In 1944 he found himself based near Cairo before heading to Iraq and finally Burma. He was in Cairo on day, looking in a shop window and did not see two officers pass. The first he knew was when he was accosted by a Sergeant and a Corporal of the Military Police who were following the officers to catch anyone not saluting them. Although he outranked the MPs as a Warrant Officer he knew he would be reported if he spoke but he knew he had to say something so he said:
“Ár n-Athair atá ar neamh, Go naofar d'ainim, Go dtagfadh do ríocht Go ndéantar do thoil ar an talamh mar a dhéantar ar neamh.” The MPs looked puzzled so he carried on: “Ár n-arán laethúil tabhair dúinn inniu, agus maith dúinn ár bhfiacha mar a mhaithimidne dár bhféichiúna féin Ach ná lig sinn i gcathú, ach saor sinn ó olc”
The MPs looked at each other, one said “he must be a Pole or something” and walked off. When he got back to base he told his CO, another Irishman who laughed like a drain- dad had recited the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic at the MPs -. He had heard of these officers and their little antic of putting men on charge for not saluting them and declared he would go to Cairo, find them and “have the bastards saluting him till their fecking arms dropped off”
I suppose the moral of the story is that knowledge of another language is useful....Ah well, it’s amusing when dad tells the story!
12 comments:
Oh Lord, please grant us the patience to suffer the insufferable fools. Amen.
This story just passed the mini-Infidels test. Sunbum and Buster are snickering and chuckling. They especially like the happy ending.
Thanks for sharing. Very interesting story. I think Seanachai equates to the African griot, yes?
Excellent. I enjoyed that immensely.
Very funny. I've always fancied a stab a Gaelic myself, doubt I'd be much good though!
I'm glad the kids liked it ewbl. I always thought it was a funny story. I always liked the way he turned the tables on the Military Policemen. I don't think his CO ever got around to wreaking a revenge on the officers though!
It looks like there are some similarities between the seanachai and the griot. I think most societies used to have them in one way shape or form.
Glad you liked it Aaron! Alison, go for it. I have thought abot it once or twice. I have also thought about gaelicising my name too - not because I want to show my irishness but because it is hard to spell. My real name is opretty simple but it is so often mis-spelled. If I were to gaelicise it, it would be a case of "now try spelling that!"
A very funny story indeed. I am proud that so often my typing is (at least) |Gaelic)!
Glad you liked it Red! If yours is gaelic mine must be cuneform!
I'm rolling on the floor, jams! Your father deserves a medal just for his rejoinder. If the MPs thought "he must be a Pole or something," more fools they!
(Though I do not understand Gaelic, I recognize the tongue when spoken, from having hung around with Irish musicians in years past. They may not have conversed in it, but they spoke it on ceremonial occasions.)
I'm especially fond of the many Gaelic(Gay Lick) jokes that I've heard over the years.
It was a chance, He may have gotten in trouble if they had tumbled him but I daresay teh soldiers simply had never heard it spoken. Irish culture would not ahve been big at that time and the Irish community in England probably could not speak teh language - my grandparents almost certainly couldn't.
Ah you will have to tell some Ewbl! nowt like gay lick or Gay Search or Dick Spring to raise a titter!
Laughing my heart out, Jams. Having seen your dad's photo, I can just connect the humour in his eyes to that priceless story!
Got to that post via Stan!
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