| Manx | English | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |
| Deiney-seyrey Vannin, | Gentlemen of The Isle of Man, | |
| Ghow arjey, stayd as moyrn, | Took eminence, pomp and pride, | |
|
arjey]
[yrjey]
| ||
| Cheau ayd nyn bingyn cooidjaght ]dy chooniaght[, | They threw their pennies together, | |
|
cheau] ‘threw’, alternate reading
[spent]
ayd]
[ad]
| ||
| Dy chionnaghey - yn chenn lhong. | To buy the old ship. | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| Va station oc ayns Doolish, | They had a station in Douglas, | |
| As payrt jeu er y Cheer, | And some of them in the country, | |
|
payrt]
[paart]
| ||
| Cheau ad pingyn cooidjagh, | They threw their pennies together, | |
| Dy chionnaghey Privateer. | To buy a privateer. | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| Ny pingyn hie dys Sosthyn, | The pennies went to England, | |
|
Soshtyn] Sostyn
| ||
| Hie er y veggan use, | They went to not much use, | |
| Dy chionnaghey yn Chenn Tiger, | To buy the old Tiger, | |
| Dy fittal magh yn Cruize. | To fit out the Cruise. | |
| 4 | 4 | |
| Eam hie trooid yn Ellan, | A call, went through the Island, | |
| Da guillin dy ynsagh keayn | For boys with maritime training | |
| Ny guillin va roie dy Ghoolish, | The boys were running to Douglas, | |
| Tra chlin ad lheid y sheean. | When they heard such a sound. | |
| 5 | 5 | |
| Ren ny guillin chymsagh ]voish dagh[ | The boys gathered, | |
| Voish dagh ayrn jeh’n cheer, | From each part of the country, | |
| Ayns thie Nick Mooar ayns Doolish, | In Nick Moore’s house in Douglas, | |
| Cha liauyr as Grenadier. | As tall as a Grenadier. | |
| 6 | 6 | |
|
| ||
| Qualtragh vees nyn Gaptan, | Qualtrough will be our captain, | |
| As marish nee mayd goll | And with him we will go, | |
| As feiyr mooar hie fud Doolish, | And a great noise went through Douglas, | |
| Lesh lheimmyragh as kiaull. | With playing and music. | |
|
lheimyragh] ‘leaping’. Seems to be the same word as
[lheimmyragh] in the Bible, which is used for ‘playing’.
| ||
| 7 | 7 | |
| Dy listal noi ny Frangee, | To enlist against the French, | |
| As noi America. | And against America, | |
| As ta guillin ]braue[ vie ayns Mannin, | There are good boys in the Isle of Man, | |
| Nagh jean veih noid chyndaa. | Who won’t turn from an enemy. | |
| 8 | 8 | |
| She lesh ny chebyn aalin, | It was with beautiful offers, | |
| Ny guillin violee ad lhieu, | They tempted along the boys, | |
| Ny errinee va gyllagh | The farmers were shouting, | |
| Kys yiow mayd jeant yn traue. | How will we get the plowing done. | |
|
traue]
[traaue]
| ||
| 9 | 9 | |
| Ooilley’n naggle vorroo | All the fear they had; | |
| Goaill aggle roish y cheeagh, | Fearing of the plough, | |
| Nagh beagh guilley faagit Mannin, | That there wouldn’t be a boy left (in) the Isle of Man, | |
| Yinnagh coltar chur fo chreeagh. | Who would put a coulter (plough blade) under a furrow. | |
| 10 | 10 | |
| Iliam mooar y Condray | There was Big William Condray, | |
| As dooinney Mooar yn chronk, | And the Big man of the Cronk, | |
|
cronk] ‘Hill’, also a placename near Ballaugh.
| ||
| Va’d gyllagh son ny guillyn | They were calling for the boys, | |
| As wheesh dy inneenyn oc. | They had so many girls (daughters). | |
| 11 | 11 | |
| Shuish inneenyn vannin | You, girls of Mann, | |
| Ta ceau maddillyn doo, | Who wear black maddills, | |
|
maddillyn] unknown, likely a style of mourning gown or bonnet.
| ||
| Ta gyllagh nagh vel faagit, | That shout that there’s nothing left, | |
| Agh lhammys nagh vel fieau. | Except the children that aren’t worth it. | |
|
lhammys] unattested word. Seems to be related to
[lambaanys] ‘childishness’ and
[lambaanid] ‘childhood’.
| ||
| 12 | 12 | |
| Dy vel ad ooilley listit, | That they are all enlisted, | |
| Er boayrd yn Phrivateer | Aboard the Privateer, | |
| As scoan my ta wheesh faagit | And there are scarcely as many left | |
| As roshys fer er kiare. | As will reach one per four. | |
| 13 | 13 | |
| As scoan my ta wheesh faagit | And there are scarcely as many left, | |
| As roshys fer y pheesh, | As will reach to one each, | |
| As share dooin eisht ve follym | It’s far better to be empty-handed, | |
| Cha nee fer \\eddyr// jees. | Not one between two. | |
| 14 | 14 | |
| Giu, as cloie er kaartyn | Drinking and playing at cards, | |
| Chum roinyn, oie as laa, | (We) kept before us night and day, | |
| Gra blebeeyn dy ghuillin | Saying they’re fools of boys | |
| Nagh jed noi America. | Who won’t go against America. | |
| 15 | 15 | |
| Va mee eginit dy gholl maroo, | I was forced to go with them, | |
| As stationit gys gunn, | And stationed to a gun, | |
| As kinjagh va mee dobberan, | And always I was lamenting, | |
| Dy row my ghraih re ruim. | That my love was rid of me. | |
| 16 | 16 | |
| Ny cheayrtyn va mee smooinaght uree | Sometimes I was thinking about her | |
| Nagh naggins ee dy bragh | That I wouldn’t see her ever | |
| As ceau my laghyn seaghyn | And I spent my days of sorrow | |
| Ny lhie ayns baïe Rumsaa. | Lying in Ramsey Bay. | |
| 17 | 17 | |
| Three laa va shin shiaulley | Three days we were sailing | |
| Lesh dooin faagail Baie Rumsaa, | With us leaving Ramsey Bay | |
| Tra veeit shin rish y sterrym, | When we met with the storm | |
| Hug er yn eill ain craa. | That made our flesh shake. | |
| 18 | 18 | |
| Va deiney eisht skee pumpal | Men were tired pumping, | |
| As guillin coayl nyn mree, | And boys losing their energy, | |
| Harry Voore va gyllagh | Harry Moore was shouting | |
| My ghuillin cum-jee nyn gree. | My boys, maintain your spirit. | |
| 19 | 19 | |
| Yn keayn va giatt as freaney, | The sea was swelling and raging, | |
|
freaney]
[freayney]
| ||
| Yn gheay va sheidey neose, | The wind was blasting down, | |
| Yn Riggin ain va caillit | Our Rigging was lost | |
| Cha dod shin freayl nyn goorse. | We could not keep our course. | |
| 20 | 20 | |
| Lurg da’n gheay ve sheidey, | After the wind (had) been blowing, | |
|
Mount Bay] near Penzance, Cornwall.
| ||
| Tammylt lurg shen ghow eh fea, | A while after it abated, | |
| As rosht shin shenn oie nollick, | And we arrived on Old Christmas Eve | |
|
Old Christmas Eve] At the time of the events in this ballad Old Christmas Eve was the 5th of January. (After 1800 it became the 6th of January).
| ||
| Ayns anchor ayns Mount Bay. | In an anchorage in Mount Bay. | |
| 21 | 21 | |
| Three laa va shin riggal, | In three days, ready again, | |
| As chiaull shin magh y cruize, | Then we went (on) the cruise, | |
| As veeit shin rish y Dutchman | And we met with the Dutchman, | |
| As ghow shin ee son price. | And we took it for a prize. | |
| 22 | 22 | |
| Haink shin thie gys Doolish | Then we came home to Douglas | |
| Lesh gunneragh as kiaull, | With cannon fire and music | |
|
gunneragh] here evidently 'cannon fire', as in a ‘gunnery salute’
| ||
| As deiney seyrey Ghoolish | And the gentlemen of Mann | |
| Dy moyrnagh haink nyn guaiyll, | Proudly came to meet us. | |
| 23 | 23 | |
| Va boggey oc jeh’n phrice ain, | Though they were glad to see spoils (booty), | |
| Va’d moyrnagh dyn resoon, | They were proud without reason, | |
| ]V’ad[ \\Loayrt// baggyrtagh nyn oi ain | Speaking threateningly against us | |
| Dy choyrt shin ayns pryssoon. | To put us in prison. | |
| 24 | 24 | |
| Tan’ chooish eu //lesh ve\\ trïeit | Your case [??] being tried | |
|
lesh ve] error for
[eisht ve] 'then being', 'therefore being' ??, or
[lesh va] 'by him ' (ie., the governor)
| ||
| Kione fenish yn kiannoort | Before the Governor | |
| As cha vel briw ayns Mannin | And there is no judge in Mann | |
| Nee briwnys diu y choyrt. | Who will give you a judgement. | |
| 25 | 25 | |
| Gow-jee reue gys Soshtyn | Now go on to England | |
| As meet mayd shiu ayns shen | And we will meet you there | |
| Ny shooill mayd riu er Thalloo, | Or we will walk before you on land, | |
| Ny shiaull mayd riu er keayn. | Or we will sail before you on the sea. | |
| 26 | 26 | |
| Nish ta mish ec y thie, | Now I am at home, | |
| As vouesyn ta mee free | And from them, I am free | |
| Cha jiarg shiu mee y lhiettal | You can’t hold me back | |
| Voish Sheshaght graih my chree. | From the company of my true love. | |
| 27 | 27 | |
| Cre’n erree ghow yn Tiger, | What a fate befell the Tiger, | |
| Dy row eh trick cha nice, | That it was such a nice trick, | |
| Dy row ee force ve creckit, | That she had to be sold, | |
| Son toghyr lesh y phrice. | For a dowry with the prize. | |