Manx | English | |
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ARRANE Y SKEDDAN | THE HERRING SONG | |
Shiuish ooilley Eeasteyryn neem’s coontey chur diu, | All you Fishermen I will give you an account, | |
Mysh Imbagh y Skeddan ny s’braew cha row rieau ; | About the Herring Season, there was never a finer one, | |
T’ain palchey dy argid cour arroo as feill, | We have plenty of money for corn and and meat, | |
Foast praaseyn as Skeddan she ad nyn ard-reill. | Yet potatoes and herring – they are our chief | |
Tra harrish ta’n imbagh, cha lhissagh shin plaiynt, | When the season is over, we ought not to complain, | |
Agh booise y chur dasyn ta freayll shin ayns slaynt, | But give thanks to he who keep us in health, | |
Slane moylley cur da son e vannaght hooin wass, | Give him full praise for his blessing here on earth, | |
Ta’n Skeddan ersooyl dys y cheayn vooar by-yiass[1]. | The Herring has gone to the great sea to the south. | |
[1] by-yiass—both printed versions; (Mona’s Herald, 1872 and Manx Ballads, 1896) give by-yiass, which is not attested elsewhere. Standard Manx for ‘to the south’ is my-yiass.
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Ayns shen goaill e aash va kiarit da rieau, | There taking his rest that was always intended for him, | |
Ny ribbaghyn-vaaish s’beg coontey v’eh jeu ; | The trappings of death are so little considered; | |
Ayns shen ceau e hraa, derrey cheet yn nah vlein, | There, spending his time, until coming the next year, | |
Er Greeb Val-ny-howe yiow mayd eisht eh ’sy lieen. | On ‘Greeb Val-ny-Howe we’ll find him then in the net. | |
Ayns fliughys dy mennick, as mennick neesht feayr, | Often in rain, and cold often too, | |
Foast prowal as cuirr, shynney lhien cur my-ner ; | Still proving and setting (nets), we love to behold, | |
Tra ta caslys vie goll, as yn eeast cheet er-ash, | When a good sign is going, and the fish reappear, | |
Çhelleeragh ta’n dooan soit son y vock-ghlass[2]. | The hook is set immediately for the hake. | |
[2] Dwelly gives 1. ‘Large dogfish’ 2. ‘Shark’. For boc glas. ‘Hake’, is commercial fish, traditionally caught using hooks on ‘baulks’ (long lines).
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Te shilley vondeishagh, goaill prowal vie stiagh, | It is a positive sight, taking in a good ‘proof’, | |
As s’eunyssagh y laa, dy chreck yn eeast magh ; | And the day is so delightful; to sell the fish on; | |
Dy chreck eh dy gennal rish kionneyder vie, | To sell it happily to a good buyer, | |
Goaill jough lesh arrane, as craa-laue ben-y-thie. | To take a drink with a song, and shake hands with the landlady. | |
Lesh cappan dy yough as greme veg dy veer, | With a cup of drink and little bite of piece of bread, | |
Nee mayd beaghey cha souyr as eirrinee yn cheer ; | We will live as comfortably as country farmers, | |
Lhig dooin giu dy creeoil gys y cheshaght ain hene | Let us drink heartily to our own crew, | |
Mastey deiney, shin s’gennal fud immanee yn lieen. | Amongst men, we are most happy amongst ‘the drivers of the net’. | |
Nish jerrey dy choyrt er ny ta mee er ghra, | Now to put an end on what I have to say, | |
D’row (dy row) palçhey dy Skeddan ec Mannin dy braa ; | May Mann forever have plenty of Herring, | |
Freill, freill dooin yn vannaght, O Chrootagh y theihll, | Keep, keep the blessing for us, O Creator of the world, | |
As ayns booise lhig da Manninee fosley nyn meeal. | And let the Manx open their mouths in thanks. |