Sengoídelc - Proverbial Sayings

Ad-cota brothch�n bithnert.

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 01:20:07 -0500

Ad-cota brothchán bithnert.

(obtains * porridge * lasting-strength)

Porridge provides lasting strength.

A three-word maxim from "Bríathra Flainn Fína maicc Ossu".

Ard bot fiaich ...

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 15:39:32 -0500

Ard bot fiaich ocainn, íseal bot con.

(high * tail * of raven * at-us * low * tail * of hound)

The raven's tail is high for us and the hound's tail is low.

In other words, food is scarce for us. The expression is presumably based on a close observation of the appearance of animals at the beginning of spring, when the winter's stores of food were almost exhausted.

At�t� l� i ndegaid alaile.

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 18:02:46 -0500

At·tá lá i ndegaid alaile.

(is * day * in * following * of another)

One day follows another.
Tomorrow is another day.

In the tale "Tochmarc Étaíne" Ailill feels remorse because he fell asleep and missed his tryst with Étaín. She reassures him, saying "Ní ba son, ata la i ndegaid aloile." (Never mind. There's always tomorrow.)

Ba c�era for gaimen.

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 22:16:42 -0400

Ba cáera for gaimen.

(would be * berries * on * hide)

That would be like (a few) berries on the table.

The image here is of a meager offering, and by extension, of a pointless effort. A "gaimen" or "seiche" (skin or hide) was formerly used to serve food on, and berries didn't count as lavish hospitality! This proverb is found in "Aislinge Meic Con Glinne", in a long run of similar images of actions that are fruitless, bootless, or pointless. The even more meager "cáer ar geimiun" (a berry on a hide) is Congal's opinion of his enemies in "Cath Muighe Rath" (FCG, p. 124). A similar image, but more of a wasted rather than a meager effort, is "ba h-ass for sechid" (that would be like serving milk on a skin) is also found in the run in AMCG. Compare "Ba gat imm gainem" in this collection.

Ba cloch i n-inad uigi sin.

Sun, 19 Jun 2005 22:29:10 -0400

Ba cloch i n-inad uigi sin.

(was * stone * in * place * of egg * that)

That was a stone in place of an egg.

A proverbial expression for a bad exchange, found the Book of Fenagh, the Annals of Connacht, and elsewhere. DIL quotes, s.v. "sop", an extended version from "Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh" where it refers to the quality of a person: "nir bo cloch in inad ugi sen 7 nir bo sop in inad largi" (that was not a stone instead of an egg or a whisp instead of a stout stick).

Ba de�l mela a mecnaib ibair.

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 01:23:25 -0500

Ba deól mela a mecnaib ibair.

(was * sucking * of honey * out of * roots * of yew)

It would be like sucking honey from yew roots.

A proverbial expression for the impossible, found in "Aislinge Meic Con Glinne". A slightly different version found in the Book of Ballymote runs "Is do dechraib in domain buain mela ar mecnaib ibair" ("harvesting honey from yew roots is one of the difficult things of the world").

Ba gat imm gainem.

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 16:11:19 -0500

Ba gat imm gainem.

(was * a withe * around * sand)

It would be like tying sand with a willow shoot.

This is one of a surprisingly large repertory of images of the impossible, pointless or fruitless found in Early Irish literature. A fairly exhaustive list of them can be found in the satirical Middle Irish text "Aislinge Meic Con Glinne". Others in this collection include "Ba deól mela...", "Is cuinchid smera...", and "Ba robad do throich." A modern quatrain that O'Rahilly gives as #207 in "Dánfhocail" begins with this image:

Lán gaid do ghaineamh thrágha,
nó beart gaoithe ar ghualainn,
greann dá chur i gcoidreamh
idir bhoidrisg do dhaoine duairce.

Ba gleith ech nDedad.

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 22:59:33 -0500

Ba gleith ech nDedad.

(was * grazing * of horses * of Ded)

It was the grazing of Ded's horses.

That is, the place was picked clean, with nothing left behind. In the tale "Airec Menman Uraird Maic Coise" the leading character, a poet, uses three metaphorical images to express how completely the enemies of Máel Milscothach pillaged and despoiled his house and lands. He explains this one by telling us that when the horses of Ded grazed at Temair Luachra they ate not just the grass but the earth and gravel beneath it. I haven't been able to locate the tale in which that particular grazing took place, but that sort of voracious grazing is attributed also to Cú Chulainn's horses in the LU Táin, and to three destructive red deer in "Acallam na Senórach".

The second image that the poet Urard mac Coise deploys is similar in style: "Ba tenga bó Goibnenn" (It was the tongue of Gobniu's cow). This cow was apparently the same sort of voracious eater as the animals mentined above.

The third vivid image does not require a mythological explanation to be understood: "Ba diglaim dergtheined" (It was a gleaning of red fire).

Ba maith fer for a ferand fadessin.

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:02:38 -0400

Ba maith fer for a ferand fadessin.

(would be * good * a man * on * his * land * own)

A man were well in his own land.

Spoken by Conall Corc in "Conall Corc & the Corcu Luigde", published in Anecdota, iii.59. Conall is in Scotland but wants to return to Ireland. The heavy alliteration on 'f' in the original lends this statement the feel of a maxim.

Ba moch canait a s�ire.

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 01:21:51 -0500

Ba moch canait a séire.

(was * early * (that) they chant * their * meal)

They have praised their meal before it was served. (They have counted their chickens before they were hatched.)

A proverbial saying found in the Book of Leinster.

Ba robad do throich.

Tue, 08 Feb 2005 17:21:31 -0500

Ba robad do throich.

(it would be * warning * to * foredoomed man)

It would be a warning to a man doomed to die.

This is the first of a long litany of images of useless or impossible actions found in "Aislinge Meic Con Glinne".

barae fri b�ire

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 12:09:48 -0500

barae fri búire

(wrath * against * rage)

anger in answer to anger

This alliterative formula is found in "Tochmarc Étaíne", where Mider tells Echaid that he is furious with him. Eochaid replies placatingly that he will not return anger for anger: "Ní bara fri búre daitsiu ón" in the LU spelling.

C�id cach ce�l co cruit.

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:31:48 -0500

Cáid cach ceól co cruit.

(noble * every * music * until * harp)

All music falls short of the harp in refinement.

This, from a section of misceallaneous sayings in "Tecosca Cormaic", highlights the high status of the harp as the instrument of the nobility.

Ceilid serc ainmi ocus olc.

Tue, 03 May 2005 11:01:34 -0400

Ceilid serc ainmi ocus olc.

(hides * love * blemishes * and * ill)

Love conceals blemishes and bad character. Love is blind.

A proverb from the poem "Diambad messe bad rí réil". The Modern Irish version is "Folaíonn grá gráin." A 16th century poem, quoted in "A Miscellany" (p. 22) gives as a proverb "Ní breitheamh comhthrom an grádh" (Love is not an impartial judge).

cenn i mbolg

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:28:45 -0500

cenn i mbolg

(head * in * bag)

head in a bag

This proverbial metaphor for ignorance is found in "In Tenga Bithnua" a sermon for the vigil of Easter composed around 1000 A.D, where it is paired with the similar expression "bith i tig dorcha" (being in a dark house). The full context is:

"ar ba cenn i mbolg 7 ba bth i tigh dhorcha do sil Adhuimh iarsindi na fes riam cissi dealbh ro bai forsin domun nó cia dhorigne" (for it was "head in a bag" and "being in a dark house" for the seed of Adam, since it had never been known what shape the world had or who made it).