Skeealyn Vannin, Disk 3 Track 17: Speaker: Mark Braide
https://www.youtube.com/embed/w3sxq4laGncDate(s): 1948
Creator(s): Irish Folklore Commission
Transcript: Reading ‘Yn Pearl Mooar as Marroo yn Chenn Ghuilley’ by Edward Faragher (Neddy Beg Hom Ruy)
[CF Bealoidas XVIII 1948-50 pp49-50]
Ta mee er clashtyn shenn eeasteyryn ginsh mychione baatey va cuirrit keayrt ayns y Vaie Wooar
I have heard old fishermen telling about a boat [that] was shot once in the ‘Great Bay’
oie feer aalin magh jeh Bradda as ve kiune as feer ghorraghey.
[on] a very beautiful night out off Bradda and it was calm and very dark.
V’ad mysh prowal yn lieen agh dooyrt yn mainshtyr dy row eh traa dy liooar foast,
They were about to prove the net, but the skipper said that it was time enough yet,
eisht hie ad ooilley dy lhie agh yn fer va freayll arrey.
then they all went to lie [down], but for the man [who] was keeping watch.
Hie eshyn gour e hoshee as hug eh my-ner dy row y lieen ‘sy thalloo as ren
He went forward and he beheld that the net was on the bottom and
eh dooishtey yn cheshaght dy chur er boayrd.
he wakened the crew to put on board [haul in].
Haink ny deiney seose as ghow ad toshiaght dy ghoaill stiagh y swing, agh
The men came up and they began to take in the swing, but
va’n lieen fest ayns y thalloo. V’ad streeu lesh ooilley nyn niart agh ve
the net was fast on the bottom. They were struggling with all their strength but it was
feer hrome, agh v’ad geddyn trie lurg trie stiagh, goaill aash nish as reesht.
very heavy, but they were getting foot by foot in, taking a rest now and again.
Ec y jerrey, haink yn lieen gys mullagh yn ushtey as ren eh soilshean er ny
At the end, the net came to the surface of the water, and it shone on the
sleityn mygeayrt myr dy beagh eh er ve mullagh-eayst, as cre va ayns y lieen
mountains around as if it had been full moon, and what was in the net
agh pearl mooar, as va ny shenn gheiney cha agglit lesh yn sollysid echey
but a big pearl, and the old men were so frightened by the brilliance of it
as ren ad cur yn raad da’n lieen gys y thalloo reesht, as va’n pearl mooar ersooyl,
and [that] they allowed the net to go to the bottom again, and the big pearl was away,
as lesh ooilley yn eeastagh as thrawlal rieau er dy henney cha vel dooinney erbee er haghyrt er yn pearl mooar.
and with it all the fishing and trawling ever since not any man has happened on the great pearl.
Dy beagh ad er ghoaill eh er boayrd tra v’eh heose oc, v’ad ooilley er ve berchagh dy liooar,
Had they taken it on board when they had it up, they would all have been rich enough
agh she jeih gys unnane my nee dooinney erbee geddyn shilley jeh arragh.
but it is ten to one if any man will get a sight of it ever again.
Ren yn sollysid echey coyrt nyn dappey voue, agh ta fer ny ghaa kiart cha ommidjagh gys yn laa t’ayn jiu.
The brilliance of it put their wit from them, but there are one or two just as stupid nowadays.
Va Chalse y Killey cliaghtey cheet gys Purt le Moirrey voish Rhumsaa dy eeastagh hakeyn;
Charles Killey used to come to Port St. Mary from Ramsey to fish hake;
cha row eh cha cheeayllagh as dy chooilley ’nane, as ta mish er ve taggloo rish keayrt ny ghaa.
He was not so intelligent as every one, and I have been talking with him a time or two.
Ta mee er chlashtyn Juan y Quirryn ginsh mychione un oie v’eh mooie maroo as va’n oie feer aalin,
I have heard John Corrin? Telling about one night he was out with them and the night was very beautiful,
v’ad cuirrit ayns y Vaie Wooar magh jeh Purt Chiarn.
they were shot in the ‘Great Bay’ out off Port Erin.
V’ad eeastagh hakeyn son tammylt dy hraa, agh tra ghow ad ayns laue dy phrowal yn lieen
They were fishing hake for some time, but when they took in hand to prove the net
as haink y lieen gys mullagh yn ushtey va eeast mooar ayn;
and the net came to the surface of the water there was a big fish in it;
ta ny eeasteyryn gyllagh eh gailley-pern, as ta’n kione echey three keayrtyn wheesh as yn corp
the fishermen are calling it ‘angler [devil] fish’, and its head[ is] three times as big as the body
as ta’n beeal feer vooar er, yinnagh yn beeal echey cummal lane poagey, as ta skianyn feer lhean er.
and the mouth on it is very big, its mouth would hold a full bag, and there are very wide fins on it.
Ren Chalse briaght jeu cre’n vrout va ayns y lieen, as dooyrt fer jeu dy re yn chenn ghuilley eh hene
Charles asked them what was the beast that was in the net, and one of them said that it was the ‘old boy’ himself
v’ayn. ‘Jean shiu shassoo dunnal’, dooyrt Chalse, ‘as mar shiu eh, my ghuillyn,
that was in. ‘Stand brave[ly]’, said Charles, ‘and kill him, my boys,
son nagh bee eh miolagh sheelnaue ny smoo’.
for he will not be tempting mankind [any] more’.
V’eh gra rish ny deiney dy hassoo dunnal, agh v’eh hene jannoo lesh y chabbane cha tappee as oddagh eh.
He was saying to the men to stand bravely, but he himself was making for the cabin as fast as he could.
Va Quirryn briaght jeh Chalse bleeantyn ny lurg shen row cooinaghtyn echey er yn traa
Corrin was asking Charles about it years after that did he remember the time
v’ad marroo yn chenn ghuilley. ‘Va’, dooyrt Chalse, ‘agh cha vel eh marroo foast’.
they were killing the ‘old boy’. ‘Yes’, said Charles, ‘but he’s not dead yet’.
Ta’n earish feer sterrymagh ayns shoh, geay as fliaghey as cha vel monney reamys ayn dy screeu,
The weather is very stormy here, wind and rain, and there is not much room to write,
ny traa dy smooinaght, agh jerkal dy bee laghyn aalin cheet ayns traa gerrid.
or time to think, but hope that fine days will be coming in a short time.
Language: Manx
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: WHOLE
ID number: SA 0579/3/17