Rural – Jersey Country Life Magazine

EUNE FROUQU’THÉE D’JÈRRIAIS – (A FORKFUL OF JÈRRIAIS)

We continue our series of article in Jèrriais – Jersey’s own traditional native language.

The ‘frouque’ in question is a digging fork, rather than a table fork. An English translation follows.

This contribution comes from Colin Ireson

Jé n’m’en vais pon faithe des grands commentaithes sus l’s êlections d’Améthitchaines, sauf qué j’sis bein content! Y’ étha des grands travaux à faithe d’la part ès politiciens d’Angliétèrre et d’s aut’s pays pouor èrpather les damages faits par Mons Trump, et ach’teu, tout ch’qu’i’ pense – est à jouer au golf! Jé n’peux pon craithe ni comprendre les chicangnes entre les candidats, lus supporteurs et êtchipes! Jé veins dé trouver un mot dans lé dictionnaithe qué j’n’ai janmais connu d’vant – un bûsard! Chenna dit tout ch’qui faut!

J’sommes quâsiment sus l’but d’l’année et ch’est utile d’èrfliéchi sus chutte drôle année. Y’ a cèrtainement eune topique tchi s’en va rester dans nos chèrvés, pouor d’s années et d’s années – chu virus Corona! À part d’s êffets sus les fanmil’yes, les hôpitchieaux, les nosses et docteurs et touos les siens tchi nos souongnent, ch’est l’êffet sus l’s avions, l’s hotels, l’s aubèrges, les boutiques, toutes les difféthentes sortes dé mêtchi, èyou qu’i’ y a eune risque qu’les gens s’en vont pèrdre lus gângne-pain. La santé ès chèrvés étout, est sus la haut d’eune liste pouor un tas d’gens et lus fanmil’yes.

Lé temps avait des changements, la plyie d’Avri mais les s’crèches d’l’Êté, ch’est un mio ravissant qu’i’ n’tchiyait pon d’la né! I’ faisait du vent la pé du dgiabl’ye bein seux, mais les tempéthatuthes ‘taient mangnifiques pouor la pliupart d’l’année, pon si fraid, pon si caud, pouor bein longtemps. Au mains, la mé ‘tait mangnifique pouor mé et les trente baies duthant l’Êté!

Mais, tch’est qu’j’avons mantchi ch’t’année? Pouor nous, preunmiéthement, la fanmil’ye à Staffordshire, éyou, chutte sémaine, lus vaîsinné est parmi l’ pièthe pouor lé virus! Ch’est împossiblye d’lus visiter, et i’ s’sa probabliément la même pouor lé Noué! La dreine fais auve ieux ‘tait lé mais d’Mar, pouor m’n annivèrsaithe. D’s aut’s grand’ êvennements? Bein, lé 75ième annivérsaithe dé la Libéthâtion! J’taîmes tout prés à célébrer avec des plians: les tchaîses à boutchi en fache du Pomme d’Or avec la Salle Pârouaîsiale, d’s învitâtions pouor un thé dans l’gardîn – mais nânnîn! L’embârr’rie! I’ faut qué j’diche qué l’embarr’rie n’ tait pon si dû pouor les deux d’nous. Exèrcice? Un tas d’ mangnifiques prom’nades sus la grève – bein souvent au Gouôrray, la Baie Rouoyale dé Grouville, Y’ avait l’opportunité à pataugi dans la mé au mais d’Avri – un mio fraid! Des p’tits prom’nades dans les p’tites rues et c’mîns dans not’ pâraîsse, mais not’ favori? L’Êta à St. Ouen, éyou qu’tait les Milano Bars! Tchi d’aut’? La Batâle des Flieurs (même qué j’n’allons pon) mais ch’est les prépathâtions tchi donne à not’ belle île un mio d’éxcitement, les couleurs des flieurs [en papi ach’teu] et les fliottes bâtis par quâsi toutes les pâraîsses. Les visiteurs tchi n’taient pon ichîn ch’t’année dans lus fliotchets pouor bliotchi les routes! La grande fête sus les parcs dé la Ville et au sé la grande pathade souos lé cliai d’leune. Man favorit est la sémaine auprès, lé Show d’s Avions, j’les aime hardi! Et pis, y a la Faîs’sie d’Cidre et la Faîs’sie d’Nièr Beurre, les deux si bein organisées par l’Héthitage dé Jèrri et lé National Trust – tchi pitchi. L’atmosphère dans lé bel à Hamptonne, l’odeur dans la p’tite grange avec lé ch’va à Mess Ivor Barette, un bouon Jèrriais, et les pommes dans lé preinseu, lé jus, près pour faithe lé cidre pouor l’année tchi veint. Les si bouons fricots – les longues sauciches d’la Robeline et lus ieau d’vie d’cidre, les bourgailles, les g’lées, les beurrées dé toutes varietés! Ès Ormes, la musique et l’odeur des pommes auprès qu’i’ futent p’lées par eune grande dgaîngue dé volontaithes les deux jours dévant, et, êspécialement,  lé nièr beurre à bouilli dans lé grand bachîn avec l’s êpices sus lé feu – et la goût’tie auprès! Et y’ étha la Fête dé Noué, prîncipalement en Ville, la chant’tie d’cantiques d’Noué dans la Rue du Drièthe, et pouor les Membres d’l’Assembliée d’Jèrriais, not’ Sèrvice dé Noué. Nos cantiques – pouor quémenchi Redites-moi l’Histoire, p’t’êt’ Qué Dgieu vos garde heutheux, bouans gens, Des bèrgers gardaient lus troupieaux, et pouor fini Ouïy-ous la chanson dé jouaie! J’m’en vais les mantchi, la chant’tie, bein seux. J’avons mantchi touos les êvennements mensuels pouor les Membres et y’ a un tas d’faches tchi jé m’rappelle bein – tch’est qu’ous êtes à faithe, j’mé d’mande?!

Jj’vos souhaite, à tous, à chu temps êspécialement, la bouonne santé. À la préchaine!

In translation:

I’m not going to make any great comments on the American elections, other than to say I’m very happy! There’s a lot of work needed by leaders of major countries to repair all the damage done by Mr. Trump, and all he thinks of doing now is playing golf! I can’t believe the arguments between candidates, their supporters and teams! I have just found a word in the dictionary which I didn’t know before which means a fool or blockhead – I need say no more.

We’re nearly at the end of the year and it’s useful to look back and reflect on this strange year. There is certainly one topic that will remain in memories for years and years – this corona virus! Apart from the effects on families, hospitals, nurses and doctors and those who provide care for us, it’s the effect on planes, ships, hotels, pubs, shops, all sorts of different jobs where there is a risk of loss of livelihood. Mental health too will be in many minds and families.

The weather has had its changes, April showers but summer droughts, it’s a bit surprising we didn’t have snow! We certainly had some strong winds, but the temperatures were great for the best part of the year, not too hot and not too cold, for quite some time. At least the sea was great for my swimming the thirty bays in the summer!

But what have we missed this year? For us at home, firstly, like many, it’s our family in Staffordshire, where recently their area has been among the worst for the virus. It’s impossible to visit them and will probably be the same for Christmas! The last time we were with them was in March, for my birthday. The big events? Well, certainly the 75th anniversary of the Liberation! We were all ready with our plans: book seats in front of the Pomme d’Or with our Parish, invitations for afternoon tea – but no! Lockdown! I have to say that lockdown for the two of us was not particularly hard. Exercise? Easy – walks on the beach, most often at Gorey, the Royal Bay of Grouville. There was even the opportunity to paddle in the sea in April – a little fresh! Shorter walks along our Parish roads and lanes, but our favourite? L’Etacq in St. Ouen, where the Milano Bars were! What else? The Battle of Flowers (even though we don’t often go) but it’s the atmosphere it gives our beautiful Island of a little excitement, the flower colours (even though they’re paper now) and the floats built by most of the parishes. The visitors who come over in their droves and block the roads! The big fair on the parks in town and the wonderful moonlight parade. My favourite, though, is the Air Show, I love that so much! And then the Cider and Black Butter Festivals, both so well organised by Jersey Heritage and the National Trust for Jersey – such a shame. The atmosphere in the courtyard at Hamptonne, the smell in the small barn with the horse belonging to Ivor Barette, a good Jerseyman, and the apples in the press, juice ready to turn into cider for next year. The lovely food – La Robeline’s long sausages and their “water of life” [note: l’Esprit dé Jèrri – their version of Calvados!], hamburgers, ice creams, sandwiches of many varieties! At Les Ormes, the music and the smell of apples peeled by a large team of helpers two days before, and especially the black butter boiling on the fire in the large bachîn with its spices – and the taste afterwards! And then La Fête dé Noué, mainly in town, carol singing in King Street, and for Memnbers of l’Assembliée d’Jèrriais our own Christmas Carol Service. Our carols – to start Tell me the old, old story, perhaps some would be God rest you, Merry Gentlemen, While shepherds watched their flocks by night, and to finish Hark! The Herald Angels sing! I will really miss all the singing. We’ve also missed all the monthly events for our Members, there are lots of faces I haven’t seen, what have you all been doing, I wonder?!

I wish you all, at this special time, such good health Until next time!

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