The Call by Goff James
Poem Attribution © goffjamesart/photography/poetry
Click here to read more poetry by Goff James
Image Attribution © Thomas Jones, The Bard, 1774
Source Attribution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_art#/media/File:The_Bard_(1774).jpeg
| Original | Translation |
| Paham mae dicter, O Myfanwy, Yn llenwi’th lygaid duon di? A’th ruddiau tirion, O Myfanwy, Heb wrido wrth fy ngweled i? Pa le mae’r wên oedd ar dy wefus Fu’n cynnau ‘nghariad ffyddlon ffôl? Pa le mae sain dy eiriau melys, Fu’n denu’n nghalon ar dy ôl? | Why so the anger, Oh Myfanwy, That fills your dark eyes Your gentle cheeks, Oh Myfanwy, No longer blush beholding me? Where now the smile upon your lips That lit my foolish faithful love? Where now the sound of your sweet words, That drew my heart to follow you?) |
| Pa beth a wneuthum, O Myfanwy I haeddu gwg dy ddwyrudd hardd? Ai chwarae oeddit, O Myfanwy  thanau euraidd serch dy fardd? Wyt eiddo im drwy gywir amod Ai gormod cadw’th air i mi? Ni cheisiaf fyth mo’th law, Myfanwy, Heb gael dy galon gyda hi. | What was it that I did, Oh Myfanwy, To deserve the frown of your beautiful cheeks? Was it a game for you, Oh Myfanwy, This poet’s golden flame of love? You belong to me, through true promise, Too much to keep your word to me? I’ll never seek your hand, Myfanwy, Unless I have your heart with it. |
| Myfanwy boed yr holl o’th fywyd Dan heulwen ddisglair canol dydd. A boed i rosyn gwridog iechyd I ddawnsio ganmlwydd ar dy rudd. Anghofia’r oll o’th addewidion A wnest i rywun, ‘ngeneth ddel, A dyro’th law, Myfanwy dirion I ddim ond dweud y gair “Ffarwél”. | Myfanwy, may your life entirely be Beneath the midday sun’s bright glow, And may a blushing rose of health Dance on your cheek a hundred years. I forget all your words of promise You made to someone, my pretty girl So give me your hand, my sweet Myfanwy, For no more but to say “farewell”. |
Video Attribution © Leslie Ryan
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxPulya1bSE
Lyrics Attribution © Richard Davies
Music Attribution © Joseph Parry
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxPulya1bSE
Welsh Words and Translation Attribution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myfanwy
Welsh
Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes,
Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;
Breichiau mam sy’n dynn amdanat,
Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;
Ni chaiff dim amharu’th gyntun,
Ni wna undyn â thi gam;
Huna’n dawel, annwyl blentyn,
Huna’n fwyn ar fron dy fam.
Huna’n dawel, heno, huna,
Huna’n fwyn, y tlws ei lun;
Pam yr wyt yn awr yn gwenu,
Gwenu’n dirion yn dy hun?
Ai angylion fry sy’n gwenu,
Arnat ti yn gwenu’n llon,
Tithau’n gwenu’n ôl dan huno,
Huno’n dawel ar fy mron?
Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen
Gura, gura ar y ddôr;
Paid ag ofni, ton fach unig
Sua, sua ar lan y môr;
Huna blentyn, nid oes yma
Ddim i roddi iti fraw;
Gwena’n dawel yn fy mynwes.
Ar yr engyl gwynion draw.[1]
[1] Cass-Beggs, Barbara, Michael (1993). Folk Lullabies of the World. Oak Publications. p. 30. ISBN0-7119-3470-3.
Poetic translation
Sleep my darling, on my bosom,
Harm will never come to you;
Mother’s arms enfold you safely,
Mother’s heart is ever true.
As you sleep there’s naught to scare you,
Naught to wake you from your rest;
Close those eyelids, little angel,
Sleep upon your mother’s breast.
Sleep, my darling, night is falling
Rest in slumber sound and deep;
I would know why you are smiling,
Smiling sweetly as you sleep!
Do you see the angels smiling
As they see your rosy rest,
So that you must smile an answer
As you slumber on my breast?
Don’t be frightened, it’s a leaflet
Tapping, tapping on the door;
Don’t be frightened, ’twas a wavelet
Sighing, sighing on the shore.
Slumber, slumber, naught can hurt you,
Nothing bring you harm or fright;
Slumber, darling, smiling sweetly
At those angels robed in white.[2]
[2] Ninetieth Season – Summit Chorale (program), http://www.summitchorale.org . Accessed June 2013
Reference Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suo_G%C3%A2n
Video Attribution © Somewheremaybe
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB63gJkBE3c
Lyrics Attribution © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suo_G%C3%A2n
Source Attribution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suo_G%C3%A2n
Famous Welsh Folk Song/ Cân Traddodiadol Cymraeg
Geiriau/ Lyrics:
Yn Nyffryn Llwyn Onn draw mi welais hardd feinwen
A minnau’n hamddena ‘rol byw ar y don;
Gwyn ewyn y lli oedd ei gwisg, a disgleirwen
A’r glasfor oedd llygaid Gwen harddaf Llwyn Onn.
A ninnau’n rhodiana drwy’r lonydd i’r banna,
Sibrydem i’n gilydd gyfrinach byd serch;
A phan ddaeth hi’n adeg farwelio a’r wiwdeg,
Roedd tannau fy nghalon yng ngofal y ferch.
Cyn dychwel i borthladd wynebwn y tonnau,
Ond hyfryd yw’r hafan ‘rol dicter y don;
Bydd melys anghofio her greulon y creigiau–
Un felly o’wn innau ‘rol cyrraedd Llwyn Onn.
A thawel mordwyo wnaf mwyach a Gwenno
Yn llong fach ein bwthyn a hi wrth y llyw;
A hon fydd yr hafan ddiogel a chryno
I’r morwr a’i Wenno tra byddwn ni byw.
Saesneg/ English:
Down yonder green valley where streamlets meander
When twighlight is fading I pensively rove;
Or at the bright moontide in solitude wander,
Amid the dark shades of the lonely Ash Grove;
‘Twas there, while the blackbird was cheerfully singing,
I first met that dear one the joy of my heart!
Around us for gladness the bluebells were ringing,
Ah! then little thought I how soon we should part.
Still glows the bright sunshine o’er valley and mountain,
Still warbles the blackbird its note from the tree;
Still trembles the moonbeam on streamlet and fountain,
But what are the beauties of Nature to me?
With sorrow, deep sorrow, my bosom is laden,
All day I go mourning in search of my love!
Ye echoes! oh tell me, where is the sweet maiden?
She sleeps ‘neath the green turf down by the Ash Grove.
Music Attribution © Treorchy Male Voice Choir, The Ash Grove
Video Attribution Celtic Confederation Now
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTR3rTX6ia0
Image Attribution © Dafydd Iwan, ‘Yma O Hyd’ (Still Here),
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFHqMxLGjg
Click here for a link to view an English translation of the song
Image Attribution © Harinarayan Rajeev (YouTube), Amazing Wales
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-JTcOEpNQ
The Saint’s Tale
(I)
In the land of Celtic legends
Filled with tales of fiery dragons
A time is told of hermits saints and sinners
That dwelt ‘pon Dewsland’s windswept cliffs
Where in ancient times
Clouded in the veil of darkest myths
Within the sound of crashing waves
And call of screeching gulls
In dreams foretold to Sandde of stag of
Leaping salmon and swarming summer bees
Atop a broken barren boulder
Beneath the open sky
David the son of Non was birthed
The line of Ceredig, Cunedda and Caergawch
And where in secret in caverns deep
Buried beneath the folding furrowed earth
Untold treasures sleep undisturbed
Amid hidden springs and wells
Where on one morn David early rose
With Teilo Aeddan and brother Ismael
(II)
On the banks of Alauna’s flowing river they toiled and
Built in thunder storm and rain their holy shrine
Boia Druid chieftain stood upon his fortressed crag
Looking towards Carn Llidi surveying the richness of his realm
From David’s distant hidden boggy hollow
A band of curling smoke he spied rising to the sun
It rose and rose and rose again in the fading light
Till it shrouded all the chieftain’s land
Boia sat from morn till dusk
Unfed unquenched upon his scar stoned throne
His furrowed brow deep with rage
And mind with hatred filled
In the breaking light of dawn
The angered chieftain with his tribesmen
Marched in haste with swords and spears in hand
To regain the stolen vale
As they travelled o’er the rain soaked marsh
An ague gripped their bodies forcing their demise
On turning homewards in the distance spied
The carcasses of their oxen scavenged by the crows
(III)
As the ailing chieftain upon his sick bed lay
In fevered dream a heavenly dove he espied
Alight upon an agèd hawthorn bush and into
Flames of bleeding blossom its barren branches burst
In the healing darkness Boia’s heart was touched
And with the rising of the morrow’s sun
The chieftain in peace returned to Glyn Rhosyn
Seeking blessèd forgiveness from the pious monks
Boia’s jealous wife much angered by the chieftain’s bold resolve
Scorning sent her naked maidens to bathe in David’s flowing stream
Flesh’s temptations overcome the brothers chanted loud
It is the chosen who will stay and the sinners who must flee
For the Siddi Dunwad’s head was axed and as her life ebbed away
Her scarlet ribboned blood flowed staining all the earth
Where it fell a healing spring arose with waters crystal clear
From the slope Satrapa fled with murder writ upon her face and hands
Across the ocean Lisci sailed when fire filled the sky
And scorched the land and beheaded Boia and his bride
In the sacred land of the verdant vale hid deep
Beneath the wooded hills this tale retold today
Notes
Images and Poem Attribution © goffjamesart/photography/poetry
Click here to read more poetry by Goff James
All rights reserved
Goff James, Without Words 73, 2018
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Goff James, Without Words 71, 2018
Exp 1/1000, f/22, ISO 3200, FL 18.00mm
Welcome to my photography.
Links
Thank you for sharing your time with me.
Have a wonderful day.
All images used here are the copyright of:
© goffjamesart/photography/poetry
You are welcome to visit and join me by pressing the link below.
