Dedh Deg warn Ügens

De Yow, degves warn ügens mis Genver

Thursday, 30^th January

Ma gwersyow ow tòchya mordarow ha carpentour scrifys gen Lewis Carroll en “Der an Gweder Mires ha Mens a Gavas Alys Ena”. Treylyes ew an lever dien gen Nicholas Williams.

Medh an Mordarow “A lies tra

kestalkya nei a res:

a scathow, skichow (eskisyow), cor selya,

cawl, metêrnedh an bes,

üjy ow pryjyon tòbm an mor

ha skelly dhe vogh mars eus.” 

Hemm ew “kestalkyans bian” theram ow pedery. Nag ew fitty dhe gows a grejyans, politegieth ha mòna en “cowethas cortes”. Discortes ew dh'y wil. An gewer ew mater saw. Agan mater a gescows meurgerys ew! Ma nebes gweryow war an gewer e'n Beybel Sans; Matthe whetek rag sompel, en gwersyow dew ha trei. Pan vo an gordhûher devedhys, why a lever, 'Teg vedh an awel, rag rüdh ew an ebòrn', ha mettin whei a lever, 'E vedh hager-awel hedhyw, rag an ebòrn ew rüdh ha tewl.'

There are verses by Lewis Carroll in “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There” about a walrus and a carpenter. The whole book is translated by Nicholas Williams. The Walrus said “we must talk of many things, of ships, shoes, sealing wax, cabbages, kings of the world, is the sea boiling hot and if pigs have wings”. 

This is “small talk” I think. It is not appropriate to talk about religion, politics or money in “polite society”. It is rude to do it. The weather is a safe topic. It's our favourite topic of conversation. There are several verses on the weather in the Holy Bible; Matthew 16, for example, verses 2 and 3. When the evening comes, you say 'the weather will be fair for the sky is red', and in the morning you say ,'There will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowring.”

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

crejyans (m) religion, belief (also crejans or cryjyans)

discortes impolite, rude

gweder mires (m) looking glass, mirror

gwersyow verses < singular gwers (m)

kescows, kestalkyans (m) conversation, dialogue, talk (together)

mater (m) topic, matter, subject

mogh pigs < singular hogh (m)

mordarow (m) walrus (sea bull)

politegieth (m) politics

skelly/eskelly wings < singular askel (f) (can also mean fin or flipper)