CABDIL VII

SHIBBER BURT BAATEY

REN mee taghyrt dy akin sheshaght baatey lurg shibber burt baatey ayns y vlein hoght cheead yeig queig jeig as daeed.

Va’n chibber goit ayns thie mainshter y vaatey. Va’n ennym echey " Thomase Joss," as va’n ennym y vaatey " Swan."

V’ad rheynn ny ayrnyn, as failley cheshaght son y nah vlein.

Ec lhiattee y thie va magher faiyr, as va ec yn cheshaght meer dy snaie, stoandey, as maidjey raue.

Hug yn vainshter y vaidjey ayns loob ayns y chleigh dy stiurey.

Hie daa ghooinney harrish y chleigh, as va’n snaie currit harrish y chleigh.

Hooar yn daa ghooinney holt jeh’n snaie, as hug ad lhieu eh magh ayns y vagher choud as harragh eh.

Va daa ghooinney er y dreeym, as fer ec y lint, as va fer elley ceau ny mollagyn magh.

CHAPTER VII

THE BOAT SUPPER

I HAPPENED to see a crew (boat’s company) after the crew’s supper in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-five.

The supper was taken in the house of the master of the boat. His name was " homas Joss," and the name of the boat was the" Swan."

They were dividing the shares, and hiring the crew for the next year.

At the side of the house was a field of grass, and the crew had a piece of nets, a barrel, and an oar.

The master put the oar in a hollow in the hedge to steer.

Two men went over the hedge, and the nets were put over the hedge.

The two men took hold of the net, and carried it out in the field as far as it could go.

Two men were on the back, and one on the lint, and another was casting out the buoys.

Roish ghow ad toshiaght dy chuir yn snaie, v‘ad taggloo mysh y shiaulley hug y ghrunt skeddan.

Dooyrt Johnny Dan dy row ee goll dy moal.

"Ta partan er y thoyn eck jiu ta mee credjal."

"Te ro leah dy chuir."

"Te traa dy liooar," dooyrt fer elley.

"Cha vel y ghrian dy lhie foast."

"Foddym fakin ingin my ordaag foast." *

"Nish, my ghuillyn, lhig dooin goaill burt, as chuir."

"Ta mee booiagh," dooyrt fer, "As ta mee booiagh," dooyrt fer elley.

"Ta caslys mie ain."

"Naik shiu yn pherkyn?"

"Honnick."

"R’ou prowal ayns shen, buy?"

" Va, buy."

"Dob ad snaue."

* Cha row yn lieen dy ye cuirt, choud as yinnagh doo inney fakin ingin yn ordaag echey, tra va’n roih echey sheeynt magh.

Before they had begun to shoot out the net, they were talking about the sailing to the herring ground.

Johnny Dan said that she was going slowly.

"There is a crab on her bottom to-day, I believe."

"It is too soon to shoot."

" It is time enough," said another.

"The sun is not down yet."

"I can see the nail on my thumb yet."

"Now, my boys, let us take a berth, and shoot "(the nets).

"I am willing," said one, and "I am willing," said another.

"We have a good sign."

"Did you see the porpoise ? "

" J saw him."

" Were you proving there, boy ?

"I was."

"They refuse to mesh."

* The nets were not to be sown (shot) as long as a man could see the nail of his thumb when his arm was stretched out (at arm’s length).

"Quoid t’ou cur ass y piyr ? "

"Mysh keead."

Lurg tammylt dyllee y vainshter da fer elley, "R’ou prowal y nah cheayrt?"

"Va, buy."

"Ren ad gobbal snaue."

Dooyrt fer elley, "Te kiart cha mie dooin prowal reesht."

"Ta skeddan dy liooar ayns shoh."

"Lhig dooin craa as cur magh reesht ee son oor."

Lurg jee ye oor cuirt, "Te kiart cha mie dy chur er boayrd. Te jeeaghyn quaagh," as va’n snaie ooilley er y tedd, as hug shin claghyn pohll er y snaie.

" Te sheidey feer creoi."

" Lhig dooin cur seose y chron."

"Chion sheet y lug dy chummal yn chione eck hug y cheayn."

"Cur shiu shiaull hug y chron dy tappee, ta’n cheayn role feer trome."

How much art thou pulling out of the pair?"

"About a hundred."

After a while the master called to another man, "Were you proving a second time?"

":I was, boy."

"They are refusing to mesh."

Another said, "It is quite as well for us to prove again."

"There is herring enough here."

"Let us shake and put it out again for an hour."

After it had been shot for an hour : "It is quite as well to put on board ; it is looking wild," and the net was all on the ropes and we put pole stones on the net."

"It is blowing very hard."

"Let us put up the mast."

" Tighten the lug sheet to keep her head to the sea."

"Put the sail to the mast quickly ; the sea is running very heavily."

As yn chied red chiangle shin three reefyn ayns y shiaull mean, as hie shin gys purt. Tra va shin goll cheayll shin earn, "Ta dooinney harrish boayrd."

"Baatey ! Baatey!"

" Graih Yee."

" Beem’s baiht."

" Cur magh yn yawl."

" Jean siyr ! Jean siyr!"

" Bee oo roud."

" C’raad t’eh ? " "C’raad t’eshyn ? "

" Ta mee fakin eh."

" C'raad ta’n chlip ? "

" Ceau coyrd huggey."

" Vel eh echey?"

" Vel eh er n’gheddyn eh?"

" Ceau mollag huggey."

" T’eh goll sheese y nah cheayrt."

" T’eh aym. T’eh aym."

" T’eh ayns shoh."

" Tayr holt er folt y ching."

" Greim eh er y wannal."

And the first thing we tied three reefs in the mainsail, and went for the port. When we were going we heard a shout, "There is a man overboard."

"A boat! A boat!"

" Love of God."

"I shall be drowned."

" Put out the yawl."

"Make haste ! Make haste !"

"Thou wilt be too long."

"Where is he ? " "Where is he ?

"I see him."

" Where is the boat-hook ?

"Throw a rope to him."

"Has he it ? "

"Has he got it?"

"Throw a buoy to him."

"He is going down a second time."

"I have him. I have him."

"Here he is."

"Catch hold of him by the hair of the head."

" Grip him by the neck."

" Cum shickyr eh."

" Trog eh er boayrd."

" Chyndaa eh er e ghreeym."

"Cur eh tessen y stoandey, as lhig da’n ushtey roie ass."

"Vel yn ennal ayn?"

"T’eh lieh-varroo."

"Vel eh tayrn ennal ? "

"T’eh cheet huggey."

"T’eh tayrn ennal."

"Cha n’aggle da foast."

"T’eh cheet my-laue."

"Ta’n chooid smessey harrish."

"V’eh bunnys baiht."

"S’faggys v’eh da baase."

"Cha bee dooinney baiht my t’eh dy ye crighit."

"Lhig dooin goll as goaill jough y dorrys." Te ooilley dy mie ta cur jerrey dy mie. Cha naik mee rieau jannoo cloie ayns thie cloie cha mie ayns my vioys.

Ve cloie firrinagh Gaeljee.

"Hold him sure."

"Lift him on board."

"Turn him on his back."

"Put him across on the barrel, and allow the water to run out."

"Is the breath in him ?

"He is half dead."

"Is he breathing ?

"He is coming to."

"He breathes."

"There is no fear of him yet."

"He is recovering."

‘ ‘ The worst is past."

"He was almost drowned."

"He was near death."

"A man will not be drowned if he is to be hanged."

"Let us go and take the ‘ jough y dorrys’ (drink at the door, stirrup cup)."

All is well that ends well.

I never saw acting in a play-house as good in my life. It was a true Celtic play.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 1999