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Aistrigh an leathanach seo: gaeilge english

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Proverbs

Is samhradh gach s铆on go dt铆 an Nollaig.

All weathers are like summer until Christmas, the really cold weather of the winter comes after Christmas.
Is maith an t-ancaire an t-iarta.

The pot hook in the fireplace is a good anchor; it鈥檚 hard to move away from a good fire.
Cad 茅 a dh茅anfadh mac an chait ach luch a mhar煤?

What would the cat鈥檚 son do but kill mice? Why would the child behave any other way when its parents are like that?
Is olc an ghaoth nach s茅ideann maith do dhuine 茅igin.

It鈥檚 a bad wind that doesn鈥檛 blow good for someone; someone always benefits from adversity.
F谩sann n铆os m贸 i ngort n谩 mar a chuirtear ann.

More grows in a field than is planted there; children are individuals.
脫 chaith m茅 an choinneal, caithfidh m茅 an t-orlach.

Since I鈥檝e used up the candle, I may as well use up the remaining inch: I鈥檝e come this far, I may as well carry on.
N铆 sc茅al r煤in 茅 m谩s fios do thri煤r 茅.

It鈥檚 not a secret if three people know it.
Ar mhaithe leis f茅in a bh铆onn an cat ag cr贸n谩n.

The cat purs for its own sake; people tend not to be entirely altruistic.
N谩 d茅an n贸s is n谩 bris n贸s.

Don鈥檛 create a custom or break a custom.
An rud nach f茅idir n铆 f茅idir 茅.

What can鈥檛 be done can鈥檛 be done.
Is bre谩 an n铆 an 贸ige ach n铆 thagann s铆 faoi dh贸.

Youth is a fine thing but it doesn鈥檛 come twice; gather ye rosebuds.
B铆onn gach t煤s lag.

Every beginning is weak.
Is minic a bhris b茅al duine a ghaos谩n.

A man鈥檚 mouth often broke his nose.
Is t煤isce deoch n谩 sc茅al.

A drink precedes a story; when someone comes to your house, you should offer them a drink first.
Is fearr mac le himirt n谩 mac le h贸l.

Better a son a gambler than a son a drinker; drinking is more destructive than gambling.
Is fearr an mhaith at谩 n谩 an d谩 mhaith a bh铆.

Better the good thing that is than two good things that were; it鈥檚 no good talking about how great things were in the old days.
Is treise an d煤chas n谩 an oili煤int.

Heredity is stronger than nurture.
N铆 chrona铆tear an t-uisce go dtrioma铆tear an tobar.

The water isn鈥檛 missed until the well dries up.
Is ioma铆 craiceann a chuireann an 贸ige di.

Youth sheds many a skin; young people are always changing their style.
Is maith an capall a tharraing铆onn a chairt f茅in.

It鈥檚 a good horse that pulls its own cart; independence is a good quality.
Is binn b茅al ina thost.

A silent mouth sounds sweet; silence is golden.
Giorra铆onn beirt b贸thar.

Company makes the journey shorter.
G谩ire maith agus codladh fada, an d谩 leigheas is fearr i leabhar an docht煤ra.

A good laugh and a long sleep, the two best cures in the doctor鈥檚 book.
Is doiligh corr谩n maith a fh谩il do dhrochbhuana铆.

It鈥檚 hard to get a good sickle for a bad reaper; the bad workman blames his tools.
M煤ineann g谩 seift.

Need teaches a plan, necessity is the mother of invention.
鈥淐honaic m茅 cheana th煤,鈥� mar a d煤irt an cat leis an bhainne bhruite.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen you before,鈥� as the cat said to the boiling milk; once bitten, twice shy.
Is fearr l煤badh n谩 briseadh.

It鈥檚 better to bend than to break; flexibility is important.
N铆l luibh n谩 leigheas in aghaidh an bh谩is.

There is no herb or medicine against death.
Is fearr r茅al inniu n谩 scilling am谩rach.

A sixpence today is better than a shilling tomorrow.
Aithn铆onn ciar贸g ciar贸g eile.

A beetle recognises another beetle; takes one to know one.
T煤s maith, leath na hoibre.

A good start is half of the work.
T煤s gr谩, s铆oramharc.

The beginning of love, continually looking.
N谩 glac duine cho铆che ar a thuairisc fh茅in.

Never accept a person鈥檚 account of themselves; don鈥檛 take people at face value.
B铆onn s煤il le muir ach n铆 bh铆onn s煤il le huaigh.

There is hope with the sea but there is no hope with the grave; people supposedly lost at sea sometimes return but once someone is dead and buried they are gone.
Dh谩 dtrian galair le ho铆che.

Two thirds of sickness at night; the worst of any sickness is at night.
N谩 mol fear go b谩s n谩 l谩 go tr谩thn贸na.

Don鈥檛 praise a man until he鈥檚 dead or a day until evening.
Sh铆l m茅 gur den bhaisteadh 茅.

I thought it was part of the baptism; I thought it was supposed to happen. When Caoilte was being baptised by Saint Patrick, a servant drove a stake through his foot by accident. When he was asked afterwards why he said nothing, his answer was that he thought it was part of the baptism.
Mura mbeadh agat ach poc谩n gabhair b铆 i l谩r an aonaigh leis.

Even if you have only a male goat to sell be in the middle of the fair with it; whatever you have to sell, present it properly.
Is 茅 an dias is troime is 铆sle a chromann a ceann.

The heaviest ear of corn is the one which bows its head lowest; really talented people are usually modest.
N铆 h茅 l谩 na gaoithe l谩 na scolb.

A windy day is not the day for thatching.
Is ait an mac an saol.

Life is strange.
N铆 troime don chaora olann agus n铆 troime don cholainn ciall.

The sheep is no heavier for its wool and a body is no heavier for having sense.
An rud a scr铆obhann an p煤ca, l茅ann s茅 f茅in 茅.

What the pooka writes, the pooka can read; the person who created it can understand it.
N铆 thagann caonach ar chloch reatha.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Is ioma铆 cor a chuireann maidin earraigh di f茅in.

A spring morning goes through many changes; the spring weather is unsettled.
N铆 chreidtear an fh铆rinne 贸 bhr茅agad贸ir.

The truth is not believed from a liar; don鈥檛 cry wolf.
B铆onn cluasa ar na cla铆ocha.

Fences have ears; walls have ears.
N铆l tuile d谩 mh茅ad nach dtr谩nn.

There is no flood which doesn鈥檛 dry up sometime.
N铆 h茅 l谩 na b谩ist铆 l谩 na bp谩ist铆.

The rainy day is not the day for children.
An t茅 nach bhfuil l谩idir, n铆 m贸r d贸 bheith glic.

The person who is not strong must be shrewd.
An谩il na beatha an t-athr煤.

Change is the breath of life; a change is as good as a rest.
Is beag an rud is buaine n谩 an duine.

Even small things are more long-lasting than a person.
Luigh leis an uan agus 茅irigh leis an 茅an.

Go to sleep with the lamb and rise with the bird; early to bed and early to rise.
Is bre谩 an rud an 贸ige ach 铆 a cheans煤.

Youth is a fine thing if it is tamed.
Is maith leis an chat iasc ach n铆 maith leis a chr煤ba a fhliuchadh.

The cat likes fish but he doesn鈥檛 like to get his paws wet.
N铆 huaisle mac r铆 n谩 a chuid.

A prince is no nobler than what he does; nobility counts for nothing if the person does not have a noble nature.
Tagann gach aon rud lena iomr谩 ach madadh rua agus marbh谩n.

Everything comes when it鈥檚 mentioned but a fox and a dead man; talk of the Devil.
N铆 bh铆onn rath ach mar a mb铆onn smacht.

There is only success where there is discipline.
Is fearr r茅chonn n谩 iarchonn.

Foresight is better than hindsight.
Is mias 茅 an d铆oltas is fearr a ithe fuar.

Revenge is a dish best eaten cold.
N铆 fhaigheann dorn dhruidte ach l谩mh iata.

A closed fist gets nothing but a closed hand; people who are mean are treated meanly by others.
Is geall le fle谩 bia go leor.

Enough food is as good as a feast.
Is leor 贸 Mh贸r a d铆cheall.

Her best is enough from M贸r; a person can only do their best.
N铆 lia t铆r n谩 n贸s.

Countries are not more numerous than customs; when in Rome.
N铆 buan cogadh na gcarad; m谩 bh铆onn s茅 crua, n铆 bh铆onn s茅 fada.

A war between friends doesn鈥檛 last; however fierce it is, it tends not to be long.
Is ionann an c谩s an t-茅ag is an b谩s.

Expiring and dying is the same thing; it鈥檚 six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Is minic a ghearr duine slat a bhuail a dhroim f茅in.

A man often cut a stick which beat his own back.
Is olc an t-茅an a shala铆onn a nead f茅in.

It鈥檚 a bad bird that soils its own nest.
Is fearr an troid n谩 an t-uaigneas.

Arguing is better than loneliness.
An rud a thig thar dhroim an diabhail, im铆onn s茅 faoina bholg.

What is got over the devil鈥檚 back, it goes under his belly; ill-gotten gains are spent in evil ways.
Is maol gualainn gan bhr谩thair.

A shoulder is bare without a companion鈥檚 hand; people need friends.
Nuair a bh铆onn an bolg l谩n is maith leis na cn谩mha s铆neadh.

When the belly鈥檚 full the bones like to stretch; when you鈥檝e had a good meal you like to relax.
Capall na hoibre an bia.

Food is the horse of work; food is the source of energy.
Tarraing铆onn sc茅al sc茅al eile.

A story draws a story; one story leads on to another.
Is fearr cogar i gcluas N贸ra n谩 scairt 贸n chnoc is airde.

Better a whisper in N贸ra鈥檚 ear than a shout from the highest hill; don鈥檛 share your secrets with people.
Tiocfaidh an l谩 go f贸ill a mbeidh gn贸 ag an bh贸 d谩 heireaball.

The day will come some day when the cow will have a use for its tail; unlikely things sometimes come in handy.
N铆 bh铆onn deatach ann gan tine.

There is no smoke without fire.
Is fearr bheith ar lorg bia n谩 ar lorg goile.

It is better to be looking for food than looking for an appetite.
Is trom an t-ualach an leisce.

Laziness is a heavy burden.
Beidh L谩 eile ag an bPaorach.

Power will have another day. (Said by Edmund Power of Dungarvan on the scaffold as he was about to be hanged for his part in the 1798 uprising).
Is minic a mhaolaigh b茅ile maith br贸n.

A good meal often lessened sadness.
T茅ann 铆seal agus uasal chuig t贸rramh

Both poor and rich attend funerals; everybody has to die, regardless of social status.
N铆 thig leis an ghobad谩n an d谩 thr谩 a fhreastal.

The sandpiper cannot serve two strands, you can鈥檛 do two things at once.
Ina dhiaidh a thuigtear gach beart.

It is easy to be wise after the event.
Is fearr rith maith n谩 drochsheasamh.

Better a good run than a bad standing, discretion is the better part of valour.
N铆 thagann ciall roimh aois.

Sense does not come before age; young people can be thoughtless.
Briseann an d煤chas tr铆 chr煤ba an chait.

The true nature of the cat shows in the way it uses its claws.
Is minic cuma aingil ar an diabhal f茅in.

The devil himself often looks like an angel.
B铆onn dh谩 insint ar sc茅al agus dh谩 leagan d茅ag ar amhr谩n.

There are two versions of every story and twelve versions of every song. (There are always two sides to every story).
Is folamh, fuar teach gan bhean.

A house without a woman is empty and cold.
An t茅 nach gcuirfidh greim, cuirfidh s茅 dh谩 ghreim.

The person who won鈥檛 make a stitch will have to make two stitches; a stitch in time saves nine.
Is i ndiaidh a ch茅ile a th贸gtar na caisle谩in.

Castles are built one after the other; do things one at a time.
Mol gort is n谩 mol geamhar.

Praise the fully-grown crop and not the stubble, don鈥檛 count your chickens.
B铆onn si煤lach sc茅alach.

People who travel have lots of stories to tell.
Is minic br茅ag ar aonach.

There is often a lie at the fair; people are often dishonest when money is involved.
N铆 neart go cur le ch茅ile.

There is no strength without co-operation; unity is strength.
Is minic a bh铆 c煤 mall sona.

A slow hound was often lucky.
An rud is annamh is iontach.

The rare thing is the most amazing; man bites dog.
Is fearr mall n谩 go br谩ch.

Better late than never.
脡ire ar phingin agus c谩 bhfuil an phingin?

Ireland for a penny and where鈥檚 the penny? So near and yet so far.