| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Phillie Mac y Phaill | Philly Quayle | |
| ER Y CHIAGHTYN shoh hooar mee y screeuyn heese voish nyn garrey Chalse Mooar y Craayne, ny “Chalse Mooar Juan Robin” myr yiarragh ad rish ayns Balley Ny Loghey raad t’eh cummal. | This week I received the letter below from our friend Big Chalse Craine, or “Big Chalse Juan Robin” as they would call him in Ballaugh where he lives. | |
| Ta Chalse fer jeh’n cheeloghe shen red beg ny shinney na mish (agh cha nee monney myr te!) as enney ocsyn er loayeyderyn dooghyssagh ny Gaelgey eer ny shinney na adsyn va enney aym pene orroo. | Chalse is one of that generation a little older than me (but not much though!) who know (knew) the native speakers of Manx even older than those I myself knew. | |
| Dy mennick ta mee er chlashtyn Chalse loayrt mychione Phillie Mac y Phaaill as yn aght hooar eh ram Gaelg vie voishyn. | I have often heard Chalse speaking about Philly Quayle and how he got a lot of good Manx from him. | |
| Er hoh diu ayns focklyn Chalse hene, skeeal mychione loayreyder dooghyssagh elley, nane jeh’n sleih, nyn vegooish[1] cha beagh chengey ny mayrey goll y loayrt[2] ayns Mannin ny laghyn t’ayn jiu. | Here for you in Chalse’s own words, is a story about another native speaker, on of the people without whom the mother tongue wouldn’t be spoken in the Isle of Man these days. | |
|
[1] nyn vegoosh] text gives
[nyn gooish]
[2] goll y loayrt]
[goll er loayrt]
| ||
| Mwyllin Squeen, | Squeen Mill, | |
| Balley ny Loghey | Ballaugh | |
| 22/10/1976 | 22/10/1976 | |
| Ta mee er n’gheddyn ram taitnys lhaih ayns dty cholloo ayns “Yn Rollage” mychione yn shenn sleih va ny fir s’jerree jeh ny loayrerderyn dooghyssagh jeh’n Ghailck Vanninagh as smooinnee mee dy lhisin screeu fockle ny ghaa mychione my henn charrey as fer-ynsee Phillie Mac y Phaill voish Purt ny h-Inshey. | I have got a lot of pleasure reading in your column in “The Star” about the old people who were the last of the native speakers of Manx Gaelic and I thought that I should write a word or two about my old friend and teacher Philly Quayle from Peel. | |
|
[5] agh beggan beg] ‘but a very little’ intended meaning is evidently ‘only a very little’ for which the expected phrase would be
[cha nel agh beggan aym] ‘I only know a little’.
| ||
| Hooar Phillie baase roish yn Nah Chaggey as er y fa shen cha bee enney er eer yn ennym echey ec monney sleih nish. | Philly died before the Second (World) War and therefore not many people will even know his name now. | |
| Haink mee ny whail ayns aght quaag. | I met him in an unusual way. | |
| Ayns y vlein 1933 ny 1934 va nane jeh my chaarjyn feer ching lesh chiassagh as v’eh marish e huyr, ren geddyn baase veih’n doghan shen, currit dys yn Thie Lheeys ec yn “Speiy Vane” (White Hoe) ec yn traa shen freilt son sleih surranse voish chiassaghyn ny lomarcan. | In the year 1933 or 1934, one of my friends was very ill with a fever and he, together with his sister, who died from that disease, was sent to the Hospital at The White Hoe, at that time reserved only for people suffering from fevers. | |
| Fastyr Jedoonee dy row hug mee lhiams moir adsyn va ching[3] dys Doolish dy chur shilley orroo — as shen va kied ayn dy yannoo, trooid yn uinnag. | One Sunday afternoon I brought the mother of those who were sick to Douglas to visit them – and that there was permission to do, through the window. | |
|
[3] hug mee lhiams moir adsyn va ching] ‘I brought the mother of those who were sick’ — here the writer treats the pronouns
[adsyn] as if it were a proper name. The expected phrase would be
[hug mee lhiam yn voir ocsyn va ching].
| ||
| Er yn raad er-ash dy valley vrie y ven my oddin goll trooid Purt ny h-Inshey dy insh da ny fir-vooinjer eck ayns shen kys va ny paitchyn eck goll er. | On the way back home the woman asked if I could go through Peel to tell her relatives there how the children were getting on. | |
| Dooyrt mee dy raghin agh gowyms rish nish nagh ren mee shen y yannoo yn laa shen. | I said that I would go but I will admit now that I didn’t do that that day. | |
| Aghterbee, fy-yerrey chossyn shin rish 4 Straid Vona ayns Ard-valley Purt ny h-Inshey as ayns shen va shenn ghooinney as e ven as yn ’neen echey. | Anyway, at last we made it to 4 Mona Street in the City of Peel and there there was an old man and his wife and his daughter. | |
| Va’n troor dy vraane taggloo ny mast’oc hene as va mish loayrt rish y shenn ghooinney. | The three women were talking amongst themselves and I was talking to the old man. | |
| Va lioar kiongoyrt rish er y voayrd as, ga dy row ee bun-ry-skyn dooys, v’ee jeeaghyn neu-chadjin gollrish Bible. | There was a book in front of him on the table and, although it was upside down for me, it was looking uncommonly like a Bible. | |
| S’cooin lhiam gra rhym-pene, “Shegin da ve feer chrauee as shegin dooys ve feer chiarailagh dyn dy yannoo ymmyd jeh fockleyn erbee gweeagh. | I remember saying to myself, “He must be very religious and I must be very careful not to use any curse words. | |
| Ooilley yn traa va shin loayrt ry-cheilley cha dod mee goaill my hooillyn ersooyl veih’n lioar son va mee shickyr nagh row yn ghlare ayn v’ee scruit Baarle. | All the time we were talking to eachother I couldn’t take my eyes away from the book, because I was sure that the language in which it was written wasn’t English. | |
| Cha smooinee mee ec yn traa shoh dy row peiagh erbee faagit ’sy theihll va lhaih Bible Ghailckagh. Fy-yerrey dooyrt mee rish, “Vel shen y Vible t’ou lhaih, Vainshter?” | I didn’t think at this time that there was anyone left in the world who was reading a Manx Bible . At last, I said to him, “Is that the Bible you read, Sir?” | |
| “Ta.” dansoor eh. | “Yes” he said. | |
| “Cha nel ee Bible Vaarleagh noidyr?” | “It isn’t an English Bible, either?” | |
| “Cha nel.” | “No.” | |
| “Nee Bible Ghailckagh t’ayn?” | “Is it a Manx Bible?” | |
| “She, Bible Ghailckagh.” | “Yes, a Manx Bible.” | |
| “As vel oo son lhaih ee?” | “And can you read it?” | |
| “Oh, ta. Cha nel mee rieau lhaih Bible erbee elley.” | “Oh, yes. I never read any other Bible.” | |
| Eisht dinsh mee da dy row mee er ve goaill foddeeaght d’ynsaghey yn Ghailck ooilley laghyn my vea er y fa dy row my yishag feer flaaoil aynjee agh cha row caa aym dy ynsaghey veihsyn er yn oyr dy dooar eh baase roish my row mee daa vlein d’eash. | Then I told him that I had been longing to learn Manx all the days of my live because my father was fluent in it but I had no opportunity to learn from him because he died before I was two years old. | |
| Va mee er n’ynsaghey kuse dy ockleyn voish shenn sleih ayns laghyn m’aegid as va mee er n’gholl dys brastyl cummit ayns Doolish ec Mnr H. P. Kelly ayns y gheurey roish yn traa shen. Vrie eh jeem noddin[4] taggloo Gailck as dooyrt mee agh beggan beg.[5] | I had learnt a few words from old people in the days of my youth and I had gone to a class held in Douglas by Mr. H. P. Kelly in the winter, before that time. He asked me if I could talk Manx and I said only a little bit. | |
|
[4] noddin] text gives
[foddym]
[5] agh beggan beg] ‘but a very little’ intended meaning is evidently ‘only a very little’ for which the expected phrase would be
[cha nel agh beggan aym] ‘I only know a little’.
| ||
| As dooyrt eshyn, “My jig oo dys shoh nee’ms gynsaghey dhyts ooilley yn Ghailck ny t’ayms.” | And he said “If you come here I will teach you all the Manx that I have.” | |
| Ren eh jannoo e chooid share as v’eh ny fer-ynsee yndyssagh as hie mee dy chur shilley er dy chooilley fastyr jedoonee veih’n laa dy vaik mee eh son yn chied cheayrt derrey hooar eh baase. | He did his best and he was a wonderful teacher and I went to see him every Sunday afternoon from the day I saw him for the first time until he died. | |
| Shee dy row er yn annym echey. | Peace be upon his soul. | |
| Cha row eh feer foddey erreish da nyn doshiaght ry-cheilley dy dooyrt eh rhym dy row eh traa son mish dy insh skeeal ny red ennagh da ayns y Ghailck as dinsh mee da skeeal firrinagh mychione goll voish Doolish dys Rhumsaa ayns baatey beg shiaulley. | It wasn’t very long after our start together that he said to me that it was time for me to tell a story or something to him in Manx and I told he a true story about going from Douglas to Ramsey in a little sailing boat. | |
| Choud as Kione Maayl va’n gheay as y tidey marin agh ny lurg shen v’ad nyn ’oi as va shin bunnys tree ooryn roish chossyn shin dys Rhumsaa, feayr as ching ec tree er y chlag sy voghrey. | As far as Michael Head (Maughold Head?) the wind and tide were with us, but after that they were against us and we were almost three hours before we got to Ramsey, cold and sick, at three o’clock in the morning. | |
| Erresih da daink mee[6] dys jerrey’n skeeal vrie mee “Ren oo toiggal shen?” | After I came to the end of the story I asked “Did you understand that?” | |
|
[6] Erreish da daink daink mee] ‘After I came’ the expected translation would be
[Lurg dou çheet].
| ||
| son va’n Ghailck aym foast feer vrisht as dinsh eh er-ash dou yn clane skeeal ayns Baarle. | because my Manx was still very broken and he told the entire story back to me in English. | |
| Va mee lane dy voyrn yn oie shen! | I was full of pride that night! | |
| Mysh yn traa shen ayns my vea (va) mee feer voirit lesh askaid er m’eddin. | About that time in my life I was really troubled with a boil on my face. | |
| Harragh ee as raghin dys y Fer-lhee as verragh eh urree dy gholl ersooyl agh daa ny tree meeaghyn ny s’anmey, veagh ee er-ash reesht. | It would come and I would go to the Doctor and he would make it go away, but two or three months later, it would be back again. | |
| Un oie, tra va m’eddin feer attit as piandagh dooyrt eh rhym, “Ta mee fakin dy vel yn red shen er dt’eddin reesht, bhoy.” | One night, when my face was very swollen and painful, he said to me, “I see that that thing is on your face again, boy.” | |
| “Ta.” Dooyrt mee, “My nee oo pardooney yn ockl, she mollaght sharroo t’ee.” | “Yes.” I said, “If you pardon the word, it is a bitter curse.” | |
| Eisht loayr seose e ven as dooyrt ee, “shegin dhyt geddyn eh-hene ayns shen dy chur oalys urree.” | Then his wife spoke up and she said, “you must get himself there to put a charm on it.” | |
| “My Yee t’ayns Niau,” dooyrt mee rhym pene, “Veagh shen red yindyssagh. | “My God in Heaven,” I said to myself, “That would be a wonderful thing. | |
| Foddym goll mygeayrt y cheer boggyssagh dys ooilley ny caarjyn aym dy row yn lheid er ve jeant orrym,” | I’ll be able to go around the country boasting to all my friends that such a thing had been done to me” | |
| ga, yn irriney dy ghra, cha row veg y chredjue ayms ayns oalyssyn agh reuesyn dooyrt mee, “Veagh shen eie mie.” | although, to tell the truth, I had no faith in charms, but to them I said, “That would be a good idea.” | |
| “Aw,” dooyrt y ven, “T’eh ny oalyssagh mie.” | “Oh,” said the wife, “It he’s a good charmer.” | |
| “Dy jarroo,” dooyrt mee. | “Indeed,” I said. | |
| “Aw, dy jarroo,” dooyrt ish, “t’eh er chur er ram sleih dy chouyral voish ram doghanyn.” | “Oh, indeed,” she said, “he has made a lot of people recover from many ailments.” | |
| “Shegin da ve feer vie, eisht.” Dooyrt mee. | “He must be very good, then.” I said. | |
| Derrey shoh cha row eshyn er n’ghra veg as eisht vrie eh, “B’laik lhiat mee dy yannoo eab dy akin noddym[7] cur urree dy gholl?” | Until this he hadn’t said anything and then he asked, “Would you like me to make an attempt try to see if I can make it go?” | |
|
[7] noddym] text gives
[foddym]
| ||
| “My t’ou smooinaghtyn dy jinnagh eh foays erbee bee’m feer wooisal.” | “If you think it would do any good I would be very pleased.” | |
| “Foddym gra shoh rhyt aghterbee,” dooyrt eh, mannagh jean eh foays dhyt cha jean eh jannoo skielley dhyt.” | “I can say this to you, anyway,” he said, “if it doesn’t do any good, it won’t do you any harm.” | |
| Eisht doardee eh mee dy hassoo as vrie eh row ennym erbee elley aym ny smoo na ad bione da. | Then he ordered me to stand and he asked if I had any other name in addition to those he knew. | |
| Dinsh mee da ny tree enmyn ayms as eisht ren eh strugey yn boayl guinnagh lesh e veir son tammylt beg as choud as v’eh jannoo shen va ny meillyn echey gleashagh agh cha row sheean erbee cheet magh ass e veeal. | I told him my three names and then he stroked the sore place with his fingers for a little while, and whilst he was doing that his lips were moving but no sound at all was coming out of his mouth. | |
| Fy-yerrey dooyrt eh, “Er-lhiam dy jean shen jannoo. Foddee va mee ro anmagh jannoo eh as foddee nee eh brishey mairagh agh er-lhiam nagh yiow oo boirey erbee voee.” | At last, he said, “I think that will do. Maybe I was too late doing it and maybe it will burst tomorrow, but I don’t think you’ll get any trouble from it.” | |
| As ren ee brishey laa ny vairagh as cha nel ee rieau er jeet er-ash reesht. | And it broke the next day and it has never come back again. | |
| B’vie mooar lhiam er n’ynsaghey kys dy yannoo oalyssyn agh dooyrt Phillie rhym, | I would have much liked to to have learnt how to do charms, but Philly told me, | |
| “My derrin my oalyssyn da dooinney erbee ’sy theihll verrin ad dhyts agh cha bloys dou jannoo eh.” | “If I were to give my charms to any man in the world I would give them to you, but I wouldn’t dare do it.” | |
| “Cre’n fa nagh?” dooyrt mee. | “Why not?” I said. | |
| “Er y fa dy beagh ad caillt,” dooyrt eh. | “Because it would be lost.” He said. | |
| “Shegin daue goll voish ben dys dooinney as voish dooinney dys ben.” | “They must go from a woman to a man, and from a man to a woman.” | |
| Cha dod mee cur orrym pene dy vriaght jeh dy insh da’n ’neen echey, as eisht ish dy insh dooys as choud as ta fys aym hooar ny oaylyssyn echey baase marish-hene. | I couldn’t make myself ask him to tell his daughter, and then her to tell mee and as far as I know his charms died with him. | |
| Va Phillie ruggit as troggit ayns Glion Meaye as v’eh ginsh dou keayrt ennagh kys, ayns laghyn e aegid, Jeheiney Chaisht, va peiagh ennagh ass dy chooilley lught thie goll sheese dys ny creggyn ec Yn Arbyl tra va’n tidey mooie dy hymsagh flitteryn son nyn mrastyr er y laa shen. | Philly was born and raised in Glen Meay and he was telling me one time how, in the days of his youth, on Easter Friday, someone from every family was going down to rocks at The Tail (Niarbyl) when the tide was out to collect ‘flitters’ (limpets) for their evening meal that day. | |
| “As vel ad mie tra t’ad er n’aarlaghey,” vrie mee. | “And are they good when they’ve been prepared (cooked),” I asked. | |
| “Ghooinney,” dooyrt eh, “Fod oo gee ad as y beeal brisht ort!” | “Man,” he said, “You can eat them with your mouth broken!” | |
| Ayns lagyn e aegid v’eh goll dys yn eeastagh ayns Kinsale as ny h-Ellanyn Twoaie (Shetlands) as ass Purt ny h-Inshey. | In the days of his youth he was going to the fishing in Kinsale and the Northern Isles (The Shetlands) and out of Peel. | |
| Ayns ny laghyn shen cha row pooar erbee ayns ny baatyn agh pooar ny deiney as ny shiaullyn. | In those days the boats had no power but the power of the men and sails. | |
| Va palchey obbyr creoi goll. Va’n chied poor bree son troggal ny lhieenteenyn cha nee son gimman ny baatyn. | There was plenty of hard work (going). The first steam power was for raising the nets, not for driving the boat. | |
| Ta mee dy mennick er ve geaishtagh dys Phillie as Caesar Cashin taggloo mychione laghyn ny 1860yn, laghyn ayn cha row Raidyn-Yiarn, Gleashtanyn, Etlanyn, Radio ny eer “Cabbil daa-Wheeylagh.” | I have often been listening to Philly and Caesar Cashin talking about days of the 1860s, days in which there was no Railway, Cars, Airplanes, Radio or even ‘a Two-wheeled Horse’. | |
| Boayl erbee v’ou laccal goll, begin dhyt shooyl. | Anywhere you were wanting to go, you had to walk. | |
| Bee Phillie cummit ayns cooinaghtyn aym choud’s bee’m bio, cha bee eh dy bragh jarrooidit aym son dynsee eh dou ny smoo jeh’n shenn hengey na peiagh erbee elley. | Philly will be held in my memory whilst I am alive, he won’t ever be forgotten by me because he taught me more of the old tongue than anyone else. | |
| FOCKLYN NOA-EMSHIRAGH | MODERN WORDS | |
| reihys (m) | election | |
| shirreyder (m) | candidate | |
| oltey (m) | member | |
| teiy (m) | vote | |
| soilsheen (m) | advert | |
| coontey (m) | count | |
| jantagh (m) | agent | |
| oraid (m) | speech | |
| kishtey teiy (m) | ballot box | |
| meoir reihys (m) | returning officer | |
| reihyssaght (f) | electorate | |
| teiyder (m) | voter | |
| teiyderys (m) | constituency | |
| laa enmys (m) | nomination day | |
| bwaag teiy (m) | polling booth | |