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YN LHONDOO AS YN USHAG REEAST.
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THE BLACKBIRD AND THE PLOVER.
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Ayns y shenn laghyn va’n lhondoo baghey er y sleityn as yn ushag reeast er y thalloo injil.
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In the olden days the blackbirds lived on the mountains and the plovers on the lowlands.
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Keayrt dy row ayns earish millish ’sy tourey, haink eh gy-kione er laa mie grianagh, dy ren ny ushagyn reeast getlagh seose gys cleiy y clieau dy goaill shilley share jeh’n boayl v’ad baghey ayn. Cha row ad foddey seose derrey cheayll ny lhonyndhoo yn fieyr va oc er nyn jaglym cooidjagh as hie ad sheese gys mullagh y cleiy, as va cowag mooar oc. Va ny lhonyndoo moylley roayr yn boayl oc, as dooyrt ad,
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There was a time, in fine summer weather, it came to pass on a warm sunny day that the plovers flew up to the mountain hedge to get a better view of the place where they dwelt. They were not long up, however, until the blackbirds heard the noise, and they gathered together and went down to them on the top of the hedge, and they had a long chat together. The blackbirds were boasting greatly of the dwelling place they had, and were saying
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“Cha vel red erbee cheet ayns shoh dy agglagh shin. Ta shin baghey ayns shee. Ta ny bochillyn cheet, as foddee ghaa ny three joarreeyn ayns mee ’sy tourey dy chur shilley orrin as t’ad ooilley feer choar. Jeeagh er y rheamys ta ain! Ny-yeih, my nee shiu cheet seose hemmayd sheese son tamylt.”
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“There is not anything coming up here to disturb or frighten us. In peace we dwell. The shepherds come, and perhaps two or three visitors in a month in summer to see us; they are all very agreeable. Look at the extent of our abode! However, if you would like to come up, we will go down for a little while.”
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As haink eh dy-ve dy ren ad caghlaa.
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And it came to be that they made an exchange.
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Cha row ad foddey heese derrey ren ad gaase mea, as ny fedjagyn oc giall lesh palchey beaghey, as va ny thammagyn mie dy goaill fastee ayndoo ’syn oie. As cha roauyr daase ad, cha voddagh ad getlagh veg sodjey na harrish y cleiy as back reesht, fuy ny laa.
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They (the blackbirds) were not long on the lowlands until they grew fat, and their feathers bright with abundance of food; and they found the bushes to give good shelter in the night. So fat did they grow, they were unable to fly more than backwards and forwards over the hedges all the day.
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Tra haink y geurey ren ny ushagyn reeast gaase shang as nyn vedjagyn mollagh lesh y feayraght as y ghenney ; er-yn-oyr shoh keayrt ny ghaa va’d getlagh gys mullagh cleiy y clieau geamagh—
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When winter came the plovers grew thin and their feathers rough with the cold and the scarcity, and for this reason they were flying many a time to the mountain hedge top. Calling—
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“Lhondhoo! Lhondhoo!
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“Blackbird! Blackbird!
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Vel oo cheet ? Vel oo cheet ?
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Are you coming? Are you coming?
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Ghiall oo dy darragh oo;
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You promised you would come ;
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Foddey ren furriaght oo.
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It's past time you did come.
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Vel oo cheet? Vel oo cheet?”
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Are you coming ? Are you coming ?”
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As craa lesh y feayraght v’ad clashtyn y lhondoo geamagh huc—
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And shivering with cold, they were hearing the blackbirds answering them—
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“Cha jig dy braa !
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“We’ll never come back !
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Cha jig dy braa!
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We’ll never come back !
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Te feer feayr!
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It’s too cold !
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Te feer feayr !”
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It’s too cold!”
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As myr shen te, gys y laa ta ayn jiu.
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And they remain so to this day.
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