I am a true-born Manxman, an’ I like the good oul’ style,
I’m nava in a hurry for it’s best to wait a while –
It doesn’t do to be too proud for pride will get a fall,
An’ I’ll not make the people wiser than meself at all.
On Sunday qwhen I go to Church an’ walkin’ up the aisle.
Me boots go quinky quanky an’ the people all do smile;
But I’m as good as they are – an’ I’m payin’ for me saet,
It’s nawthin’ to their business if I come to Church too late.
Now, not so very long ago, I courted a nice gel,
But I’ll not tell ye what’s her name, for ‘deed it’s hard to tell –
Ye might be some relation. But, she didn’ marry me,
She toul me I was traa-dy-lhiooar: well that’s the way ye see.
But ‘deed I changed me single state for batha or for wuss;
I tuk me time – a married man should have a well-filled pus (purse) –
But if a woman has a will she’ll always find a way,
It happened to be leap year an’ the missus named the day.
A Manxman nava hurries even goin’ to the Fair,
The people says it’s always the day aftha he gets there:
He’s slow in comin’ forrad, middlin’ shy – but strangers find
That qwhen it comes to bargainin’ he leaves them far behind.
Source: ‘by ‘Trelja’ (M Annie Watterson) from a publication ‘Poems from the Isle of Man’ (1963). Artwork is of John Christian (1820), unknown artist, courtesy of imuseum.
