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THE LATE REV. ROBERT BROWN. PARISH OF BRADDAN - MANX EPISTLE.
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TRANSLATION OF THE MANX EPISTLE.
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To the Editor of Mona’s Herald.
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Sir, Having read a Manx epistle in your paper, of the 30th ult., which the writer desired to be translated into English, and inserted in your last Wednesday' paper, but as no translation appeared, I thought I should try my hand at translating Manx into English, for my own amusement,—and as you say that an English translation shall readily have a place, if forwarded, I send you this, which you may insert in your next Herald, if you have not received a better.
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I am, Sir, yours &c,
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A COUNTRYMAN.
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Huggeysyn ta cur magh yn Heral Manninagh,
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To he who publishes the Manx Herald,
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Vainshtyr, ta mee er chlashtyn lesh lane trimshey jeh baase Saggyrt Brown, saggyrt yn skeerey shoh, son v’eh dooinney mie, dooinney va’n slane yeearree as yn bwooishal echey dy yannoo foays da’n sleih va currit fo’n kiarail echey myr shirveishagh, as cha nee ynrican dauesyn, agh da dy chooilley unnane v’eh abyl
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Sir, I have heard, with deep regret, of the death of parson Brown, Vicar of this parish, who was was a good man,—a man whose whole wish and heart’s desire was to do good for to the people committed to his care, as a minister, and not them, but to all whom he would he would be of service; hardly if such a parson will be given to us in his place.
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jannoo mie da. S’coan my vees lheid yn saggyrt currit dooin ’syn ynnyd echey.
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Ta mee er chlashtyn dy row eh dooinney feer ynsit, dy row eh toiggal Hebrew, Greek, as
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I understand he was a very learned man, that he understood Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; but, because we poor Manx people were unacquainted with these strange languages – indeed, some of us do not understand English very well, and others scarcely any. When he first came to this parish, he hired a Manx clergyman who understood Manx to preach to us in that language, that is to say, our mother tongue. He thought it unjust to be in a parish where all the people did not understand English, without the Gospel being to the man who understands Manx, as well as to the man who understands English. He therefore, because the Manx clergyman could not remain long with him, undertook to learn the Manx language, and in a short time, by labouring night and day, he was able to read and preach in that language. Although he himself was a Manxman, he never saw how necessary it was for a country clergyman in this Island to understand Manx, till he came among Manx people.
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Latin; agh er yn oyr nagh row shinyn Manninee voghtey toiggal ny glaraghyn joarree shoh—dy jarroo ta paart jin nagh vel toiggal Baarle feer vie, ny eer toiggal monney jeh—tra haink eh gys yn skeerey shoh hoshiaght, ren eh failley saggyrt Manninagh va toiggal Gaelg, dy phreaçheil dooin ’sy ghlare shen, ta shen dy ghra, çhengey ny mayrey Ellan Vannin. Honnick eh nagh row eh cairagh da dy ve ayns boayl raad nagh row ooilley yn sleih toiggal Baarle, fegooish yn sushtal ve er ny phreaçheil da’n dooinney Gaelgagh kiart cha mie as da’n dooinney Baarlagh. Myr shen ayns wheesh
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as nagh voddagh yn saggyrt Gaelgagh fuirraght foddey marish, ghow eh hene ayns laue dy ynsagh Gaelg, as ayns traa giare, lesh laboragh creoi oie as laa, v’eh abyl lhaih as preaçheil yn ghlare shen. Ga dy row eh hene Manninagh, cha naik eh rieau cre cha ymmyrçhagh as v’eh da saggyrt skeerey ’syn ellan shoh dy hoiggal Gaelg, derrey haink eh fud sleih Gaelgagh.
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Ta ymmodee taggloo ’sy nabooys shoh, nish dy vel yn dooinney crauee shoh ersooyl dy ghoaill soylley jeh’n leagh echey ec laue yesh Yee ayns ny niaughyn, quoi yn saggyrt yiow yn skeerey shoh.
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Now that this holy man is gone to enjoy his reward at God’s right hand in the heavens, many in this neighbourhood are asking “what clergyman will get this parish?”
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Ta paart gra un red, as paart red elley; agh ta’n vunnys oc ooilley gra dy re joarree ennagh, ny fer ennagh nagh vel toiggal Gaelg, vees currit ayn, son dy vel ny fir-reiltee ain soiaghey beg jeh’n Ghaelg, as jeusyn ta taggloo as toiggal eh; myr shen dy vel ad bwooishal dy beagh yn Ghaelg as adsyn ta taggloo eh, currit ass Mannin ooilley cooidjagh, t’eh çheet wheesh ’sy raad oc.
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Some say one thing, and some another; but almost all agree in saying that some strange clergyman, or one unacquainted with the Manx language will be appointed, as our rulers despise that language, and those who understand and speak it; it comes so much in their way, that they wish that the Manx language, and those who speak it, were banished from the Island altogether.
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Son yn oyr shen t’ad smooinaghtyn, my ver ad saggyrtyn nagh vel toiggal Gaelg ayns ny skeeraghyn, dy bee yn sleih eginit dy haggloo Baarle. Agh veagh eh chiart cha mie daue cur saggyrt ayns dy chooilley skeerey nagh vel toiggal Baarle, as gra dy begin da dy chooilley unnane nagh vel toiggal Gaelg gynsagh eh. Nagh beagh shoh smooinit neu-resoonagh? Cha vel dooyt nagh beagh—agh nagh vel eh chiart cha neuresoonagh er yn laue elley?
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For this reason, they think if they place clergymen in the parishes who do not understand Manx, that the people will be compelled to speak English. But, it would be just as reasonable for them to appoint a clergyman to each parish who did not understand English, and say, that every one who did not understand Manx, must learn it. Would not this be considered unreasonable? No doubt it would; but is it not equally so on the other hand?
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Ta’n Manninagh boght nagh vel toiggal monney Baarle, ga dy vel eh cha beg soit jeh, laboragh chiart cha creoi dy eeck jaghee da’n Aspick as saggyrt yn skeerey echey, as yn joarree nagh vel toiggal Gaelg.
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The poor Manx man who does not understand much English, though he is so much despised, labours just as hard to pay tithes to the Bishop and to the clergyman of his parish, as the stranger who does not understand Manx.
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Nagh negin da, eisht, lurg da gobbragh creoi ooilley yn çhiaghtin, ve feer seaghnagh da tra t’eh goll gys yn cheeill er y Doonaght, nagh vod eh clashtyn yn sushtal er ny phreaçheil dy plain ’sy ghlare shen t’eh ny share toiggal. As, reesht, tra t’eh çheet dy lhie er lhiabbee dy hingys, nagh vod yn dooinney ta eeckit er e hon jeeaghyn da yn raad oddys eh çheet dy ve aarloo son yn chaghlaa echey.
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Must it not, then, be very trying to him when he goes to church on the Sabbath, after labouring hard all the week, that he cannot hear the Gospel preached plainly in that language which he best understands. And, again, when he comes to lie on a sick bed, that the man who is paid for doing so cannot show him the way in which he may be come prepared for his change.
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Vel shiu smooinaghtyn dy beagh ny deiney mooarey ain booiagh lheid ve jeant roosyn, as ad ve cha beg soit jeh? Ta mee sheiltyn nagh beagh.
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Do you suppose our great men themselves would like to be treated in this way and that they were so much despised? I think not,
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Nagh lhisagh adsyn eisht jannoo rish feallagh myr veagh adsyn bwooishal feallagh elley dy yannoo roosyn? Tra ta shinyn sleih çheerey meeiteil cooidjagh, ta ymmodee co-loayrtys ain ny cheayrtyn, as ga nagh vel shen monney soit jeh, ny-yeih ta shin fakin as taggloo jeh’n aght lhisagh ymmodee reddyn ve jeant nagh vel goll er jannoo.
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should not they, therefore, “do to others, as they would wish others to do to them.” When we country people meet together, we sometimes talk agreat deal about various things, and although we are not much thought of, yet we see and speak of the way in which things ought to be done, which are not done.
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Tra va saggyrt skeerey cliaghtey geddyn baase, ny currit gys skeerey elley, va’n saggyrt s’niessey da ayns eash currit ’syn ynnyd echey: agh nish ta saggyrtyn aegey, nagh vel eddyr son lhaih ny loayrt Gaelg, currit ayns ny skeeraghyn my haghrys daue ve mooinjerys da fer erbee jeh ny fir-reiltee ain, as eisht t’ad foast geddyn paart jeh ny saggyrtyn boghtey Manninagh ta toiggal Gaelg, as ta foddey shinney na ad hene, dy chooney lhieu.
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Formerly when the clergyman of a parish died, or was removed to another parish, the minister next to him in age succeeded him; but now there are young men who can neither read nor speak Manx, appointed to the parishes, if they happen to be related to any of our rulers, and then they are compelled to get some of our poor Manx clergymen who understand Manx, and who are much older than themselves, to help them.
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Myr shen t’adsyn ta son jannoo nyn gurrym
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Thus, those who can perform their duty are servants to them who are not comptent to do that for which they get their living. You would suppose the twenty-four Keys would look into these things, and get justice for every one, the poor as well as the rich.
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sharvaantyn dauesyn nagh vel fondagh dy yannoo shen er e hon t’ad geddyn nyn meaghey. Heillagh shiu dy jinnagh yn Chiare-as-Feed jeeaghyn stiagh ayns ny reddyn shoh, as geddyn cairys da dy chooilley unnane, boght as berçhagh.
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S’coan my va Kiare-as-Feed ny Garrane er lowal jeh ny reddyn shoh. Ta whilleen joarree nish ’sy Chiare-as-Feed, nagh vel monney ec ny Manninee ta fud oc dy ghra, myr shen dy vel ny joarreeyn geddyn ooilley yn raad oc hene, er yn oyr dy vel ad ny s’creenee (t’ad smooinaghtyn) na ny Manninee voghtey.
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Hardly if the four and twenty Keys who wore karranes* would have allowed of these things. There are so many strangers in the House of Keys “that the Manxmen who are amongst them have not much to say;” so the strangers are get all their own way, because they think themselves wiser than the poor Manxmen.
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* A sandal, a cover for the sole and sides of the foot made of raw hide, salted, dried, and laced with thongs of the same on the top of the foot.
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Vel shiu smooinaghtyn dy jean ny deiney mooarey ain ginsh veg jeh ny reddyn shoh da’n Aspick noa ain? Lhisagh ad ve inshit da. Agh t’eh rait “nagh vel ny Manninee creeney dys yn laa lurg yn vargey;” ta mee jerkal eisht, nagh bee eh myr shoh nish; agh dy jean sleih yn skeerey shoh er y çhooyl jannoo accan gys yn
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Do you think that our great men will tell any of these things to our new Bishop? They ought to be told to him. It is said “that the Manx are not wise till the day after the fair.” I hope it won’t be so now, but that the people of this parish will immediately petition our Governor to request our most Gracious Queen to appoint a clergyman to this parish who can point out the way of salvation to the Manxman who cannot speak English, as well as to those who understand it.
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Kiannoort ain, dy hirrey er yn Ven-rein smoo graysoil ain, dy chur saggyrt er yn skeerey shoh oddys soilshaghey yn raad dy haualtys da’n Manninagh nagh vel toiggal Baarle, chiart cha mie as dasyn ta toiggal eh.
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Veign feer vooisal diu son cur shoh ayns corneil ennagh jeh’n pabyr eu yn çhiaghtin shoh çheet, my ta shiu coontey feeu jeh; as myrgeddin dy jinnagh shiu hene, ny fer ennagh elley, çhyndaa eh gys Baarle son yn pabyr yn çhiaghtin er-giyn.
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I shall be very thankful to you for putting this in some corner of your paper next week, should you think it worth; and also, that yourself or some other would translate it into English for the paper of the following week. Perhaps you will hear from me again in a short time.
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Foddee dy jean shiu clashtyn voym reesht ayns traa gerrid.
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Ta mee tannaghtyn yn sharvaant biallagh eu,
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I remain, your obdt. servant,
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Skeerey Vraddan, Manninagh Dooie.
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A TRUE MANXMAN.
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The Parish of Braddan,
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Yn jeihoo laa jeh mee s’jerree yn vlein,
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The tenth day of the last month of the year 1846.
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un thousane hoght cheead as shey as daeed.
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