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Tra hie mish gys yn eeastagh scaddan mee hene, veagh ny shenn eeasteyryn dy mennick ginsh yn slattys dou; cha row mish agh scollag traa shen.
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When I went to the herring fishing myself, the old fishermen would often tell me the code; I was only a lad at that time.
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My veagh fer erbee jeh ny deiney ny chadley nagh row oor gys croymmey ny greiney, va’n leigh dy row eh dy eeck er boteil laa-ny-vairagh.
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If any of the men were asleep less than an hour until sunset, the law was that he was to pay for a bottle the next day.
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As my yinnagh fer erbee enmys mwaagh va boteil er myrgeddin.
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And if anyone named a hare he owed a bottle as well.
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Va’n conning as yn roddan myrgeddin mee-lowit.
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The rabbit and the rat were likewise banned.
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Va’n mwaagh dy ve ‘fer yn chleaysh vooar’ as va’n conning ‘pommet’.
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The hare supposed to be ‘the one of the big ear’ and the rabbit was ‘pommet’.
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As va’n roddan ‘sacote’.
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And the rat was ‘sacote’.
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Agh va whisteragh ny smessey na ooilley.
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But whistling worse than everything.
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Veagh ad baggyrt dy cheau mee harrish boayrd son whisteragh.
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They would threaten to throw me overboard for whistling.
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Veagh ad chyndaa yn baatey mygeayrt lesh yn ghrian dy gholl magh ass yn purt, as ta’n cliaghtey shen er ny chummal seose gys yn laa jiu.
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They would turn the boat around towards the sun to go out of the harbour, and that custom is kept up to the present day.
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As va mee shiaulley marish mainshter keayrt nagh jinnagh lowal jeh genmys saggyrt ny aspick er boayrd ec y cheayn, son dy row eh cur lesh drogh luck.
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And I was sailing with a master one time who would not allow a priest or bishop on board at sea, because it brought bad luck.
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Agh veagh ad dy mennick taggloo jeh mraane as ginsh mychione yn traa v’ad sooree, tra veagh warpyn scaddan ain dy ghoaill ass yn lieen, as lane-eairk ny jees dy rum goll ass yn boteil.
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But they would often talk of women and tell about the time they were courting, when we would have warps of herring to take out of the net, with a hornful or two of rum flowing from the bottle.
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Cha vel monney smoo ayn dy insh diu nish.
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There is not much more to tell you now.
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Shegin dou jeeaghyn son red ennagh elley tra vee’m goll dy screeu reesht.
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I must look for something else when I come to write again.
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T’eh er-gerrey da traa lhiabbagh as ta’n gheay vooar sheidey as yn fliaghey shilley sheese.
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It is almost bedtime and the great wind is blowing and the rain pouring down.
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Myr shen ta mee goll gys my lhiabbee dy reayll mee hene souyr. EF.
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So I am going to my bed to keep myself comfortable. EF.
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