PROVERBS — MUNSTER

Ní i gcómhnuidhe bhíonn Domhnall Buidhe dhá
phósadh.
It is not always yellow Donal will be
marrying.

Má phósann tú 'n-aon chor, pós anuraidh.
If you marry at all, marry last year.

Drannadh madra nó gáire Sacsanaigh.
The grin of a dog or the laugh of a Saxon.

Bíonn caora dhubh i dtosach uair éigin.
A black sheep is first sometime.

Ní bhíonn treun buan.
Bravery is not lasting.

A anam féin ar ghualainn gach aonne(ich).
Each man 's soul on his own shoulders.

Maol guala gan bráthair.
Bare (is) a shoulder without a brother.
Woe to him who is friendless.

Mairg a bhíonn a dtír gan duine aige féin.
Woe to him who has no friend in a country.

Is folláin é fear 'n-a dhúthaigh.
A man is healthy in his own country.

Cad é an iongnadh bean ar meisge ach
spadallach fir!

What wonder (to see) a woman drunk but
a churlish rude man!

Is fear focal sa' chúirt na bonn sa'
sparán.
A word at court is better than a groat in
the purse.

Is mairg a bhíonn go holc agus go bocht 'n-a
dhiaidh.
Woe to him who is bad, and wretched
afterwards.

An rud a bailighthear go bocht, imthigheann
go holc.
What is hoarded poorly goes badly.

Aimsigheann an donas a dhuine féin i gcómh-
nuidhe.
Misfortune always finds its own.

Ná déin nós agus ná bris nós.
Don't make custom and don't break custom.

Ritheann an dúthchas trí shúilibh an chait.
The law of heredity runs through a cat's
eyes.

Gach aonne(ach) mar a dhúthchas.
Everybody (is) as it is “kind” for him.

Is fearrde bean leand, acht is misde dhi
beirt.
A woman is the better of a child, but not of
two.

Donnchadh Ó Súilleabháin
(Ceannmara)

Is fada o'n stuaim an stocairiocht.
“Blowing one's own trumpet” is far from
modesty.

Ní bhíonn an rath acht mar a mbíonn an
smacht.
There is no prosperity where there is not
chastisement.

P.C.

An té nach múineann Dia ní mhúineann duine.
He who is not taught of God, is not taught
of man.

Ní fearr an iomad léighinn ná bheith fé n-a
bhun.
Too much learning is not better than too
little.

Chuaidh biadh go dtí triar ar bhruach locha léin,
Díth an biadh an triar agus tháinig sé féin.

Fiolar rug ar chath agus thug go dtí a nead é;
d'fhág sé an cat 'san neid leis na trí
heunaibh óga. D'ith an cat iad, agus ann-
sain tháinig abhaile slán folláin.

Duine gan mhaith gan olc.

A nondescript, neither good nor bad.

Bean Domhnaigh, capall samhraidh, agus bó
aonaigh.

A woman dressed in her best Sunday
clothes, a horse in the summer season,
and a cow fattened for a fair. (Three
things not to be judged by appearance).

Breab an rógaire agus ní baoghal duit an
duine macánta.

Bribe the rogue; you need not fear the
honest man.

Dearmad an chléirigh ar a chlog.

The clerk forgetting the bell. Said of any
act of gross forgetfulness.

Luigh leis an uan agus éirigh leis an eun.

Go to rest at the same time as the lamb,
and rise at the same time as the bird.