí-náireaċ le circ ġoir. |
[ 73 ]21. You are as shameless as a clucking hen. |
[ 72 ]22. Tá do ċaint ċoṁ bríoġṁar le sgáile. |
[ 73 ]22. Your talk has as much substance as a shadow. |
[ 72 ]23. Déanfaiḋ tú é, nuair a ḋéanfas an ċuaċ nead. |
[ 73 ]23. You will do it when the cuckoo builds a nest. |
[ 72 ]24. Ní hé an maide pota a ġníḋeas an leite, aċt min. |
[ 73 ]24. It is not the potstick that makes the stirabout, but meal. |
[ 72 ]25. Tá droċ-ainm ċoṁ dona le droċ-ḃualaḋ. |
[ 73 ]25. A bad name is as bad as a bad beating. |
[ 72 ]26. ’San áit i mbíḋeann deataċ, bíḋeann súil le teas. |
[ 73 ]26. Where there is smoke, there is expectation of heat. |
[ 72 ]27. Ná marḃ an ċráin go mbeiḋ an t-ál coṫuiġṫe. |
[ 73 ]27. Don't kill the sow till the brood is reared. |
[ 72 ]28. Mur gcuiriḋ tú san earraċ, ní ḃuainfiḋ tú san ḟoġṁar. |
[ 73 ]28. If you don’t sow in spring you won’t reap in harvest. |
[ 72 ]29. Ná leig do rún le cloiḋe go mbeiḋ aṁarc agad ṫar a ḃárr. |
[ 73 ]29. Don’t tell your secret to a ditch till you have a look over the top. |
[ 72 ]30. Má’s mian leat níḋ do ḟuagra, innis mar rún do ḃean é. |
[ 73 ]30. If you want to advertise a thing, tell it as a secret to a woman. |
[ 72 ]31. Ní’l maiṫ ag cur láiṁe i bpóca folaṁ. |
[ 73 ]31. There is no good in putting a hand into an empty pocket. |
[ 72 ]32. Tig le dall a ḃealaċ do ḟaġáil go dtí a ḃéul, aċt ní uile lá a ġaḃfas se girrḟiaḋ. |
[ 73 ]32. A blind man can find his way to his mouth, but it is not every day that he can catch a hare. |
[ 72 ]33. Ní’l mórán sóġa i dtiontóḋ léine salaiġe. |
[ 73 ]33. There is not much comfort in turning a dirty shirt. |
[ 72 ]34. Ní ḃíḋeann fáilte roiṁ an té a ḃíḋeanns ag iarraiḋ iasaċd’. |
[ 73 ]34. There is no welcome for one who borrows. |
[ 72 ]35. Tá déirc i ndeoċ ḃláṫaiġ, aċt tá ḋá ḋéirc i ndeoċ leaṁnaċt’. |
[ 73 ]35. There is charity in a drink of buttermilk, but there are two charities in a drink of new milk. |
[ 72 ]36. Ná taḃair an ḃréug go mbeiḋ tú réiḋ le buille. |
[ 73 ]36. Don’t give the lie till you are ready with a blow. |
[ 72 ]37. Druid do ḋorn sul má dtugann tú an ḃréug. |
[ 73 ]37. Shut your fist before you give the lie. |
[ 72 ]38. Bainis an ġortáin, fata agus sgadán. |
[ 73 ]38. The miser’s wedding—a potato and a herring. |
[ 72 ]39. Ċoṁ geanaṁuil le sgadán, nár gaḃaḋ riaṁ air son a ḃuilg. |
[ 73 ]39. As decent as a herring, that never was caught for the sake of his belly. |
[ 72 ]40. Tá sé mar an macalla, ní’l ’ḟios ag éinneaċ a áit ċoṁnuiḋe. |
[ 73 ]40. He is like the echo, no one knows where he lives. |
[ 72 ]41. Geall mórán agus beiḋ go leór dod’ ṫóruiḋeaċt. |
[ 73 ]41. Promise much, and there will be many in search of you. |
[ 72 ]42. Ní ṫig le mála folaṁ seasaṁ, no le cat marḃ siuḃal. |
[ 73 ]42. An emply sack cannot stand, nor a dead cat walk. |
[ 72 ]43. Teaċtaire o Ḋia do ċoinne, agus nár imṫiġiḋ sé folaṁ. |
[ 73 ]43. A messenger from God for you, and may he not go empty (said by a woman when her child cried). |
[ 72 ]44. Ní’l fios air ṡóġ mur mbí anṡóġ roiṁe. |
[ 73 ]44. Comfort is not known, if poverty does not come before it. |
[ 72 ]45. Ag cuir claiḋe ṫimċioll ġoirt leis an ċuaċ do ċongḃáil istiġ. |
[ 73 ]45. Putting a ditch round a field to keep the cuckoo in. |
[ 72 ]46. Ag tóruiḋeaċt dreancaide i measg carnán clúṁaċ. |
[ 73 ]46. Searching for a flea among a heap of feathers. |
[ 72 ]47. An níḋ naċ ḃfeiceann súil, ní ḃrónann croiḋe. |
[ 73 ]47. What is not seen by the eye does not grieve the heart. |
[ 72 ]48. Laḃair go socair, bíḋeann cluasa ag ballaiḋe. |
[ 73 ]48. Speak easy, walls have ears. |
[ 72 ]49. Ḃeireann deór ó ṡúil suaiṁneas do ċroiḋe. |
[ 73 ]49. A tear from the eye eases the heart. |
[ 72 ]50. Tagann fata mór as póirín. |
[ 73 ]50. A large potato comes from a small seed. |
[ 72 ]51. Is fearr sgríobaḋ an ṗota, ioná líġeaḋ na leice. |
[ 73 ]51. The scrapings of the pot is better than the lickings of the lid. |
[ 72 ]52. Bíḋeann muiriġin níos mó ag dreóilín, ioná ag fiaċ duḃ. |
[ 73 ]52. The wren has a bigger family than the raven. |
[ 72 ]53. Sgadán air fód fuar i ḃ-fad suas o’n teiniḋ. |
[ 73 ]53. A herring on a cold sod far up from the fire. |
[ 72 ]54. Is maiṫ díol go lá, aċt ní fearr ná go bráṫ. |
[ 73 ]54. It is good to have enough till morning, but not better than for ever. |
[ 72 ]55. D’ḟoirfeaḋ rud ar biṫ do ḟear noċduiġṫe. |
[ 73 ]55. Anything will fit a naked man. |
[ 72 ]56. Bíḋeann cuiṁne fada ag sean-ṗáisde. |
[ 73 ]56. An old child has a long recollection. |
Notes.
18. Other forms of this proverb: Is fearr marcuiġeaċt ar biṫ ’ná do-ċoisiḋeaċt, any riding is better than bad walking (Tyrone); is fearr marcuiġeaċt ar ġaḃar ’ná coisiḋeaċt dá ḟeaḃas, riding on a goat is better than walking at its best (Munster).—E. McN.
39. The following is a rhymed variant of this proverb:
Gráḋ mo ċroiḋe an sgadán nár gaḃaḋ ariaṁ i
gcóisir,
’G-a pléiṫin ar maidin ⁊ ’g-a gaḃail tráṫnóna
(Louth).—S. L.
56. In the time of Henry VIII. a kind of organization of freebooters existed in the West of Ireland called the “Old Children.” The proverb may contain an allusion to this body.—E. McN.