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- Is minic a dhein bromaichín
gioblach capaillín cumasach
It
is often that a delicate colt became a competent little horse
- Ni dhéanfadh an saol capall ráis
d'asal
(All) the world would not make a racing horse from a donkey
- Caora mhór an t-uan i bhfad
A lamb becomes a sheep after (carrying it) a distance
- Is olc an chearc ná scríobann di
féin
It's a poor hen which will not scrape for herself
- Bíonn gach madra dána ar a
tháirseach féin
Every dog is bold on its own doorstep
- Is iad na muice ciúine a itheann
an mhin
It is the quiet pigs who eat the oats
- Is ar mhaithe leis féin a
dheineann an cat crónán
It is for his own benefit that the cat purrs
- "Chonaic mé cheana
thú", arsa an cat leis an mbainne beirithe
"I saw you before", said the cat to the boiling milk
- Maith í an bhó, beo nó marbh
The cow is good, alive or dead
- Bíonn adharcha fada ar na buaibh
thar lear
Cows far away have long horns [Far away hills are greener]{bó = cow;
plural = ba, baoi, bú - poetic, dative plural = buaibh}
- Fear na mbó féin faoina
heireabaill
The man who owns the cow must stay under the tail [in the event of having to
pull it from a ditch, for obvious reasons]
- Is maith an capall ná faigheann
barrthuisle uair éigin
It's a good horse that doesn't trip up sometime
- Aithníonn ciaróg amháin ciaróg
eile
One beetle recognises another beetle [It takes one to know one or
Birds of a feather flock together]
- Briseann an dúchas thí shúilibh
an chait
Nature breaks out through the eyes of the cat
- Luí leis an uan agus éirgh leis
an éan
Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the bird [Early to bed and early to rise
makes a man healthy, and wealthy, and wise]
- Ni troimide an chaora a holann
The sheep does not mind the weight of the wool
- Ni troimide an loch an lachan
The lake is no heavier for the duck which is on it [Both 16 & 17 relate to
the analogy of knowledge and information - education is no load]
- Bíonn caora dubh ar an dtréad is
gile
There can be a black sheep in the brightest flock
- Ná comhair do chuid sicíní nó
go dtaga siad amach
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched
- Béarfaidh bó éigin lao éigin
lá éigin
Some cow will give birth to some calf some day
- Ni mhaireann rith maith ag an each
i gcónaí
The steed does not retain its good run forever
- Ni túisce craiceann na
seanchaorach ar an bhfraigh ná craiceann na caorach óige
The skin of the older sheep is on the rafter just as soon as the skins of
the young sheep
- An té a bhfuil bólacht ar chnoc
aige ní bhíonn suaimhneas ar sop aige
He who has livestock on a hill will not sleep soundly
- Is maith an capall a tharraingíos
a charr féin
It's a good horse which draws its own cart
- Céard a dhéanfadh mac an chait
ach luch a mharú?
What would the son of the cat do but kill a mouse?
- Mar a bhíos an cú mór a bhéas
an coileán
As the big hound is, so shall the pup be
- Drochubh, drochéan
Bad egg, bad bird
- Is minic nach ndeachaigh bó le
bó dhúchais
It is often a cow does not take after its breed
- As a ceann a chrútar an bhó
It is from her head that a cow is milked
- Éist le fuaim na habhann agus
gheobhaidh tú breac
List to the sound of the river and you will get a trout
- Tiocfaidh an lá fós a mbeidh
gnó ag an mbó dá heireaball
The day will yet come when the cow will need her tail
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