Hello

I'm transcribing a text (printed in 1840) for Project Gutenberg, which includes five proverbs in Irish (with their English translations). As the printing isn't wonderful, they are in Gaelic type, and I know no Irish, I'd be grateful if anyone could have a look over the following and tell me the mistakes. I don't want them modernised, please, just as they should have been then.

fearr mine na buirbe ṁor
fearr coir na dul ċum dliġe
fearr teaċ beag is teann loin
na teaċ mor is beagan biḋ

Gentleness is better than violent anger.
Compromising is better than going to law.
A small house and a plentiful store
Are better than a large house and little food.


Iomad gloir ag neaċ
to ḃeir sin neiṁċion ara ċeill
deineann duine le hiomad gloir
spaidean don ċoir fein

Too much talkativeness in a man
Brings his good sense into disrepute;
Because a man by a superfluity of words
Only detracts from the force of truth.


ni troimeḋe an loċ an eala
ni troimede an t'eaċ a srian
ni troimede an ċaora a holann
'sni troimede an ċolann ciall

The lake is not incumbered by the swan,
The steed is not incumbered by its bridle,
The sheep is not incumbered by its wool,
Nor is the body incumbered by good sense.


milis glor gaċ fir
ag a moiḋ cuid agus spreiḋ
Searḃ glor an te ḃios loinin
bunoscionn do laḃrann se

Sweet is the voice of every man
Who possesses means and affluence;
But harsh is the voice of the indigent man;
His language seems topsy-turvy.


naċ buaiḋearṫa ḃid na daoine ar uireasbaiḋ loin
'san uaiġ da lionaḋ dioḃ go memic san lo
ni luaite ton ċill an fioṫal fuiriḋṫe dereoil
na an luaiṫḟear groiḋe no an naoiṫean lemiḃ ḃig oig

How much do people sorrow for their want of possessions,
And the grave meanwhile filled with them often in the day!
Not sooner to the cemetery goes the emaciated invalid
Than the robust and brave man, or the now-born infant.

If it would be of help, the originals can be found at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/30001044.pdf.

Many thanks for any help you can give.

Steve

ag a mbiḋ cuid agus spreiḋ


ni luaiṫe ton ċill an fioṫal fuiriḋṫe dereoil


I haven't seen a text like this before where there are no fadas (acute accents) whatsoever written! Perhaps someone else knows why.

You probably already know this, but I also wanted to mention that it is alternatively possible to write letters with dots on them as said letter followed by an 'h' such as in the first sentence mhor (mhór) instead of ṁor (ṁór). I know you want to keep the original, but using modern type with the dots is very strange (especially with the letters 't' and 'f')

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ЯГОН ТОҶИК НЕСТ ИНҶО???

Thank you for the corrections.

I had noticed the lack of fadas - it might be that the printer simply didn't have any blocks for them. I've seen stranger things!

I will try and render it in Gaelic type where possible when I do the final version.

Thanks again
Steve

I can't quite tell from your tone -- do you want them or do you want them out like the original?

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ЯГОН ТОҶИК НЕСТ ИНҶО???

Sorry, no, leave them out. I'll put a note in the final book so readers will know that they're missing.

Regards
Steve