Proverbial Sayings

Is cuinchid smera cen smúais.

(it is * asking for * marrow * without * (red) marrow)

It’s like asking for marrow fat without marrow.
(It’s like asking for chicken soup without chicken.)

Is dobrán re miníascach...

Is dobrán re miníascach
seobacc re hénaib sléibe,
catt re lochaid, cú re muicc,
ben micc is máthair chéile.

(it is * otter * against * little fish /
hawk * against * birds * of mountain /
cat * against * mouse * dog * against * pig /
wife * of son * and * mother * in-law)

Like an otter with little fishes,
a hawk with mountain birds,
a cat with a mouse, a dog with a pig,
a son’s wife and her mother-in-law!

Máthair etha aig...

Máthair etha aig, athair saille snechta.

(mother * of grain * ice * father * of bacon * snow)

Ice is the mother of grain, snow is the father of bacon.

Is gnáth lassar hi tiarmoracht diad.

(is * usual * flame * in * accompaniment * of smoke)

Where there’s smoke there’s fire.

Is fo-chen aged fecheman.

(is * welcome * face * of debtor)

The face of a debtor is welcome.

La firu ferdacht...

La firu ferdacht. La mná mifre.

(with * men * manliness / with * women * despondency)

Men are meant to be manly. Women are meant to be sad.

Is dorn imm diaid tor mbríathar.

(is * fist * around * smoke * a multitude * of words)

A multitude of words is a fistful of smoke.

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.)

Ní eter licc ocus losait rom-alt-sa!

(not * between * slab * and * kneading trough * has me been reared - emphatic)

I was not raised between the kneading slab and the kneading trough!

Cuit in tslóig...

Cuit in tslóig, is é a shamail,
ní berbthar é ar óengabail.

(ration * of the * army * is * it * its *
simile / not * is cooked * it * on * one fork)

Food for an army, as the saying goes, is not cooked on a single skewer.