Corpas

VARIOUS PROVERBS, &c., FROM
CORK.

1.  Is breagh an saoghal ort, a mhic ó, mar
(muna) an déirc a dheireadh dhuit, you
have fine times, my lad, if poverty is
not the end of it.  Má's eadh féin, is
aorach an obair é, even so, 'tis an
easy life.  A mhic ó is frequesnt, c.f.,
boyo in English; by boyo or lado in
many places is meant a scamp.
Déirc, literally charity,= Dé-sheirc,
God-love.

2.  Ná beir leat gur mise dubhairt é, don't
bring away the impression that 'twas
I said it.

3.  Ar mhaithe leis féin dheineann an cat
crónán for its own good the cat
purs.

4.  Dá mbeidheadh coigeann ag an gcat, is
minic a rachadh sé dá fheuchaint, if the
cat had a churn, 'tis often he'd go to
inspect it; or, ba mhinic a bhas ann,
he'd often have his paw in it (ag
deánamh or ag bualadh maistreadh is
also used for “making a churning.”)

5.  Tá ceobhraon ann, there is a mist.
There are many words for mist, ceo,
cuisne, ceobhrán, ceofarnach, cafar-
nach, ceobharnach.

6.  Ag pógadh an leinbh le grádh do'n mban-
airtle (banaltra), kissing the child
for love of the nurse, humouring
people who can influence others.

7.  Tá sé mar a cruthuigheadh abhras fé, he
is as he was made to be, lit., as his
material was shaped; abhras, web of
cloth.

8.  Ní cathair mar a thuairisg Corcaigh, Cork
is not as (great as) its name.

9.  Go réidhidh Dia an bóthar dá anam, may
God smooth the way for his soul.

10.  Ólfad anois é, agus ólfad mo dhaoisgín
ar ball é, I'll drink it now, and my
child will drink it bye-and-bye.  Said
by a nurse.

11.  Go ndíolair d'fhiacha le Dia na glóire,
may you pay your debts to the God
of glory (in this world, and thus
escape punishment in the next).

<L 89>
12.  Tá an bainne ag dul in adharcaibh na
mbó, the milk is going into the cows'
horns.  Said when they are getting
dry.

13.  Ta sé sa mhuilionn orm, 'tis failing on
me, lit., going into the mill.

14.  Cuir do bhóthar dhíot, béidh do rath go
h-eudtrom ort.  Má's eadtrom, is
fusa dhom é iomchar, start off, your
luck will be light; if so, 'twill be
easier to carry.  The work bóthar is
often omitted, as, cuir dhíot, go
a-head start; bhí sé ag cur dhe, he
was going a-head.

15.  Níor chaill fear an chodlata riamh é, the
man of sleep (who sleeps) never lost
it.  Said by a sluggard.

16.  Nuair bhidheann an bolg lán, bidheann
na cnámha aig iarraidh an tsuaimhnis,
when hunger is satisfied, the bones
want rest.

17.  Cionnos atá do gharraidhe ag teacht ar
aghaidh?  Ní'l sé ar fóghnamh;  d'fhágas
fé Dhia é, agus d'fhág Dia fúm-sa é,
agus eadrainn araon d'imthigh an
diabhal air, how is your garden
doing?  'Tis not doing well; I left
it to God, and God left it to me, and
between us both, it went to the bad.

18.  Mara (muna) bhfuil sé san sparán
agam, tá sé 'sna cnámha agam, if I
haven't it in my purse, I have it in
my bones (reply of a lazy man).

19.  Fear fuar failligheach.  Fear breagh
breun.  Examples of alliteration.
Fear fuar fada feusógach failli-
gheach.

20.  Tá a dóithin d'fhear ann, he's a good
enough husband for her; so, also
tá a dhóithin de mhnaoi innte.

21.  Nuair bhidheann an leabhar agam, ní
bhidheann an léigheann agam, when I
have the book, I have not the learn-
ing, i.e. don't know how to act, when
I have the opportunity.

22.  Tabhartas Ui Chaoimh, agus a dhá shúil
'na dhiaidh, O'Keeffe's gift, and his
two eyes offer it.  For O'Keeffe, Uí
Bhriain and Uí Néill are also used;
the former seems to be right, as it
has assonance with dhiaidh.

23.  Bás na gcat san earrach chughat, the
cat's death in spring to you!

24.  Briseadh a's brúghadh ar do chnámhaibh,
breaking and bruising on your bones.
In Cork, also, cosa circe fút, a's iad
go briste fút, hen's feet under you,
and they broken.

25.  Basgadh a's beárnadh ort, beating and
injury (gapping) to you.

26.  Ní cheadóchainn ar m'anam é, I would
not wish it (permit it) for my life.
(In the West is said, ní cheidneóchainn,
or sometimes ní chreidneóchainn.  Also
níor cheidnighthe liom.  They also use
cumha; ní chuirfinn púnt 'na chumha, I
would not wish it for a pound. —
E.O'G.)

27.  Níor cheaduighthe dhuit ar bhróig do choise
deise é, t'would be a hazard  for you.

28.  Ba lag liom é a dhéanamh air, I would
think it beneath me (weak, mean) to
do it to him.

29.  Trosgadh an chuit cheann-fhinn; itheann
feoil a's ní ólann bainne, the fast of
the white-headed cat, it eats meat,
and does not drink milk (compare
“strain at a gnat but swallow a
camel.”)

30.  Is fear fial é Seaghan, nuair bhidheann
a bholg féin lán, John is generous
when he himself is satisfied.

31.  Ní mairtre (martra) go daille agus
ní daille go buile, no martyrdom
great as blindness, no blindness so
great as madness.

32.  Leigheadh cabhair na h-abhann ort, the
melting of the froth of the river in
you.

<L 90>
33.  Imtheacht gé an oileáin ort, imtheacht gan
filleadh go bráth ort, the banish-
ment of the geese of the island to
you, never to return.

34. Is mairg a bhidheann i dtír gach duine
aige féin, mar is i lá na bruighne a
luidheann an bata (buille) ar a
thaobh; 's nuair a tharroc chum cille
ní bhidheann a charaid 'n a dhéidh, woe
to him who is alone in a land, 'tis
in the day of strife the stick (blow)
shall fall (lie) on his side, and when
he is buried his friend shall not
follow his remains.  What is tarroc?

35.  Cia b'é theidheann as nó nach dteidheann
as, ní theidheann fear na h-eadara-
gála as, whoever escapes or does
not escape, the intervener (peace-
maker) does not escape.  Eadaragála
may be for eadarghabhála, or for
eadargána, gen. of eadargáin is
said, and in English (!) the old peo-
ple say, “A. and B. were disputing ,
and C. was making a dhriscaun be-
tween them.”

36.  Dá mbeidheadh soineann go Samhain,
bheidheadh breall ar dhuine éigin, if
there was calm weather to November,
some one would have a surly face
(would be discontented).

37.  Is eusguidhe neoin ioná maidin.  (This
has been already given; there is
another application of it in Louth,
that one is “suppler” in the mid-
day than in the morning.  Also thus
in Scotland. — J.H.L.)
Historical Irish Corpus
1600 - 1926

Various Proverbs, &c. From Cork.

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Historical Irish Corpus1600 - 1926

Various Proverbs, &c. From Cork.

Search Texts

Historical Irish Corpus
1600 - 1926
