| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| TURRYS MARREY MY YIASS | A SEA TRIP SOUTH | |
| Marish Juan Leslie y Quirk, Manninagh Dooie. | By John Leslie Quirk, Native Manxman. | |
| Vel shiu aarloo d’aagail Purt Ny h-Inshey marym moghrey jiu as dy hiaulley my yiass lesh shilley beg er Purt Chiarn as er ash reesht dys Purt Ny h-Inshey ec yn oie? | Are you ready to leave Peel with me this morning and sail south to for a little sight of Port Erin and back to Peel again at night? | |
| Bee yn leagh eu punt y pheesh. | The price for you will be a pound each. | |
| Beemain faagail Purt Ny h-Inshey mysh jeih er y chlag ’sy voghree as roshmayd Purt Chiarn mysh ’nane er y chlag lurg munlaa rere yn traa faagmayd Purt Ny Manniee (shenn ennym er Purt Ny h-Inshey). | We will leave Peel at about ten o’clock in the morning and we will reach Port Erin at about one o’clock after midday according to the time we leave Purt ny Manniee (‘Port of the Monks’ — an old name for Peel). | |
| Ta croan mooar lajer as daa hiaull er y vaatey shoh as greie aynjee neesht. | The boat has a big strong mast and two sails and an engine too. | |
| Mannagh beagh greie aynjee cha beagh eh cooie dy insh diu dy jinnagh shin roshtyn Purt Chiarn mysh ’nane er y chlag, rere arraghey ny geayee. | Were there not an engine in her it wouldn’t be appropriate to tell you that we would reach Port Erin at about one o’clock, according to the movement of the wind. | |
| Cha bee veg agh Gaelg goll er loayrt er y varrinys shoh, dyn Baarle graney erbee. | There will be nothing but Manx spoken on this trip, not any ugly English. | |
| Dooys yn tead-hoshee! | Give me the head line (bow mooring line)! | |
| Gura mie mooar eu! | Thank you very much! | |
| Nish y tead jerree! | Now the stern line! | |
| Gura mie eu reeshtagh! | Thank you again! | |
| Bee er dty hwoaie ayns shen woie, nagh bee dty vairyn goit eddyr cheu y vaatey as y keiy hene! | Watch out there boy, that your fingers don’t get caught between the boat and the quay itself! | |
| Shen eh kiart nish! | That’s it right now! | |
| Cha beemayd fo-raad rish thootchey, ta tead elley foast kiangley y baatey rish yn arrey shoh. | We won’t be underway for a while, there’s another line yet, tying the boat to this ladder. | |
| Cur toshiaght er y ghreie my sailt choud’s ta mee reaghey y cullee yerree[1] as jannoo yn deck sauchey as jesh. | Start the engine please, whilst I arrange the mooring lines and make the deck safe and smart. | |
|
[1] cullee yerree] An adequate translation for this phrase as used by 19th and 20th century fishermen has not yet been found. Some suggestions are ‘stern’, ‘rigging’, ‘stern rigging’, ‘mooring lines’ and ‘ensign’. ‘Mooring lines’ have been chosen here.
| ||
| Vel eh gobbal goll? S’olk shen! | Is it refusing to go? That’s bad. | |
| Verrym cooney dhyt eisht. | I’ll give you (some) help then. | |
| T’eh roie dy rea nish, bwooise da Jee. | It’s running smoothly now, thank God. | |
| T’eh goll dy mie! | It’s going well! | |
| Vel ooill dy liooar ayn? | Is there enough oil in it? | |
| Jean thummey eh, jeeagh er y chiggin ghiunid. | Dip it, look at the depth gauge (‘dip stick’). | |
| Kiart dy liooar, ta bine beg ayn erskyn y cowrey as t’eh sauchey dy liooar. | Right enough, there’s a little drop beyond the mark and it’s safe enough. | |
| Ny jean jarrood shen arragh! | Don’t forget that again! | |
| Nish ta fys aym dy vel diesel dy liooar ain. | Now I know that we have enough diesel. | |
| Agh jeeagh er y phiob er mullagh y doagh-ooill. | But look at the pipe on top of the oil tank. | |
| Ta shen y piob ta lhiggey stiagh aer, cha nel towl erbee ’sy chappan-lhieenee as ta’n piob shen lhiggey stiagh yn aer. | That is the pipe that lets in air, there’s no hole at all in the filler cup and and that pipe lets in the air. | |
| Ta’n diesel er “roie trimmid” (Gravity feed) ta fys eu. | The diesel is on a gravity feed you know. | |
| Ta’n greie roie dy mie mirrilagh nish. T’eh cheh dy liooar. Vel shiu aarloo? | The engine is running miraculously well now. It’s hot enough. Are you ready? | |
| Ersooyl lhien eisht. Cur urree dy ghleashagh dy dree. | Off we go then. Make her move slowly. | |
| Soie sheese wooinney! Cha noddym fakin dty hrooids! | Sit down man! I can’t see through you! | |
| Shagh kione y cheiy! | Past the end of the quay! | |
| Shen eh! Lhig j’ee ratchal nish! | That’s it! Let her run now! | |
| Trog yn shiaull mooar hene! | Lift the main sail itself! | |
| Moogh yn greie! | Kill the engine! | |
| Shen eh, ta shin fo hiaull nish. | That’s it, we are under sail now. | |
| Gow y wheeyl stiurree. | Take the steering wheel. | |
| Ta mee goll dys toshiaght y vaatey dy hickyraghey y shiaull toshee. | I am going to the front of the boat to secure the jib. | |
| Lhig dou cosney shagh ayd. Gura mie ayd. | Let me past you. Thank you. | |
| Ta shin shaghey Kione Roauyr. | We are passing Contrary Head. | |
| Ta’n roayrt nyn oi. | The flow of the tide (tidal stream) is against us. | |
| Daag shin y Purt red beg anmagh. | We left the harbour a little bit late. | |
| Ta geay dy liooar ayn myr te! | There’s plenty of wind though! | |
| Nagh vel eh aalin mygeayrt ayns shoh? | Isn’t it beautiful around here? | |
| Jeeagh er ny foillanyn er ny creggyn ayns shid. | Look at the seagulls on the rocks there. | |
| T’ad cha gial as sniaghtey. | They are as white as snow. | |
| C’red ta shen t’ou gra? | What’s that you’re saying? | |
| T’ou gennaghtyn red beg ching? | You’re feeling a little bit sick? | |
| S’olk lhiam clashtyn shen! | I’m sorry to hear that! | |
| Tilg harrish boayrd! Bee oo kiart dy liooar ayns tammylt beg. | Throw up overboard! You’ll be right enough in a little while. | |
| Ta chingys marrey jannoo orrin ooilley ny keayrtyn. | Seasickness affects us all sometimes. | |
| Tar neese veih shen as soie sheese heose ayns shoh, t’ou ro faggys da’n ghreie, shen ta jannoo ort! | Come up from there and sit down down up here, you’re too close to the engine, that’s what’s affecting you! | |
| T’eh foast cheh as soaral an-villish! | It’s still hot and smelling unpleasant! | |
| Vel oo ny share nish? T’ou couyral nish. | Are you better now? You’re recovering now. | |
| Er hen y “Tring Wee” (Yn t-Stroin Vuigh). Shen ee, har ayns shen. | That’s the “Tring Wee” (The Yellow ‘Nose’ or Promentary). That’s it, over there. | |
| Cha bee eh foddey derrey veesmayd jeeragh er Glion Meay hene as jannoo lesh Yn Arbyl as Delby. | It won’t be long until we’ll be opposite Glen Maye itself and making towards Niarbyl and Dalby. | |
| Jeeagh er shen! Ta shen Borrane Balelby t’ayn. | Look at that! That’s The little ‘burroo’ of Balelby. | |
| Nish ta shin ’sy Vaie Mooar. | Now we’re in the Big Bay. | |
| Er hen baatey elley. | There’s another boat. | |
| T’ee jeeaghyn dy ve foddey ersooyl voin agh cha nel ee tammylt braew ersooyl voin edyr. | It seems to be far away from us but it isn’t a big distance away from us at all. | |
| Ta shinyn braew injil ’syn ushtey. | We are pretty low in the water. | |
| T’ee gleashagh ny s’tappee na shinyn. | It’s moving faster than us. | |
| Vel shiu fakin yn ennym t’urree? | Do you see its name? | |
| She’n “Bonny Jane” t’ayn. | It’s the “Bonny Jane”. | |
| By lesh Illiam y Karagher ee keayrt dy row, shenn yishag-mooar da “Breagagh”. | William Faragher owned her once, granddad to “Breagagh”. | |
| T’ee jannoo lesh Ellan Barraie (Barra) er lhiam, goll dys yn skeddan ayns shid. | It’s heading for the Isle of Barra I think, going to the herring fishing there. | |
| Ta thie-stiurree stoamey urree, nagh vel? | It has a grand wheelroom, doesn’t it? | |
| T’ee ass Purt le Moirrey as ta skimmee mooar aynjee. | Its from Port St Mary and it has a big crew. | |
| Vel y poht-eairkagh cloie foast? | Is the kettle boiling yet? | |
| Gas t’ou gra? | Gas you say? | |
| Cha nel piob-gas voish Purt Ny h-Inshey dys shoh bwoie veen! | There’s no gas pipe from Peel to here, dear boy! | |
| Ta’n gas ’sy voteil yiarn shen! | The gas is in that iron bottle! | |
| Ta gas er boayrd dagh ooilley vaatey beg ny laghyn t’ayn jiu. | There’s gas onboard every little boat these days. | |
| Cha dod shin jannoo fegooish echey! | We can’t do without it! | |
| Er hen Ooig Ny Seyir. | That is Ooig Ny Seyir (‘The Cave of the Carpenters’). | |
| Ta ny ferrisghyn gobbyr ayns shen ta sleih gra. | The fairies work there, people say. | |
| Naik shiu Traie Vane? | Did you see Traie Vane (‘White Shore’)? | |
| Ta shin goll shaghey Garroo-clagh nish as jannoo lesh Lhoob y Charran as Baie Fleshwick. | We are going past Garroo-clagh (Rough Stone[2]) now and heading towards Lhoob y Charran (The Pony Bend / Karran’s Bend) and Fleshwick Bay. | |
|
[2]
[Garroo-clagh] the expected word order for ‘Rough Stone’ would be
[Clagh-garroo], so this may be a very old name, or be something else entirely.
| ||
| Er hen Traie Ny Barriaght. | There’s Traie Ny Barriaght (‘The Shore of the Victory’). | |
| Gow cappan dy hey eisht. | Take a cup of tea then. | |
| My dooyrt shenn Sage Kinvig, “Gow dty vee dy fondagh, ta palchey poddash ayns y phott.” | As old Sage Kinvig said, “Take your food in suffiency, there’s plenty of porridge in the pot.” | |
| Vel oo laccal braghtan? Nagh vel? T’ou foast gennaghtyn red beg ching? | Do you want a sandwich? Don’t? You’re still feeling a little bit sick? | |
| T’ou cur cooinnaghtyn orrym jeh Ned Maddrell tra dinsh eh dou dy row eh ching agglagh tra v’eh goll dys y skeddan hoshiaght as eshyn tree bleeaney jeig d’eash. | You remind me of Ned Maddrell when he told me that he was awful sick when he was going to the herring fishing at first when he was thirteen years old. | |
| “Augh,” dooyrt shenn eeasteyr rishyn, “Ta’n guilley boght ching agglagh!” | “Oh,” an old fisherman said to him, “The poor boy is awful sick!” | |
| Nish ta shin ec Gob Yn Oaie. | Now we are at Gob Yn Oaie (Point of the Grave / Point of the Face). | |
| Shaghin y Sker! | I’d avoid the reef! | |
| Cha nel shin laccal dy vooirchoorey y baatey! | We don’t want to wreck the boat! | |
| Gow kiarail jeh’n clet shid! | Take care of that rock there! | |
| Ta’n lhiggin bunnys ayn as ta’n clet shen feer ghanjeyragh. | It’s almost slack water and that rock is very dangerous. | |
| Ta shin ayns Baie Purt Chiarn nish. | We are in Port Erin Bay now. | |
| Jeeagh er ooilley ny skibbyltee boghtey cloie er y traie as gamylt ’syn ushtey. | Look at all the tourists playing on the beach and swimming in the water. | |
| Ta traie-gheinnee feer vie ayns Purt Chiarn ec y vooir-hraie. | There’s a very good sandy beach in Port Erin at low tide. | |
| Foddee shiu reuyrey ayns shen son gibbinyn as jialgane, t’ad ayns shen ayns slane palchys. | You can dig there for sandeels and ragworm, they’re there in full abundance. | |
| Chyndaamayds er ash nish lesh Purt Ny h-Inshey, dooys yn stiurr! | We’ll turn back now towards Peel, give me the wheel! | |
| Sheese lesh nyn ging! | Get your heads down! | |
| Nagh vel y gheay fo-n shiaull feayr! | Isn’t the wind under the sail cold! | |
| Nane jeh “ny geaghyn s’feayrey dennee Finn Mac Cooill,” yiarragh ny shenn Vanninee! | One of “the coldest winds Finn Mac Cooill felt,” the old Manx would say! | |
| Jeeagh er Meainyn Choobyr as leoie v’ad as s’lickly nagh vel ad follym foast. | Look, they were copper mines, and lead, and they probably aren’t empty yet. | |
| Ta ram giaughyn er y choose shoh. | There are many dangers on this coast. | |
| Ta ram sleih er n’gheddyn baase er ny creggyn jeh Bradda. | Many people have died on the rocks off Bradda. | |
| Ram skibbyltee boghtey aegey. | Many young tourists. | |
| Shegin dooin shaghney yn Arbyl dy lhean, | We must widely avoid Niarbyl. | |
| Vel shiu fakin Ellan Ny Mochil ayns shen fo Balley Callin? | Do you see Ellan ny Mochil (The Island of the Shepherd) there under Ballacallin? | |
| As Oghe y Daa Chione? | And Oghe y Daa Chione (The Pit of the Two Heads)? | |
| Ta tree traieyn ayns shen, Genniagh Doo, Genniagh Vane as Genniagh Veg. | There are three beaches there, Genniagh Doo (Black Sand), Genniagh Vane (White Sand) and Genniagh Veg (Little Sand). | |
| Vel shiu fakin Gob Ny h-Eaynin ayns shen, faggys da Gob Yn Ushtey? | Do you see Gob Ny h-Eaynin (Point of the Precipice) there, near to Gob Yn Ushtey (Point of the Water)? | |
| Nish ta shin er yn aaley enmyssit “Grunt Sollys” raad va ny shenn eeasteyryn tayrtyn ram skeddan. | Now we are on the fishing mark called “Grunt Sollys” (Bright Ground) where the old fishermen were catching a lot of herring. | |
| Dooyrt un shenn eeasteyr, “Va ny lhieenteenyn brisht as raipit ec y ghobbag as va’n cheayn gollrish bainney geyre.” | One old fisherman said, “The nets were broken and ripped by the dogfish and the sea was like buttermilk.” | |
| Nish ta shin shaghey Knock Ala. | Now we are past Knockaloe. | |
| Er hen Gob Broie raad ta’n cheayn rieau surley noi echey. | There is Gob Broie (Boiling Point), where the sea is always tossing waves against it. | |
| Er hen “Gullad Yemmey Dhone” raad ren “Jemmy” scapail voish y “press-gang”.[3] | There is “Gullad Yemmey Dhone” where “Jemmy” escaped from the press-gang. | |
|
[3] Jemmy] the Manx equivalent to ‘Jimmy’, spelt variously
[Jemmy],
[Jemmey],
[Jammy],
[Jammee].
| ||
| Nish ta shin ec Ellan Noo Pherick. | Now we are at Ellan Noo Pherick (Saint Patrick’s Isle). | |
| Sheese lesh ny shiauill! | Get the sails down! | |
| Cur er y ghreie d’obbraghey! | Get the engine working! | |
| Lieh Vieauid! Shen eh! | Half speed! That’s it! | |
| Ta shin er ash dy traa! | We are back in time! | |
| Ta ram giubbyn er ny creggyn shid. | There are a lot of seagull chicks on those rocks. | |
| Naik oo y scarroo? | Did you see the cormorant? | |
| T’eh cha doo as y poht er y slouree! | It’s as black as the pot on the chain. | |
| Stiagh ’sy phurt eisht! Jeeagh er y fer shen er y cheiy! | Into the port then! Look at that one on the quay! | |
| Ceau tead huggey! Shen eh! T’eh echey. | Throw a line to him. That’s it! It’s safe. | |
| Tayrn dy rea bwoie! | Pull smoothly boy! | |
| Cooin lhiam ayns shoh bwoaie, dooys y clep shen, gow greim er yn arrey shen. | Help me here boy, give me that boathook, get a hold of that ladder. | |
| Lheim er y cheiy! | Jump onto the quay! | |
| Jean mooaral ee dy mie. | Moor her well. | |
| Bee oo dty hiaulteyr foastagh! | You’ll be a sailor yet! | |
| Cha nel oo gollrish “Nottingham Tripper” jiu edyr. | You’re not like a “Nottingham Tripper” today at all. | |
| T’ou gaghtey oo hene gollrish shenn eeasteyr. Shenn varrinagh Manninagh. | You conduct yourself like an old fisherman. An old Manx mariner. | |
| Ta shin er-ash ’sy Phurt. | We’re back in the harbour. | |
| Ta mee cha gaccyrys as yn Jouyll. | I’m as hungry as the devil. | |
| Ta’n faarkey rieau jannoo shen dou. | The ocean always does that to me. | |
| Ta accrys mooar orrym. | I’m very hungry. | |
| Hooin roin thie eisht. | Let’s go on home then. | |
| S’liooar shen da’n un laa. | That’s enough for the one day. | |
| Higym er ash dy lhaggaghey ny teaddyn erreish da’n tey aym. | I’ll come back to slacken the lines after my tea (evening meal). | |
| Ta geaysh-goair ’sy speyr, bee jeeyl jeant noght ec y gheay, bee ny foillanyn goaill fastee ayns ny magheryn as ny troghanyn shooyl thie er y raad gys Balley Mooar ayns Skeerey Pherick. | There’s ‘goat hair’ (cirrus clouds) in the sky, there’ll be damage done tonight by the wind, the seagulls will be taking shelter in the fields and the rooks walking home on the way to Ballamooar in Patrick Parish. | |
| S’taittin lhiam dy jagh shin gys Purt Chiarn jiu as cha bee’n cheayn feer gharroo as ny tonnyn mooarey brishey ad hene noi ny creggyn. | How nice that we went to Port Erin today and the sea isn’t very rough with the big waves breaking themselves against the rocks. I think the wind is already rising. | |
| Er lhiam dy vel y gheay troggal hannah. Oie vie ghuillyn! | Good night boys! | |
| J.L.Q | J.L.Q | |
| 1965 | 1965 | |
| Hooar mee y skeeal bleeantyn er dy henney voish my charrey veen Leslie tra va shin cummal ayns Bradda, Purt Chiarn. | I got this story years ago from my dear friend Leslie when we were living in Bradda, Port Erin. | |
| Er lhiams dy bee eh jarroodit echeysyn agh dreill mee eh mastey ny pabyryn aym er y fa dy vel skeeal sheer-Vanninagh as scruit liorish Manninagh as Gaelgeyr ec (dy) vel Gaelg dooghyssagh erskyn insh. | I think he will have forgotten it, but I kept it amongst my papers because it is a truly Manx story and written by a Manxman and Manx speaker who has ineffably native Manx. | |
| Myr screeu mee roie ’sy cholloo shoh, hooar mee ram Gaelg voish Leslie ymmodee bleeantyn er dy henney tra va shin gobbragh marish y cheilley as beeym dy bragh slane kianglt booisal da son shen. | As I wrote before in this column, I got a lot of Manx from Leslie many years ago when we were working with each other and I will be forever fully gratefull to him for that. | |
| S’cooin lhiam er Leslie ny hoie marish y Gaaue Doo ec y chiollagh as loayrt rishyn gollrish shenn loayreyder dooghyssagh as mish toiggal bunnys lieh jeh shen v’ad gra! | I remember Leslie seated with the Blacksmith (John Kneen) at the fireplace and talking to him like an old native speaker with me understanding about half of what they were saying! | |
| BREAGAGH. | BREAGAGH | |