MANX BALLADS No 1

CREGGYN SCARLEODE

SCARLETT ROCKS

MY chree lesh seagbyn tooillit, m'aigney trirnshey lane,
My kione joh cadley spooillit, gyn saveen cheet er m'ayrn.
My Ihie er ynnyd cheddin, jeearree aash ayns fardail,
Son naght myr ta ny tonnyn, ta m'aigney foast rouail.

Yn moyrn lesh goanlys caggey ta craa ny creggyn fo-ym,
As sneih lurg sneih er m'aigney cur eh my chree ve trome.
Ny brooinyn serjey lhaggit lesh tonnyn sheer chleih foue,
Tatn cheil ain mennick mollit as moad's nyn jerkall moue.

My ta'n sterrym troggal, s'ny bodjallyn dyn seih,
Ta'n are gaase dhoo ar gobhal, yn soilshey hed neose veih.
Myr bleayst gholl fo ta lhongyn, ga t'ad joh darragh jeant,
Ta'n seihll as moad's y cronnecyn, cur er my cree ve faiynt.

Myr shoh er chroshyn smooinaght, joh'n creg cloaie mee skee,
Foast er my lhong veg smooinaght, te aker ayns my chree.
Son cheayll mee red myr sonnish, dy bee ayn lea caghlaa,
Beetn sterrym dew'l shoh harrish as voue mayd sollys hraa.

MY mind with troubles vexed, my heart with grief annoy'd
My head with cares perplex'd, my all of comfort void,
Upon this stony pillow I seek my rest in vain,
And just like yonder billows my thoughts do swell again.

These rocks below are shaken, and torn as well as I,
Our strength is all mistaken, and we are found a lie.
The waves with often beating have eaten into stone,
Whilst ills with oft repeating have made my heart to groan.

When by a storm are cluster'd, the waters and the sky
And all to ruin muster'd but this poor rock and I.
Our ships, like shells, are sinking, for all their oaken sides:
O then shall I be thinking of all deceitful tides.

And thus my harms recounting, upon this cliff I rest;
My ship no longer mounting, my anchor in my breast,
Which when it came in hither, methought I heard one say,
We shall have change of weather and see a fairer day.

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NOTE in Old M S., from which the Poem was copied:-
" A THRENODIA upon the direful effects of the REBELLION, with a prophetick of the downfall thereof, Composed by the REV^D AUTHOR on SCARLETT ROCKS."

FROM the collection of the late ROBERT GAWNE

THIS was composed in English and Manx by SAMUEL. RUTTER when Archdeacon, circa 1645. The spelling of the MANX, which had become very corrupt from the mistakes of copyists, has been corrected by Mr. W. J. CAIN. The English, which has been modernised by previous transcribers, is a very free rendering of the Manx, and is decidedly inferior to it

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2001