Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

268
Is mairg a sliineadh làmh iia h-airce do chridlie na circe.
Pity him thai stretches the needij hand to the hen-
hearted.
Is mairg a thachair dh' an tir thalmlianta, far nacli
sniomh cailbh' cuigeal.
Pity the one vjho comes to the land where a ixtrtition
uont spin a distaff.
This absurd sajaiig was uttered by a half-witted young woman,
who had a good and too kind mother. The young woman was
fond of going out ' air cheilidh,' to make long calls, and she would
leave her distaff with its wool on it resting against the partition-
wall, that divided the ' but ' and ' ben '. Her worthy mother
would take it herself, spin the wool, and leave the distaff where
her daughter left it ; and the foolish creature believed that the
spinning was done for her by some supernatural means. At
length her mother died, and the poor girl went for some time to
friends at a distance, where she tried the old trick with her distaff,
and, to her disappointment, found it on her return just as she left
it. Then she made the above remarkable observation. It is
applied to lazy or silly people, who expect to have their work
dune for them.
Is mairg a theid do 'n tràigli an uair a tlia h-eòin fliL-in
'g a treigsinn.
Pity him u'ho goes to the shore^ ichen its oivn birds are
forsaking it.
Who goes in search of shellfish.
A I. Is mairg a thaghladh a chreag, 's a h-eòin flièin 'g a fàgail
— Pihj him who visits the rock which its oivn birds are leaving.
Is mairg a thrèigeadh a chaomh charaid.
Woe to him that would forsake his dear friend.
Is mairg a threigeadh a leannan buan, air son fear-
fuadain na h-aon oidhche.
Woe to her who would forsake her constant love, for the
stranger of one night.
Is mairg aig am bi iad : 's mairg aig nach bi iad.
Pity those tolto have them ; pity those who Itaven't them.
Al. Is truagh aig am beil iad ; 's truaighe aig nach 'eU iad —
Pity those v:ho have them; pity more those who haven't.
This refers to children, and reminds of the advice about mar-
riage, ' You'll repent if you marry, and you'll repent if you don't !'
The Lowland Scottish saying, though kindly, is rather too frugal —
"Waly, waly 1 bairns are bonnie ;
Ane's eneuch, and twa's ower mony.