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The Bigger World
The ancient greeks coined the word "philosopher" for one who loves the truth about the bigger world. Truth has a similar hold on Irish culture. For example, one way to say that a person has died in Irish is to say, "Tá sé in áit na fírinne anois." Literally this means, "He is in the place of truth now."
The Church
Bia is deoch i gcomhair na Nollaig;
éadach nua i gcomhair na Cásca.
Food and drink for Christmas;
new clothes for Easter.
D'áiteodh sé muc ar shagart
(is banbh ar chléireach).
He could sell a priest a pig
(and the parish clerk a piglet).
Ráithe ó Fhéile Mhichíl go Nollaig.
'Tis three months from the Feast of St. Michael to Christmas.
Deireadh gach soiscéal an t-airgead.
[At the] end of every gospel [is] a collection.
Ná bí róbheag is ná bí rómhór leis an gcléir.
Don't be too small and don't be too big with the clergy.
Craic / Good Times
Nuair a bhíonn an cat amuigh,
bíonn an luch ag rince.
When the cat is outside, the mouse does be dancing.
Bíonn siúlach scéalach.
Travellers have tales to tell.
An té a thabharfas scéal chugat
tabharfaidh sé dhá scéal uait.
Whoever will bring a story to you
will take two stories from you.
Seacht seachtaine ramhra ó Shamhain go Nollaig.
Seven fat weeks from Samhain to Christmas.
Bíonn dhá insint ar scéal agus
dhá leagan déag ar amhrán.
There are two versions to a story and
twelve arrangements to a song.
God
Is giorra cabhair Dé ná an doras.
The help of God is closer than the door.
Níor dhún Dia doras riamh
nár oscail Sé ceann eile.
God never closed one door without opening another.
Tá Dia láidir is máthair mhaith aige.
God is strong and He has a good mother.
Bíonn grásta Dé idir an diallait agus an talamh.
The grace of God is found between the saddle and the ground.
Dia linn is deoch is ní ráibh mé riamh bocht.
God with us and a drink, and may I never be poor.
Freedom
Nuair a bhíonn an cat amuigh,
bíonn an luch ag rince.
When the cat is outside, the mouse does be dancing.
Ag dul chun dlí leis an ndiabhal
is an chúirt i n-ifreann.
Going to the law with the devil
and the court is in hell.
The Irish Language
Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste, ná Béarla cliste.
Broken Irish is better than cleverEnglish.
Ní tír gan teanga.
There is no nation without a language.
Learning
Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir.
Time is a good storyteller.
Ní heolas go haontíos.
You must live with a person to know a person.
Is trom an t-ualach an t-aineaolas.
Ignorance is a heavy burden.
Opportunity
Ní fhanann trá le fear mall.
An ebb(tide) does not wait for a slow man.
Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb.
A windy day is not a day for thatching.
The Nation
Ní tír gan teanga.
There is no nation without a language.
Nature
Neantóg a dhóigh mé, copóg a leigheas mé.
A nettle burns (stings) me. Dock will cure me.
Fearthain don lao agus grian don tsearrach;
uisce don gé agus déirc don bhacach.
Rain to the calf and sun to the foal;
water to the goose and alms to the beggar(man).
Briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chait.
Heredity breaks out in the eyes of the cat.
Putóga dubha na bliana
ó Nollaig go Lá Fhéile Bríde.
The darkest part of the year,
from Christmas until the Feast of St. Bridgit.
Is treise dúchas ná oiliúint.
Instinct is stronger than upbringing.
An rud a ghoilleas ar an gcroí
caithfidh an t-súil é a shileas.
What pains the heart
must be washed away with tears.
Na trí cairde is fearr
agus na trí naimhde is measa:
tine, gaoth, is uisce.
The three best friends
and the three worst enemies:
fire, wind, and water.
Peace
Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh.
A good word never broke a tooth.
Right and Wrong
Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire.
The treachery returns to the betrayer.
Is fearr clú ná conach.
A good name is better than riches.
The Weather
Olc síon an sioc, is fearr sioc ná sneachta
agus is fearr sneachta ná síorbháisteach.
Frost is bad weather,[but] frost is better than snow,
and snow is better than eternal rain.
Is iomaí athrú a chuireann lá Márta dhe.
There is a lot of weather in a March day.
Ní hé lá na báistí lá na bpáistí.
The day of rain is not the day of children.
Is annamh earrach gan fuacht.
Seldom is Spring without cold.
Work
Bíonn gach tosach lag.
Every beginning is weak.
Is fearr obair ná caint.
Work is better than talk.
Buail an iarann te.
Strike the hot iron.
Ní bhíonn an rath, ach mara mbíonn an smacht.
There is no prosperity unless there is discipline.
Luigh leis an uan, agus éirigh leis an éan.
Lie with the lamb, and rise with the bird.
Molann an obair an fear.
The work praises the man.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
There is no strength without unity.
Imíonn an tuirse ach fanann an tairbhe.
The tiredness leaves but the profit remains.
Gheibheann pingin pingin eile.
A penny gets another penny.
Gheibheann cos ar siúl rud éigin.
A moving leg gets something.
Ní féidir leis an ngobadán an dá thrá a fhreastal.
The sandpiper can not attend to the two beaches (ebb-tides).
Cuid Pháidín don mheacain
an t-eireaballín caol.
The slender little end
is the smallest part of anything.
Ní dhéanfaidh smaoineamh an treabhadh duit.
You'll never plough a field turning it over in your mind.
An t-ualach is mó ar an gcapall is míne.
The heaviest load [is] on the gentlest horse.
Ní chruinníonn cloch reatha caonach.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Cleachtadh a dhéanann maistreacht.
Practice makes mastery.
Click on any proverb above to get a new window with the note on interpretation that first appeared on the Seanfhocal na Seachtaine page. This window will also include a phonetic spelling using a subset of the International Phonetic Alphabet adopted by many Irish linguistic scholars. (Each sound is spoken in a separate phonetic key by a native Irish speaker.) In addition, the new window gives access to a sound file (wav) of a native speaker saying the proverb. Phonetic spelling is given in the standard (caighdeán) Irish dialect, although the speaker's voice on the sound files may have a slight regional accent.
Proverbs are also categorized as follows:
All past proverbs are also listed sequentially on Proverbs in Order Posted.
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