| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Illiam as Ysbal. | Illiam and Ysbal. | |
| VA kiart blein dy hraa nish er n’gholl shaghey er dyn chied laa hug Illiam e laue gys y Total, as ren y caghlaa ghow eh ec traa shen prowal vondeishagh da hene as e lught thie, as feer chronnal da ooilley e ainjyssee. S’mie dreill Ysbal, yn ven echey, cooinaghtyn er y chied laa daag eh jeh giu, as y vie v’ad er gheddyn liorish shen rieau er-dy-henney. Myr shen chiare ee dy ve ass-towse gennal rish tra harragh eh thie voish ’obbyr—she fastyr Jesarn v’eh; ghlen ee dy chooilley chorneil jeh’n thie myr bollagh ee, as hooar ee ooilley ny kiartaghyn jeant ayns traa mie cour y Doonee. Chamoo dy row Illiam eh-hene er yarrood dy nee shen va laa choine-ny-bleeaney neayr’s ghow eh toshiaght dy yannoo myr lhisagh eh, as s’mooar va’n gherjagh ren eh da dy veeiteil e ven dy gennal rish tra haink eh thie. Eisht ghow ad ny neesht toshiaght er jannoo cooish cooidjagh myr ta cheet ny lurg shoh :— | Exactly a year had passed since the first day Illiam gave his hand to the Total (pledged not to drink alcohol), and the change he underwent at that time proved advantageous to himself and his family, and very noticeable to all who knew him. How well Ysbal, his wife, remembered the first day he left off (quit) drinking, and the good they’d got by that ever since. So she took care to be beyond cheerful for when he’d be coming home from his work - it being Friday evening; she cleaned every corner of the house as she always did, and she got all the chores done in good time for the Sabbath. Neither had Illiam himself forgotten that that was the anniversary day of him starting to do as he should, and how great it comforted him to meet his wife merrily when he came home. Then they had both begun to chat together as follows: - | |
| Ysbal.—My heshey, s’mie shynney lhiam dy akin oo er roshtyn thie. | Ysbal. - My husband, how well I love to see you having arrived home. | |
| Illiam.—Mie! agh fuirree-ort-oo, Ysbal, vel cooinaghtyn ayds er red ennagh ren oo-hene as mish y yannoo corrym rish y traa shoh nurree ? | Illiam. - Good! but wait, Ysbal, do you remember something yourself and I did at this time last year? | |
| Ysbal.—Dy jarroo ta shen, Illiam, she blein gys y laa jiu hooar shinyn rey rish nyn dreihys, as ta mish er reayll ny paitchyn er nyn gosh noght son dy vod oo fakin cre cha doaieagh as ta shin ooilley nish, shaghey na va shin keayrt dy row. | Ysbal. - Yes indeed, Illiam, today is a year to the day we got rid of our misery, and I’ve kept the children up tonight so you can see how decent we all are now, rather than what we once were. | |
| Illiam.—Dy jarroo firrinagh, Ysbal, cha row rieau fys aym er y derrey lieh foays ayd derrey hug mee seose giu : | Illiam.- True indeed, Ysbal, I never knew the first half of your goodness until I gave up drinking. | |
| Tra ta dooinney skee lesh tooilleil, | When a man is tired from work, | |
| As ec yn oie cheet thie, | And coming home at night, | |
| O te ard-vannaght dy veeiteil | O, it is a great blessing to meet | |
| Ben-heshey dooie as mie ! | A good, kind wife! | |
| Ta mee fakin nish, cha baghtal as oddys eh ve, dy row oo-hene as ny deiney coarey shid hug coyrle dou dy chur m’ennym gys y Total, ny caarjyn share va rieau aym ’sy theihll. | I see now, as clear as it could be, that yourself and those agreeable men who advised me to put my name to the Total (become a teetotaler) are the best friends I ever had in the world. | |
| Ysbal.—Quoi ec ta fys, Illiam, nagh row uss er ve marroo as ayns toyrt-mow nish, as mish my ven-treoghe voght marish my chloan veggey, erbe dy ren uss yn choyrle vie oc shen y ghoaill ? | Ysbal. - Who knows, Illiam, that you hadn’t been killed and extinct now, and me a poor widow with my little children, where it not for having taken that good advice? | |
| Illiam.-—T’ou us kiart, Ysbal, ta Slane-sheeltys er ny ve cooney mooar dy yannoo mie dooinyn ayns aght ny ghaa vees vondeishagh da nyn anmeenyn, tra vees ny kirp marvaanagh ain nyn lhie ’sy joan. | Illiam. - You’re right, Ysbal, complete sobriety has been a great help to make good for us in many ways that will be advantageous to our souls, when our mortal bodies are lying in the dust. | |
| Ysbal.—Ta dy jarroo, dooyrt ish, ta shin nish abyl boggey ’ghoaill myr ta’n Doonaght tayrn er-gerrey, cha vel eh cheet orrin myr laa skeeagh nagh s’ain c’red dy yannoo rish, agh ta shin jeeaghyn er y hon lesh taitnys, myr laa gerjoil dy fea craueee, lurg tooilleil y chiaghtin. | Ysbal. - Yes indeed, she said, we are now able to rejoice as the Sabbath draws close, it doesn’t come upon us as a weary day with us no knowing what to do, but we are looking forward to it with pleasure, as a comforting day of religious rest, after the toil of the week. | |
| Eisht dooyrt ny paitchyn nyn badjeryn, as hie ad er cur dy lhie. Tra van dooinney faagit ny lomarcan cheau eh ’hooil fud-thie, as chronnee eh cre’n caghlaa ooasle va daa vee jeig dy heeltys er n’yannoo. Yeeagh eh myrgeddin stiagh ayns e chree hene, as hooar eh ayns shen yn “bannaght t’echeysyn e pheccaghyn t’er ny leih da, as t’er ny livrey veih ooilley e neu-ynrickys ;” dennee eh, neesht, dy row ooilley shoh, ayns ayrn vooar, liorish dy row eh er n’yiooldey rish y drogh chliaghtey jeh goaill y Jough. Cha voddagh eh cummal er voish[1] keayney; cheayn eh dy sharroo son e pheccaghyn, as cheayn eh ayns boggey son nagh ren Jee eh y yiarey jeh ayns y vean oc. Tra va’n ven er-reish[2] chur ny paitchyn dy lhie, as er jeet back huggey reesht, hug ee my-ner dy row eh er ny ve keayney, as vrie ee jeh, cre va’n oyr ? | Then the children said their prayers, and were put to bed. When the man was left alone he cast his eye through the house, and he noticed what a noble change twelve months of sobriety had made. He looked too inside his own heart, and in there he found the “blessing of he whose sins are forgiven, and who has been delivered from all his insecurity,” he felt too, that all this, in a great part, was down to him having rejected the bad habit of taking to drink. He couldn’t hold himself back from crying; he cried bitterly for his sins, and he cried in joy that God had not cut him off in their midst. When the wife, had put the children to bed, and come back to him again, she noticed that he had been crying, and she asked him, what was the reason. | |
| Illiam.—Ta mee er ny ve smooinaghtyn rhym-pene, dooyrt eshyn, cre cha booisal as lhisagh shin y ve son dy dug Jee yeearree mie ayns ny cree’ghyn ain, blein y laa jiu, dy chur stiagh nyn enmyn gys y Total, as son E ghrayse flaunyssagh t’er niartaghey shin dy reayll y gialdyn. Ynrican lhig dooin smooinaght er y stayd treih-hrimshagh va shin ayn roie (eer son y theihll shoh hene mannagh beagh arragh), s’goan va stoothie erbee ain va feeagh veg, cha row ain dooin hene as ny paitchyn agh lhiabbee choonlee dy lhie er, as foddey beggan eaddagh dy coodagh shin ; ayns focklyn giarey, cha row shin monney share na starvit;—as mish, ec y traa cheddin, dy mee-cheeayllagh baarail m’argid er ny Joughyn feïe son dy chummal seose y ven-oast ayns mean ny palchey, ny soie ’sy Cheyr-vooar leaystey as brooightooil, as gaccan nagh s’eck ayns e keeayll c’red oddagh ee gee. Va’n chloan ecksh daunsin, agh she mish deeck y fiddler. Nagh doal va mee! | Illiam. - I have been thinking to myself, he said, how thankful we should be that God put a good deisre in our hearts, a year ago today, to put in our names to the Total, and for his heavenly grace that has fortified us to keep the promise. Only let us think on the miserable, sad state we were in before (even just for this world if there weren’t a hereafter), we hardly had any household goods worth anything, ourselves and the children only had a straw bed to lie on, and far less clothing to cover us; in short, we weren’t much better than starved; - and me, at the same time; stupidly wasting my money on the wild drinks to maintain the landlady in the midst of plenty, sat in the big chair rocking and belching, and complaining that she doesn’t in her right mind know what she could eat. Her children were dancing, but it was I who paid the fiddler. Wasn’t I blind! | |
| Ysbal.— Oh, Illiam veen, te seaghney my chree tra ta mee smooinaghtyn er y treihys va shin ayn ; agh lhig dooin ve booisal son nagh vel shin myr shen nish. Shimmey oie neu-aashagh ta mish rieau er cheau (er-skyn ooilley ’sy doo-gheurey) tra veagh-in[3] anmagh fieau er dty hon’s; as tra roshagh oo thie hym yinnagh oo troiddey rhym pene as ny paitchyn boghtey, as dellal rooin ny smessey na dy beagh shin moddee, cha row kerroo dy liooar bee ny eaddagh ain, va aggle my chree orrym dy beagh shin eignit dy hooyll-ny-dhieyn. Mennick ta mish er ny ve miolit dy ghuee mollaght y Chiarn er mooinjer ny thieyn-oast, va beaghey dy roauyr er y chooid shen va cair dooys as my horch son dy reir shin hene as nyn gloan : agh ta paart jeusyn ny smelley jeh na ta shin hene nish—lhig daue shen y ghoaill “son caghlaa.” S’mooar dy pheccah, as dy heaghyn, as baase roish y traa ta er feai-ny-crooinney kyndagh rish ny oastysyn caghtee, scummey dy beagh dy chooilley unnane jeu astyrid dy bollagh, “rass as cass,” — ta’n dellal neu-chooie oc dy liooar dy chur dwoaie er dy chooilley Chreestee. C’red t’ou uss smooinaghtyn dooyrt Ben-oast daaney rhym’s tra hooar mee foill j’ee son dy row ee cur y scooyr dhyts ? Eh! yn red gyn nearey! * * * *, as shen myr ta ooilley yn sorch eck. | Ysbal. – O, Dear Illiam, it sorrows my heart when I think of the misery we were in; but let us be thankful that we aren’t like that now. Many’s the restless night I’ve spend before (especially in the depth of winter) when I would be late waiting for you; and when you’d arrive home to me you’d have a go at myself and the poor children, and treat us worse than if we were dogs, we didn’t have a quarter enough of food or clothing, I was scared stiff that we’d be forced to go begging. How often I’ve been tempted to beseech the Lord’s curse upon the staff of the pubs, who were living fat on that which was rightfully mine and my sort’s to manage ourselves and our children; but there are some of them worse off than we ourselves are now – let them accept “for a change.” How much sin, and sorrow and early death there is throughout the world because of the cussed liquor licences, I wouldn’t mind if they were to drive out each and every one of them completely, “seed and branch,” – their dealings are improper enough to disgust every Christian. “What are you thinking?” said a cheeky landlady to me when I criticised her because she was giving booze to you. Eh! The shameless thing! * * * *, and all her sort the same. | |
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[1] Cha voddagh eh cummal er voish—literally ‘he wouldn’t be able to hold himself from’, could also mean ‘he couldn’t stop himself’, ‘he couldn’t prevent himself’, etc.
[2] er-reish—more common spelling; erreish.
[3] veagh-in—more common spelling veign.
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| Illiam.—Oh ! Ysbal veen, com ort, as nagh abbyr fockle arragh jeh shen, er-nonney bee’m currit er-keagh[4] ayd. | Illiam.- Oh! Dear Ysbal, hold on, and don’t say another word of that, otherwise you’ll drive me mad. | |
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[4] er-keagh—‘mad’ in the sense of ‘driven mad’.
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| Ysbal.—My heshey ghraihagh, cha vel mish loayrt jeh son dy chur er-keagh oo, foddey voym dy row shen, agh ta mee loayrt jeh son dy vod mayd boggey ’ghoaill cooidjagh ec y traa t’ayn ; nagh nhimmey red mie t’ainyn nish shaghey na v’ain roie ? | Ysbal. - My lovely husband, I’m not talking of it to make you mad, that was far from my intention, but I’m talking of it so that we can rejoice together at the moment; don’t you love (the) good thing we have now rather than what we had before? | |
| Illiam.—Ta, Yah! — s’beg heill mish dy re yn irriney v’oc, tra dooyrt ad rhym nagh row Jough ny Liggar gys jannoo veg agh assee dou, as dy beign foddey dy liooar share mannagh jinnin, dy bragh arragh, giu un vine hene dy yough veshtal erbee. Nee’m y hickyrys dy vel mee nish lane stroshey ayns corp, as jeih keayrtyn s’creeoil gys obbyr. | Illiam. - Yes, Gal! - How little I guessed that it was the truth (they had) when they said to me that Drink or Liquor wasn’t doing anything but harm to me, and I would be far enough better if I wouldn’t, ever again, drink even one drop of intoxicating drink at all. I will confirm that I am now very strong in body, and ten times more spirited toward work. | |
| Ysbal.—Ta shen son dy vel oo ny share ec dty lhaynt, Lah, as palchey ayd dy ee. | Ysbal. - That is because you are in better health, Boy, and you have plenty to eat. | |
| Illiam.—S’goan lhiam my she shen yn oyr ooilley cooidjagh noadyr, Vuddee, ta mee credjal dy vel ayrn vie jeh’n oyr liorish do vel dy chooille nhee er-doaie ec y thie. Cha vel mee nish, myr bollin, goaill foddiaght feh-ny-laa son sheshaght ny raistyllyn fritlagh as broghe ta thaaghey ny thieyn-lhionney, chamoo dy vel mee roie voish m’obbyr dy gheddyn bine nish as reesht tra ta my vainshtyr ass y raad ; agh ta mee goaill lane taitnys ayns sauail dy chooilley phing jeh my hoilliu, son dy yannoo yn ymmyd share jeh dooin hene ec y thie. | Illiam. - It’s hard for me to say if that is the reason in entirety at all, Lass, I believe that a good part of the reason for it is that everything at the house is decent. I’m not now, as I used to, longing for the company of the raggedy and filthy rogues that frequent the ale-houses, neither that I’m rushing from my work to get a drop now and again when my boss is out of the way; but I am really taking enjoyment out of saving every penny of my earnings, to make the best use of for myself at home. | |
| Ysbal. — As reesht, Ghooinney, lhig dooin smooinaghtyn er y stayd treih as gaueagh va shin ayn: ta’n Scriptyr casherick gra—“nagh vow meshtyllee eiraght ayns reeriaght Yee.” Tra v’ou uss goaill wheesh dy haitnys ayns goan brynnagh ny Mraane-oast (va cha millish as paagyn ISCARIOT) cha row chooid er-doaie ain dooin hene ny da ny paitchyn dy gholl magh er-dorrys Doonaght ny Shiaghtin; va shin beaghey ayns aght smessey na paart jeh ny An-chreesteeyn: cha row Ben s’treih boayle erbee na va mish! | Ysbal. - And again, Man, let’s think about the miserable and perilous state we were in; the holy scripture says - “that drunkards won’t find an inheritance in the kingdom of God.” When you were taking so much pleasure in the flirty words of the landladies (that were as sweet as ISCARIOT’S kisses) we had no decent things for ourselves or for the children to go outdoors on the weekly Sabbath; we were living in a worse was than some heathens: there wasn’t a more miserable woman anywhere than I was! | |
| Illiam.—Agh booise er y hon, dooyrt eshyn, cha nee shen myr te marin nish my ta. Gooin lhiats tra va ny Gibehiuyn[5] dewil shid er Bobbee boght ?—agh nish, ga dy vel yn Nollick bunnys ayn, t’eh dy souyr ayns oashyryn as bootsyn, as ta ny cassyn beggey echey freilt cha che as toast. Ta’n inneen shinney ain gys lhaih yn Conaant Noa, as eer Illiam beg hene ta enn echey er y chooid smoo-jeh’n a-b-c. Ta’n chloan ain ooilley freilt glen as ayns eaddagh slane, ga, ta mee goaill-rish, dy vel y coamrey oc red ennagh garroo shickyr dy liooar, agh cha n’aggle cront daue son shen choud as ta nyn saie bee oc dy ghoaill. Ta shin nish thaaghey Boayle Ooashlee son dy ve currit ayns cooinaghtyn kinjagh jeh ny reddyn ta bentyn rish y shee ain, myr shen dy vel ny Saggyrtyn as Preachooryn, marish ooilley yn Sleih stanch ta ainjyssagh orrin, loayrt dy mie j’in. | Illiam. - But Thanks thanks to him, he said, that is not how it is with us now, though. Do you remember when poor Bobbee had those cruel chillblains - but now, although almost Christmas is almost here, he’s comfortable in socks and boots, and his little feet are kept as warm as toast. Our oldest daughter is to read the New Testament, and even little William himself recognises most of the alphabet. Our children are all kept clean and fully clothed, although, I admit it, their clothes are somewaht rough, sure enough, but nevermind a knot for them for that as long as they have their fill of food to take. We now attend a Place of Worship to be constantly reminded of the things that concern our peace, so that the Priest and the Preachers, together with all the staunch people that we are acquainted with speak well of us. | |
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[5] Gibehiuyn; GIBBEECHIU or GIBBEECHIOW, s. f. a chilblain, a kibe; pl. —YN. (Cregeen)
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| Ysbal.—Dy jarroo dy vel mee-hene dy slane kiarit, dreggyr ish, nagh bee’m dy bragh my host mychione cooish y Total, as y vie mooar ta shinyn er n’gheddyn liorish. Ta fort ain dy eeck son dy chooilley nhee ta shin kionnagh, as ta mish shickyr jeh dy vel eh red foddey s’taitnyssee dy ve dellal lesh argid-laue na te dy ve goll er daill as roie ayns feeaghyn. Cha vel eh ayns pooar persoon erbee dy vaggyrt orrin son argid nish ; myr shen nagh lhiass dooin aggle ny nearey ve orrin dy yeeaghyn shin hene ec Keeill ny Margey. | Ysbal. - Indeed that I am myself completey set, she answered, that I won’t ever be quiet about the subject of the Total, the great good we have by means of it. We are able to pay for everything we buy, and I am sure of it, that it’s a far more enjoyable thing to be dealing with ready cash that it is to be going on credit and running up debts. It isn’t in anybody’s power to threaten us for money now; so we don’t need to be afraid or ashamed to show ourselves at Church nor Market. | |
| Illiam.—T’ou uss er loayrt yn chiart irriney, Ysbal voght, as y sliught d’argid ta shin er hauail myleeaney, Ven, bee eh jeant ny smoo yn vlein shoh cheet, son cha bee orrin dy eeck reesht son y stoo-thie t’ain, as ta my vainshtyr dy dooie er n’yialdyn dy drog eh my aill hoght-pin’-jeig ’sy chiaghtin dou; dy jarroo ta red ny ghaa s’yindyssee er daghyrt na dy droggagh shinyn thie-mooar dooin hene ayns traa beg. | Illiam. - You have said the correct truth, dear Ysbal, and the prosperity of money we have saved this year, Woman, it will be made more this coming year, because we won’t have to pay back for our house things (furniture), and my boss has kindly promised that he will raise my wages eighteen pence a week for me; indeed, many more wonderous things have happened than that we would (be able to) build a big house for ourselves in a short time. | |
| Ysbal.—Success dhyt hene, my Yuilley coar ! My vannaght er dty ghaa laue! Lhig da quoi saillish loayrt olk jeh’n Total, cha greid yms dy bragh un ockle jeh’n cheeil echey, var-y-mish[6] dy vel oyr slane fondagh ainyn dy hoiggal ny share. | Ysbal. - Success to yourself, my fine boy! My blessing on your two hands! Let whoever likes speak ill of the Total, I won’t ever believe one word of his reasoning, I’ll warrant that we have a completey sound reason to understand better. | |
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[6] var-y-mish—‘I’ll warrant’, ‘I guarantee’, other spelling; varra-mish, varrey-mish, varr-y-mish.
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| Eisht ghow Illiam as Ysbal arrane cooidjagh myr shoh :— | Then Illiam and Ysbal sang together like this :- | |
| O dy goghe mesht’lee gys nyn gree | O that drunkards would take to their hearts | |
| Kys t’ad ad hene dy chreiu! | How they are crushing themselves! | |
| Veagh ad ny s’creeney na t’ad nish, | They’d be wiser than they are now, | |
| As gyn jough veshtal giu. | And not drinking intoxicating drink. | |
| Cha jinnagh ad resoon y vaih, | They wouldn’t drown reason | |
| Ny giu jeh’n cappan breinn | Or drink of the filthy cup | |
| Ta stroie nyn slaynt. cur mow nyn mea, | That ruins health, destroys their lives, | |
| As coayl yn annym beayn. | And loses their eternal souls. | |
| O yn traa shen dy jig dy leah | O may that time come soon | |
| Vees Oastysyn er scuirr ; | When liquor licenses will have ceased | |
| As reeriaght Chreest bieau bishaghey | And Christ’s kingdom swiftly multiplying | |
| Er ooilley eaghtyr 'n ooir. | On all the surface of the Earth. | |
| Lurg shen lhaih Illiam cabdil ’sy Vible, as ghow ad ny neesht tastey vie jeh dagh ayrn myr v’eh goll er; eisht hug ad jerrey er y laa ayns padjer Huggeysyn my e chione te scruit, “Ayns ooilley dty raaidyn gow rishyn, as nee eh leeideil dty chesmadyn.” | After that Illiam read a chapter in the Bible, and they both took good note of each part as he was proceeding; then they ended the day in prayer to Him about whom it is written, “In all your ways accept him, and he will lead your steps.” | |
| (Cha vel shoh dy ve creckit.) | (Not to be sold.) | |
| Doolish: Prentit liorish M. Glover, 52, Oirr Twoaie yn Purt. | Douglas: Printed by M. Glover, 52, North Edge of the Harbour. (North Quay). | |