Dysgu Cymraeg hefo Barddonaeth / Learning Welsh through poetry - HON (T H Parry Williams)

Croeso yn ôl! 'Dw i wedi penderfynu trio rhywbeth gwahanol...
Welcome back! I've decided to try something a bit different...

In this video, I will read you the poem Hon by T H Parry Williams (words + translation below). After that, I'll pick a few small linguistic points that you can take home with you (don't worry, most Welsh speakers don't use a lot of the words you'll see in this poem on a regular basis).

Actual poem: 00:46 - 02:16

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Right! So here's the poem:

Hon

Beth yw’r ots gennyf i am Gymru? Damwain a hap
Yw fy mod yn ei libart yn byw. Nid yw hon ar fap

Yn ddim byd ond cilcyn o ddaear mewn cilfach gefn,
Ac yn dipyn o boendod i’r rhai sy’n credu mewn trefn.

A phwy sy’n trigo’n y fangre, dwedwch i mi.
Dim ond gwehilion o boblach? Peidiwch, da chwi

 chlegar am uned a chenedl a gwlad o hyd;
Mae digon o’r rhain, heb Gymru, i’w cael yn y byd.

Rwyf wedi alaru ers talm ar glywed grwn
Y Cymry bondigrybwyll, yn cadw swn.

Mi af am dro, i osgoi eu lleferydd a’i llên,
Yn ôl i’m cynefin gynt, a’m dychymyg yn drên.

A dyma fi yno. Diolch am fod ar goll
Ymhell o gyffro geiriau’r eithafwyr oll.

Dyma’r Wyddfa a’i chriw; dyma lymder a moelni’r tir;
Dyma’r llyn a’r afon a’r clogwyn; ac, ar fy ngwir,

Dacw’r ty lle’m ganed. Ond wele, rhwng llawr a ne’
Mae lleisiau a drychiolaeth ar hyd y lle.

Rwy’n dechrau simsanu braidd; ac meddaf i chwi,
Mae rhyw ysictod fel petai’n dod drosof i;

Ac mi glywaf grafangau Cymru’n dirdynnu fy mron.
Duw a’m gwaredo, ni allaf ddianc rhag hon.

---

What does it mean? Here's an English translation - I found it online and edited it a bit to my own interpretation

This (well, it's a feminine "this" which doesn't really translate into the inanimate world of English, because the earth/country is feminine!)

What do I care of Wales? It is by accident and chance
That I am in her countryside living. On a map this is

Nothing but a lump of land in a hidden nook,
And a bit of a nuisance to those who believe in order.

And who dwells in this district? tell me.
Who but the dregs of people? I beg you, don't

Babble on about unity and nation and countries all the time:
There are enough of those aside from Wales, to find in this world.

I have put up for so long with all this groaning.
The Welsh, high and mighty, making their noise.

I'll go for a walk, to avoid their speeches and literature,
Back to former environment, with my imagination a train (running wildly).

And here I am, there. Thank goodness for being lost
Far from the excitement of those extremists' words.

Here's Snowdon and her crew; this is the sharpness and the baldness of the land;
This is the lake and the river and the cliff; and - upon my word -

There's is the house where I was born. But look, between Earth and heaven
There are voices and spectres all over the place.

I'm starting to waver a little, and I'll say to you,
There is some weariness washing over me;

And I hear Wales' claws tormenting my chest.
God save me, I cannot escape from this/her.

---
Be 'dych chi'n feddwl? 'Tydi barddoniaeth yn swnio'n well yn y Gymraeg? ;)

What do you think? I could certainly 'clean up' the English translation a bit to make it sound better, but I think poetry in Welsh just has a certain something that English lacks... even though I do love Shakespeare!!

The Welsh are obsessed with poetry - every year, at the National Eisteddfod, you can hear tons of people practicing what we call "adrodd" - poetry recital. The grand "finale" of the Eisteddfod is the ceremonial crowning of the Bard, and we also have regional Eisteddfods all over the country, all the time. My grandfather was a published poet (Dic Goodman) and I've written plenty of the stuff myself (maybe I'll share later...)!!

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