Seanfhocail

By Aparna Mele, MD, Founder of My Gut Instinct

St Patrick’s Day, celebrating the patron saint of Ireland, is widely recognised and observed throughout the US as a celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, religious observances, numerous parades, and copious consumption of alcohol. While tapping into our inner Irish, this is a nice month to draw wisdom from Irish proverbs (seanfhocail). The Irish language is rich in metaphor and meaning, wit and wisdom, and famous Irish proverbs, encapsulating centuries of wit and wisdom, offer a unique perspective on life and capture universal truths and life lessons, ranging from value of friendship and the pursuit of prosperity, to simple insights on well-being and the influence of luck.  Beyond imparting time-tested traditional knowledge and life-guiding principles, seanfhocail offers us a lens through which to view our own lives.

So this St Paddy’s Day, learn the Irish ways and utilize these little wisdoms in your life! Sláinte (To health, in Gaelic)!

Here are 20 great Irish proverbs you can use throughout the year:

Pronunciation help:  Abair.ie here.

1. An donas amach is an sonas isteach.

This is particularly apt following what was a tough year and basically means out with the badness and in with the goodness.

2. Faigheann cos ar siúl rud nach bhfaigheann cos ina cónaí.

This means that ‘a walking foot comes upon something that a resting foot wouldn’t.’ In a nutshell, the most important aspect of doing so successfully is to just lift one’s foot and start a journey.

3. Leagfaidh tua bheag crann mór.

This literally means that a ‘small axe can fell a big tree’ and with that in mind, it is possible to do great things through small deeds.

4. Ná bris do loirgín ar stól nach bhfuil i do shlí.

This translates literally as don’t break your shin on a stool that’s not in your way but essentially means don’t go out of your way to get in trouble.

5. Is leor ó Mhór a dícheall.

This means that ‘all one can do is one’s best’. Another way you could phrase it is, ‘Is é do dhícheall é’ which means that it is as much as you can do.

6. Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh.

A good point to remember when you find yourself getting the itch to throw down some words, this proverb means that a ‘good word never broke a tooth’. Another similar one is “Ní mhillean dea-ghlór fiacail” which literally means a sweet voice does not injure the teeth or that it wouldn’t kill you to be nice.

7. Is fearr clú ná conach.

This straightforward proverb means that one’s character and good reputation are better than wealth.

8. Chíonn beirt rud nach bhfeiceann duine amháin.

Two people see a thing that an individual does not see. In other words, two heads are better than one.

9. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.

One of the great Irish language proverbs whose literal meaning is ‘it is in each others’ shadow that people live’ but on reflection invokes a sense of community.

10. Aithnítear cara i gcruatan.

A wise phrase that means that a good friend is known in hardship.

11. Maireann croí éadrom a bhfad.

This lovely proverb means that a light heart lives long.

*Note about ‘a bhfad’ instead of ‘i bhfad’. This is just an older/alternative spelling, you’ll find things like a nÉirinn for ‘in Ireland, in Éirinn’ in older texts too; since i is just pronounced as unstressed /ə, ɪ/ anyway, it doesn’t make much difference whether you write it i or a and you’ll see both.

12. Ní bhíonn an rath, ach mar a mbíonn an smacht.

There is no prosperity unless there is discipline. In other words, to fully excel at something regardless of what it may be, you must be fully committed to it.

13. Gheibheann cos ar siúl rud éigin.

A moving leg gets something.

14. Bíonn dhá insint ar scéal agus dhá leagan déag ar amhrán.

There are two versions of a story and twelve arrangements to a song.

15. Bíonn siúlach scéalach.

Travellers have tales to tell. Did you know that the words ‘siúlach’ and ‘scéalach’ are adjectives derived from the nouns ‘siúl’ (walk) and ‘scéal’ (story)?

16. Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire.

The treachery returns to the betrayer. What comes around goes around.

17. Is trom an t-ualach an t-aineolas.

Ignorance is a heavy burden. Similar to the phrase, ‘ignorance is bliss’.

18. Is fearr obair ná caint.

Work is better than talk. Another one of the great Irish proverbs, it’s similar to the phrase “Put your money where your mouth is”.

19. Buail an iarann te.

Strike the hot iron (literally). The English language equivalent is, of course, “Strike while the iron is hot.”

20. Ní heolas go haontíos.

You must live with a person to know a person.

BONUS: Níl aon tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin
There’s no sore arse like your own sore arse.

This is a play on the classic Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin (there’s no place like home).

Source:

20 great Irish proverbs (seanfhocail) to use this year