Page:Gaelic Journal - No 48 Vol 4.pdf/68

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[page]93. A crowd of women or a flock of geese (examples of noise).

94. He who is on the fence is a good driver or guide (perhaps better an t-iománaiḋe, hurler).

95. Gentleness is better than violence or rashness [borb-raċt, a violent fit].

96. The angels know each other

97. The madman thinks himself the wise man.

98. Avoid the tavern, or limpets are your food.

99. Correction is never too late. It is never too late to mend.

100. It is a bad stomach that does not warm or heat its own.

101. Youth or youthfulness is mad.

102. He who is well-off is thought much of; he who is down is trodden or kept down [not literal].

103. For a shameless person, it is easier to do his business.

104. He who is without store, his noise is
not thought much of in society.
He who is without store, is not called
to a wedding party.
He who is without store, has no right
to be spending or calling.
He who is without store, is the sport
of the world's misfortunes.

105. The duck is no weight on a lake.
The bridle is no weight on a horse.
The wool is no weight to a sheep.
Sense is no weight to a body.

106. (When) the rich man makes mirth,
Every person says that his voice is
most harmonious,
But sourer than a salty dandelion
Is the voice of the poor man when
making music.

107. The rubbish or crumbs are only where the tree is felled.

108. Practice makes perfect (lit., from the work comes the learning).

109. When food is scarcer, it is then that it is juster to divide it.


PROVERBS.

Galway:—Is naṁaid an ċeird gan a foġluim, a trade not learned is an enemy. Ní’l amadán ar biṫ gan a ċiall féin, there is no fool who has not his own kind of sense. Líontar an sac lé póiríniḃ, a sack can be filled even with poreens (small refuse potatoes). Is fearr leaṫ ioná meaṫ, one (sound) half is better than a deceased whole (crop). Tá ’ċ euil ḟear go láġaċ go dtéiḋ bó ’na ġarrḋa, everyone is affable until a cow goes into his garden. Té buailtear ’san mullaċ, biḋeann faitċíos air, the man struck in the skull is (afterwards) afraid (cautious). Ní h-iad na fir ṁóra a ḃaineas an foġṁar, it is not the big men who reap all the harvest. Tíoġḃas na píġne, a’s dul i muḋa na sgillinge, economy of a penny, loss of a shilling (= penny wise, pound foolish). This word, tíoġḃas, the older, tíġeas, is still used in that form in Munster; as ag déanaṁ an tíġis, housekeeping. Níor ḋúin Dia beárna naċ ḃfoisgleoċaḋ sé bearna, God never closed a gap, that He would not open a gap. Ní ḃiḋeann feur na ceud-ċoda buiḋeaċ ná díoṁbuiḋeaċ, the man who gets the first share is neither thankful (satisfied) or unthankful. Ag tuilleaḋ is ag tráġaḋ, ’seaḋ ċaiṫeann sé an lá, flowing and ebbing, it spends the day. Is mairg ġniḋeas an t-olc, ’s a ḃiḋeas go boċt ’na ḋiaiḋ, miserable is he who does evil, and who is poor after it. Is dána muc ioná gaḃar, aċt ṡáruiġ bean an diaḃal, a pig is more impudent than a goat, but a woman surpasses all. I ḃfad uainn an anaċain, may evil keep away from us.

Cork (Seandún):—Mol an óige a’s tiocfaiḋ sí, praise youth, and it will come—a reproof to unkind people. Is mó croiceann a ċuireas an óige ḋí, many a skin does youth cast off. Ní ṫagann ciall rime (roiṁe) aois, sense comes not before full age. Both proverbs mean that young people will become wiser as they grow older. Is luaċṁar an niḋ an óige, do’n té ċuireann í ar fóġnaṁ, a precious thing is youth to him who puts it to good use. Is olc a ṫéiḋeann deireaḋ fir ċnáide, a giber ends badly; or, is olc an ċríoċ a ḃeireann