Seanfhocail
La lengua irlandesa posee
el corpus de literatura —uno escrito en idioma
distinto del latín— más antiguo en Europa, ganando la propuesta
de Dante de escribir en un idioma nativo en vez del latín formal, por unos 600
años. El corpus mismo está rico en poesía y sobre todo textos legales, aunque
no tanto para con los proverbios, los cuales uno tiene que extraerlos de todas
las fuentes disponibles. Nunca hubo una colección cabal de refranes ubicadas en
un solo texto, más bien aparecieron de vez de en cuando, en un manuscrito u
otro, en los primeros diccionarios irlandés-inglés[1], que contenían algunos
decires con carácter paremiológico, y también en la poesía misma, antes de ser
coleccionados todos algo más formalmente durante el siglo XIX en los países de
habla irlandesa (Irlanda, Isla de Man y Escocia), que en rigor hablan un
continuo dialectal —como el portugués y el gallego, o el valenciano y el
catalán—, pero por razones políticas, se clasifican como lenguas separadas; el
irlandés siendo el más hablado por mucho entre los tres, y también el lugar
donde se originó esta lengua godélica.
Dicho
proceso de recopilación está en marcha nuevamente en el siglo XXI. Aunque hay
que resaltar, que hasta hoy no hay colecciones que mezclan citas del irlandés
con las del irlandés antiguo, siempre se las han mantenido aisladas, y, además,
muchos libros que las publicaban, no ponían la fuente, ni mencionaban dónde
fueron sacadas. Acá, presentamos refranes de toda época en la historia del
idioma irlandés, sus equivalentes en otros idiomas cuando sea posible, y
también incluimos la proveniencia de cada refrán cuando se pudo.
Aptamente,
Tomás O’Rathile, al comienzo de su libro «A miscellany of Irish proverbs» citó
Eclesiástico XXXIX, 1-3: «Sapientiam omnium antiquorum exquiret sapiens,
et in prophetis vacabit.
Narrationem
virorum nominatorum conservabit, et in versutias parabolarum simul
introibit.
Occulta
proverbiorum exquiret, et in absconditis parabolarum conversabitur».
Una buena
cita sobre la importancia de los proverbios. Espero que disfruten de la entrada
de hoy.
I.
«Ná gabh bean gan locht». [Modern oral saying].
Cast.
No te cases con mujer sin faltas.
Lat.
«Noli nubere cum fēminā infallibilī».
Eng.
Do not take a wife who has no flaws.
Glossary
gabh. (From Old Ir. gaibid, to grab, to
receive). to take, tomar.
locht. m. fault, blemish; falta, mancha.
ná. do not (+ infinitive), no (+ infinitivo).
II.
«Scileann fíon fírinne».
Cast.
En el vino yace la verdad. [I.e., «in vino veritas»].
Lat.
«In vino veritas».
The Irish phrase is probably loosely
derived from the Latin theme.
Eng.
Wine releases the truth.
Glossary
fíon (From Late Latin vinum). wine,
vino.
fírinne. f. 4th decl. truth,
verdad.
scileann (From the verb scil). it
divulges, divulga, delata.
III.
(From the Sanas Cormaic, [Leabhar Breac
version], ed. by Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fir Bhisigh (fl.
1390 – 1418))
«Asoilgi laith lochrúna».
Cast.
La cerveza revela secretos oscuros.
Lat.
Cervesia ostendit secreta obscura.
Ir. Mod.
osclaíonn an bheoir rúin dhorcha.
Eng.
Ale discovers dark secrets.
Glossary
asoilgi (May also be written as «as·oilgi», and
this der. from «ess- + od- + léicid»). osclaíonn, opens;
abre, manifiesta.
laith. ale; cerveza rubia.
loch. dark (here, not lake); oscuro,
negro.
lochrúna. (De loch y rúna). dark
secrets; secretos oscuros.
rún. (Del Proto-Celta *rūnā). f. secret;
secreto. (Modern Irish
form unchanged).
This proverb is embedded in the article on the
obsolete word “loch” found in the Leabhar Breac (p. 268) version of Sanas
Cormaic.
IV.
(Online sources do not provide source text,
perhaps early 20th century?)
«Ná bac le mac an bhacaigh is ní bacfaidh mac
an bhacaigh leat».
Cast.
No hagas caso al hijo del mendigo, y el hijo
del mendigo no te hará caso a ti.
Lat.
Noli remordēre filium mendici,
et ille metipsimus non te remordēbit.
Eng.
Don’t get in the way of the beggar’s son,
and the beggar’s son won’t get in yours.
Glossary
bac.
hinder, to block, to bother; estorbar, molestar.
bacach. (From Old Ir. baccach, lame
person). beggar, mendigo.
V.
(Modern oral phrase, still in common use).
«Tús maith, leath na hoibre».
Cast.
Un buen comienzo, la mitad de la obra.
Lat.
«Bonum initium, medietās est laboris».
Eng.
A good start is half the work.
Glossary
leath. half, mitad.
tús. (From Old Ir. tús, and this from Proto-Celtic
*towissos). start, beginning; comienzo.
VI.
«Bíonn an fhírinne féin searbh».
Cast.
Hasta la verdad misma puede ser amarga.
o
La verdad en sí misma es amarga.
Lat.
Veritas seipsa essere solet amara.
Eng.
Truth itself is a bitter [thing].
Glossary
bíonn. continuous present tense of beith, lit. it
is being the truth…, etc.; lit. «está resultando ser», etc.
searbh. bitter, amargo.
(A 17th century poem by Tadhg Mac
Dáire alludes to the topos of this proverb, so possibly the proverb is
400 years old, at the very least.
From Contention of the bards:
«fírinne bhus searbh ré rádh».
With the truth, it is more bitter [a thing] to
say it).
Glossary
bhus. (literary). more, más.
rádh (rá en modern spelling). saying,
dici
endo; a saying, decir, refrán.
ré. f. age; moon; portion of time; período,
edad, época; luna. before, with, near antes, con, cerca de.
X.
[From the Yellow Book of Lecan (Leabhar
Buidhe Leacáin), section Bríathra Flainn Fhína maic Ossu (The wise
sayings of Flann Fína Or Aldfrith, son of Oswiu), ed. by Giolla Íosa Mór Mac
Fir Bhisigh (fl. 1390 – 1418))].
«Tosach eólais imchomarc».
Cast.
El comienzo de la sabiduría es la
investigación.
Lat.
Initium saptientiae inquisitio.
Eng.
Questioning is the commencement of knowledge.
Glossary
eólais. gen. sing. of eolas.
imchomarc. inquiry, investigación.
tosach. tús, beginning, principio, inicio.
XI.
[A similar sentiment from 13th century poet
Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh (Of the Ó Dálaigh family in West Meath)]
«Dá dtrian feasa fiafraighidh».
Cast.
Dos tercios de la sabiduría es la
investigación.
Lat.
Duo tertii sapientiae, investigatio.
Eng.
Two thirds of wisdom is in the inquiring.
Glossary
feasa. gen. sing. of fios, of knowledge, wisdom; del conocimiento, de la
sabiduría.
fiafraighidh. inquiry, investigation, questioning; investigación, indagación.
fiafraighidh. inquiry, investigation, questioning; investigación, indagación.
trian. third; tercio.
A wise saying from “Bríathra Flainn Fína maic
Ossu”. “Dá dtrian feasa fiafraighidh” (Enquiry is two thirds of knowledge)
wrote the 13th century poet Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh (stanza
14 of “An Irritable Genius” in “Irish Bardic Poetry”).
The topos was revisted the following century by
Cork’s 14th century «Ollamh Érenn» [chief bard of Ireland], Gofraidh
Fionn Ó Dálaigh, who wrote:
XII.
«dorus feasa fiafruighigh».
Cast.
La puerta de la sabiduría es la investigación.
Lat.
Porta sapientiae investigatio est.
Eng.
Investigation is the threshold to knowledge.
Glossary
dorus. (From Proto-Celtic *dworestus). Old
Irish from of doras, door; puerta.
fiafruighigh (also fiafruighe). Alt.
form of fiafraighidh, question, investigation; cuestión, indagación,
investigación.
XIII.
[Refrain attributed to bishop Cormac mac
Cuilennáin (ob. 13th September 908), from the Yellow Book of
Lecan (Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin), ed. by Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fir Bhisigh (fl.
1390 – 1418)]. N.B.: there are several quotes from this manuscript (a dozen)
which all begin with the word «eochair» [key], an interesting
detail, as if they were modelled on the Sententiae of Publilius Syrus,
which are also ordered alphabetically.
«Eochair fessa foglaim».
Cast.
Aprender es la clave hacia la sabiduría.
Lat.
Discere clavis est ad sapientiam.
Mod. Ir.
«Eochair feasa foghlaim».
Eng.
Learning
is the key to knowledge.
Glossary
eochair. (From Proto-Celtic *eks-koris).
f. key; clave.
fessa. Old Irish form of feasa, of
knowledge; del conocimiento, de la sabiduría.
XIV.
[ibid.]
«Eochair ferta féile».
Cast.
La generosidad es la clave para crear
maravillas.
Lat.
Generositas clavis est [ad] mirabilia creare.
Eng.
Generosity is the key toward creating wonderful
[things].
Glossary
ferta. gen. pl. of fiurt, miracle,
marvel; milagro, maravilla.
féile. (Proto-Celtic *wēliyā). f. generosity;
generosidad. (Modern
Irish form unchanged).
XV.
«eochair úaisle étach».
Cast.
La clave de la nobleza es la ropa.
Lat.
Clavis nobilitatis est se vestire bene.
Eng.
The key to nobility is in the clothing.
Glossary
étach. clothing; ropa, indumentaria. (éadach
in Modern Irish). N.B.: the proverbs «Den duine an t-éadach» The clothes
make the man, and «Is é an duine an t-éadach», idem, are still in
use.
úaisle. (pl. of úasal, from Proto-Celtic
*ouxselos). nobility; nobleza.
Another variant of the above:
XVI.
[From O'Mulconry's Glossary (462), c. 8th
century, manuscript 13th century]
«Is doescair cach can etach n-imbe».
Cast.
Todo el mundo es común sin ropa cubriéndose.
Lat.
Omnes sunt vulgares sine gerere vestimenta.
Eng.
Everyone is a pauper without proper clobber.
Glossary
cach. gach, every; cada.
can. gan, without; sin.
doescair. (From the verb doéscairigid,
“to defile, besmirch”, and of this verb I am unaware of its the etymon).
commun, ordinary; común, ordinario.
n-imbe. (Verbal noun of the verb im·fen,
lit. “to inclose within” from imm, and fen from Proto-Celtic *winati).
around him/it; sobre él.
In English, the phrase may be rendered as clothes
make the man.
XVI.
Taken from the entry for buaine, from
the Focaloir Gaoidhilge-Sax-Bhearla Or an Irish-English Dictionary (1767),
Bishop John O’Brien of Cloyne and Ross (ob.1769). N.B.: According to Gerard
O’Brien[2],
it was a book supported by the Pope (possibly Clement XIII), as O’Brien argued
that it was necessary for Catholicism in Ireland that its people have a
dictionary in their own language.
«Is buaine bladh ná saoghal».
Cast.
La fama dura más allá de la vida.
Lat.
fama plus sempiterna est quam vita ipsa.
I.e., «Ars longa, vita brevis».
Eng.
Fame lasts longer than life.
Glossary
bladh. m. fame, renown; fama, renombre. (Modern
form unchanged).
buaine. f. Permanence, durability,
longevity; permanencia, durabilidad, longevidad; comp. form of buan, lit.
“most (I.e., more) enduring”.
ná. (Der. from Old Ir. indás, “than (it) is”).
than; que.
saoghal. (Old Irish saegul, and this
from Late Lat. saeculum). life; vida. (Modern form is saol).
XVII.
«Eochair dúaisi dúana».
Cast.
Los poemas son la clave para conseguir el lauro.
Lat.
Poemata claves sunt ad praemia.
Eng.
Poems are key in achieving advantage.
Glossary
dúaisi. dat. cas. of dúas, reward;
premio.
duána. pl. of dúan, poems; poemas.
(Modern plural form is duanta).
XVIII.
[Ancient proverb attributed to Cormac]
«Ní théid urraim tar dhortadh fola».
Cast.
No hay reverencia al derramar sangre.
Gael.
Níl urraim ann, nuair atá sé doirteadh fola ann.
Lat.
Non est reverentia, en vertendo sanguinem.
Eng.
Reverences ends when blood is spilled.
Glossary
dortadh. shower, deluge; diluvio, afusión. (doirteadh
in Modern Irish).
fola. (gen. sing. of fuil). of blood; de
la sangre.
tar. (following verb lenited) once; una vez
que, mientras que.
[ní] théid. (prob. an older form of théadh,
from the verb téigh; or conversely a middle Irish equivalent of téit,
3rd per. sing. present tense of the verb téit). There is
no; no hay.
urraim (uirrim en Múnster). (Old Irish airraim).
respect, regard, veneration; respecto, aprecio, veneración.
XIX.
[From the poem «An tú ar gcéadaithne, a
charrag?»,
by Eochaidh Ó hEoghusa (1567–1617)].
«Teas gréine is gar do dhubhadh».
Cast.
La tiniebla sigue el sol.
o
Después de la tiniebla: sol.
Lat.
Post tenebras solis.
Eng.
Gloom follows sunshine.
Lit. “The warmth of the sun is near (I.e.,
not long after) your darkness”.
Glossary
dhubhadh. darkness; oscuridad. (The Modern
Irish equivalents are dorchacht and dorchadas).
is gar. it follows shortly; está próximo.
teas. (From Old Ir. tess). heat, warmth
XX.
[From the legal text Bretha Nemed Déidenach,
c. 8th century]
«Fotha filed foglaim».
Cast.
Aprender es el andamiaje del poeta.
Lat.
Discere poetarum fundamentum est.
Eng.
Learning is the foundation of the poet.
Eng.
[Imitating the alliteration of the Irish text]
A bard’s base is his brains.
or
A poet’s praxis, perspicacity.
Glossary
filed. gen. sing. and pl. of fili, of
the poet(s); de los poetas, del poeta.
fotha. foundation, base. (The modern form is
the same, but is a literary word).
XXI.
[Modern/oral phrase, 20th/21st
century]
«Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir».
Cast.
El tiempo dirá. Lit. «es buen narrador el tiempo».
Lat.
Tempus bonum relator est.
potius esset:
«Veritatem dies aperit».
[“The days open truth”].
—Seneca, De Ira, 2, 22, 3; 5.
et:
«Bene autem quod omnia tempus revelat».
[“For time reveals everything”].
—Tertulian, Tertulliani Apologeticum,
VII, 13 (s. II).
quoque:
«Tempus enim mutat mala, digerit omnia
tempus».
[“Time changes all bad things; time fixes
everything”].
—Pseudo Cyprianus (s. II), Carmina
[CSEL], IV, 76.
et postremo:
«Omnia tempus mutat».
[“Time changes everything”].
—Verino Ugolino (1438-1516), Carlias, 9;
62.
Eng.
Time will tell. Lit. “Time is a grand storyteller”.
Glossary
séalaí. (From scéal). storyteller; narrador,
relator
XXII.
«Ferr sobarthan iná imbed».
Eng.
Sufficient is better than excessive.
Lat.
Melius est ad satis/affatim tenere, quam nimis.
Cast.
Mejor suficiente que demasiado.
Glossary
ferr. fearr, better; mejor.
imbed. excess; exceso, demasía.
iná. ná; than; que.
sobarthan. prosperity, contentment; lo
suficiente, prosperidad.
This proverb resurfaced in the 17th century, in
the anonymous satire «Pairlement Chloinne Tomáis» [Parliament of Clan Thomas]
from around 1615.
17th century version, with the same
meaning:
«Is fearr bail ná iomud».
Glossary
báil (From Old Ir. bal). sufficient;
suficiente.
XXIII.
[From Dinneen’s Irish Dictionary (1904); it
also appears in a work by Mícheál Breathnach, «Ó'n Domhan Thoir. An Rúise -
Ár agus Achrann», (1908)]
Dinneen: «Ní thig leis an ngobadán an dá thrá a
fhreastal».
Breathnach: «ní thig leis an ngobadán an dá
thráigh a fhreastal»
The modern variant is:
«Ní féidir leis an ngobadán an dá thrá a
fhreastal».
Cast.
El andarríos no puede atender dos playas a la
vez.
La lavandera no puede estar en playas al mismo
tiempo.
Lat.
Actitis hypoleucos [avis quaedam] non stare potest
in duo litora simul.
Eng.
you can't ride two horses at the same time. Lit. “The sandpiper cannot attend
to the two beaches [at the same time]”. I.e., one must pace oneself, and do
things in a sequential way.
Glossary
freastal. verbal noun of freastail, to
attend to, to serve; atender a, servir.
gobadán. (Der. from gop, and this from
Proto-Celtic *gobbos, “mouth”). sandpiper; andarríos, lavandera.
XXIV.
[From the Focalóir Gaoidhilge-sax-bhéarla Or
an Irish-English Dictionary, (1768) John O'Brien]
«cnuasach na gráinneoige[3]».
Eng.
[It’s like ]The hedgehog’s pickings.
Cast.
La recolección del erizo.
Lat.
Quasi recollectio ericii.
O’Brien’s dictionary describes it as:
“an old proverb expressing the folly of worldly
people, who part with all at the grave, as the hedgehog doth with his crabs at
his narrow hole”.
I.e., people who live for tomorrow, but never
manage to reach that day, wasting their treasure in this world while they had
the chance to use it.
XXV.
[Anonymous marginalia from the Lebor Brecc, p
223]
«Mór in
bét!
immad
sliged ocus sét
tar lebaid na sruthi soer,
tar
nar chóir acht óen do chét».
Cast.
¡Qué lástima es!
Muchos son los caminos y sendas
a través del lecho de arroyos nobles;
¡pero solo uno por cada cien es el correcto!
Lat.
Vae maestitiae!
Plurimae sunt semitae et viae
per alveum nobilium amnium:
sed tantum una per centum vera est!
Eng.
What a shame it is!
Many are the roads and ways
across the bed of noble streams,
yet only one in a hundred is right.
Glossary
chét. lenited form of cét; chéid; one
hundred; cien.
immad. (The forms imbed and imbad
are also attested). n. abundance; abundancia. (The Modern Irish equivalent is iomad,
a feminine noun).
lebaid. bed (of a river); lecho.
«mór in bét». What a shame!; ¡Qué lástima!
sét. (From Proto-Celtic *sentus). path; camino.
(séad is the Modern Irish equivalent).
sliged. gen. pl. of slige, of ways; de
caminos.
soer. (Also written sóer). (From Proto-Celtic
*su-wiros). noble; noble.
sruthi. (The form srothae is also
attested). (From Proto-Celtic *srutom). gen. pl. of sruth; of
streams; de arroyos. (The Modern Irish form is the same).
tar. (Der. from Proto-Indo-European *terh₂-).
prep. used + acc. across; a través de, por.
XXVI.
[Modern oral proverb, very widely used, even by
non-Irish speakers. We haven’t found examples of this proverbs going back
further than the 20th century]
«Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin».
Cast.
No hay hogar como el propio.
Lat.
Non est focus velut ipse proprius.
Eng.
There’s no fireplace like your own fireplace.
or, more prosaically; There’s no place like
home.
The phrase itself existed already in the sixteenth-century,
in a proverb collection by John Heywood in 1546: Home is homely, though it
be poore in sight.
Glossary
tintéan. fireplace; hogar.
XXVII.
[Taken from the poem «Do·ní duine dia dá
mhaoin...», stanza 2, verse 5, by
Donnchadh Mór Ó Dálaigh (1175 - 1244)]. The style of his verse is
representative of «Dán Díreach» [immediate or direct verse].
«Dia dá mhaoin is mairg
do·ní».
Cast.
!Ay de él que convierte su riqueza en Dios!
Lat.
Vae homini qui conmutat divitiae suae in Dominum.
Eng.
Woe to the man who takes his wealth for a God.
Be aware that the natural word order in Old
Irish would be:
«is mairg [a] do·ní Dia dá mhaoin»,
do·ní having been placed at the end of
the line, to rhyme with aoinní in the following:
«cealg im Dhia nír bh'fhiu aoinní;…».
This
rhetorical technique is called anastrophe, [ἀναστροφή]. Possibly the poet had known
of the Etymologiae of Saint Isidore, Lib. I, XXXVII, 16:
«Anastrophe est verborum ordo praeposterus, ut:
"litora circum" pro "circum litora"».
[Anastrophe is the reversed order of words,
like saying «litora circum» “the shores around" for «circum litora»
“around the shores”].
[Anástrofe es el orden inverso de los vocablos,
como «litora circum» “de las orillas circa" por «circum litora» “cerca de
las orillas”].
Glossary
dá. (From di and a, equivalent to
“of his”). alt. form of dia, of his; de su.
do·ní. (Also do·gní).
(3rd per. sing. pres. of
the verb ·dénai). does; hace, convierte en.
mairg. (Also mairc). woe, sorrow;
tristeza, congoja. (The Modern Irish form is unchanged).
maoin. (Also moín). (From Proto-Celtic *moinis).
f. treasure, riches; tesoro, riqueza. (The Modern Irish form is
unchanged).
XXVIII.
[Modern oral phrase, widely used]
«Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras».
Cast.
El hambre es una buena salsa.
Lat.
Bonum garum fames est.
aut
Optimum condimentum, fames.
Eng.
Hunger is the best sauce.
According to Erasmus, this saying is traced
backed to Socrates, cf. Adagia, Chiliades, 2,: «Optimum condimentum
fames inter apophthegma Socratia celebratur». [The best condiment is
hunger, known as a Socratic apophthegm].
Other writers used it before Erasmus collected
it, such as:
Aelred of
Rievaulx (Aelredus Rievallensis) (1110–1167),
in his De spirituali amicitia, 195, 0669C: «Nam optimum cibi
condimentum fames est; nec mel aliave species vinum sic sapidum reddit ut
sitis vehemens aquam». [For the best condiment for food is hunger; nor honey
nor other varieties of wine are as flavoursome as a vehement thirst for water].
and
Alexander
Neckam (1157 –1217), in his Sol Meldunensis, uses it to give advice to
an person fasting:
«diutius ieiunes— certe si hoc facias; optimum
condimentum erit tibi fames».
[Seguramente ayunarías durante más tiempo si
hagas esto; el mejor condimento te será el hambre]. [Certainly, you’ll fast for longer
if you do this; the best condiment for you will be hunger].
Also, in a
spurious work attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, (Bernardus Claraevallensis (1090
– 1153), which more closely resembles the version Erasmus collected, perhaps he
even derived it from this one:
: «Nam optimum cibi condimentum
fames».
— Incertus 183, Flores seu sententiae ex S.
Bernardo, Epist. 1,
n. 11.
Finally,
cf. the variant: «fames optimus est cocus/coquus». [El hambre es el mejor
cocinero]; [Hunger is the best cook], which appears in many proverb
collections online, but doesn’t include where the saying came from; most likely
it’s a latter addition to the Latin proverb canon, as it wasn’t used in any
texts from the ancient world.
Glossary
anlann. (Frmo Old Irish annland). sauce;
salsa.
ocras. (From Old Irish occoras). hunger;
pobreza: hambre; pobreza.
XXIX.
[From the Mícheál Ó longáin collection of
proverbs (c. 1800), and collected by Thomas Francis O'Rahilly, A miscellany
of Irish proverbs (1922)]
«Gnáthamh na hoibre an t-eólas»[4].
Cast.
La práctica hace al maestro.
Lat.
«Experientia docet».
Derived from Tacitus, Historiae, Lib. V,
6, who uses it in the context of collecting bitumen: «Certo anni bitumen
egerit, cuius legendi usum, ut ceteras artis, experientia docuit». [At a certain point in the year the lake
produces bitumen, and the manner for collecting it, as is the case in other
arts, experience has taught us].
And then used by Augustine:
«Quae duritia est, quam nec experientia docet?»
[that experience does
not teach?]
—Augustinus Hipponensis, Enarrationes in
Psalmos [2], 37, 1320
et
«Gutta cavat lapidem».
— Ovidius Naso, Ex Ponto, 4, 10; 3.
et postremo:
«Usus magister est optimus».
— Cicero, Orationes 4, Rab. Post., 4; 6.
Eng.
Practices makes perfect.
And from Heywood’s Proverbs (1546):
“Use maketh mastery”.
Glossary
eólas. here, knowledge.
gnáthamh. (From gnáth).usage, custom; usanza, costumbre.
XXX.
[From Popular Irish Proverbs (1893),
Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh, and later collected by O’Rahilly]
«Tuigeann fear léighinn leathfhocal».
Cast.
El hombre sabio entiende hasta media palabra.
o
A buen entendedor, pocas palabras.
Lat.
Dictum sapienti sat est.
et
Verbum sapienti satis.
Eng.
A wiseman understands half a word.
I.e., A word to the wise is enough.
Glossary
leathfhocal. half a word; media palabra.
léighinn. (From Old Ir. legend, and this
from Late Latin legendum, also whence the verb légaid). of
learning, wise; de aprender; sabio.
XXXI.
Del Focalóir Gaoidhilge-sax-bhéarla Or an
Irish-English Dictionary, (1768) John O'Brien]
«mac an cíormaire gus an chír[5]».
Cast.
Es el hijo del peinetero respecto a sus peines.
[De tal palo, tal astilla].
Lat.
Filius fabricatoris pectinum est circa pectentens
suos.
Eng.
The comber’s son to his combs.
I.e., He didn’t lick it off the wall, or
The apple never falls far from the tree.
Glossary
cíormaire. comber; fuller: fg;.
cír. dat. cas. of cíor, [to the] comb;
al peine.
gus. do dtí an; to, towards; hacia; a.
XXXII.
[ibid.]
«mac an tiompánúidhe gus an téad».
Cast.
Es el hijo del arpista, respecto a sus arpas.
Lat.
Filius citharistae est, circa citharas suas.
Eng.
The harper’s son to his harp (Lit. “[harp] string”).
As if “He’s the harper’s son (Truly the son
of a harper) with respect to his harp”.
Glossary
téad. dat. cas. of téad, [harp] string; cuerda
[para el arpa].
tiompánúidhe. harper; harpista.
Gallery:
Tomás Ó Rathile (1883-1953), Una figura imponente en la
recuperación de la paremiología irlandesa en el siglo XX.
Folio de «Lebor Leignech», o El Libro de Léinster.
manuscrito del siglo XII, y un buen ejemplo del «gló gaelach»,
o caligrafía uncial gaélica.
[1] Como el Focaloir Gaoidhilge-Sax-Bhearla Or
an Irish-English Dictionary (1768), del obispo John O’Brien.
[2] Gerard O’Brien, ed., Catholic
Ireland in the Eighteenth Century, collected Essays of Maureen Wall (1989): “...
we find John O’Brien, Bishop of Cloyne, appealing to the Pope for a subsidy for
his Focaloir Gaoidhilge-Sax-Bearha or Irish-English Dictionary (Paris 1768) on
the grounds that it is absolutely necessary for the preservation of the
Catholic religion in Ireland that such a dictionary should be available to
young priests beginning their work there”.
[3] «graineeoige» in the original.
[4] Ó Dónaill’s Foclóir
Gaeilge-Béarla (1977) collects the phrase: «cleachtadh a dhéanann
maistreacht», practice makes mastery, and appears to be of little
antiquity.
[5] Alternate form of cíor. The
original orthography from the 1832 edition is: «cíormaire gus an ċheir». Going
by the English translation, One would expect «a chír», "his comb", but the «an» is
also present in the following proverb in the same dictionary.
