| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Ta mee er chlashtyn yn çhenn sleih gra dy row Manninagh Beg Mac y Leer Ree er Mannin keayrt dy row. Veagh ad gra dy re buitçh v’eh, as dy row eh goll ayns co-chaslys ny three cassyn as rollal harrish Mannin veih un chione gys yn kione elley, goll-rish rimmey queeyl wooar, as dy ren eh laa dy row rollal magh er yn cheayn voish gob Jurby as nagh row eh rieau fakinit ny lurg shen. | I have heard the old people say that Manannan Beg Mac-y-Lir was King of the Isle of Man once upon a time. They would say that he was a witch, and that he went in the image of the three legs and rolled around the Isle of Man from one end to the other end, like the rim of a great wheel, and that one day he rolled out on the sea from Jurby point and that he was never seen after that. | |
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Manannan Beg Mac-y-Lir— There are various spellings for this name, and its variant; Manninagh Beg Mac-y-Lir.
The form of spelling used in the ‘normalised’ versions in this collection is based on that given in the poem ‘Seeing Mona Again’, although this is likely only E.U. Savage’s preferred spelling, and perhaps not reflective of modern scholarship. Where Ned Beg uses the variant, the spelling Manninagh, has been used.
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| Agh ren mee clashtyn my Ayr lheih ayns yn chaghter vannin (monas herald). Te mysh jeih bleenney as daeed er dy henney as ta me ghoaill aggle dy vel paar jeh jarroodyt aym. Va dhonney feer niarthal ayns sostyn cha vel me toiggal row eh ree ny dyn, agh vad gra craueyn yarn rish. | But I heard my father read in the Mona’s Herald, it’s about fifty years ago, and I’m afraid that I have forgotten some of it, that there was a very powerful man in England, I don’t know if he was a king or not, but they called him Iron Bones. | |
| Ve gholl trooid ooilley ny cheeraghyn as churt e lanae foue son dooinney erbee dy voddagh gleck ny roie rish, as mannagh row dooinney ayns yn çheer dy ghoaill soese eh veagh yn çheer shen fo cheesh da. | He was going through the lands and challenging for any man at all that could wrestle or run against him, and if there wasn’t a man in the land to take him up then that land would be under tribute to him. | |
| Ayns yn troailt echey trooid yn cherroo shoh jeh’n seihll, haink eh gys Divlyn, as hie eh gys plaase yn ree Yernagh, as dooyrt eh rish yn ree dy row eh cur e lane foue son dooinney erbee dy ghleck ny dy roie rish. | In his travel through this quarter (corner) of the world, he came to Dublin, and he went to the palace of the Irish king, and he said to the king that he was challenging them for any many to wrestle or to run against him. | |
| Dooyrt yn Ree dy jeanagh eh gholl gys thie Kit McKeelin dy gheddyn eh son dy re McKeelin va’n dooinney speeint va ayns yn reeriaght echey. Myr shen, ren yn Ree goll dy gheddyn eh cha thappee as oddagh eh roie. | The king said that he would go to the house of Kit McKeelin to get him because McKeelin was the most ‘plucked’ (‘ripped’?) man that was in his kingdom. So the king went to find him as fast as he could run. | |
| Myr va’n ree roie trooid yn cheyll dy yannoo yn raaid ny sgirrey, ren eh meeiteil rish dooinney mooar goll-rish foawr. Ren eh goaill holt er yn ree as cummal eh. “Cre’n raad t’ou goll ayns wheesh dy hiyr dooyrt yn fer mooar. | As the king was running through the forest to make the way shorter, he met a big man, like a giant. He took a hold of the king and held him. “Where are you going in such a hurry?” asked the big man. | |
| Eisht dooyrt yn Ree dy row fer ny craueyn yiarn er jeet as er chur e lane foue as dy row eh goll dy gheddyn Kit McKeelin son dy roie marish son nagh row dooinney ayns yn çheer foddagh gleck rish. Dooyrt yn fer mooar rish “Cha lhiass dhyt goll ny sodjey. Neem’s goaill grash dy roie marish. Gow thie ec keayrt as insh da. Va’n ree ayns aggle roish yn dooinney mooar. Va cooat mooar er, sheese gys e vonnyn— as va ny braagyn wheesh rish baatyn beggey, as hie yn ree thie reesht ayns aggle roish. | Then the king said that the Iron Bones man had come and had challenged them and that he was going to get Kit McKeelin to run race with him because there wasn’t a man in the land who could wrestle with him. The big man said to him “You don’t need to go any further. I will have a go at running against him. Go home at once and tell him.” The king was afraid of the big man. He had a big coat on him, down to his heels— and the shoes were much like little boats, and he went back home in fear of him. | |
| Tra haink yn ree dy valley dooyrt eh rish Craueyn Yiarn dy ren eh meeteil rish dooinney ayns yn cheyll va arryltagh dy roie marish. Dooyrt craueyn Yiarn dy beagh eh feer wooiagh dy akin yn dooinney roish yinnagh eh goll dy roie marish. | When the king came home he said to Iron Bones that he met a man in the forest who was willing to race with him. Iron Bones said that he would be very happy to see the man before he would go to race with him. | |
| Eisht ren yn Ree leeideil Craueyn Yiarn gys yn voayl ren eh meeiteil rish yn fer mooar. Tra honnick Craueyn Yiarn yn fer mooar dooyrt eh nagh row eh shen dooinney, agh foawr. As vrie eh jeh yn fer mooar cre’d va’n ennym echey. | Then the king lead Iron Bones to the place where he met the big man. When Iron Bones saw the big man he said that he there wasn’t a man, but a giant, nd he asked the big man what his name was. | |
| “Boddagh yn Chooat Laaghagh” dooyrt yn fer mooar. | “The Muddy Coat Boddagh” said the big man. | |
| Cha vel mish goll dy roie marish lheid yn Boddagh graney smarree rish shen, dooyrt Craueyn Yiarn. | “I am not going to race with such an ugly, greasy Boddagh as that!” said Iron Bones. | |
| “Cha vel mish agh dooinney goll rhyt hene ,” dooyrt yn Boddagh as cha bee yn çheer currit fo cheesh gys nee mayd fakin quoi vees yn roieder share. | “I am only a man like yourself,” said the Boddagh, “and the country will not be put under a tribute until we see who will be the best runner. | |
| Myr shen va Craueyn Yiarn eginit dy roie marish yn boddagh. Va’n raaid er ny howse daue; v’ad dy roie er son jeih veeiley as feed as va’d dy ghoill toshiaght dy roie laa ny vairagh, cha leah as yinnagh yn laa brishey. V’ad dy roie voish yn cheyll, myr shen dooyrt Craueyn Yiarn dy jinnagh eshyn lhie ayns yn cheyll gys moghrey, as dooyrt yn boddagh myrgheddin dy jeannagh eshyn lhie ayns yn cheyll neesht. Eisht hie Craueyn Yiarn as ren eh jannoo e lhiabbee fo gob creg, as chymsagh paart dy faiyr chreen dy lhie er. | So, Iron Bones was compelled to race with the Boddagh. The route was measured for them; they were to run for thirty miles and they were to start to race the next day, as soon as the day would break. They were to run from that great forest, so, Iron Bones said he would go to bed in the forest until morning, and the Boddagh also said that he would go to bed in the forest too, Then Iron Bones went and made his bed under the point of a rock, and collected some dried grass to lie on. | |
| Agh, ghow yn Boddagh toshiaght dy vrishey banglaneyn jeh ny biljyn as dy yannoo bwaag da hene dy cheau yn oie ayn, as ayns traa gerrid va bwaag feer jesh jeant echey. Tra haink yn dorraghys, ren Craueyn Yiarn goll dy lhie fo gob yn chreg, as yn Boddagh gys y waag. | However, the Boddagh started to break branches off the trees and to make a bivouac for himself to spend the night in, and in a short while he had made a very nice shelter. When the darkness came, Iron Bones went to lie under the point of the rock, and the Boddagh to the shelter. | |
| Agh ayns traa gerrid ren Craueyn Yiarn clashtyn sheean as haink eh magh dy ghoaill baght jeh as honnick eh yn Boddagh roie geiyrt er muck feeaih, as tra ren eh tayrtyn ee ren eh aile mooar dy ghreddey yn vuck, as tra va’n vuck currit er yn aile hie yn Boddagh roish reesht, as kione tammylt beg dy hraa, haink eh reesht lesh saagh mooar dy yough lhune er e ghreeym, eisht haink eh dy chuirrey Craueyn Yiarn dy heet gys shibber marish, agh ren eh ghobbal dy heet. Eisht ren yn Boddagh soie sheese gys e hibber ny lomarcan as ren eh gee leih jeh’n vuck, as giu leih jeh’n jough, eisht ren eh lhie sheese as goll dy chadley, agh cha ren Craueyn Yiarn cadley agh feer veg, smooinaght er yn roie veagh goaill toshiaght ayns y vogheree. | But in a short while Iron Bones heard a sound and he came out to take a view of it and he saw the Boddagh running after a wild pig, and when he caught it he made a big fire to grill the pig, and when the pig was put on the fire the Boddagh went on back, and in a short bit of time, he came back with a large vessel of beer on his back, then he came to invite Iron Bones to come to supper with him, but he refused to come, then the Boddagh sat down to his supper alone and he ate half of the pig, and drank half of the beer, then he lay down and went to sleep, but Iron Bones only slept a little bit, thinking about the race that would be starting in the morning. | |
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jough lhune – ‘ale drink’.
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| Tra ren yn laa brishey, ren Craueyn Yiarn girree, agh cha row yn Boddagh aarloo, dooyrt eh, son nagh row eh er vrishey e hrostey. Ren Craueyn Yiarn toshiaght dy roie agh ren yn Boddagh soie sheese dy ee yn leih elley jeh’n vuck, as dy iu yn jough, eisht tra ve lesh gee as giu, ghow eh toshiaght dy roie geiyrt er Craueyn Yiarn. | When the day broke, Iron Bones rose up, but the Boddagh wasn’t ready, he said, because he hadn’t had his breakfast. Iron Bones started to run, but the Boddagh sat down to eat the other half of the pig, and to drink the beer, then, when he was done eating and drinking, he started to run after Iron Bones. | |
| Ayns traa gerrid haink eh seose er Craueyn Yiarn as ren eh goll shaghey echey. Ayns dy chooilley voayl va’n raad meeley va’n Boddagh ceau lane barroo dy laagh jeh e vonnyn ec dy chooilley chesmed, seose er e ghreeym gys va’n cooat mooar echey cooadit lesh voish e gheayltyn sheese. | In a short he caught up with Iron Bones and he went past him. In every place where the road was soft the Boddagh threw up a full barrow of mud from his heels at every step, up on his back until his big coat was covered with it from his shoulders down. | |
| Fy-yerrey haink yn Boddagh gys boayl va ymmodee dressyn gaase rish ny cleigh, as ghow eh toshiaght dy heih smeir-ghoo, as v’eh gee paart jeu, as cur yn chooid elley ayn poshagyn e chooat mooar. Haink Craueyn Yiarn seose er tra v’eh teih ny meir, as hie eh shaghey yn Boddagh, cha ren yn Boddagh ghoaill bagh jeh son v’eh teih smeir ec yn tra hie Craueyn Yiarn shaghey. | Finally, the Boddagh came to a place where there were many brambles growing along the hedges, and he started to mix blackberries, and he was eating some of them, and putting the rest in the pockets of his big coat. Iron Bones came up on him when he was picking the ???, and he went past the Boddagh. The Boddagh didn’t observe him because he was picking berries at the time Iron Bones went past. | |
| Tra va ny poshagyn echey lane smeir-ghoo nagh jinnagh ad cummal ny smoo ren eh smooinaght dy row Craueyn Yiarn ersooyl foddey er yn raad, eisht ren yn Boddagh roie geiyrt er feer syrragh as ayns traa gerrid haink eh seose rish Craueyn Yiarn reesht, hie eh shaghey echey as ren cummal roie gys meeiley ny jees er kione Craueyn Yiarn, eisht ren eh goaill e hraa as cha row eh ayns lheid yn siyr er yn oyr dy row eh hoshiaght roish Craueyn Yiarn. Ren eh smooinaght er ny smeir-ghoo, as ren eh cur e laue ayns poshag e chooat dy ghoaill lane doarn, agh va’n phoshag ersooyl. Eisht ren eh cur e laue ayns yn phoshag elley, agh va’n phoshag shen ersooyl myrgeddin. Ren trimmid ny smeir-ghoo raipey ny poshagyn ass yn chooat as va’d caillit er yn raad, as cha ren eh gennaghtyn dy row ad caillit gys chur eh e laueyn ayndoo. Eisht dooyrt eh rish hene dy beagh eh accryssagh roish yinnagh eh roshtyn gys kione y yurnaa, as dy beagh eh ny share da goll dy yeeaghyn son e phoshagyn. Myr shen, ren eh chyndaa mygeayrt as goll dy yeeaghyn son e phoshagyn. | When his pockets were full of blackberries so that they wouldn’t hold any more he thought that Iron Bones was gone a long way on the route, then the Boddagh ran following him very hastily and in a short while he came up to Iron Bones again, he went past him and kept running until a mile or two in front of iron Bones, then he took his time and he wasn’t in such a hurry, because he was ahead of Iron Bones. He thought about the blackberries, and he put his hand in the pocket of the pocket of his coat to take a fistful, but the pocket was gone. Then he put his hand in the other pocket, but that poscket was gone too. The weight of the blackberries ripped the pockets out of the coat and they were lost on the route, and he didn’t realise that they were lost until he put his hands in them. Then he said to himself that he would be hungry before he would reach the end of the journey, and that it would be better for him to go to look for his pockets. So he turned around and went to look for his pockets. | |
| Myr ve çheet reesht er yn raad ren eh meeiteil Craueyn Yiarn roie er e hoshiaght as ren eh briaght jeh ren eh fakin ny poshagyn echeysyn boayl erbee er yn raad. Cha ren eh fakin poshagyn erbee dooyrt Craueyn Yiarn, agh ren eh fakin daa phoagey ny lhie er yn raad mysh queig meeilley er e chooylloo. “Shen va ny poshagyn aym’s!” dooyrt yn Boddagh, eisht ren eh siyr dy gheddyn ad, as tra haink eh gys e phoshagyn ren eh goaill unnane fo dagh roih as goaill toshiaght dy roie reesht. Cha ren eh cur veg dy geill da smeir-ghoo ny sodjey, gys haink eh seose er Craueyn Yiarn reesht. | As he was coming again on the route he met Iron Bones running ahead and he asked him if he saw his pockets anywhere on the way. He didn’t see any pockets, said Iron Bones, but he saw two bags lying on the road about a mile behind. “Those were my pockets!” said the Boddagh, then he hurried to get them, and when he came to the pockets he took one under each arm and started to run back. He paid no attention to blackberries any longer, until he caught up with Iron Bones again. | |
| Cha ren red erbee elley taghyrt da yn Boddagh dy cumrail eh er yn chooid elley jeh yn raaid as ren eh geddyn gys kione y yurnaa mysh daa oor roish Craueyn Yiarn, as dooyrt eh rish yn sleih va cummal ayns yn valley beg, va ec kione yn jurnaa dy choyrt lesh huggey lane poagey dy garvain as saagh mooar dy chur yn gairvain ayn. Myr shen, chur yn sleih lhieu huggey yn poagey dy gharvain corkey as yn saagh mooar dy choyrt yn garvain ayn, eisht ren eh deayrtey yn garvain ayns yn saagh as folmagh ny poshagyn dy smeir-ghoo ayn myrgheddin, as maastey ad ooilley cooidjagh, eisht ghow eh toshiaght dy ee lesh dagh laue feer jollyssagh gys honnick eh Craueyn Yiarn çheet dy feer lhiastey as croobagh dy mie. As va’n Boddagh gee as cur shilley lesh Craueyn Yiarn, as ec dy chooilley lane doarn v’eh gee as tra ren Craueyn Yiarn roshtyn va ooilley eeit agh un lane doarn, ren eh ceau shen er as chyndaa mygeayrt. Eisht va Craueyn Yiarn eginit dy gholl er boayrd yn lhong, as goll roish. | Nothing else at all happened to the Boddagh to hinder him on the rest of the way and he got to the end of the journey about two hours before Iron Bones, and he said to the people who were living in the village that was at the end of the journey, to bring him a full bag of groats and a big vessel to put the groats in. So the brought him the bag of oat groats and the big vessel to put the groats in, then he poured the grouts into the vessel and emptied the pockets of blackberries in it too, and mixed them all together, then he started to eat with two hands, very greedily, until he saw Iron Bones coming very slowly, and pretty well lame. And the Boddagh was eating and casting an eye towards Iron Bones and at every fistful he was eating and when Iron Bones arrived all was eaten except one fistful, he threw that at him and turned around. Then Iron Bones was compelled to go onboard the ship and go on his way. | |
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ren+ chyndaa mygeayrt— Broderick gives an alternative interpretation, that suggests two instances of ommitted eh; ren+ eh chyndaa eh mygeayrt— ‘(it) turned (him) around’.
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| Tra va’n lhong goll magh ass Diblyn ren yn Boddagh chur e chass noi’n jerrey eck as cur phutt mooar jee as ren ee gholl shiaght veeiley lesh yn phutt shen as va Nerin seyr. V’eh smooinit dy re boddagh yn cooat lechagh va Manninagh Beg Mac-y-Lir, as my v’eh bio traa shen t’eh feer licklee dy vel eh er-mayrn foast. | When the ship was going out of Dublin the Boddagh put his foot against her stern and gave her a big push, and she went seven miles with that push and Ireland was free. It was thought that the Muddy Coat Boddagh was Manannan Beg Mac-y-Lir, and if he was alive then it is very likely that he is surviving yet. | |