Bhí clog sa chill is níor bhinn clog é.
Ach tháinig clog eile 'on cill
is rinne clog binn den chlog san.

There was a bell in the church
and it wasn't very sweet sounding.
But another bell came to the church
and made a sweet bell of the first one.

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Pronunciation Key

Note: This week's seanfhocal is a play on words and a parable. The word bell appears in two sentences as both the subject and the object of the sentence. In the first sentence, the clock in the church is not sweet. In the second it is. This word play seems designed to confuse. It begs the speaker to say it again.

The parable has a simple moral. No matter what the situation, it could always be worse. Or on this case, we have an example of Robert Burns' adage, "The best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft a-gley." After all their planning, the parishioners are now saddled with another clinker.

Bhí clog sa chill is níor bhinn clog é. Ach tháinig clog eile 'on cill is rinne clog binn den chlog san.

Bhí clog sa chill is níor bhinn clog é.
Ach tháinig clog eile 'on cill
is rinne clog binn den chlog san.