| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| TA’N Nollick bunnys orrin | Christmas is almost upon us. | |
| . Tra ta shin smooinaghtyn mychione y Imbagh shen ta shin dy mennick smooinaghtyn er yn chenn chliaghtey Celtiagh jeh “Shelg yn Drean” va goll y chummal[1] ayns Mannin as ny cheeraghyn Celtiagh elley moghrey Laa’l Steoin. | When we think about that Season we often think about the old (ancient) Celtic custom of “Hunt the Wren” that was being held in the Isle of Man and the other Celtic countries on the morning of St Stephen’s Day. | |
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[1] goll y chummal] goll er cummal
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| Va rieau drogh ouyrys ec ny Gaeljee er yn drean beg boght, ga nagh ren eh assee erbee da fer erbee ’sy theihll shoh wass! | The Gaels always had suspicion about the poor little wren, although she didn’t do any harm at all to anyone in this world! | |
| Er hoh diu skeeal Albinagh mychione yn drean hene, skeeal hyndaa mee ass y Ghàidhlig. | Here is a Scottish story for you about the wren itself, a story I translated from Gàidhlig | |
| My vees marranyn ayn, lhiams ad ooilley! | If there are errors in it, they are all mine! | |
| Pic | ||
| Yiarragh ny shenn Vanninee mychione yn ushag veg shoh, dy row ee son gra ’sy Gaelg “Ga s’beg my ghreeym as keyl my chass, un eean jeig verrym lhiam ass.” | The old Manx would say about this little bird, that it could say in Manx “Although small is my back and slender my leg, eleven chicks I will bring forth.” | |
| Va shoh er y fa dy vel drean brey heose rish un ooh jeig ny cheayrtyn. | This was because a wren lays up to eleven eggs sometimes. | |
| Yn Drean Dhone | The Brown Wren | |
| VA OIE niaghtee ayn as va’n sniaghtey sheebey, as va drean ayn as cha row fys echey c’raad oddagh eh goll. | There was a snowy night and the snow was being driven by the wind, and there was a wren and he didn’t know where he could go. | |
| Cha row boayl erbee echey dy gholl er lheid yn oie niaghtee nagh vaikagh oo veg er coontey’n sniaghtey as yn sheebey. | There had no place to go on such a snowy night that you wouldn’t see anything on account of the snow and the gust. | |
| gh haink eh er keyrrey ayns shen ’sy phairk. | But he happened upon a sheep there in the park (large enclosed field). | |
| “Oh,” dooyrt eh rish e charrey, “Nagh lhiggee oo mee stiagh ’syn ollan ayd derrey’n voghrey?” | “ Oh,” he said to his friend, “Won’t you let me into your wool until the morning?” | |
| A “Cha lhiggym.” as y cheyrrey, “Cha nod oo cheet stiagh ayns shoh!” | “I won’t” says the sheep, “You cannot come in here!” | |
| Agh haink eh gys keyrrey veg vreck, as dooyrt eh, “Nagh lhiggee oo mee stiagh ’sy chlooie ayd derrey’n vadran?” | But he came to a little speckled sheep, and he said, “Won’t you let me into your soft fur until the morning?” | |
| “Oh trooid!” as y cheyrrey veg vreck, “Cha jean eh assee erbee dooys uss dy ve sthie ’sy chlooie ayms.” | “Oh come!” said the little speckled sheep, “It won’t do any harm to me for you to be inside my soft fur.” | |
| Hooar eh sthie ayns yn ollan as va ollish er. | He got inside the wool and there was a sweat on him. | |
| V’eh gollish er y fa dy row eh cha cheh ’syn ollan. | He was sweating because he was so hot in the wool. | |
| ’Sy voghrey dirree eh, as tra haink eh magh ’sy voghrey va scoarnagh ny keyrrey giarrit as va’n cheyrrey marroo. | In the morning he rose, and when he came out in the morning the sheep’s throat was cut and the sheep was dead. | |
| Cha row fys echey cre lhisagh eh jannoo. | He didn’t know what he ought to do. | |
| “Oh well,” dooyrt eh, “Shegin dou feddyn y moddey ren marroo my ven oast,” dooyrt eh, “Roish my jem ass y voayl shoh.” | “Oh well,” he said, “I must find the dog that killed my landlady,” he said, “Before I go from this place.” | |
| As dirree eh as hie eh gys eirinagh as dooyrt eh rish yn eirinagh — dinsh eh fockle er fockle da kys va’n keyrrey[2], e ven oast, er ve er ny marroo, as dy beagh eh kenjal dy liooar dy chooney leshyn dy feddyn y moddey ren eh, dy jinnagh eh geeck er son echey. | And he rose and he went to the farmer and he said to the farmer — he told him word by word how the sheep, his landlady, had been killed, and if he would be kind enough to help him find the dog that did it, that he would pay for it. | |
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[2] ’n cheyrrey] text gives
[’n keyrrey]
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| As va shoh er ny obbal da. As dooyrt eh rish yn eirinagh, “My jean oo shen dooys,” dooyrt eh, “Verrym dhyt mullag feeyn haink stiagh er y traie.” | And this was refused him. And he said to the farmer, “If you do that for me,” he said, “I will give you a cask of wine that came in on the shore.” | |
| “Oh, c’raad t’ee?” dooyrt yn eirinagh. | “Oh, where is it?” said the farmer. | |
| “T’ee ayns shoh er y traie,” dooyrt yn drean dhone. | “It’s here on the beach,” said the brown wren. | |
| “Haink ee stiagh er y vooir, agh,” dooyrt eh, “Cha nod oo gymmyrkey ersooyl ee t’ee ro hrome, shegin dhyt cur lhiat y cabbyl as y sleayd sheese da’n traie.” | “It was washed up by the sea, but” he said, “You cannot carry it away, it is too heavy, you must bring the horse and sledge down to the shore.” | |
| Haink yn shenn ’er as hug eh y cabbyl da’n sleayd as hie eshyn as y drean sheese da’n voorey. | The old fellow came and he put the horse to the sledge and he and the wren went down to the beach. | |
| “Shen nish,” dooyrt y drean, “Er hen dhyt y vullag, as ta treisht orrym dy jean oo feddyn y moddey ren shen da my ven oast.” | “Now then,” said the wren, “there’s the cask for you, and I hope you will find the dog that did that to my landlady.” | |
| “Oh, neeym,” dooyrt yn shenn ’er. | “Oh, I will do,” said the old fellow. | |
| Yeeagh eh mygeayrt tra va’n vullag er y sleayd echey: “Magh lhiat ass shoh,” dooyrt eh rish y drean, “Ny verrym yn kione jeed lesh my chorrag!” | He looked around when the cask was on his sledge: “Out of here with you,” he said to the wren, “or I’ll take your head off with my hand!” | |
| “Credjym dy jinnagh oo shen,” as yn drean, “Agh roish my jean oo gleashagh ass shen, neeym shoh dhyt, neeym deayrtey y vullag feeyney ayd.” | “I belive that you would do that,” says the wren, “But before you move from there, I’ll do this for you, I’ll spill your wine cask.” | |
| “Cre lesh yinnagh oo shen?” as yn eirinagh. | “What will you do that with?” says the farmer. | |
| Ghow eh toshiaght as v’eh spulgey urree “Shee bannee mee,” dooyrt yn eirinagh, “Nee oo shen kiart dy liooar!” | He started and he was pecking at it “My God,” said the farmer, “You’ll do that right enough!” | |
| As cre v’ayns y sleayd agh teiy vooar. | And what was in the sledge but a big axe. | |
| Hrog eh yn teiy, as yn chied vuilley echey v’eh ec y vullag! | He picked up the axe, and his first strike was at the cask! | |
| Vrish yn vullag as va’n eirinagh faagit gyn veg dy feeyn. | The cask broke and the farmer was left without any wine. | |
| “Neeym ny smessey na shen dhyt,” dooyrt yn drean, “Marrym dty chabbyl!” | “I’ll do worse than that to you,” said the wren, “I’ll kill your horse!” | |
| “Ogh,” dooyrt yn eirinagh, “Cre lesh yinnagh oo shen?” | “Ogh,” said the farmer, “With what would you do that?” | |
| “Faag mee myr ta mee!” as y drean. | “Leave me as I am!” says the wren. | |
| Hie eh noon gys baaish y chabbyl as ghow eh toshiaght dy spulgey fo’n mwing echey. | He went over to the horse’s forehead and he started to peck under his mane. | |
| Hrog y shenn dooinney y teiy vooar. | The old man picked up the big axe. | |
| Woaill eh y chied vuilley er y chabbyl as hug eh ny henneeyn ass lesh y teiy. Va’n cabbyl marroo. | He struck the first blow on the horse and he put (knocked) the brains out with his axe. The horse was dead. | |
| “Neeym ny smessey na shen dhyt!” as y drean, “Brishym dty ’leayd!” | “I’ll do worse than that to you!” says the wren, “I’ll break your sledge!” | |
| Shee bannee mee! Va’n drean spulgey as spulgey er y sleayd. | My word! The wren was pecking and pecking the sledge. | |
| Vrish y shenn ’er y sleayd ayns smithereenyn lesh y teiy. | The old man broke the sledge into smithereens with the axe. | |
| Dagh ooilley cheayrt ren y drean soie sheese, smooinnee eh dy jinnagh eh geddyn cooilleen er, agh dy yerrey hoal va’n sleayd brisht dy bollagh. | Every time the wren sat down, he thought that he would get revenge on him, but finally the sledge was completely broken. | |
| “Huh,” dooyrt yn drean, “Neeym ny smessey na shen dhyt foast. | “Huh,” said the wren, “I’ll do worse than that to you yet. | |
| Brishym mwannal dty chass!” | I’ll break your ankle!” | |
| Nish v’eh gobbragh er mwannal e chass as hrog y shenn ’er teiy vooar, as ec yn chied vuilley, woaill eh eh hene er mwannal e chass as va e lurgey brisht. | Now he was working on his ankle and the old fellow picked up the big axe, and with the first blow he struck himself on his ankle and his leg was broken. | |
| Cha dod y shenn ’er troggal eh hene, agh haink ad neose, ny guillyn, veih’n thie, cha row fys oc cre va’n shenn ’er jannoo, cre’n fa nagh row eh er jeet thie. | The old fellow couldn’t get up, but they came down, the boys, from the house, they didn’t know what old fellow had done, why he hadn’t come home. | |
| Agh fy yerrey hoal haink ad neose da’n traie as hug ad lhieu eh thie ayns brelleein lhiabbagh. | But at long last they came to the shore and they brought him home in a bedsheet. | |
| Haink eh neese er brelleein lhiabbagh as hug ad er y lhiabbee eh. | He came up on a bedsheet and they put him on the bed. | |
| Va’n shenn ’er ny lhie ’sy lhiabbee nish as va’n lhiabbee faggys da’n uinnag, ec cheu ny huinnag. | The old fellow was lying in the bed now and the bed was near to the window, at the side of the window. | |
| Haink yn drean neese veih’n traie. | The wren came up from the shore. | |
| Va ny booaghyn as yn tarroo gyndyr ayns shen ’sy vagher. | The cows and the bull were grazing there in the field. | |
| Haink eh gys yn tarroo, yn drean dhone — “Cha nel monney ayd ayns shen y voght!” | He came to the bull, the brown wren — “You don’t have much there poor thing!” | |
| “Cha nel,” as y tarroo, “Cha nel monney ayms ayns shoh.” | “No,” says the bull, “I don’t have much here.” | |
| “Agh nagh vel palchey ec dty vainshtyr, ’sy toalt?” | “But doesn’t your master have plenty in the barn?” | |
| “Oh, ta,” as y tarroo, “Agh cha noddym roshtyn eh — cha noddym geddyn stiagh huggey.” | “Oh, yes,” says the bull, “But I can’t reach it — I can’t get into it.” | |
| “Nagh vel piyr dy eairkyn mooarey ayd?” dooyrt yn drean. | “Don’t you have a big pair of horns?” said the wren. | |
| “Cur dty ghaa eairk stiagh fo’n dorrys.” dooyrt eh | “Put your two horns in under the door.” he said, | |
| “As foddee oo troggal yn dorrys jeh ny jeushanyn echey, As foddee oo goll stiagh, foddee oo cosney stiagh as gee dty haie.” | “And you can left the door off its hinges. And you can go in, you can get in and eat your fill.” | |
| “Er lhiam dy jeanym kiart myr shen,” as y tarroo. “Shee bannee mee! Neeym kiart myr dooyrt oo!” | “I think I will do just that,” said the bull. “My word! I will, just as you said!” | |
| as hie eh myr va’n drean er n’insh da, as hug eh e ghaa eairk fo’n dorrys as haink yn dorrys jeh ny joushanyn echey as huitt yn dorrys. | and he went as the wren had told him, and he put his two horns under the door and the door came off its hinges and the door fell. | |
| Hie yn tarroo stiagh, eh hene as ny booaghyn as ayns shen dee ad nappinyn, plaggad, traag — dagh ooilley nhee v’ayn, as ren ad scoltey as hooar ad baase. | The bull went in, himself and the cows and there they ate turnips, oats, hay — everything that there was, and they burst and died. | |
| V’ad ayns shen, marroo! | There they were, dead! | |
| Agh erreish da ooilley shoh haink yn drean stiagh ’sy toalt, as va moddey bwoirrin ayn ayns shen as quaillianyn eck. | But after all this the wren came into the barn, and there was a female dog there and she had pups. | |
| “Aw, red boght,’ dooyrt eh rish y voddey, “ta accrys ort.” | “Oh, poor thing,” he said to the dog, “you are hungry.” | |
| “Oh ta, as y voddey, “Ta accrys orrym.” | “Oh, yes,” says the dog, “I am hungry.” | |
| “Well,” dooyrt yn drean, “My jean oo agh un red dou, verrym dhyt palchey dy vee!” | “Well,” said the wren, “If you only do one thing for me, I will give you plenty of food!” | |
| “Der oo?” as y moddey. | “Will you?” said the dog. | |
| “Verrym palchey d’eill.” | “I will give you plenty of meat.” | |
| “Well,” as y moddey bwoirrin, “As cre ta mee goll dy yannoo dhyt?” | “Well”, says the bitch, “And what am I going to do for you?” | |
| “My varrys oo y moddey ren marroo my ven oast,” as y drean, “Verym dhyt palchey d’eill!” | “If you kill the dog that killed my landlady,” says the wren, “I will give you plenty of meat!” | |
| “Marrym,” dooyrt y voddey, | “I will (kill),” said the dog. | |
| “Ta shynnagh ayn,” dooyrt yn drean. “T’eh ayns yn towl echey, ayns yn guaig echey, as hem stiagh ’sy ghuaig,” as y drean, | “There’s a fox,” said the wren. “He’s in his hole, in his den (earth), and I’ll go into his den,” says the wren, | |
| “As verym magh eh liorish cluge gys yn dorrys as yiow uss greim ersyn ec dorrys y guaig as bee palchey dy vee ayd,” dooyrt eh. | “And I’ll bring him out by cunning to the entrance and you’ll get a hold of him at the entrance of the den and you’ll have plenty of food.” he said. | |
| yr shoh v’eh. Haink yn drean stiagh as dooyrt eh rish y chynnagh: | This is how it was. The wren came in and he said to the fox; | |
| M“Shee bannee mee, cre’n stayd t’ou ayn ny lhie ayns shoh as palchey dy vee cheumooie jeh’n dorrys ayd.” | “My word, what a state you’re in lying here and plenty of food outside of your door.” | |
| “Well,” as y shynnagh, “Hem magh as yiowm paart jeh.” | “Well,” says the fox, “I’ll go out and I’ll get some of it.” | |
| Haink y shynnagh magh, as tra haink y shynnagh magh ghow y moddey bwoirrin greim er as varr ee eh. | The fox came out, and when the fox came out the bitch got a grip on in and she killed him. | |
| “Well, nish,” dooyrt y drean rish y voddey, “foddee oo goll sheese gys y traie, as ta cabbyl ayns shen v’er ny marroo jiu. | “Well, now,” said the wren to the dog, “you can go down to the shore, and there is horse there that was killed today. | |
| Immee sheese as yiow oo ooilley’n bee foddee oo gee.” | Go down and and you’ll find all the food you can eat.” | |
| “Oh, ta mee shickyr dy nowym,” as y moddey, as hie ee sheese as hooar ee ooilley’n ’eill oddagh ee gee jeh’n chabbyl. | “Oh, I’m sure that I will,” said the dog, and she went down and she found all the meat she could eat off the horse. | |
| Ren ee scoltey as hooar ee baase. | She burst and she died. | |
| As nish, ayns shen v’eh, yn drean, as va coie[3] elley sniaghtee ayn, as yn sniaghtey sheebey as haghyr eh dy row uinnag y chenn ’er foshlit. | And now, there he was, the wren, and there was another ??? of snow, with the snow drifiting, and it happened that the old fellow’s window was open. | |
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[3] coie] unknown word. Perhaps a Manxification of the Scottish Gaelic
[coith] ‘a heavy shower’.
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| Ren y gheay sheidey yn drean stiagh as ren eh tarlheim er lhiabbee yn chenn dooinney, as hug yn chenn dooinney magh e laue as dooyrt eh, | The wind blew the wren in and he landed on the old man’s bed, and the old man put out his hand and he said, | |
| “Nish t’ou ayms! Uss ren ooilley’n jeeyl dou! Verym dhyt, my ta!” | “Now I have you! You who did all the harm to me! I’ll give you what for, though!” | |
| “Oh, lhig yn raad dou!” dooyrt yn drean, | “Oh, let me go!” said the wren, | |
| “Lhig yn raad dou as ta meer veg d’airh aym dhyt fo’n skian aym. | “Let me go and I have a little peice of gold for you under my wing. | |
| Foshil dty laue as yiow uss eh.” | Open your hand and you’ll get it.” | |
| Doshil yn shenn-dooinney e laue as ren yn drean pollag jeh’n check echey er e vass, er yn laue echey. | The old man opened his hand and the wren made a little heap of the shit on his palm, on his hand. | |
| “Shen dhyt!” dooyrt yn drean, “Cha nel mee monney sorch dy veer d’airh, edyr, ooilley jeem!”[4] | “That’s for you!” said the wren, “I’m not much sort of piece of gold, at all, all of me!” | |
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[4] “Cha nel mee monney sorch dy veer d’airh, edyr, ooilley jeem!”] ‘I’m not much sort of piece of gold, at all, all of me!’ — meaning is not obvious, therefore the translation offered is unlikley to be accurate.
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| As lheim eh noon er yn dresser. Agh dirree yn shenn dooinney ass e lhiabbee as hooar eh maidjey, croagane keyrragh. | And he jumped over to the dresser. But the old man got up out of his bed got a stick, a shepherd’s crook. | |
| Ren yn drean lheim er y skelloo veg, lheim eh ooilley mygeayrt y chamyr, yn drean beg dhone, woaill yn shenn dooinney ny lurg echey, myr dy beagh slatt-sooist echey as vrish eh dagh ooilley nhee v’ayns y chamyr lhiabbagh as fy yerrey vrish eh dagh ooilley nhee v’ayns y thie. | The wren jumped onto the little shelf. He jumped all around the room, the little brown wren, the old man struck after him, as if he had a flail and he broke everything that was in the bedroom and finally he broke everything that was in the house. | |
| Cha nel fys aym vel ad foast echey ny dyn, yn drean beg dhone as yn shenn eirinagh. Ta shen dhyts, ansherbee, skeeal yn drean beg dhone! | I don’t know if they are still at it or not, the little brown wren and the old farmer. That’s for you, anyway, the story of the little brown wren! | |
| Footnote— | ||
| Recorded from the late Alasdair Stewart, Lairg, by Hamish Henderson. This blind storyteller (he was known as “Ali Doal”[5]) from the Sutherland traveller clan of Stewarts, was one of the finest artistis of his kind in Scotland. He was recorded by the School of Scottish Studies. The story A.T. 218 “The dog and the sparrow” in Grimm, is rare in the British Isles. Here it is now for you in its Manx dress. | ||
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[5] Ali Doal] from Scottish Gaelic
[Ailidh Dall]. https://www.ed.ac.uk/impact/research/culture-creativity/where-artistry-and-everyday-life-meet
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