Wrth ddysgu neu wella ein dealltwriaeth o’n  hiaith, mae angen cefnogaeth a chymorth oddi wrth bobl eraill arnom, pobl sydd wedi’i meistroli ac sydd gyda’r sgiliau i’w hesbonio’n effeithiol.  Yma, mae Mark Stonelake, sydd wedi ysgrifennu llyfrau cwrs i CBAC a Dysgu Cymraeg - Ardal Bae Abertawe, wedi cytuno i rannu ei ddoethineb gyda'r byd.  Mae parallel.cymru yn ei gyflwyno fe ar ffurf cwestiynau ac atebion, gyda thabl cynnwys isod.

When learning or improving our understanding of a language we need support and help from others who have mastered it and are skilled at explaining it to others. Here, Mark Stonelake, who has written course books for the WJEC and Learn Welsh- Swansea Bay Region, has kindly agreed to share his wisdom with the world. Parallel.cymru presents it in the form of questions and answers, with a table of contents below.

Mae Mark yn dod o Aberdâr yng nghymoedd de Cymru. Ar ôl ennill gradd yn y Gymraeg ac wedyn gwneud addysg Gymraeg ran-amser yn y 1980au, dechreuodd Mark weithio fel tiwtor a threfnydd llawn amser ym 1993, gan arbenigo mewn datblygu, trefnu a dysgu cyrsiau Cymraeg dwys iawn. Roedd Mark yn Swyddog Cwricwlwm ac Adnoddau yng Nghanolfan Cymraeg i Oedolion De-orllewin Cymru o 2006 i 2016. Roedd e'n Rheolwr Datblygiad Proffesiynol ac Ansawdd o 2016 i 2018 yng Nghanolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Ardal Bae Abertawe yn Academi Hywel Teifi, Prifysgol Abertawe. Yn ogystal â datblygu cyrsiau yn Abertawe, fe a gyd-ysgrifennodd gwrslyfr CBAC Sylfaen. Mae e wedi ymddeol o weithio lawn amser ers cynnar 2018 ond mae e'n dal i weithio mewn addysg ran-amser.

Mark is from Aberdare in the South Wales Valleys. After doing a degree in Welsh and working part-time teaching Welsh in the 1980s, Mark started as a full time tutor/organiser in 1993, specialising in developing, organising and teaching highly intensive Welsh courses. From 2006 to 2016 he was appointed as the Curriculum and Resources Officer in the South-West Wales Welsh for Adults Centre.  From 2016 to 2018 he was the Personal Development and Quality Manager at the Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Area centre in Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University. In additon to developing courses in Swansea, he co-wrote the WJEC Foundation course book. He retired from working full time in early 2018 but continues to teach part-time.

Nodyn am y geirfa wedi'i chyflwyno yma: Yma ac acw, mae rhai o'r geiriau'n fwy addas eu defnyddio gan ddysgwyr yn Ne Cymru na chan ddysgwyr y Gogledd. Fodd bynnag mae cysyniadau gramadegol yn gwmwys i bob tafodiaith Gymraeg.

A note on the language: Some of the vocabulary was written for learners in South Wales, but the grammar concepts are applicable to all Welsh dialects.

Nodyn ar sut mae'r gramadeg wedi'i gyflwyno: Mae'r defnydd yma wedi'u hysgrifennu ar gyfer dysgwyr sydd yn gwneud cyrsiau dros 4 - 10 o flynyddoedd. Felly, os bydd dysgwyr newydd yn gweld popeth yn yr un lle ac ar yr un pryd, efallai y byddan nhw wedi eu llethu ganddo fe. Dylai dysgwyr ddefnyddio'r defnydd yma i gefnogi ffurfiau eraill o ddysgu. Er enghraifft, byddan nhw'n gallu defnyddio'r ganllaw hon dros sawl blwyddyn i ddod o hyd i esboniadau amgen ac er mwyn egluro pynciau. Fe fydd hefyd yn rhoi cymorth i bobl sydd eisoes yn medru'r Gymraeg ac sydd eisiau cryfhau eu gwybodaeth, a gloywi eu deallwriaeth greddfol.

A note on the presentation: This content was designed to be delivered to learners over the course of 4-10 years, and new learners receiving this all in one place could feel overwhelmed.  Its purpose is to support an existing learning method, and for this guide to be referred to as a reference, clarification and alternative explanation over a number of years. It is also helpful for people with a good knowledge of Welsh to reinforce and clarify their intuitive understanding.

Rhagor o enghreifftiau: Mae enghreifftiau a delweddau ychwanegol gyda'r symbol * wedi cael eu paratoi gan Patrick Jemmer a Neil Rowlands i parallel.cymru. Er moyn cadw'r delweddau, right-click/long-press ac wedyn dewiswch 'Save As'.

Yn ychwanegol, diolch yn fawr i Patrick Jemmer am gyfieithu’r darnau gramadeg i’r Gymraeg ac y prawf ddarllenwyr am eu hawgrymiadau nhw.

More examples: The extra examples and images with the * symbol have been prepared by Patrick Jemmer and Neil Rowlands for parallel.cymru. In order to save the images, right-click/long-press and then choose 'Save As'.

In addition, thank you very much to Patrick Jemmer for the English to Welsh translation and to the proof readers with their suggestions.

Lefel Mynediad / Entrance Level

Lefel Sylfaen / Foundation Level

Lefel Canolradd / Intermediate Level

Croeso i ‘Cyflwyno Beirdd Cymru’. Yn yr adnodd hwn byddwch yn dod o hyd i wybodaeth am feirdd sy’n ysgrifennu yn y Gymraeg, neu sydd wedi ysgrifennu am y wlad. Dylanwadwyd ar y beirdd yn y cyflwyniad hwn gan bob agwedd ar Gymru, yn cynnwys traddodiadau barddol Cymraeg, a hanes, tirwedd a diwylliant Cymru. Yma byddwn yn dathlu lleisiau Cymreig, yn cynnwys rhai cyfarwydd, a rhai sy’n llai adnabyddus. Efallai y byddwch yn synnu nad yw rhai enwau cyfarwydd wedi’u cynnwys yn yr adnodd hwn. Roeddwn yn credu ei fod yn bwysig i ddangos yr amrywiaeth sy’n bodoli ym myd barddoniaeth Gymraeg, yn cynnwys y gwahanol arddulliau, o’r traddodiadol i’r arbrofol, sydd wedi bodoli trwy hanes Cymru.

Dyma adnodd addysgol rhad ac am ddim, ar gyfer y rhai sydd â diddordeb yn y Gymraeg, ac yn hanes a barddoniaeth Cymru. Mae wedi’i ysgrifennu er mwyn helpu pobl i ddysgu am feirdd Cymru yn y ffordd hawsaf posib, ac felly mae’n cynnwys dolenni i lyfrau ac erthyglau. Ynglŷn â’r wybodaeth am bob bardd, mae’r lluniau wedi’u cysylltu â gwefannau, ble fyddwch chi’n gallu dod o hyd i rai o’r llyfrau y mae sôn amdanyn nhw yn y cyflwyniad hwn. Mae’r awdur wedi manteisio ar wybodaeth academyddion, haneswyr a beirdd Cymreig blaenllaw wrth greu’r dudalen hon. Ymunwch â ni i ymchwilio i feirdd Cymru drwy hanes y wlad ac i ddarganfod pam mai un enw ar Gymru yw Gwlad frwd y beirdd.

Welcome to 'Introducing Welsh Poets'. In this resource you can expect to find information about poets who wrote in, or about, Wales. The poets in this introduction have been influenced by all aspects of Wales, including Welsh poetic traditions, Welsh history, landscape and culture. It is time to celebrate Welsh voices from the familiar to the new. It might be surprising that certain household names have not been included in this resource. This is because I thought it was important to explore the diversity within Welsh poetry and the range of styles, from the traditional to the experimental, that is present throughout Welsh history.

This is a free educational resource for those interested in Welsh language, history and poetry. It has been written with the intention of making further study of Welsh poets as straightforward as possible, including links to books and articles. The photos that accompany each poet are linked to websites where some of the books mentioned in this introduction can be found. This page has benefited from the knowledge of prominent Welsh academics, historians and poets. Join us in an exploration of Welsh poets throughout Welsh history and discover why Wales is called Gwlad frwd y beirdd.

Wedi'i gasglu a'i olygu gan / Collated and edited by: Rhea Seren Phillips rhea_seren
Gyda chyfraniadau oddi wrth / With contributions from: Aneirin Karadog, Professor Ann Parry Owen, Eurig Salisbury, Natalie Ann Holborow & Norena Shopland.

Mae'r eitem hon ar gael i'w lawrlwytho: / This item is available to download:

Dros y canrifoedd, mae’r enw Taliesin wedi’i ramantu, ac mae’r bardd wedi cael ei ddyrchafu i fod yn rhan o fytholeg Cymru. Efallai mai un o straeon mwyaf adnabyddus Cymru yw’r chwedl am sut y daeth Taliesin i fod. Roedd y wrach, Ceridwen, wedi gorchymyn i was ifanc droi diod hud am flwyddyn a diwrnod. Bwriadwyd y ddiod ar gyfer ei mab oedd yn wrthun a diddawn pan gafodd ei eni. Penderfynodd Ceridwen fragu diod i newid ei natur. Â’r ddiod yn barod, tasgodd diferyn ar law'r gwas. Ar unwaith, rhoddodd y bachgen ei law yn ei geg i leddfu’r llosg gan yfed y ddiod a derbyn ei buddion i gyd. Ac felly daeth chwedl Taliesin i fod.

Bardd llys cynnar oedd Taliesin. Un o’r Cynfeirdd oedd e, oedd yn weithredol rhwng y 6ed a’r 12fed ganrif, fwy neu lai. Cyfoethog ac amrywiol oedd rôl y bardd yn yr Oesoedd Canol, yn cynnwys bod yn rhyfelwr, diddanwr, proffwyd, a chroniclydd. Roedd barddoniaeth yn draddodiad llafar, ac ysgrifennwyd fel arfer mewn ffurfiau a mesurau barddol, Cymraeg, sef cerdd dafod a chynghanedd. Un o ddyletswyddau bardd llys oedd ysgrifennu barddoniaeth i ganu clodydd noddwr enwog, fyddai’n aml o dras frenhinol (am fwy o wybodaeth am feirdd Cymraeg yn yr Oesoedd Canol, gweler y cyswllt isod). Roedd Taliesin yn enwog am ei allu i wneud hyn. Ymhlith rhai eraill, ysgrifennodd ddeuddeg o gerddi mawl i’w noddwr, y Brenin Urien Rhedeg a’i fab, Owain.

• Aneirin oedd un o gydoeswyr Taliesin.
• ‘Talcen disglair’ yw ystyr yr enw Taliesin.
• Ysgrifennwyd Hanes Taliesin yn y 16eg ganrif gan Elis Gruffydd.

The name Taliesin has been romanticised throughout the centuries and the poet has transcended into myth. The story of how Taliesin came to exist is perhaps one of Wales’ most well-known stories. The witch Ceridwen tasked a serving boy to stir a potion for a year and a day. The potion was intended for her son who had been born grotesque and talentless. Ceridwen decided to brew a potion to alter his nature. Just as the potion was ready, a splash fell on the serving boy's hand. The boy immediately brought his hand to his mouth to ease the burn, consuming the potion and all of its benefits. And so, the legend of Taliesin was born.

Taliesin was an early Welsh court poet. He was one of the Y Cynfeirdd or 'The Early Poets' who were active around the 6th to 12th century. The role of the medieval poet was a rich and varied one that included warrior, entertainer, prophet and chronicler. Poetry was an oral tradition that was usually written in Welsh poetic forms and metre or cerdd dafod and cynghanedd. One of the duties of a court poet was to write panegyric verse or poetry written in praise of a celebrated patron, these individuals were often of royal descent (for more information about medieval Welsh poets see the link below). Taliesin was renowned for this ability. Among others, he wrote twelve praise poems for his patron, King Urien Rheged and his son, Owain.

• Aneirin was one of Taliesin's contemporaries.
• The name Taliesin means 'radiant brow' or 'shining brow'.
• Hanes Taliesin was written in the 16th century by Elis Gruffydd.

Darn oddi wrth 'Marwnad Owain ab Urien'

Cysgid Lloegr llydan nifer
A lleufer yn eu llygaid.

Extract from 'Marwnad Owain ab Urien'

Wide England’s host would sleep
With the light in their eyes.

Books

Taliesin. 1988. Taliesin Poems. Translated from Welsh to English by Meirion Pennar. Wales. Llanerch Press. (See above photo.)

Lewis, G. Williams, R. 2019. The Book of Taliesin: Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain. England. Penguin Classics.

Links

BBC Wales. Early Welsh Literature: Taliesin.

BBC Wales. The Life of Taliesin the Bard.

Phillips, R.S. The Conversation. 2017. How the Welsh developed their own form of poetry.

Roedd Gwalchmai ap Meilyr  yn un o’r cynharaf o Feirdd y Tywysogion neu’r Gogynfeirdd. Hanai o deulu o feirdd proffesiynol o Fôn (ac fe’i cysylltir yn arbennig â Threwalchmai). Bu ei dad, Meilyr Brydydd, yn fardd llys i’r Tywysog Gruffudd ap Cynan (marw 1137). Mae’r cerddi sydd wedi goroesi yn awgrymu cyswllt arbennig rhyngddo a’r Tywysog Owain Gwynedd (marw 1170), mab Gruffudd ap Cynan, yn ogystal â brodyr a meibion Owain. Roedd Madog ap Maredudd, tywysog Powys, yntau’n noddwr pwysig iddo, a chyfansoddodd awdl farwnad hir yn dilyn marwolaeth Madog yn 1160. Yn ogystal â’r cerddi mawl a marwnad traddodiadol, cadwyd ganddo gerddi crefyddol a myfyrgar, a hefyd gerdd Orhoffedd, lle mae’n ymffrostio yn ei alluoedd milwrol ef ei hun a rhai ei noddwr, Owain Gwynedd, ac yn llawenhau yn agweddau ar serch a natur. Cadwyd barddoniaeth Gwalchmai mewn dwy lawysgrif bwysig o’r Oesoedd Canol, sef Llawysgrif Hendregadredd  (c.1300) a Llyfr Coch Hergest (c.1400). Gwelir yn llinellau agoriadol ei Orhoffedd y llawenydd personol a’r brwdfrydedd sy’n nodweddu llawer o’i waith.

Gwalchmai ap Meilyr was one of the earliest of the Poets of the Princes or Gogynfeirdd. He belonged to a family of professional poets from Anglesey (and is associated in particular with Trewalchmai). His father, Meilyr Brydydd, was the court poet of Prince Gruffudd ap Cynan (died 1137). Gwalchmai’s extant poetry suggests a particularly close relationship with Prince Owain Gwynedd (died 1170), Gruffudd ap Cynan’s son, and Owain’s brothers and sons. Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys, to whom he composed a long elegy following his death in 1160, was also an important patron. As well as the traditional eulogies and elegies, Gwalchmai’s repertoire contains religious poems, poems of reflection, and his Gorhoffedd, a ‘boasting’ poem celebrating his own military exploits as well as those of his patron, Owain Gwynedd, and rejoicing in aspects of love and nature. Gwalchmai’s poetry has survived in two major medieval manuscripts, The Hendregadredd Manuscript (c.1300) and the Red Book of Hergest (c.1400). The opening lines of his Gorhoffedd convey the personal joy and enthusiasm that characterize much of his poetry.

Mochddwyreawg huan haf dyffestin,
Maws llafar adar, mygr hear hin.
Mi ydwyf eurddeddf ddiofn yn nhrin,
Mi ydwyf llew rhag llu, lluch fy ngorddin.

Early to rise is the sun in summer which is quickly approaching,
Sweet is the birdsong, splendid and fine is the weather.
I am a man of magnificent and fearless attributes in battle,
I am a lion at the front of a regiment, my onslaught is a lightning flash.

Books

For Gwalchmai ap Meilyr’s poetry, see J. E. Caerwyn Williams and Peredur I. Lynch, Gwaith Meilyr Brydydd a’i Ddisgynyddion (Cardiff, 1994), pp. 127–313.

Am waith Gwalchmai ap Meilyr, gweler J. E. Caerwyn Williams a Peredur I. Lynch, Gwaith Meilyr Brydydd a’i Ddisgynyddion (Caerdydd, 1994), tt. 127–313.

Links

Lloyd, D.M. 1959. Gwalchmai ap Meilyr (fl.1130 - 1180), an Anglesey Court Poet.

Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr (c.1155 - c.1195)

Cyflwyniad gan / Introduction by: Professor Ann Parry Owen

Roedd Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr yn un o Feirdd y Tywysogion neu Ogynfeirdd y ddeuddegfed ganrif. Canodd fawl i dywysogion pwysicaf ei oes: Madog ap Maredudd o Bowys (marw 1170), Owain Gwynedd (marw 1170), Owain Cyfeiliog (marw 1197) a’r Arglwydd Rhys ap Gruffudd o Ddeheubarth (marw 1197). Ef yw’r mwyaf toreithiog o’r beirdd llys, a chadwyd 3,847 llinell o’i farddoniaeth (mewn 48 cerdd) yn rhai o brif lawysgrifau Cymraeg yr Oesoedd Canol, yn cynnwys Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin (c.1250), Llawysgrif Hendregadredd (c.1300) a Llyfr Coch Hergest (c.1400). Mae ei repertoire yn eang, ac yn ogystal â cherddi traddodiadol o fawl a marwnad, canodd awdl hir yn moli eglwys Meifod a’i nawddsant Tysilio, cerddi crefyddol, cerddi dadolwch (cymod), cerddi diolch a cherddi serch. Roedd Cynddelw yn bencerdd, a nodweddir ei farddoniaeth gan hunanhyder ac ymwybyddiaeth o’i statws uchel. Mewn awdl yn cyfarch yr Arglwydd Rhys o’r Deheubarth, un o’r dynion mwyaf pwerus yn ei ddydd, mae’n atgoffa Rhys o’r ffaith eu bod yn llwyr ddibynnol ar ei gilydd, y naill heb lais ac felly’n ddi-rym heb y llall.

Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr was one of the twelfth-century Poets of the Princes or Gogynfeirdd. He sang the praises of the most important princes of his age: Madog ap Maredudd of Powys (died 1170), Owain Gwynedd (died 1170), Owain Cyfeiliog (died 1197) and Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth (died 1197). He is the most prolific of all the court poets, 3,847 lines of poetry (in 48 poems) having survived in some major medieval Welsh manuscripts, including The Black Book of Carmarthen (c.1250), The Hendregadredd Manuscript (c.1300) and The Red Book of Hergest (c.1400). His repertoire was vast, and as well as the traditional eulogies and elegies, he composed a long poem for the church of Meifod and its patron saint, Tysilio, religious poems, poems of appeasement, poems of thanks and two love poems. Cynddelw was a master craftsman, and his poetry is characterized by a certain self-confidence and awareness of his high status as he addresses his patron princes. In an awdl for the great Lord Rhys of Deheubarth, he reminds Rhys of their interdependency, neither having a voice, and therefore powerless, without the other (an extract from the poem can be read below).

Ti hebof, nid hebu oedd tau,
Mi hebod, ni hebaf finnau.

You without me, you would have no voice,
Me without you, I have no voice either.

Books

Parry Owen, A. Jones, N. 1992. Gwaith Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr V.1. Wales. University of Wales Press. (See above photo).

Links

Myrddin Lloyd, D. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 1959. Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr (fl. 1155-1200), the leading 12th century Welsh court poet.

Roedd Iolo Goch yn fardd llys yn yr Oesoedd Canol a gafodd ei eni yn Nyffryn Clwyd. Roedd yn ysgrifennu gan ddefnyddio’r traddodiad barddol Cymraeg o gerdd dafod a chynghanedd, ac yn ffafrio’r cywydd. Roedd Iolo’n ysgrifennu yn arddull y Gogynfeirdd, gan ddefnyddio iaith sy’n atgoffa dyn o Gymru hŷn. Ithel ap Robert, archddiacon Llanelwy, teulu’r Tuduriaid o Fôn, ac Owain Glyndŵr oedd ei noddwyr, a chyrhaeddodd un o’i gerddi ddwylo’r Brenin Edward III Lloegr, hyd yn oed (1347). Dangosodd y gerdd wybodaeth am frwydrau yn Lloegr, Iwerddon, a Ffrainc. Mae’i weithiau eraill yn cynnwys cerddi disgrifiadol, ac roedd un ohonyn nhw’n sôn am neuadd fawr Sycharth, oedd yn gartref i Owain Glyndŵr, yn ogystal â cherddi oedd yn ceisio ategu trefn ddwyfol, wleidyddol, a chymdeithasol (Mae’r ‘Y Llafurwr’ yn enghraifft o hyn). Roedd yn gydoeswr i Dafydd ap Gwilym a Llywelyn Goch Amheurig Hen.

Iolo Goch was a medieval court poet who was born in the Vale of Clwyd (his name translates to Iolo the Red). He wrote using the Welsh poetic tradition of cerdd dafod and cynghanedd, favouring the cywydd form. Iolo wrote in the style of the Y Gogynfeirdd, his use of language reminiscent of an older Wales. His patrons were Ithel ap Robert, an archdeacon of St. Asaph, the Tudur family of Anglesey, Owain Glyndŵr and one of his poems even reached the hands of King Edward III of England (1347). The poem displayed a knowledge of battles in England, Ireland and France. His other works include descriptive poems, one of which was about the great hall of Sycharth, home to Owain Glyndŵr, as well as poems that sought to uphold divine, political and social order ('The Labourer’ is an example of this). He was a contemporary of Dafydd ap Gwilym and Llywelyn Goch Amheurig Hen.

Llys barwn, lle syberwyd,
lle daw beirdd aml, lle da byd;
Gwawr Bowys fawr, beues Faig,
Gofuned gwiw ofynaig.

Baron's palace, place of generosity,
Where the bards come often, a good place;
Lady of great Powys, land of Maig,
A place of great promise.

Books

Goch, I. 2010. Welsh Classic Series: Iolo Goch Poems. Wales. Gomer Press. (See above photo.)

Links

Lewis, Prof.H. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 1959. Iolo Goch (c.1320-c.1398), poet.

Canolfan Owain Glyndŵr Centre. Llys Owain Glyndŵr (the court of Owain) - a poem by Iolo Goch. 

Gwerful Mechain (c.1460 - c.1502)

Roedd Gwerful Mechain yn ferch i Hywel Fychan o Fechain ym Mhowys. Roedd ei thad yn aelod o’r teulu Vaughan, ac roedd Gwerful yn meddu ar y breintiau a ddaw o gael ei geni i deulu â statws uchel a boheddig. Roedd hi’n fardd canoloesol y mae cryn dipyn o’i gwaith wedi goroesi. Roedd hi hefyd yn fardd arloesol, ac mae hyn i’w weld yn y pynciau ddewisodd hi. Roedd hi’n un o’r beirdd cyntaf i ysgrifennu am gamdriniaeth deuluol; Mae ‘I’w Gŵr am ei Churo’ yn gerdd deimladwy, gref yn llawn o iaith ddig a delweddaeth llawn egni. Roedd hi’n fardd cynhyrchiol nad oedd wedi’i chyfyngu i un arddull,  ond mae’i gwaith yn cynnwys barddoniaeth grefyddol a doniol, a cherddi’n dangos ymwybyddiaeth gymdeithasol. ‘Cywydd y Cedor’ yw un o’i gweithiau enwocaf. Dyma gerdd sy’n ceryddu’i chymheiriaid gwryw am ganu clodydd corff menyw o’r corun i’r sawdl tra byddan nhw’n anwybyddu un nodwedd gêl. Cafodd y gerdd ei hysgrifennu mewn ymateb i 'Cywydd y Gal' gan Dafydd ap Gwilym.

Roedd Gwerful yn sylwedydd craff ar gymdeithas ganoloesol. Ysgrifennwyd ei cherddi crefyddol, sy’n cydymffurfio â moesoldeb caethiwus cymdeithas ganoloesol, yn gaeth, mewn cynghanedd, ond mae rhai o’i cherddi eraill yn fwy rhydd o ran y mesur, yn dangos ei meistrolaeth ar y grefft. Roedd Gwerful yn gydoeswr i Dafydd Llwyd a Llywelyn ap Gutyn, a byddai’n gohebu â nhw’n rheolaidd.

Gwerful Mechain was the daughter of Hywel Fychan from Mechain, Powys. Her father belonged to the Vaughan family, and Gwerful enjoyed the privileges that being born into a high-status and noble family afforded her. She was a medieval poet with a substantial surviving body of work. She was also an innovative poet which is reflected in her choice of subject matter. She one of the first poets to write about domestic abuse; ‘To Her Husband for Beating Her’ is a poignant and powerful poem full of enraged language and energetic imagery. She was a prolific poet who was not restricted to one style, her work includes religious, humorous and socially conscious poetry. One of her most well-known works is ‘Ode to a Vagina’, a poem that chastises her male counterparts for praising a woman’s body from her hair to her feet but ignoring one hidden feature. The poem was written in response to Dafydd ap Gwilym's 'Ode to a Penis' or 'Cywydd y Gal'. 

Gwerful was a keen observer of medieval society. Her religious poems, which conform to the restrictive morality of medieval society, were written in strict cynghanedd, while some of her other poems had a relaxed attitude towards the metre, displaying her mastery of the craft. Gwerful was a contemporary of Dafydd Llwyd and Llywelyn ap Gutyn, who she corresponded with on a regular basis.

Darn oddi wrth 'A Response to Ieuan Dyfi's poem on Red Annie'

Gwae'r undyn heb gywreinddu,
Gwae'r un wen a garo neb;
Ni cheir gan hon ei charu,
Yn dda, er ei bod yn ddu.

Extract from 'A Response to Ieuan Dyfi's poem on Red Annie'

Woe betide you, incompetent bard,
Who sings the praise of the chaste blonde,
While the loving, clever dark one
Gets lambasted and shunned.

Books

Gramich, K. 2018. The Works of Gwerful Mechain. Canada. Broadview Press. (See above photo.)

Links

Rattle. 2017. Gwerful Mechain: 'To Her Husband for Beating Her'.

Harries, L. 1959. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Gwerful Mechain (1462? - 1500), poetess.

Swansea University. The Welsh Department. Dafydd ap Gwilym.

Guto'r Glyn (c.1450 - c.1490)

Cyflwyniad gan / Introduction by: Eurig Salisbury

Eurig Salisbury a Barry J. Lewis: "Er mor anghyflawn yw’r darlun ar adegau, eto fe gawn [yn ei waith] gipolwg cyffrous ar Guto mewn lleoliadau arbennig ar adegau arbennig, ac yn raddol fe ddaw i’r amlwg amlinelliad o yrfa bardd ac iddi arwyddocâd gwir genedlaethol a rhyngwladol."

Cyfansoddai Guto yn Gymraeg. Cafodd ei eni yn nyffryn Ceiriog a bu’n byw am gyfnod yng Nghroesoswallt, lle cafodd fod yn fwrdais yn gyfnewid am ganu cerdd o fawl i’r dref. Teithiodd Gymru a’r gororau benbaladr, ac fe’i claddwyd yn abaty Glyn-y-groes.

• Bardd mwyaf y bymthegfed ganrif.
• Cymerodd ran fel milwr yn y Rhyfel Can Mlynedd a bu’n dyst i brif ddigwyddiadau Rhyfeloedd y Rhosynnau yng Nghymru.
• Canodd fawl i uchelwyr mwyaf blaenllaw ei ddydd ar hyd a lled Cymru, yn fwyaf nodedig i Syr Wiliam Herbert o Raglan yn ystod ei fuddugoliaethau a’i gwymp yn yr 1460au.
• Roedd yn bennaf gysylltiedig ag abaty Ystrad Fflur, Rhaglan, Croesoswallt (lle bu’n byw fel bwrdais) ac abaty Glyn-y-groes, lle bu farw a lle’i claddwyd.

Gruffudd Aled Williams– "According to the later poet Tudur Aled it was Guto of all Welsh poets who excelled in composing praise poems to noblemen: his work amply bears out this judgement, often boldly transcending poetic convention and delighting with its wit, vigour, and original imagery."

Guto composed in Welsh. He was born in the Ceiriog valley and lived for a time in Oswestry, where he was made a burgess in exchange for composing a poem of praise for the town. He travelled all over Wales and the marches. He was buried in the abbey of Valle Crucis.

• The greatest poet of the fifteenth century.
• Took part as a soldier in the Hundred Years War and witnessed the most important events of the Wars of the Roses in Wales.
• Composed praise poetry for the leading noblemen of his day in every part of Wales, most notably for Sir William Herbert of Raglan during his spectacular rise and fall in the 1460s.
• Principally associated with Strata Florida abbey, Raglan, Oswestry (where he lived as a burgess) and Valle Crucis abbey.

'Moliant i Wiliam Herbert o Raglan, iarll cyntaf Penfro, ar ôl cipio castell Herlech, 1468'

Na fwrw dreth yn y fro draw
Ni aller ei chynullaw.
Na friw Wynedd yn franar,
N’ad i Fôn fyned i fâr,
N’ad y gweiniaid i gwynaw
Na brad na lledrad rhag llaw.
N’ad trwy Wynedd blant Rhonwen
Na phlant Hors yn y Fflint hen.
Na ad, f’arglwydd, swydd i Sais,
Na’i bardwn i un bwrdais.
Barna’n iawn, brenin ein iaith,
Bwrw ’n y tân eu braint unwaith.
Cymer wŷr Cymru’r awron,
Cwnstabl o Farstabl i Fôn.
Dwg Forgannwg a Gwynedd,
Gwna’n un o Gonwy i Nedd.
O digia Lloegr a’i dugiaid,
Cymru a dry yn dy raid.

gutorglyn.net 21.53–70

'In praise of William Herbert of Raglan, first earl of Pembroke, after the capture of Harlech castle, 1468'

Do not exact a tax on the land over there
Which cannot be gathered.
Do not churn up Gwynedd into fallow-land,
Do not let Anglesey fall into misery,
Do not let the weak lament
Either treachery or theft from now on.
Do not let Rhonwen’s children roam Gwynedd
Nor the children of Horsa into ancient Flint.
Do not, my lord, allow any office to an Englishman,
Nor give any burgess his pardon.
Judge rightly, king of our nation,
Cast their privilege into the fire once and for all.
Take now the men of Wales,
Constable from Barnstaple to Anglesey.
Take Glamorgan and Gwynedd,
Make all one from the Conwy to the Neath.
If England and her dukes are angered,
Wales will come to your need.

gutorglyn.net 21.53–70

Books

Parry Owen, A. 2017. Plu Porffor a Chlog o Fwng Ceiliog: Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr a Guto'r Glyn. Wales. University of Wales for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.

Williams. I. 1979. Gwaith Guto'r Glyn. Wales. University of Wales Press. (See above photo.) 

Links

The University of Wales. Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. 2011. The Poetry of Guto'r Glyn. 

Williams, Sir. I. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 1959. Guto'r Glyn, a bard who sang during the second half of the 15th century (1440-1493).

Cafodd Katherine Philips ei geni yn Llundain, ond treuliodd y rhan fwyaf o’i bywyd yng Nghymru. O’i chartref yn Aberteifi ysgrifennodd farddoniaeth a sicrhaodd ei bod yn cael ei chydnabod fel y bardd Prydeinig benyw cyntaf o bwys. Hi oedd y wraig gyntaf hefyd i gael llwyfannu drama’n fasnachol. Roedd hi’n adnabyddus yn ei chyfnod ei hun, ond diflanodd ei gwaith o olwg y byd yn ddiweddarach, a dim ond yn yr 20fed ganrif y sylweddolwyd ei wir werth. Pan ddechreuodd ysgrifenwyr ffeministaidd dynu sylw at ei barddoniaeth cafodd ei harddel fel un o feirdd mwyaf dylanwadol yr iaith Saesneg.

Mae llawer o’r drafodaeth ynghylch barddoniaeth Katherine yn canolbwyntio ar ofyn a oedd hi’n lesbiad ai peidio. Y rheswm am hyn yw bod ei gwaith yn ffocysu’n emosiynol ar fenywod, a’r perthnasoedd nwydwyllt yr oedd hi’n eu cael â nhw. Ni waeth beth fo rhywioldeb Katherine dyma’r cerddi Prydeinig cyntaf sy’n mynegi cariad rhwng dwy fenyw.

Katherine Philips was born in London, but spent most of her life in Wales. From her home in Cardigan she was to write poetry that marked her out as the first significant female British poet, as well as the first woman to have a commercial play staged. Well-known in her own time she fell into obscurity and it was not until the late 20^th century that her true worth was realised. When feminist writers began to highlight her poetry she was finally acknowledged as one of the most influential women poets in the English language.

Much discussion around Katherine’s poetry and life concentrates on whether she was or was not a lesbian. For the emotional focus of her poetry was on women and the passionate relationships she had with them. Regardless of Katherine’s own sexual orientation they are the first British poems which express same-sex love between women.

Extract from 'To the Queen of Inconstancy, Regina Collier'

And you kill me, because I worshipp’d you.
But my worst vows shall be your happiness,
And nere to be disturb’d by my distress.
And though it would my sacred flames pollute,
To make my Heart a scorned prostitute;
Yet I’le adore the Authour of my death,
And kiss the hand that robbs me of my breath.

Books

Shopland, N. 2017. Forbidden Lives: LGBT Stories from Wales. Wales. Seren. (See above photo).

Philips, K. 2018. Poems by the Most Deservedly Admired Mrs. Katherine Philips (Classic reprint). England.Forgotten Print.

Thomas, P. Philips, K. 1990. The Collected Works of Katherine Philips: The Matchless Orinda. England. Stump Cross Books.

Orvis, D.L. 2015. Noble Flame of Katherine Philips. U.S.A. Duquesnes University Press.

Links

Jokinen, A. 2003. The Works of Katherine Philips. 

Poetry Foundation. Katherine Philips. 

British Library. Katherine Philips. 

Canai Huw Morys yn Gymraeg. Bardd mwyaf yr ail ganrif ar bymtheg. Roedd yn byw ar ffermdy Pont-y-meibion ger y Pandy yn nyffryn Ceiriog. Fe’i claddwyd yn eglwys Llansilin, lle roedd yn warden.

• Un o’r beirdd olaf i ennill ei fywoliaeth yn canu cerddi i bobl yn ei gymuned.
• Gwnaeth ddefnydd arloesol o’r gynghanedd ar fesurau rhydd newydd.
• Canodd gerddi i fwy nag un haen yn y gymdeithas, o’r tlawd i’r mwyaf cefnog.
• Thomas Parry: ‘Y mwyaf toreithiog, ac ar lawer ystyr y gloywaf ei ddawn o feirdd [yr ail ganrif ar bymtheg] … un o brif feirdd Cymru.’

Huw Morys composed in Welsh and he is considered to be the greatest poet of the 16th century. He lived at Pont-y-meibion farmhouse near Pandy in the Ceiriog valley. He was buried in Llansilin church, where he served as a warden.

• He was one of the last poets to earn a living composing poetry for his community.
• He made innovative use of ‘cynghanedd’ in new free metres.
• He composed poetry for all levels in society, from the poor to the wealthy.
• Thomas Parry: "the most prolific and in many ways the brightest bardic talent of the seventeenth century – one of the great Welsh poet."

Darn oddi wrth ‘Codi Nant-y-cwm’ (gofyn i grefftwyr adeiladu tŷ i dlodion)

Fi a’m holl gymdeithion,
Os gwir yw gwers y person,
Troed y ffordd i’r nefoedd gu
Yw adeiladu i dlodion.

Extract from ‘To build Nant-y-cwm’ (request for craftsmen to build a house for the poor)

Myself and all my companions,
if the parson’s sermon is true,
the beginning of the road to beloved heaven
is to build for the poor.

Books

Morys, H. Jones, F.M (ed). 2008. Y Rhyfel Cartrefol. Wales. School of Welsh, Bangor University. (See above photo.)

Parry, T. 1962. The Oxford Book of Welsh Verse. England. Oxford University Press.

Links

Lloyd, N. 2004. Morys [Morris], Huw [called Eos Ceiriog].

Jenkins, Dr. D. 1959. MORYS, HUW (Eos Ceiriog; 1622 - 1709) poet.

Pan fu farw Sarah Jane Rees ym 1916, dywedodd yr ysgrif goffa yn y Carmarthen Journal y canlynol: “Gall dyn honni’n ddiogel nad yw’r un Gymraes arall wedi bod mor boblogaidd mewn cymaint o feysydd cyhoeddus ag oedd Cranogwen.”

Cranogwen oedd yr enw barddol a ddaeth ag enwogrwydd Sarah – mae’n gyfuniad o ddau air: Sant Crannog, yr enwyd Llangrannog ar ei ôl, a Nant Hawen, yr afon leol – ac yn wir llwyddodd hi i wneud nifer fawr o bethau yn ystod ei bywyd. Roedd hi’n forwr, athro, bardd arobryn, ysgrifennwr a golygydd, a phregethwr lleyg. Yn ystod ei hoes, gwnaeth gryn dipyn i hyrwyddo ysgrifenwyr benyw yng Nghymru, ond nad ydym yn gwybod llawer amdani heddiw.

Trwy ei hysgrifennu y daeth Cranogwen yn enwog, dros nos, bron. Yn 1865, cystadlodd yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, y digwyddiad cymdeithasol hwnnw sy’n Gymraeg i’r gwraidd. Yn y Brifwyl yn Aberystwyth, cyflwynodd gerdd o’r enw ‘Y Fodrwy Briodasol’. Rhaid i bob awdur ddewis ffugenw, ac felly pan ddaeth i’r golwg mai menyw oedd wedi ennill, roedd pawb yn synnu. Roedd hi wedi bod yn cystadlu yn erbyn ysgrifenwyr gwryw enwog a chydnabyddedig.

When Sarah Jane Rees died in 1916 Carmarthen Journal’s obituary said “It can safely be claimed that no other Welsh woman enjoyed popularity in so many public spheres as Cranogwen did."

Cranogwen was the bardic name for which Sarah was to become famous - a combination of Saint Cranog after whom Llangrannog was named and Hawen the local river, and she certainly covered a lot of ground in her life. She was a sailor, teacher, award winning poet, writer and editor and lay preacher. In her time she did an enormous amount for the advancement of Welsh women writers but today is little known.

It was through her writing that Cranogwen became a celebrity almost overnight. In 1865 she entered that quintessentially Welsh cultural event, the Eisteddfod. At the nationals in Aberystwyth she entered a poem ‘Y Fodrwy Briodasol’ ('The Wedding Ring'). All entries are anonymous and so when it was revealed a woman had won there was genuine shock. She had been competing against established and renowned male writers.

Darn oddi wrth 'Fy Ffrynd'

Ah! Annwyl chwaer, ‘r wyt ti i mi,
Fel lloer I’r lli, yn gyson;
Dy ddilyn heb orphwyso wna
Serchiadau pura’m calon.

Extract from 'My Friend'

Oh! My dear sister, you to me
As the moon to the sea, constantly,
Following you restlessly are
My heart’s pure affections.

Books

John, A.V. 2011. Our Mothers' Land: Chapters in Welsh Women's History, 1830-1939. Wales. University of Wales Press.

Jones, D.G. 1981. Cranogwen: Portread Newydd. Wales. Gomer Press. (out of print.)

Links

Matthews, C. BBC Wales. 2019. Hidden Heroines. 

Carradice, P. BBC Wales. 2013. Sarah Jane Rees, schoolteacher and poet.

WENWales. Sarah Jane Rees "Cranogwen".

Cafodd John Ceiriog Hughes ei eni ar fferm yn edrych dros bentref Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru. Gadawodd yno i fynd i Fanceinion yn 1849, ble gweithiai fel rheolwr rheilffordd rhwng Manceinion a Llundain. Ychydig wedi hynny, cymerodd swydd fel clerc yn Llundain. Yn ddiweddarach, symudodd i orsaf reilffordd Caersws a gweithiodd yno am weddill ei oes.

Cymerodd ei enw barddol o afon yn llifo’n agos i’w gartre’, Afon Ceiriog. Teitl ei gasgliad cyntaf o farddoniaeth, wedi’i gyhoeddi yn 1860, oedd 'Oriau’r Hwyr' ('Evening Hours'). Dylanwadwyd ar ei waith gan y Gymru wledig, a chan berseinedd barddoniaeth ac alawon gwerin Cymraeg, yn enwedig y rhai a oedd yn deffro atgofion bore oes.

Yn ystod y cyfnod a dreuliodd yn Lloegr, dylanwadwyd ar Ceiriog gan y Cymry John Hughes, R.J. Derfel ac Idris Fychan, oedd yn aelodau o gymdeithas lenyddol. Roedd Idris Fychan yn arfer canu’r delyn, offeryn cerdd traddodiadol oedd yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gyfeilio i farddoniaeth Gymraeg ganoloesol. Roedd R.J. Derfel yn gefnogwr pybyr o hanes, iaith a diwylliant Cymru. Mae’u dylanwad i’w gweld yn y llyfr 'Cant o Ganeuon: Yn Cynwys, Y Gyfres Gyntaf o Eiriau ar Alawon Cymreig', y gyntaf o bedair cyfrol (y cyhoeddwyd dim ond un ohonyn nhw).

• O bryd i’w gilydd, cyfeirir ato fel  ‘Robert Burns barddoniaeth Gymraeg’.
• Cafodd ei hudo gan ganeuon gwerin Cymraeg, ac ysgrifennodd gerddi telynegol yn dilyn eu rhythm. Mae’r rhain yn cynnwys 'Dafydd y Garreg Wen'.

John Ceiriog Hughes was born on a farm overlooking the village of Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog in North-East Wales. He left for Manchester in 1849 where he worked as a railway manager between Manchester and London. Shortly after he took a job as a clerk in London. In later life, he moved to Caersws railway station where he worked until his death.

He took his bardic name from a river that ran close to his home, the River Ceiriog. His first collection of poetry, published in 1860, was called 'Evening Hours' or 'Oriau’r Hwyr'. His work was influenced by rural Wales and the musicality of Welsh poetry and folk tunes, particularly those that invoked memories of childhood.

During his time in England, Ceiriog was influenced by Welshmen John Hughes, R.J.Derfel and Idris Fychan who were members of a literary society. Idris Fychan played the harp, a traditional instrument used to accompany medieval Welsh poetry. R.J.Derfel was a staunch promoter of Welsh history, language and culture. Their influence can be seen in 'Cant o Ganeuon: Yn Cynwys, Y Gyfres Gyntaf o Eiriau ar Alawon Cymreig', the first of four volumes (only one of which was published).

• He is sometimes referred to as 'the Robert Burns of Welsh poetry'.
• He was fascinated by Welsh folk songs and wrote lyrical poems to their rhythm. These included 'David of the White Rock' or 'Dafydd y Garreg Wen'.

Extract from 'Alun Mabon'

The mighty mountains changeless stand.
Tireless the winds across them blow;
The shepherd's song across the land
Sounds with the dawn so long ago.

Books

Conran, T. 2017. Welsh Verse. Wales. Seren. (See above photo.)

Links

Jones, D.G. The Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 1959. Hughes, John (Ceiriog) (Ceiriog; 1832-1887), poet.

Welsh Icons News. 2019. John Ceiriog Hughes. 

T.H. Parry-Williams (1887 - 1975)

Cafodd T.H. Parry-Williams ei eni yn Rhyd-Ddu, Eryri, a daeth o deulu o lenorion. Roedd ei dad, Henry Parry-Williams, wedi ennill clod yn yr Eisteddfod, ac roedd Ann, ei fam, yn chwaer i gynganeddwr uchel ei fri. Bardd adnabyddus ledled Cymru hefyd oedd R.Williams Parry, ac roedd yntau’n gefnder i T.H. Parry-Williams.

Mynychodd T.H. Parry-Williams Brifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth, ble y daeth yn athro’n ddiweddarach. Aeth yn ei flaen i fynychu Coleg Iesu, Rhydychen ym 1909, gan astudio geiriau benthyg Saesneg yn y Gymraeg. Cyhoeddwyd yr ymchwil hwn o dan y teitl, ‘The English Element in Welsh’. Dim ond ym 1931 y cyhoeddwyd ei gyfrol gyntaf o farddoniaeth, ‘Cerddi’. Mae chwe chyfrol bellach o gerddi a thraethodau’n cynnwys y rhan fwyaf o’i waith creadigol, 'Olion' (1935), 'Lloffion' (1942), 'O'r Pedwar Gwynt' (1944), 'Ugain o Gerddi' (1949), 'Myfyrdodau' (1957) a 'Pensynnu' (1966). Cafodd y traethodau’u casglu at ei gilydd yn 'Casgliad o Ysgrifau’ ym 1984, a’r cerddi yn 'Casgliad o Gerddi' dair blynedd yn ddiweddarach.

Ysgrifennodd erthyglau academaidd, a daeth yn ffigwr adnabyddus ar y teledu a’r radio. Roedd e’n arfer chwarae rhan weithredol mewn cymdeithasau Cymraeg eu hiaith, yn cynnwys Llys yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, ac Anrhydeddus Gymdeithas y Cymmrodorion. Cafodd T.H. Parry-Williams ei urddo’n farchog ym 1958.

• Fel plentyn ysgol, dechreuodd ysgrifennu dyddiadur manwl, arfer y daliodd ato weddill ei oes.
• Roedd yn wrthwynebwr cydwybodol yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd a chyhoeddodd gerddi yn y cylchgrawn heddychol, 'Y Deyrnas'.
• Ysgrifennodd mewn cwpledi sy’n odli, ac ar ffurf soned.
• Teithiodd yn eang; astudiodd ym Mhrifysgol Freiburg (yr Almaen), ac aeth e i Ogledd a De America, ymhlith mannau eraill.

T.H.Parry-Williams was born in Rhyd-Ddu, Snowdonia. He came from a literary family. Henry Parry-Williams, his father, had been successful in the Eisteddfod and Ann, his mother, was the sibling of a celebrated strict metre poet. T.H Parry-Williams’ first cousin, R. Parry-Williams, was also a well-known poet in Wales.

T.H Parry-Williams attended The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he later became a professor. He went on to attend Jesus College Oxford in 1909 studying English loan words in Welsh. This research was published in 1923 titled 'The English Element in Welsh'. His first volume of poetry, 'Cerddi', wasn’t published until 1931. A further six volumes of poems and essays make up the main body of his creative work, 'Olion' (1935), 'Lloffion' (1942), 'O'r Pedwar Gwynt' (1944), 'Ugain o Gerddi' (1949), 'Myfyrdodau' (1957) and 'Pensynnu' (1966). The essays were collected in 'Casgliad o Ysgrifau' in 1984, and the poems in 'Casgliad o Gerddi' three years later.

He wrote scholarly articles and became a well-known figure on television and radio. He was active in Welsh societies including the Court of the National Eisteddfod and The Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. T.H Parry-Williams was knighted in 1958.

• As a schoolboy he started a detailed diary. A habit that he kept until his death.
• He was a conscientious objector during WWII and published poems in the pacifist journal, 'Y Deyrnas'.
• He wrote in rhyming couplets and sonnets.
• He was well-travelled having studied in Freiburg University (Germany) and travelled to South and North America, among others.

Darn oddi wrth '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.

Extract from 'This'

What do I care about Wales? It is just fluke and accident
That I live within her confines. She is no more on a map
Than a small patch of land in the back end of beyond.
And a bit of a pain to those who believe in order.

Books

Parry-Williams, T.H. 2011. Cerddi Rhigymau a Sonedau. Wales Gomer Press. (See above photo.)

Links

Evans, R. The Curious Astronomer. 2011. “Hon” (This) – a poem.

Price, A. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 2018. Parry-Williams, Sir Thomas Herbert (1887-1975), author and scholar.

Lynette Roberts (1909 - 1995)

Cafodd Lynette Roberts ei geni ym Buenos Aires, yr Ariannin, i rieni o dras Cymreig. Astudiodd Gelf yn The Central School for Arts and Crafts, Llundain. Ym 1939, priododd y bardd o Gymro, Keidrych Rhys, ac ymgartrefodd yn Llanybri. Cyhoeddwyd ei dau gasgliad o gerddi, Poems (1944) a Gods with Stainless Ears: a Heroic Poem (1951) gan Faber and Faber. Roedd T.S. Eliot, golygydd i’r cwmni, yn edmygu’i gwaith.

Ysgrifennodd Lynette Roberts am fywyd pentrefyn Llanybri, yn cynnwys y bobl oedd yn byw ac yn gweithio yn y pentref. Mae’r pynciau yn ei cherddi’n cynnwys erthyliad a byd natur. Roedd ganddi ddiddordeb neilltuol mewn adar.  Dylanwadwyd arni hi gan draddodiadau barddol Cymraeg, ac roedd hi’n eu defnyddio i fynegi’i phrofiadau ynghylch byw ar ffiniau pentref Cymraeg traddodiadol. Ym 1944, ysgrifennodd draethawd byr o’r enw ‘Village Dialect’ oedd yn mynegi’r brwdfrydedd hwn. Roedd arddull ei hysgrifennu’n arloesol, a dim ond yn ddiweddar y mae’i gwaith wedi derbyn y gydnabyddiaeth y mae’n ei haeddu. Mae barddoniaeth Lynette yn tynnu ar brofiad synhwyraidd dwys i ddangos bywyd yn y Gymru wledig yn ystod y cyfnod o ddatblygu technegol sylweddol a ddigwyddodd yn yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Gellir gweld esiampl o’r arddull hon yn ‘Air Raid on Swansea’ (1941). Mae’r gerdd yn cyfuno’i hiaith fywiog â’r arswyd technegol oedd wedi tarfu ar gefn gwlad llonydd Cymru.

Roedd Lynette Roberts a Robert Graves yn gohebu gyda’i gilydd. Yn aml byddai’r naill yn helpu’r llall i ddatblygu syniadau a cherddi. Roedd hi’n arfer ysgrifennu llythyrau personol a phreifat at y bardd Alun Lewis. Mae 'Poem from Llanybri' (1944) yn gwahodd Alun Lewis i ymweld â hi yn ei chartref yn Llanybri. Roedd hi’n ffrind i Elizabeth Sitwell, Vernon Watkins, a beirdd enwog o Gymru oedd yn ffynnu yn yr 20fed ganrif.

• Dylan Thomas oedd y gwas yn ei phriodas . Diddymwyd ei phriodas ym 1948.
• Yn hwyrach yn ei hoes, ymunodd â Thystion Jehofa.
• Ym 1956, torrodd ei nerfau, a threuliodd gyfnodau mewn ysbytai meddwl.

Lynette Roberts was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina from parents of Welsh ancestry. She studied Art at The Central School for Arts and Crafts, London. In 1939, she married Welsh poet Keidrych Rhys and settled in Llanybri. Her two poetry collections, Poems (1944) and Gods with Stainless Ears: a Heroic Poem (1951) were published by Faber and Faber, whose editor, T.S Eliot, was an admirer of her work.

Lynette Roberts wrote about village life in Llanybri, including the people who lived and worked in the village. The subjects of her poetry include miscarriage and the natural world. She was particularly interested in birds. She was influenced by Welsh poetic traditions and used them to express her experiences of living on the borders of a traditional Welsh village. In 1944, she wrote a short essay called 'Village Dialect' that expressed this enthusiasm. Her writing style was innovative and it is only recently that she has begun to receive the recognition that her work deserves. Lynette's poetry draws on an intense sensory experience to depict life in rural Wales during the technological burst that occurred during WWII. An example of this style can be seen in 'Air Raid on Swansea' (1941). The poem fuses her vibrant use of language with the technological terror that had descended upon the quiet countryside of Wales.

Lynette Roberts and Robert Graves exchanged correspondence, often assisting each other with the development of ideas and poems. She held an intimate correspondence with poet, Alun Lewis. 'Poem from Llanybri' (1944) is an invitation to Alun Lewis to visit her at home in Llanybri. She was friends with Elizabeth Sitwell, Vernon Watkins and other notable Welsh poets of the 20th century.

• Dylan Thomas was best man at her wedding. Her marriage dissolved in 1948.
• In later life she became a Jehovah’s Witness.
• In 1956 she suffered a mental breakdown and spent time in mental institutes.

Extract from 'Poem from Llanybri'

Then I'll do the lights, fill the lamp with oil,
Get coal from the shed, water from the well;
Pluck and draw pigeon, with crop of green foil
This your good supper from the lime-tree fell.

Books

Roberts, L. McGuinness, P (ed). 2005. Lynette Roberts Collected Poems. England. Carcanet Press. (See above photo.)

McAvoy, Siriol (ed). 2019. Locating Lynette Roberts: Always Observant and Slightly Obscure. Wales. University of Wales Press.

Links

Skoulding, Z. The Conversation. 2019. Lynette Roberts: Welsh poet who fused touch and sight into sound.

Mererid Hopwood (1964 - present)

Cyflwyniad gan / Introduction by: Aneirin Karadog

Wedi ei geni a’i magu yng Nghaerdydd, mae gwreiddiau teuluol Mererid Hopwood yn Sir Benfro.  Wedi cael ei haddysg yn Ysgol uwchradd Llanhari ac yna ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, aeth ymlaen i ddatblygu gyrfa fel ieithydd dawnus sy’n arbenigo mewn Sbaeneg ac Almaeneg. Yng nghanol y 1990au, gan dynnu ar ei dawn fel ieithydd, dysgodd gynganeddu mewn gwersi a sefydlwyd gan y Prifardd Tudur Dylan a Geraint Roberts, Ysgol Farddol Caerfyrddin.

Yn ddigon buan daeth yn agos at gipio’r Gadair yn Eisteddfod Ynys Môn, 1999 cyn mynd ymlaen i’w hennill yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Dinbych, 2001 – y fenyw gyntaf erioed i gyflawni’r gamp.  Canodd awdl oedd yn trin deunydd na fu canu arno cynt yn hanes wrywaidd cystadleuaeth y gadair, sef y pwnc o feichiogi, geni babi ac yna’r brofedigaeth yn sgil colli’r plentyn.  Aeth ymlaen wedyn i dorri record arall, drwy fod y fenwy gyntaf i wneud y trebl, sef ennill y Gadair, y Goron a’r Fedal Ryddiaith.

“Yn y darn rhwng gwyn a du
Mae egin pob dychmygu”

Mae Mererid, trwy ei gwaith fel academydd, darlledwr, Prifardd ac awdur wedi dod yn enw cyfarwydd i gynulleidfaoedd yng Nghymru a thu hwnt. Mae’r Prifardd Alan Llwyd wedi sôn am bwysigrwydd Symlder Dyfnder mewn mynegiant barddol ac mae canu Mererid yn ymgorffori’r cysyniad hwn gyda’i cherddi sydd ar y cyfan yn ddealladwy o’r darlleniad cyntaf gan lwyddo i gynnwys dyfnder athronyddol.  Mae’n aelod disglair o staff Prifysgol Cymru Dewi Sant, wedi cyhoeddi nifer o lyfrau i blant a hefyd yn gwneud argraff yn ddiweddar gyda phrosiectau mawrion fel y gwaith comisiwn, Cantata Memoria, a grewyd ar y cyd gyda Karl Jenkins i gofio trychineb Aberfan, a’r sioe Eisteddfodol gyda Robert Arwyn a Bryn Terfel, i gofio Paul Robeson, ‘Hwn Yw Fy Mrawd’.

Mae Mererid Hopwood hefyd yn aelod blaenllaw o Gymdeithas y Cymod ac yn ymgyrchu’n angerddol dros heddwch.

• Enillydd y Gadair yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, Dinbych, 2001.
• Enillydd y Goron, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Meifod, 2003.
• Cyhoeddodd ‘Singing in Chains’ (Gwasg Gomer), cyflwyniad i’r gynghanedd dryw gyfrwng y Saesneg yn 2004.
• Bardd Plant Cymru 2005-2006.
• Enillydd y Fedal Ryddiaith, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Caerdydd, 2008.
• Cyhoeddodd 'Nes Draw’ (Gwasg Gomer), ei chyfrol gyntaf o gerddi, yn 2015.

Although born and brought up in Cardiff, Mererid Hopwood’s family roots are in Pembrokeshire. Having been educated in Llanhari secondary school and then in Aberystwyth University, she went on to pursue a career as a talented linguist specialising in Spanish and German. In the mid-1990s, drawing on her linguistic skill, she learned to fashion cynghanedd in classes established by the Chief-bard Tudur Dylan and Geraint Roberts, of Carmarthen Bardic School.

Soon enough she came close to seizing the Chair in the Anglesey Eisteddfod in 1999, before going on to win it in the Denbigh National Eisteddfod in 2001 – the first ever woman to achieve the feat. She composed an awdl (that is, an ode in strict metre), dealing with material that had not been touched upon previously in the masculine history of the chair competition, namely the topic of pregnancy, giving birth to a baby, and then the bereavement in the wake of losing the child. She then went on to break another record, by being the first woman to “win the triple” namely to win the Chair, the Crown, and the Prose Medal.

“In the spot between white and black
Are the buds of all imagining.”

Mererid, through her work as academic, broadcaster, Chief-bard and author, has become a familiar name to audiences in Wales and beyond. The Chief-bard Alan Llwyd has talked about the importance of the Simplicity of Depth in poetic expression, and Mererid’s composition embodies this concept in her poems which on the whole are comprehensible on the first reading, succeeding to contain philosophical depth. She is a dazzling member of staff at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, having published a number of books for children, who is also making an impression lately with big projects such as the commissioned work, Cantata Memoria, which was created jointly with Karl Jenkins to commemorate the Aberfan disaster, and the Eisteddfod show with Robert Arwyn and Bryn Terfel, to commemorate Paul Robeson, ‘Hwn Yw Fy Mrawd’ (‘This Is My Brother’).

Mererid Hopwood is also a leading member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (Cymdeithas y Cymod), and campaigns passionately for peace.

• Winner of the Chair in the National Eisteddfod, Denbeigh, 2001.
• Winner of the Crown in the National Eisteddfod, Meifod, 2003.
• Published ‘Singing in Chains’ (Gwasg Gomer), an introduction to cynghanedd through the medium of English in 2004.
• Children’s Poet Laureate, 2005-2006.
• Winner of the Prose Medal in the National Eisteddfod, Cardiff, 2008.
• Published 'Nes Draw’ (‘Further Away’) (Gwasg Gomer), her first volume of poems, in 2015.

Darn oddi wrth 'Ni Ŵyr Neb'

Ni ŵyr neb pa liw yw’r nos
I arall, ac er aros
Yn dynn, dynn, ni all `run dau
Hawlio mai’r union olau
Sydd i’w dydd...

Extract from Ni Ŵyr Neb'

No one knows what colour the night is
To others, and however close they come
No two can ever agree on what precise light
Lies on the day…

Books

Hopwood, M. 2009. O Ran. Wales. Gomer Press. (See above photo.)

Hopwood, M. 2015, Nes Draw. Wales. Gomer Press.

Links

Hopwood, M. Wales Arts Review. 2018. Language Journeys: Mererid Hopwood.

University of Wales, Trinity St.David. Professor Mererid Hopwood. 

Bardd, Awdur, Athro, Ieithydd, Darlledwr.

Cafodd Twm Morys ei eni yn Rhydychen, addysgwyd ef yn Aberhonddu ac Aberystwyth, ac mae’n gallu honni hawl ar sawl man. Mae wedi teithio’n helaeth ond mae’i galon a’i enaid yn perthyn i Eifionydd.

“Gwell bod Cymro’n Eifionydd
Nag ar y daith i Gaerdydd.”

Mab i’r ysgrifennwr teithio adnabyddus Jan Morris yw Twm, a dechreuodd ei yrfa broffesiynol yn gweithio am gyfnod byr fel ymchwilydd i BBC Cymru.  Yn fuan, dechreuodd ddatblygu ei yrfa greadigol ei hunan, wrth ennill clod trwy sefydlu’i fand gwerin-roc, 'Bob Delyn a’r Ebillion', ef yw’r prif gyfansoddwr a chanwr, ac mae hefyd yn canu’r delyn ac offerynnau eraill. Dysgodd Morys sut i gynganeddu yn Ysgol Uwchradd Aberhonddu, ac mae’i feistrolaeth ar y ffurf gelfyddydol hon, ynghyd â’i steil llafar naturiol, yn gwneud i’w ysgrifennu deimlo’n gyfoes, ond eto, yn dragwyddol o glasurol mewn ffordd unigryw.

Mae’n gallu siarad Llydaweg yn rhugl, ac roedd yn byw yn Llydaw pan gyhoeddodd ei gyfrol gyntaf o farddoniaeth, ‘Ofn fy het’. Ar ôl dychwelyd i Gymru, daeth yn aelod blaengar o grŵp o feirdd a deithiodd o gwmpas Cymru i berfformio’u gwaith, a threfnodd  ddigwyddiadau barddoniaeth fyw oedd yn boblogaidd yn y 1990au. Roedd y grŵp yn cynnwys Myrddin ap Dafydd, Iwan Llwyd, Ifor ap Glyn, Meirion Macintyre Huws a Geraint Lovgreen, ymhlith rhai eraill. Yn y 1990au hwyr, aeth i deithio o gwmpas De America a pherfformio’i farddoniaeth, gyda ffrind a chyd-Brifardd, y diweddar Iwan Llwyd. O ganlyniad, cyhoeddwyd ‘Eldorado’, fel casgliad o farddoniaeth, a rhaglen ddogfen ar S4C yn cynnwys perfformiadau o’r cerddi ar hyd y daith. Mae Morys wedi cymryd rhan mewn llawer o Ymrysonau yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, ac wedi bod yn aelod o sawl tîm sy’n cystadlu yn Nhalwrn y Beirdd.

Mae Morys yn gyflwynydd profiadol ar Deledu a Radio, ac wedi cyflwyno rhaglen ddogfen ar Radio 4 am gynghanedd yn ddiweddar, ‘To Rhyme and Chime for a Chair’. Mae wedi cyfieithu a lleisio rhaglen am Ryfel Fietnam i S4C.

• Enillydd y Gadair – Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, Meifod, 2003.
• Bardd Plant Cymru, 2012-2013.
• Golygydd 'Barddas' , y cylchgrawn barddoniaeth ers 2012.
• Casgliadau o gerddi wedi’u cyhoeddi:
  • 'Ofn fy het', Cyhoeddiadau Barddas, 1995
  • 'Eldorado' – Twm Morys ac Iwan Llwyd, 2, Cyhoeddiadau Barddas, 2002.
• Disgyddiaeth:
  • 'Gedon', 1992 (Crai),
  • 'Gwbade Bach Cochlyd', 1996 (Crai),
  • 'Sgwarnogod Bach Bob', 2003 (Sain),
  • 'Dore', 2004 (Sain),
  • 'Dal i ‘Redig Dipyn Bach', 2017 (Sain).

Poet, singer, musician, broadcaster, linguist, editor.

Twm Morys was born in Oxford, educated in Brecon and Aberystwyth, and he can lay claim to many a place. He has travelled far and wide but his heart and soul belongs to Eifionydd.

“Better an Eifionydd Welshman
Than one who’s Cardiff-bound”

The son of the heralded travel writer, Jan Morris, he started his professional career with a brief spell as a researcher for BBC Cymru. Twm Morys soon began to forge his own creative career and making a name for himself by starting his folk-rock band, 'Bob Delyn a’r Ebillion' in which he is the principal composer, singer, and also plays the harp and other instruments.  Having learned how to write in cynghanedd in Brecon High School, Morys’ mastery of the art form coupled with his natural and oral style makes his writing contemporary, yet timelessly classical in a unique way.

A fluent Breton speaker, he was living in Brittany when he published his first volume of poetry, ‘Ofn fy het’. Having returned to Wales he became a prominent member of a group of poets that went on poetry tours of Wales and  organised live poetry events that were popular in the 1990s. The group included Myrddin ap Dafydd, Iwan Llwyd, Ifor ap Glyn, Meirion Macintyre Huws and Geraint Lovgreen, amongst others.  In the late 90s he embarked on a poetic tour of South America with fellow Prifardd and Friend, the late Iwan Llwyd.  The result, 'Eldorado' was published as a collection of poetry and as a documentary for S4C containing performances of many poems along the way.  Morys has also taken part in many an Ymryson in the National Eisteddfod and has been in various Talwrn y Beirdd teams.

An experienced presenter on TV and Radio, Morys has most recently presented a documentary on Radio 4 about cynghanedd, ‘To Rhyme and Chime for a Chair’ and has translated and voiced a programme on the Vietnam War for S4C.

• Chair winner – National Eisteddfod, Meifod, 2003.
• Bardd Plant Cymru (Children’s Poet of Wales), 2012-2013.
• Editor of 'Barddas' poetry magazine since 2012.
• Poetry Publications:
  • 'Ofn fy het', Cyhoeddiadau Barddas, 1995,
  • 'Eldorado' – Twm Morys and Iwan Llwyd, 2, Cyhoeddiadau Barddas, 2002.
• Discography:
  • 'Gedon', 1992 (Crai),
  • 'Gwbade Bach Cochlyd', 1996 (Crai),
  • 'Sgwarnogod Bach Bob', 2003 (Sain),
  • 'Dore', 2004 (Sain),
  • 'Dal i ‘Redig Dipyn Bach', 2017 (Sain).

Darn oddi wrth 'Dod Adre'

Blinais ar wib olwynion
Yn cyrchu, laru ar lôn
Wledydd y byd o lydan
Y bûm i arni `mhob man...

Extract from 'Dod Adre'

I wearied of the squeak of wheels
Setting forth, I had my fill
Of country lanes the world over
That I was on everywhere…

Books

Llywd, I. Morys, T. 1999. Eldorado. Wales. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. (See above photo.)

Links

British Council: Literature. Twm Morys.

Morys, T. Cerdd Dafod: a poet introduces a Welsh metrical tradition.

Rhyddhawyd casgliad cyntaf o gerddi Natalie Ann Holborow, ‘And Suddenly You Find Yourself’, gan Parthian yn 2017. Cafodd y casgliad ei lansio yng Ngŵyl Lyfrau Kolkata fel rhan o’r prosiect o’r enw 'The Valley, The City, The Village' (yma, roedd ysgrifenwyr o Gymru ac India yn teithio rhwng y ddwy wlad, gan brofi diwylliannau eraill trwy ysgrifennu).

Mae gan Natalie ymwybyddiaeth gymdeithasol gref ac mae’n defnyddio ei barddoniaeth i gyfathrebu â’i darllenwyr am bynciau pwysig nad ydyn nhw’n cael eu trafod yn aml, gan ddefnyddio iaith glir a gonest. Mae hi’n ysgrifennu am ei phrofiadau’n byw gyda Diabetes Math 1, bywyd cartref, a pherthnasau teuluol. Mae’i harddull farddol yn gadael argraff ddofn, a bydd y delweddau y mae’n eu creu’n aros yn hir yn y cof ar ôl i chi daro arnyn nhw. Mae’i harddull ysgrifennu’n fywiog a chyffrous, ac mae ar bob tudalen ddelweddau afluniedig o realiti sy’n farddoniaeth athrylithgar.

“Gwae i’r sawl a ddaw i’r casgliad hwn heb fod wedi rhagweld nad anorthrech mohonom ni, ac yn wir, mai marwol ydym ni i gyd, heb os.  Byddwch chi’n gadael, o leiaf, wedi cael eich argyhoeddi o’r ffaith (brinnach) nad oes rhaid i ddyn esgus ei fod yn anfarwol, ychwaith. Cyflwyniad ysblennydd o brofiad dynol ydyw, sy’n onest ac emosiynol, yn llawn atalfeydd a cholled a dryswch a chariad. Ai wedi ceisio cyrraedd y lleuad y mae Holborow? Ie, ac mae hi wedi glanio, crwydro dros ei wyneb, plymio i’r craterau, a hel coflaid o sêr wrth fod i fyny yno.” Wales Arts Review (gweler y dolenni isod).

• Mae’i barddoniaeth wedi ymddangos yn 'The Stinging Fly' a 'New Welsh Review'.
• Enillodd hi The Terry Hetherington Award a’r Robin Reeves Prize (2015).
• Yn 2017, dechreuodd Natalie blog o’r enw Running on Insulin am fyw gyda Diabetes Math 1.
• Mae hi wedi’i hysbrydoli gan ysgrifenwyr fel Dylan Thomas a Sylvia Plath.

Natalie Ann Holborow's debut poetry collection, ‘And Suddenly You Find Yourself’ was released by Parthian in 2017. The poetry collection was launched in Kolkata Book Festival as part of 'The Valley, The City, The Village' project (the project had writers from Wales and India travel between the two countries engaging with different cultures through writing).

Natalie is a socially conscious writer and she uses poetry to engage with her readers about important issues that are rarely discussed, and she does so using open and honest language. She writes about her experiences of living with Type 1 Diabetes, domestic life and familial relationships. Her poetic style leaves a deep impression and the images created echo long after reading. Her writing style is refreshing and exciting, every page is a distorted reality of poetical brilliance.

“Woe betide anyone who comes to this collection without the foresight that we’re not invincible and are indeed very much mortal. You’ll leave, at least, with the (rarer) conviction that nor do we need to pretend we are. It’s an honest, moving panoply of human experience, full of hiccups and loss and confusion and love. Shoot for the moon? Holborow has landed, roamed its face, dipped into the craters, and gathered an armful of stars while up there.” Wales Arts Review (see links below).

• Her poetry has appeared in 'The Stinging Fly' and 'New Welsh Review'.
• Winner of The Terry Hetherington Award and Robin Reeves Prize (2015).
• In 2017, Natalie started a blog called Running on Insulin about living with Type 1 Diabetes.
• She has been inspired by writers such as Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath.

I knuckled the question into the wall
Which dragged on between us, searched
With my palms for your warmth.

Books

Holborow, N. 2017. And Suddenly You Find Yourself. Wales. Parthian. (See above photo.)

Links

Baggot, S. The Wales Arts Review. 2017. Poetry: 'And Suddenly You Find Yourself' by Natalie Ann Holborow. 

Lawn, R. 2016. The Cardiff Review. New Welsh Writers: Natalie Ann Holborow. 

Natur. Gwleidyddiaeth. Ysbrydolrwydd. Dynoliaeth. Cymuned. Unigoliaeth. Angerdd. Gwyleidd-dra.

Byddai’n bosibl i fi ddal ati i restru’r geiriau sy’n codi yn fy meddwl pan fydda i’n meddwl am Gymru a’i chynhyrchion barddol cyfoethog; rydym yn adnabyddus am ein canu, ein hysbryd, ein synnwyr o gymuned.

A dyna pam y byddai’n afresymol ystyried beirdd cyfoes Cymru heb grybwyll Sophie McKeand, sy’n fardd arobryn ac awdur Ieuenctid Cymru. Mae’r cerddi yn 'Rebel Sun' yn fflachio ar draws y dudalen, fel nentydd yn llawn breuddwydion hylifol, sydd wedyn yn ffrwydro’n ddisyfyd o’r dyfroedd aflonydd fel haid o ddrudwyod yn crafangu’u ffordd i ganmol yr Haul Heriol ym mhob un ohonom ni.

Ond eto i gyd, mae clywed gwaith McKeand, yn llawn cryfder a pherseinedd syfrdanol wrth iddo gael ei ddarllen yn uchel, yn dyrchafu’r cerddi nes eu bod nhw’n dod yn rhywbeth mwy na geiriau’n unig:  dyma gerddi sy’n gyforiog o nerth, o ymdrech, am y llais unigol ym mhob grŵp sy’n llwyddo i gael ei glywed, o’r diwedd.

Mae Sophie McKeand yn defnyddio’i geiriau i’n golchi ni â golau’r Rebel Sun sy’n bresennol ym mhob un ohonom ni – a dyna pam roedd ei rôl fel Awdur Ieuenctid Cymru (2016 – 2018) mor bwysig i oleuo llwybr i do newydd o feirdd. Mae McKeand yn enaid o Gymru’n teithio’r byd yn ei fan, sy’n ein dysgu nid dim ond i werthfawrogi’n gwreiddiau ni yng Nghymru, ond hefyd, i dyfu fel blagur, ymledu fel blodau gwylltion, ac anturio drwy’r byd ehangach sy’n aros o’n cwmpas ni.

Nature. Politics. Spirituality. Humanity. Community. Individuality. Passion. Humility.

I could go on listing the words that spring to mind when I think about Wales and its rich poetic offerings; we are known for our song, our soul, our sense of community.

Which is why it would be absurd to consider the contemporary poets of Wales without giving a mention to Sophie McKeand, award-winning poet and Young People’s Laureate for Wales (2016-2018). On the page, the poems in 'Rebel Sun' hiss along the page like streams in their dreamlike fluidity, only to burst like a sudden flush of starlings, grasping out of the tumbling waters to praise the Rebel Sun in all of us.

Yet, hearing McKeand’s work aloud, in all its startling musicality and power, elevate the poems into something more than mere words: these are poems of power, of action, of the individual voice in every group, finally making itself heard.

Sophie McKeand uses her words to wash us with the light of the Rebel Sun present in all of us – which is why her role as Young People’s Laureate of Wales (2016-2018) was so vital to lighting the way for a future generation of poets. A Welsh soul travelling the world in her van, McKeand teaches us not only to appreciate our Welsh roots, but to grow like shoots, spread like wildflowers, and explore the wider world waiting all around us.

The eyes of a tiny woman who dreamed of trees
Were wrenched open by madness,
These images caused her to shrink from people so that
Some days she could not bear to exist
And hid inside a nut.

Books

McKeand, S. 2017. Rebel Sun. Wales. Parthian. (See above photo.)

Links

McKeand, S. SOPHIE McKEAND. 

McKeand, S. 2017. Sophie McKeand - Documenting the life of a community poet.

McKeand, S. Caught by the River. 2018. Shadows and Reflections: Sophie McKeand.

McKeand, S. New Wales Arts Review. 2018. Working Class Poet: Sophie McKeand.

Yn ddiweddar mae'r iaith Gernyweg wedi dod yn fwy amlwg i bobl y tu allan i'r Ddugaeth. Yn 2010 adnabu Llywodraeth Prydain y Gernyweg fel iaith swyddogol yng Nghernyw; yn 2018 cymerodd Gwenno yr iaith i wledydd ynysoedd Prydain, i Ewrop a'r tu hwnt efo'i halbwm newydd Le Kov (Lle Cof); ac yn 2019 dan ni'n dathlu pythefnos o Wythnos Siaradwch Gernyweg sy'n dechrau efo gŵyl cerddoriaeth a barddoniaeth Fest Kernewek – y tro cyntaf i ŵyl o'r math hwn gael ei chynnal erioed.

Felly beth am ddysgu ychydig o'r iaith hon? Fel siaradwyr Cymraeg dach chi mewn lle perffaith i ddysgu Cernyweg yn hawdd ac yn gyflym gan fod yr ddwy iaith mor debyg â'i gilydd. Dros y misoedd a ddaw mi fydda i'n cyhoeddi nifer o wersi syml fydd yn dysgu rheolau syml yr iaith i chi, rhoi tipiau am ffyrdd eraill o ddysgu ac yn eich annog chi i fynd allan a defnyddio iaith arall y nefoedd.

Nodyn byr: Dwi'n defnyddio Ffurf Ysgrifenedig Safonol yr iaith yn y gwersi hyn. Ryw bwynt bydda i'n paratoi erthygl am y gwahanol fathau o sillafu'r iaith a sut mae newid o'r un i'r llall.

Lately the Cornish language has become more visible to people outside the Duchy. In 2010 the British Government recognised Cornish as an official language in Cornwall; in 2018 Gwenno took the language into countries of the British Isles, into Europe and beyond with her new album Le Kov (Place of Memory); and in 2019 we are celebrating a fortnight of Talk Cornish Week which begins with a festival of music and poetry, Fest Kernewek – the first time a festival of this kind has ever been held.

So what about learning a bit of this language? As Welsh speakers you are perfectly placed to learn Cornish easily and quickly because the two languages are so alike. Over the coming months I will be publishing a number of lessons which will teach you the simple rules of the language, giving tips on other ways of learning and encouraging you to go out and use the other language of heaven.

Short note: I use the Standard Written Form in these lessons. At some point I will prepare an article on the different ways of spelling the language and how to change from one to another.

Bord Cynnwys / Table of Contents

• Gwers 1: Ynganiad a Chyfarchiadau / Leveryans ha Gorhemynadow / Pronunciation and Greetings
• Gwers 2: Cyflwyniad i'r ferf bos / Kommendyans dhe verb bos / Introducing the verb bos
  
• Gwers 3: Ffurfiau hirion o bos / Furvow hir a bos
• A verwis hi? / A farwodd hi? / Did it die?
• Moddau Dysgu Ieithoedd: Fy mhrofiad i o ddysgu Cymraeg, Cernyweg & Almaeneg / Methods of Learning Languages: My experience of learning Welsh, Cornish & German

Dysgu Cernyweg: Gwers 1 – Ynganiad a Chyfarchiadau
Dyski Kernowek: Dyskans 1 – Leveryans ha Gorhemynadow
Learning Cornish: Lesson 1 – Pronunciation and Greetings

Dysgu Cernyweg: Gwers 2 – Cyflwyniad i'r ferf bos
Dyski Kernowek: Dyskans 2– Kommendyans dhe verb bos
Learning Cornish: Lesson 2 – Introducton to the verb bos

Atebion / Gorthebow / Answers

Dysgu Cernyweg: Gwers Tri – Ffurfiau hirion o bos
Dyski Kernowek: Dyskans Tri – Furvow hir a bos

Helô eto, a keslowena (llongyfarchiadau) ar gyrraedd gwers tri! Gobeithio bod chi wedi joio'r gwersi hyd yma ac yn teimlo fel bod chi'n dysgu lot. Fel yn y gwersi blaenorol, dwi'n eich annog i ddarllen yr holl enghreifftiau Cernyweg yn uchel er mwyn helpu'ch tafod ddod i afael efo'r holl seiniau. Bydd yn dod yn haws bob tro dach chi'n gwneud hwn.

Adolygu / Dasweles:

Yng ngwers dau dysgon ni am y ferf bos (bod) a'r ddwy ffordd mae hon yn cael ei defnyddio. Felly i ddechrau heddiw, dwi eisiau i chi gyfieithu'r brawddegau dilynol. Cofiwch y defnyddir ffurfiau byrion o bos efo enwau ac ansoddeiriau.

Ymarfer un / Praktis onan:

Teimlwch yn rhydd i edrych ar wers 2 os nad ydach chi'n gallu cofio'r holl eiriau neu batrymau hyn.

1. Dan ni'n hapus. .....................................
2. Maen nhw'n wyn. .....................................
3. Athro dach chi. .....................................
4. Mae'r ci yn hwyr. .....................................
5. Rwyt ti'n fyr. .....................................
6. An gath yw melyn. .....................................
7. Hen yw an karr. .....................................
8. Berr os ta. .....................................
9. Kembrek owgh hwi. .....................................
10. Lowen on ni.       .....................................

Ffurfiau hirion o bos / Furvow hir a bos:

Prif rhan y gwers hwn fydd dysgu mwy am ffurfiau hirion o bos. Dyma'r tabl i chi eto i ddangos y ffurfiau hirion.

Mae'r ffurfiau hirion hyn yn cael eu defnyddio er mwyn llunio'r amseroedd parhaol (lle defnyddiwn bod + yn + berfenw yn Gymraeg a to be + -ing yn Saesneg) ac i ddangos lleoliad. Heddiw mi fyddwn ni'n canolbwyntio ar ddangos lleoliad, ac yn edrych ar ddefnydd o'r ffurfiau hyn â berfau eraill yn y gwers nesaf.

Er mwyn dangos lleoliad, gosodwch adferf neu arddodiad efo'r ffurf hir. Er enghraifft:

• Yth esov vy omma - Dwi yma.
• Yma ev tre - Mae o adref.
• Yth esowgh hwi y'n chi – Dach chi yn y tŷ.

Edrych ar yr eirfa hon. Dwi wedi dewis geiriau tebyg yn y Gymraeg a'r Gernyweg.

Ymarfer dau / Praktis dew:

Gan ddefnyddio'r geiriau hyn, cyfieithwch y brawddegau hyn:

1. Dan ni yma.
2. Mae'r ci adref.
3. Dach chi yn y tŷ.
4. Dwi o gwmpas.
5. Maen nhw fan'cw.
6. Mae'r gath yma.
7. Maen nhw adref.
8. Mae'r dŵr fa'na.
9. Dwi yn y dŵr.
10. Rwyt ti fan'cw.

Ymarfer tri / Praktis tri:

Cyfieithwch y dilynol i Gymraeg:

1. Yth esos ta a-dro.
2. Yma'n ki y'n karr.
3. Yth esowgh hwi tre.
4. Ymons i hons.
5. Yth eson ni ena.

Yn y gwers blaenorol cyflwynes i'r treigliadau i chi gan ganolbwyntio ar y treiglad meddal neu medhelhean. Ceir hwn mewn geiriau benywaidd ar ôl y fannod benodol, er enghraifft, benyn (benyw) – an venyn (y fenyw).

Ymarfer pedwar / Praktis peswar:

Treiglwch y rhain:

1. An + kath
2. An + tre
3. An + davas (dafad)
4. An + loor
5. An + bugh

Mae'r treiglad meddal hefyd yn digwydd mewn ansoddeiriau sy'n disgrifio enwau benywaidd.

An venyn goth (Yr hen fenyw)
An gath dew (Y gath dew)
An gowfordh dewal (Y twnnel tywyll)

Ymarfer pump / Praktis pymp:

Treiglwch y dilynol:

1. Kath + koth
2. An + tre + gwag
3. An + gwedhen + gwyrdh
4. An + mamm + lowen
5. Esedhva + bras (mawr)

Nodyn pwysig: Ni cheir treiglad meddal mewn ansoddeiriau sy'n dilyn enwau sy'n gorffen efo -S neu -Th.

An yeth Kernowek – Yr iaith Gernyweg
An eglos bras – Yr eglwys fawr

Ond mae'r treiglad yn dal i ddigwydd ar ddechrau'r enwau hyn.

An dreveglos bras – Y pentref mawr

Ymarfer chewch / Praktis hwegh:

Cyfieithwch y rhain:

1. Y ddafad wen.
2. Yr hen eglwys.
3. Benyw fawr.
4. Y gath dew.
5. Y ci du.
6. Yr iaith Gymraeg.
7. Y bont wan.
8. Y dŵr glas.
9. Yr athro hapus.
10. Y nos dywyll.

Gosod popeth â'i gilydd / Gorra pubtra war-barth:

Erbyn hyn dan ni wedi dysgu lot. Edrychwch ar y rhain i weld sut mae popeth yn cyd-fynd â'i gilydd.

Yma kath bras y'n chi. Mae cath gawr yn y tŷ
Yth esov vy y'n dowr glas. Dwi yn y dŵr glas
An venyn velyn yw lowen. Mae'r fenyw felyn yn hapus
Yeyn owgh hwi hedhyw. Dach chi'n oer heddiw
Yth eswogh yn le yeyn. Dach chi mewn lle oer
Leun ha tew yw an ki. Mae'r ci'n llawn ac yn dew
Yma'n fleghes hons. Mae'r plant fan'cw

Ymarfer saith / Praktis seyth:

Cyfieithwch y brawddegau isod:

1. An dowr glas yw yeyn.
2. Yma kath tew y'n gegin.
3. An dyskador yw trist.
4. Gwann yw an pons koth.
5. Yma ki omma.
6. Mae'r gegin yn wag.
7. Mae'r hen fenyw yn drist.
8. Maen nhw yn y dŵr oer fan'cw.
9. Dach chi'n hapus a thrist.
10. Rwyt ti'n hen.

Diwedd y gwers / Diwedh an dyskans:

Gobeithio ar y pwynt yma dach chi'n teimlo'ch Cernyweg yn cryfhau. Byddwch chi'n dysgu mwy o eiriau a gramadeg defnyddiol. Os oes gynnoch chi syniadau am themâu i wersi a ddaw cysylltwch â fi drwy Twitter - @sambrown1993.

Agas gweles an nessa tro!

Atebion Gwers Tri / Gorthebow Dyskans Tri

Ymarfer un / Parktis onan:

1. Lowen on ni.
2. Gwynn yns i.
3. Dyskador owgh hwi.
4. Diwedhes yw an ki.
5. Berr os ta.
6. Mae'r gath yn felyn.
7. Mae'r car yn hen.
8. Rwyt ti'n fyr.
9. Dach chi'n Gymreig.
10. Dan ni'n hapus.

Ymarfer dau / Praktis dew:

1. Yth eson ni omma.
2. Yma'n ki tre.
3. Yth esowgh hwi y'n chi.
4. Yth esov vy a-dro.
5. Ymons i hons.
6. Yma'n gath omma.
7. Ymons i tre.
8. Yma'n dowr ena.
9. Yth esov vy y'n dowr.
10. Yth esos ta hons.

Ymarfer tri / Praktis tri:

1. Rwyt ti o gwmpas.
2. Mae'r ci yn y car.
3. Dach chi adref.
4. Maen nhw fan'cw.
5. Dan ni yno.

Ymarfer pedwar / Praktis peswar:

1. An gath
2. An dre
3. An dhavas
4. An loor
5. An vugh

Ymarfer pump / Praktis pymp:

1. Kath koth
2. An dre wag
3. An wedhen wyrdh
4. An vamm lowen
5. Esedhva vras

Ymarfer chwech / Praktis hwegh:

1. An dhavas gwynn.
2. An eglos koth.
3. Benyn vras.
4. Yan gath tew.
5. An ki du.
6. An yeth Kembrek.
7. An pons gwann.
8. An dowr glas.
9. An dyskador lowen.
10. An nos tewal.

Ymarfer saith / Praktis seyth:

1. Mae'r dŵr glas yn oer.
2. Mae cath dew yn y gegin.
3. Mae'r athro yn drist.
4. Mae'r hen bont yn wan.
5. Mae ci yma.
6. Gwag yw an gegin.
7. Trist yw an venyn goth.
8. Ymons i y'n dowr yeyn hons.
9. Lowen ha trist owgh hwi.
10. Koth os ta.

A verwis hi?
A farwodd hi?
Did it die?

Moddau Dysgu Ieithoedd: Fy mhrofiad i o ddysgu Cymraeg, Cernyweg & Almaeneg
Methods of Learning Languages: My experience of learning Welsh, Cornish & German

Cernywiaid ydw i, a thrwy gymdeithasu a dod i adnabod Cernywiaid eraill sydd yn byw yng Nghymru, rwyf wedi darganfod rhywbeth diddorol iawn... Mae sawl un ohonynt wedi dysgu'r Gymraeg (neu wedi dangos diddordeb mewn dysgu) er mwyn teimlo'n agosach at eu cartref, hynny yw Cernyw.

Map o enwau llefydd Cernyweg / A map of Cornish place-names

Gwaun Bodminm ger prentre Minions / Bodmin Moor, near the village of Minions

anblogkernowek.blogspot.com / sambrown1993

Merkyans rag Kernowegoryon – mar kwelowgh nebes kammgemeryansow y'n erthygel ma, po mars eus poyntys dhewgh ragov dh'aga frederi, yth esov moy es lowen dhe addya po chanjya homma grondyes war agas kampollow.

Cyfres cyffrous o lyfrau ar gyfer oedolion sy'n dysgu Cymraeg
An exciting series of books for adults who are learning Welsh

Mae'r prosiect Cyfres Amdani yn cael ei ariannu gan y Cyngor Llyfrau ac mae pedair gwasg (Atebol, CAA Cymru, Gomer & Y Lolfa) wedi cyhoeddi pump llyfr yr un. Mae cydweithio agos hefyd gyda'r Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol, ac mae'r llyfrau'n cydymffurfio gyda'r cwricwlwm newydd. Mae lefelau llyfrau'r prosiect yn cydymffurfio â lefelau dysgu ail iaith Ewrop.

The Amdani Series project is funded by the Welsh Books Council and four presses (Atebol, CAA Cymru, Gomer & Y Lolfa) have published five books each. They are also working closely with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, and the books correlate with the new curriculum. The levels of the books align with European levels of second language learning.

Helen Prosser, Cyfarwyddwr Strategol, Y Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol: Mae’n bwysig bod ein dysgwyr yn cael digon o gyfleoedd i ymarfer defnyddio’r Gymraeg y tu allan i’r dosbarth, er mwyn datblygu eu sgiliau a magu hyder.  Bydd y gyfres fywiog hon o lyfrau deniadol yn adnodd gwerthfawr iawn, yn enwedig gan fod y llyfrau wedi’u teilwra ar gyfer gwahanol lefelau’r sector Dysgu Cymraeg. Mae wedi bod yn bleser cydweithio â’r Cyngor Llyfrau a dy’n ni’n gobeithio bydd y fenter hon yn ffordd o ddenu dysgwyr at ddarllen llyfrau Cymraeg yn gyffredinol, ac ar hyd eu siwrnai i ddysgu’r iaith.

Meinir Wyn Edwards, Golygydd, Y Lolfa: Fel golygydd rhai o’r llyfrau yn y prosiect, mae wedi bod yn brofiad grêt cydweithio gyda gweisg eraill. Gobeithio bydd mwy o lyfrau hamdden i ddysgwyr yn cael eu cyhoeddi ar ôl i’r prosiect cychwynnol o 20 llyfr ddod i ben. Os ydy nifer y siaradwyr Cymraeg yn mynd i gyrraedd y miliwn erbyn 2050 mae angen denu mwy o bobl i ddysgu’r iaith ac mae llyfrau fel hyn yn un cam bach pwysig arall tuag at gyrraedd y nod.

More insight and opinion... Tu ôl y Llen o'r Gyfres Amdani.

Helen Prosser, Strategic Director, the National Centre for Learning Welsh: It’s important our learners have plenty of opportunities to practise using their Welsh outside the classroom, so they can develop their skills and gain confidence. This new series of entertaining books will be a fantastic resource, especially so as the books reflect the different language patterns taught on our courses. It’s been a pleasure working with the Welsh Books Council and we hope this initiative will help attract learners to reading Welsh books in general, and all along their language journey.

Meinir Wyn Edwards, Editor, Y Lolfa: As an editor for some of the books in the project, it has been a great experience to collaborate with other presses. Hopefully more leisure books for learners will be released after the first project of 20 books comes to an end. If the number of Welsh speakers is going to reach a million by 2050 then there is a need to attract more people to learn the language, and books like this are an important  extra step to help reach the goal.

More insight and opinion... Behind the Scenes of Cyfres Amdani.

LlyfrauAmdani    LlyfrauAmdani    LlyfrauAmdani

Neidiwch i safon - Jump to level:  Mynediad - Entry /  Sylfaen - Foundation /  Canolradd - Intermediate /  Uwch - Higher

Mynediad - Entry

Am Ddiwrnod!

Author: Margaret Johnson
Welsh adaption of Big Hair Day
Adapted by: Meinir Wyn Edwards
twitter.com/meinir_wyn

Price: £4.99

Language: Very simple Welsh, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Level: Mynediad / Entry

Publisher: Y Lolfa

Buy: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781784615567

Darllen mwy: Am y llyfr a chwis / Read more: About the book and quiz

Ymestynnwch eich Cymraeg gyda Jo Knell / Extend your Welsh with Jo Knell

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae'r nofel yn sôn am ddiwrnod ym mywyd Sophia Reynolds, sydd ar ei ffordd i fod yn ecstra mewn ffilm, ond mae nifer o ddigwyddiadau yn ei rhwystro rhag cyrraedd y set. Mae'n gorfod ymweld â swyddfa'r heddlu sawl gwaith, ond does dim ots ganddi, oherwydd mae'n ffansïo'r plismon yno! 

Gwales description: This is a humorous romance about one memorable day in the life of Sophia Reynolds, who is on her way to be a film extra, but a number of incidents prevent her from reaching the set. She has to visit the police office several times, but she doesn't mind, as she fancies the policeman there! 

Meinir Wyn Edwards: Roedd hi’n bleser cael addasu nofel Lefel Mynediad hyd at Uned 8. Ond roedd hi’n her a hanner, gan nad o’n i’n gyfarwydd â’r eirfa a’r patrymau iaith sydd yn y cwriwlwm Dysgu Cymraeg newydd. Mae’r ymateb i’r llyfr yn y siopau wedi bod yn dda ac mae cyhoeddi llyfrau ysgafn i ddysgwyr Cymraeg yn hollbwysig.
Stori syml, gyda digon o hiwmor, am Sophia yw Am Ddiwrnod! (What a day!). Mae hi ar ei ffordd i fod yn ecstra mewn ffilm gydag un o’i hoff actorion, Fabio Facelli. Ond mae sawl peth yn digwydd iddi ar ei ffordd yno ac mae’n rhaid iddi alw yng ngorsaf yr heddlu sawl gwaith. Ond does dim ots gan Sophia, oherwydd mae llygaid neis iawn gan y plismon! Mae’n braf cael stori garu i godi calon!

Meinir Wyn Edwards: It was a pleasure to adapt an Entry level novel up to Unit 8. But it was a challenge and a half, since I was not familiar with the language patterns used in the new Learn Welsh curriculum. The response to the book in shops has been good and publishing light books for learners is vital.
Am Ddiwrnod! is a simple story about Sophia, with lots of humour. She is on her way to be an extra in a film with one of her favourite actors, Fabio Facelli. But several things happen to her on her way there and she has to call into the police station several times. But Sophia doesn't mind, because the policeman has very nice eyes! It's nice to have a love story to lift the heart!

Helen Prosser:
Elfen gyffrous bod yr awduron sy wedi ysgrifennu’r llyfrau Mynediad a Sylfaen wedi bod yn dilyn yr un patrymau iaith â’r cyrsiau cenedlaethol newydd. Mae hyn yn meddwl y bydd yn bosib darllen y llyfr cyntaf Am Ddiwrnod! ar ôl wyth uned o’r cwrs Mynediad.
An exciting element is that authors who have written the Entry and Foundation books have followed the same patterns as the new national courses. This means that it is possible to read the first book Am Ddiwrnod! after eight units of the Entry course.

Gangsters yn y Glaw

Author: Pegi Talfryn

Price: £4.99

Language: Simple Welsh, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Level: Mynediad / Entry

Publisher: Gomer

Buy: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781785622410

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae Elsa Bowen yn gweithio fel ditectif preifat; fel arfer mae'n ymchwilio i dwyll yswiriant. Ond mae hynny'n newid ar y bore Mercher yma. Mae sylw Elsa ar siop lyfrau Cymraeg yn nhre Caernarfon lle mae pethau annisgwyl yn digwydd. Mae'r stori yn canolbwyntio ar Lilith Lewis, gangster lleol sydd yn achosi trafferth.

Gwales description: Elsa Bowen works as a private detective; usually she deals with insurance fraud. But that all changes on this Wednesday morning. Elsa's attention is drawn to the bookshop in Caernarfon where strange things are happening. The story focuses on Lilith Lewis, a local gangster who causes trouble.

Darllen mwy: Cyfweliad â Pegi Talfryn / Read more: Interview with Pegi Talfryn

Pass Y Sugnydd Llwch Darling

Authors: Lucy Owen, Rhodri Owen & Mari George

Price: £4.99

Language: Simple Welsh, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Level: Mynediad / Entry

Publisher: Gomer

Buy: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781785622403

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae Rhodri yn gweithio fel cyflwynydd ar rhaglen i S4C. Mae Lucy yn darllen y Newyddion ar y BBC. Gabs yw eu mab. Mae'n benblwydd ar Gabs. Mae'r teulu yn penderfynu mynd am dro i Ardal Ogwr.

Gwales description: Rhodri works as a presenter on a S4C programme. Lucy reads news for the BBC. Gabs is their son. It's a birthday for Gabs. The family decides to go for a walk to Ogmore.

Stryd y Bont

Author: Manon Steffan Ros
twitter.com/ManonSteffanRos

Price: £4.99

Language: Simple Welsh, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Level: Mynediad / Entry

Cyhoeddwr: Atebol

Buy: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781912261444

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae Stryd y Bont yn dilyn hanes pobl sy'n byw ar yr un stryd mewn tref yng Nghymru. Pa gyfrinachau sydd ganddyn nhw? Pwy sy'n adnabod pwy, ac a ydy cymeriadau Stryd y Bont yn adnabod eu cymdogion mewn gwirionedd?

Gwales description: We follow the stories of people living on the same street in a Welsh town. What secrets do they have and do they really know their neighbours?

Disgrifiad Gwales: Darlun personol a gonest iawn o hanes Wynne a'i deulu, ei brofiadau fel tenor enwog, a'i ymdrech fel oedolyn i ddysgu Cymraeg.

Gwales description: A very personal and honest history of Wynne and his family, his experiences as a famous tenor, and his efforts to learn Welsh as an adult.

Darllen mwy: Blas o'r llyfr / Read more: A taste of the book

Sylfaen / Foundation

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae Sam yn gaeth yn y corff anghywir ac mae arno awydd i newid rhyw. Wrth ymdrin â'r pwnc sensitif hwn gwelir rhwystredigaeth y cymeriad ac ymateb y bobl sydd agosaf ato.

Gwales description: Sam feels confined in the wrong body and wishes to change sex. The book deals with a sensitive subject as we follow the main character's frustration and the response of those closest to him.

Teithio Drwy Hanes

Awdur: Jon Gower
twitter.com/JonGower1

Pris: £6.99

Iaith: Cymraeg syml, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

 Safon: Sylfaen

Publisher: CAA Cymru

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781845216870

Disgrifiad Gwales: Yn y llyfr hwn mae Jon Gower yn mynd â'r darllenydd i 30 o leoliadau sy'n gysylltiedig â hanes Cymru. Mae'n esbonio pam mae'r lleoliadau yn bwysig yn hanes Cymru, ac mae e'n disgrifio eu harddwch a'u naws yn ei ffordd arbennig ei hun.

Gwales description: In this book, Jon Gower takes the reader to 30 different locations connected to Wales' history. He explains why these places are important to Welsh history and describes their beauty and atmosphere in his own special way.

Darllen mwy: Blas o'r llyfr / Read more: A taste of the book

Y Fawr a'r Fach - Straeon o'r Rhondda

Awdur: Siôn Tomos Owen
twitter.com/sionmun

Pris: £5.99

Iaith: Cymraeg syml, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

 Safon: Sylfaen

Cyhoeddwr: Y Lolfa

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781784615826

Disgrifiad Gwales: Cyfrol o straeon byrion yn ymwneud â hanesion pentrefi’r Rhondda.

Gwales description: A volume of short stories and anecdotes about villages in the Rhondda valley.

Darllen mwy: Blas o'r llyfr / Read more: A taste of the book

Ymestynnwch eich Cymraeg gyda Jo Knell / Extend your Welsh with Jo Knell

Y Stryd

Awdures: Helen Naylor
Addasiad Cymraeg o One Day
Wedi'i addasu gan Mared Lewis

Pris: £6.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Sylfaen

Cyhoeddwr: Gomer

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781785622397

Exclusive author insight:
Interview with Mared Lewis.

Disgrifiad Gwales: Un noson. Un stryd. Ac mae gan bob person ym mhob tŷ broblem. Sut mae Nina yn mynd i ddweud ei newyddion wrth Dafydd? Pam mae Magi yn gorfod ailfeddwl am Xavier? Beth mae Sam yn mynd i wneud am y broblem fawr? Sut mae bywyd Huw yn mynd i newid am byth? Bydd un nos Wener yn newid popeth.

Gwales description: One Night. One street. And everyone in every house has a problem. How will Nina tell Dafydd the news? Why does Magi have to rethink her relationship with Xavier? What will Sam do about his big problem? How will Huw's life change forever? One Friday night will change everything.

Mared Lewis: Mae'r stori yn galw i mewn ac allan o fywydau'r bobol sy'n byw drws nesa' i'w gilydd ar un stryd arbennig mewn tref yng Ngogledd Cymru. Mae pawb yn byw drws nesa, ond mae ganddyn nhw fywydau diddorol, ac mae gen pawb ei broblem ei hun. Mae'n lyfr difyr, a dyma'r tro cyntaf i mi addasu llyfr gan rhywun arall. Roedd hi'n anodd i ddechrau peidio rhedeg i ffwrdd efo'r stori fy hun, ond fe ddaeth pethau'n haws.

Mared Lewis: The story pops in and out of the lives of people living next door to one another in a particular street in a town in North Wales. Everyone lives next door, but they lead interesting lives, and all of them have their own problems. It is an entertaining book, and that’s the first time I have adapted a book by someone else. At first it was difficult to stop myself running away with the story myself, but then things became easier.

Yn ei Gwsg

Awdures: Bethan Gwanas
twitter.com/BethanGwanas

Gydag arlunwaith y cartwnydd Huw Aaron
With illustrations by cartoonist Huw Aaron
twitter.com/huwaaron

Pris: £4.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Sylfaen

Cyhoeddwr: Atebol

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781912261307

Ymestynnwch eich Cymraeg gyda Jo Knell / Extend your Welsh with Jo Knell

Disgrifiad Atebol: Mae Dafydd yn cerdded yn ei gwsg, ac un bore, mae'n deffro yn waed i gyd. Mae'r llyfr yn dilyn olion traed gwaedlyd allan o'r tŷ a thrwy'r pentref ac yn darganfod Mrs Roberts a'i zimmerframe ar ochr y ffordd wedi'i tharo gan gar. Pwy sydd wedi ei tharo? A fydd yr heddlu yn arestio'r person cywir?

Atebol description: Dafydd walks in his sleep, and one morning he wakes up to see blood everywhere. The book follows the bloody footprints out of the house and through the village and discovers Mrs Roberts and her zimmerframe on the roadside hit by a car. Who hit her? Will the police arrest the right person?

Bethan Gwanas: Mi wnes i wir fwynhau sgwennu ar gyfer dysgwyr eto, a braf oedd gallu sgwennu am rywun gwahanol iawn i Blodwen Jones! Ro’n i’n hoff iawn o gymeriad Dafydd, ac roedd y broses o ddod i’w nabod o wrth sgwennu amdano yn ddiddorol. Dim ond y syniad o rywun yn cerdded yn ei gwsg ac yn deffro i weld bod gwaed dros y lle, oedd yn fy mhen i ar y dechrau. Doedd gen i ddim syniad gwaed pwy oedd o nes i mi ddechrau sgwennu, ac ro’n i’n ‘darganfod’ y stori yn union fel bod yn ddarllenydd. Gobeithio y bydd y dysgwyr yn mwynhau gymaint ag y gwnes i fwynhau!

Bethan Gwanas: I really enjoyed writing for learners again, and it was nice to be able to write about someone different different to Blodwen Jones! I liked Dafydd's character, and the process of getting to know him when writing about him was interesting. The idea of someone was walking in sleep and waking up to see that there was blood over the place was all that was in my head at the beginning. I had no idea who the blood was from before I started writing, and I just discovered the story in the same way as the reader. I hope that the learners will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed!

Exclusive author insight:
Awdures ydw i- ond tiwtor Cymraeg i Oedolion hefyd!
Creu Blodwen Jones.

Canolradd / Intermediate

C'Mon Reff

Awdur: Nigel Owens
Wedi'i addasu gan: Elin Meek

Pris: £6.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Canolradd

Cyhoeddwr: Y Lolfa

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781784616175

Disgrifiad Gwales: Addasiad o hunangofiant poblogaidd Nigel Owens, Hanner Amser. Mae'r testun wedi ei rannu'n benodau byrion, ac yn sôn am ei blentyndod, ei yrfa fel un o reffaris rygbi gorau'r byd, ei deithiau, ei deulu, ei iselder a'i rywioldeb.

Gwales description: An adaptation of Nigel Owen's autobiography Hanner Amser. The text is arranged into short chapters, mentions his childhood, his career as one of the best referees in the in the world, his travels, his family, his depression and his sexuality.

Croesi'r Bont

Awdur: Zoê Pettinger

Pris: £6.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Canolradd

Publisher: CAA Cymru

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781845216863

Disgrifiad Gwales: Straeon byrion sy’n llawn hiwmor, gan awdures sydd wedi dysgu Cymraeg ei hun.

Gwales description: Short stories with a good pinch of humour, by an author who is a Welsh learner herself.

Zoe Pettinger: Idiomau a diarhebion ydy teitlau’r straeon i gyd. Maen nhw mor bwysig a maen nhw’n cyfoethogi’r iaith. Mae pum stori yn y gyfrol ac mae pob un yn ‘genre’ gwahanol. Ro’n i eisiau apelio at bawb a ro’n i eisiau cynnwys straeon am ddysgwyr eu hunain. Dyn ni i gyd yn rhannu hiwmor am y treigladau a gramadeg, a dyn ni i gyd yn deall yr anawsterau o fod yn ddysgwr Cymraeg!

Zoe Pettinger: All the short stories have titles which are idioms or proverbs. They are so important and they enrich the language. There are five stories in the volume and each one is in a different genre. I wanted to appeal to everyone and I wanted to include stories about learners themselves. We all take part in the humour about mutations and grammar, and we all understand the difficulties of being Welsh learners!

Exclusive author insight: Croesi'r Bont gyda Zoe Pettinger

Gêm Beryglus

Awdur: Richard MacAndrew
Addasiad Cymraeg o Man Hunt
Wedi'i addasu gan: Pegi Talfryn

Pris: £4.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Canolradd

Cyhoeddwr: Atebol

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781912261291

Ymestynnwch eich Cymraeg gyda Jo Knell / Extend your Welsh with Jo Knell

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog yn enwog am ei harddwch naturiol ac am y llwybrau cerdded. Ond mae'r lle yn cyrraedd y newyddion am reswm arall; mae pobl yn cael eu lladd yn yr ardal.

Gwales description: The Brecon Beacons National Park is famous for its natural beauty and for its walking trails. However the place reaches the news for another reason; people are being killed in the area.

Adolygiad gan Sue Ward, Dysgwraig o Say Something in Welsh: Stori dditectif gyffrous. Oedd diddordeb gyda fi yn syth o’r frawddeg gyntaf. Doeddwn i ddim eisiau stopio darllen! Mae’r iaith yn addas ar gyfer dysgwyr, ac mae’r geirfa ddefnyddiol hefyd.

Review by Sue Ward, learner from Say Something in Welsh: An exciting detective story. I had an interest straight from the first sentewnce. I didn't want to stop reading! The language is suitable to learners, and the vocabulary is very useful.

Gwers Mewn Cariad

Awdures: Beca Brown

Pris: £6.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Canolradd

Publisher: Gomer

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781785622373

Disgrifiad Gwales: Nofel ysgafn am ddyn sy'n syrthio mewn cariad â'i diwtor. Mae Liam yn newydd i ddosbarth Liz ym mis Medi. Ar yr wyneb mae'n hollol wahanol i'w diwtor Cymraeg. Er gwaetha'r gwahaniaeth oed mae carwriaeth yn datblygu rhwng y ddau, a Liz yn wynebu creisus tipyn mwy cymhleth na sut i gyflwyno treigladau...

Gwales description: A light-hearted novel about a man who falls in love with his tutor. Liam is new to Liz's class in September. On the face of it, he is completely different from his Welsh tutor. Despite the age difference, a love affair develops between the two, and Liz faces a crisis that is a little more complex than how to introduce mutations...

Exclusive author insight:
Ysgrifennu'r nofel i ddysgwyr, Gwers Mewn Cariad

Y Llythyr

Awdures: Helen Naylor
Addasiad Cymraeg o Two Lives
Wedi'i addasu gan: Dwynwen Teifi

Pris: £6.99

Iaith: Cymraeg, with vocabulary at the bottom of each page

Safon: Canolradd

Cyhoeddwr: CAA Cymru

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781845216818

Disgrifiad Gwales: Ym mhentref bach Treddafydd yng Nghymoedd de Cymru, mae Megan a Huw yn dod yn gariadon. Ond a fydd eu cariad yn ddigon cryf i oroesi'r amgylchiadau? Mae marwolaeth, eu teuluoedd, a'r blynyddoedd ar wahân i gyd yn eu herbyn nhw.

Gwales description: In the small village of Tredafydd in the south Wales valleys, Megan and Huw become lovers. But will their love conquer the circumstances? Death, their families and years apart are all against them.

Uwch / Higher

Cawl a Storïau Eraill

Wedi'i golygu gan Rhiannon Thomas

Pris: £5.99

Iaith: Cymraeg

Safon: Uwch

Cyhoeddwr: Y Lolfa

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781784616168

Ymestynnwch eich Cymraeg gyda Jo Knell / Extend your Welsh with Jo Knell

Disgridiad Gwales: Casgliad o straeon cyfoes gan rai o awduron gorau Cymru.

Gwales description: Contemporary short stories by some of Wales’ best authors.

Cofio Anghofio

Awdur: Alan Maley
Addasiad Cymraeg o Forget to Remember
Wedi'i addasu gan: Elin Meek

Pris: £8.99

Iaith: Cymraeg

Safon: Uwch

Cyhoeddwr: CAA Cymru

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781845216825

Exclusive author insight:
Elin Meek explains how she translated Roald Dahl's works into Welsh.

Disgrifiad Gwales: Stori deimladwy am ymdrech dwy chwaer i ddod i delerau â dementia eu mam, a'i effaith ar eu bywydau.

Gwales description: The story of two sisters who try to come to terms with their mother's illness, and its effect on their own lives.

Elin Meek: Mae nifer o themâu yn y nofel hon: problem gofalu am bobl sy'n heneiddio; dementia; tensiynau rhwng dwy chwaer; tensiynau rhwng pâr priod; beth sy'n ein gwneud ni'n hapus mewn gwirionedd. Dyna ro'n i'n ei deimlo beth bynnag, wrth ddarllen ac addasu'r nofel. Dw i wedi troi'r teitl yn Gymraeg - fel ei fod yn dangos bod angen i ni gofio anghofio am rai pethau yn y gorffennol, er mwyn symud ymlaen i'r dyfodol. Dyna mae'r prif gymeriad yn ei wneud yn y diwedd, dw i'n meddwl.
Roedd y nofel Saesneg wedi ei lleoli yn Llundain, Marlow a Brighton, felly newidiais i'r rhain i: Llanelli, Y Bont-faen a'r Mwmbwls, ger Abertawe. Mae Sarah, y prif gymeriad yn y nofel Saesneg, yn canu 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', felly yn Gymraeg, mae hi'n canu 'Calon Lân'. Dw i'n mwynhau meddwl am ffyrdd o Gymreigio nofelau fel hyn fel bod y darllenydd yn credu yn y nofel fel un sydd wedi'i lleoli yng Nghymru.

Elin Meek: There are a number of themes in this novel: the problem of caring for older people; dementia; tensions between two sisters; tensions between a married pair; and what makes us truly happy. This is what I was feeling anyway, when reading and adapting the novel. I've swapped the title in Welsh- so that it shows we need to remember to forget about some things in the past, in order to move on to the future. This is what the main character does in the end, I think.
The English novel was set in London, Marlow and Brighton, so I changed these to: Llanelli, Cowbridge and Mumbles, near Swansea. Sarah, the main character in the English novel, sings 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', so in the Welsh, she sings 'Calon Lân'. I enjoy thinking about ways to Welshify novels like this so that the reader believes the novel is one that is set in Wales.

Cyffesion Saesnes yng Nghymru

Awdures: Sarah Reynolds
twitter.com/sarahyngnghymru

Pris: £4.99

Iaith: Cymraeg

Safon: Uwch

Cyhoeddwr: Atebol

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781912261284

Exclusive author insight:
Mae Sarah yn cyflwyno ei llyfr cyntaf, Dysgu Byw.

Disgridiad Gwales: Mae Katie newydd symud i Gymru gyda'i gŵr newydd, Dylan. Yn ôl Dylan roedden nhw am fyw mewn tŷ enfawr, ond mae pethau'n mynd o chwith ac mae'n rhaid i'r ddau symud i fyw gyda'i rieni ef. Sut fydd teulu Dylan yn ymdopi gyda Saesnes hollol ddi-glem yn eu plith?

Gwales description: Katie has just moved to live in Wales with new husband Dylan. She had hope to live in a large house but things don't work out as she had anticipated, and she has to live with Dylan's parents. How will Dylan's family cope with a clumsy English woman?

Sarah Reynolds: Mae pob priodas yn antur, ond mae priodi rhywun ry' chi ddim ond wedi nabod ers mis yn antur a hanner! Mae Cyffesion Saesnes yng Nghymru yn dilyn hynt a helynt Katie, sydd wedi cwrdd â Dylan o dan yr haul ar ynys rhamantus Sbaenaidd… ond mae Katie yn dysgu yn go gyflym, bod ei gŵr newydd yn dod fel bargen pecyn. Os yw’r briodas i fod yn llwyddiannus, fe fydd yn rhaid i Katie hefyd dderbyn ei deulu, ei wlad a’i iaith.
Mae Katie yn glanio yng nghefn gwlad Sir Gâr heb air o Gymraeg, a dim clem am ddiwylliant Cymru. Dyw ei siwrne ddim yn hawdd ac yn y nofel gomedïaidd hon; rydw i wir yn gobeithio fe fydd dysgwyr yn chwerthin a gwingo at rhai o’r camgymeriadau mae Katie yn gwneud ar hyd ei siwrne. Mae hon yn stori gariad nid yn unig rhwng Katie a Dylan ond hefyd rhwng Katie a Chymru.

Sarah Reynolds: Every wedding is an adventure, but marrying someone that you have only known for a month is an adventure and a half! Cyffesion Saesnes yng Nghymru follows the troubles of Katie, who has met Dylan under the sun of a romantic Spanish island... but Katie learns quickly that her new husband comes as a package. If the marriage is to be successful, Katie will have to accept his family, his country and his language.
Katie lands in rural Carmarthenshire without a word of Welsh, and not a clue of Welsh culture. Her journey isn't easy and this is a comic novel; I hope that every learner laughs and winces at some of the mistakes that Katie makes on her journey. This is a love story not only between Katie and Dylan but between Katie and Wales.

Llwybrau Cul

Awdur: Mared Lewis

Pris: £8.99

Iaith: Cymraeg

Safon: Uwch

Gomer

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781785622380

Disgrifiad Gwales: Mae'r nofel yn agor ar olygfa damwain liw nos ar ffordd gul yng nghefn gwlad Cymru. Mae tri char wedi cael eu heffeithio. Ond beth sy'n plethu'r tri gyrrwr, a sut cyrhaeddon nhw'r sefyllfa hon?

Gwales description: There has been a three car crash on the back-roads of rural Wales one dark night. But what joins the driver's of these vehicles, and how did they end up here?

Exclusive author insight: Mared Lewis: Creu Fi a Mr Huws & Y Stryd.

Trwy'r Ffenestri

Awdur: Frank Brennan
Addasiad Cymraeg o Windows of the Mind
Wedi'i addasu gan: Manon Steffan Ros
twitter.com/ManonSteffanRos

Pris: £4.99

Iaith: Cymraeg

Safon: Uwch

Cyhoeddwr: Atebol

Prynwch: gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=9781912261437

Disgrifiad Gwales: Dyma gasgliad o straeon byrion difyr a fydd yn siŵr o wneud i chi feddwl. Dewch i adnabod cymeriadau cymhleth, lleoliadau pell, a straeon fydd yn aros yn eich meddwl am amser maith.

Gwales description: A collection of diverse short stories which will be sure to make you think. Get to know complex characters, remote locations, and stories that will stay in your mind for a long time.

Neidiwch i safon - Jump to level: Mynediad - Entry / Sylfaen - Foundation / Canolradd - Intermediate / Uwch - Higher

LlyfrauAmdani    LlyfrauAmdani    LlyfrauAmdani

aber.ac.uk/cy/caa   atebol.com   gomer.co.uk   ylolfa.com

Welsh Valleys Humour / Wenglish Dialect / Talk Tidy

A first visitor to Wales will almost certainly have to converse with a local at some stage, and that is where the trouble may start. Ask for directions and you will be no better off than if you’d bought a sat nav and the ‘speaker’ gave all directions in Klingon.

You will have very little idea of what has been said to you. You’ll probably assume that the person you spoke to answered you in Welsh. The reality is that that person would have actually been speaking to you in English – and it is this version of English that this piece of work is all about – that being, non-standard  English as used in Wales in everyday conversation.

This language is far removed from English that you will be used to and hopefully these pages will ease your communication problems during your stay in the country. Although, at first glance, you may wonder what language it is written in – it is actually written in English. The phonetic version of the written language, that is.

Pronunciation is the biggest hurdle to overcome and the Welsh Valleys Phrasebook is prepared with this in mind. The thing to remember here is that our non-standard words are not necessarily pronounced the Welsh way, even though those words may look like Welsh on paper!

So, if you see an English word, say it as that word is pronounced in English. That will be how it is pronounced in Wales – the difference being that word will mean something else.

Sample Dialogue and Glossary

Press the play button above to listen to David narrate a typical Valleys dialogue, and then match it to items you can read below!
Items in italics relate to a definition that can be found in the full book, which contains over 120 more phrases. Following the definition is a sample dialogue.

Big massive: Huge
“We were down the club earlier and this couple came in and you should’ve seen ‘em. She was a big massive bomper and he was a tiny little dwt.”

Boggin': Unattractive, ugly, unappealing,etc. Similarly, regional variations: Bulin’, Gompin’, Mingin’ Mulin’, Muntin’ & Scruntin’
“Have you seen the state of Ron’s new girlfriend? Boggin’ mun.”
“I yeared she was bulin’. That bad is she?”
“Oh aye, gompin’.”
“His last girlfriend was no oil paintin’ mind.”
“More like an oil slick, mingin’ she was.”
“Oh aye, mulin mun.”
“Mind you, he’s muntin’, can’t expect ‘im to pull any lookers to be honest.”
“Aye, to be fair all his girlfriends ‘ave bin scruntin’.”

Butt/Butt/Butty: Informal term of affection to a mate, pal, friend, associate. The Welsh version of the English, ‘bud’ or buddy’.
“Where to are you off to butt?”
“Alright butt? I’m off to meet Bob down the park.”
“Hang on butt, here’s a stroke of luck, here he comes. Alright butt, how’s it going?”
“Aye, I’m alright butt. What about you?”
“Alright butt, aye.”
“Tidy.”

Cwtch: A very common word, now understood by most English speakers. Made even more famous when international rugby referee Nigel Owens belittled brawling players on national TV when he said: “If you want a cwtch, do it off the field, not on it”.  Commonly, cwtch has three meanings:
A cuddle: Physical show of affection.
To hide something: Example: “I was wrapping his birthday present and he walked in. I had to cwtch it a bit quick under the cushion.”
A place where you put things; akin to the English ‘cubby hole’.
“Cwtch it in the cwtch then give us a cwtch.”

Dai Twice: Contrived name allocated to anyone who’s real name is David Davies.

Dooberry: Generic name for something or someone used when the speaker either doesn’t know the name of the subject or can’t be bothered to use it. Similarly: Do-ins, Doodah, Mackonky, Oojackapivvy, Shmongah, Usser, Whatyoumcallit, Woducall, Wossnim etc.
“Have you seen the dooberry?”
“It’s over there by the oojackapivvy.”
“Who put it there?”
“Wossnim, before he went into town.”
“Wossee gone to town for?”
“Gone to pick up a doodah.”
“I wish he’d said, I wanted a mackonky to go with this shmongah.”
“I think I’ve got one of them, over there by the whatyoumacallit. See it?”
“Aye, great stuff. I thought for a moment I’d have to borrow one off Woducall.”
“He ‘asn’t got one, he uses a different Do-ins.”

Drive: Generic name for the driver of a public service vehicle. Commonly heard when the contents of a double-decker exits at the bus station:
“Cheers Drive.”
“Cheers Drive.”
“Cheers Drive.”
“Cheers Drive.”
“Cheers Drive.”
“Thank you Driver.”  (Middle class passenger)

Gutsy: Greedy or gluttonous.
“Where’s all them doughnuts to?”
“I ate ‘em.”
“You gutsy bastard!”

Now, in a minute: Some time later. Certainly not soon.
“Willew turn that football off? I want to watch the drama on ITV.”
“I’ll turn it off now in a minute love, when it finishes.”
“How long is left?”
“They’re three minutes into the first half.”

Tidy: A real monster. Tidy can mean just about anything positive, pleasurable, good, neat, smart, satisfying, etc.,  that the user chooses to describe as ‘tidy’. The list of possible definitions is inexhaustible, but could be represented in the abridged example:
“How’s it going butt?”
“Tidy, mun aye.”
“How did the interview go?”
“Tidy butt, I got the job. They gimme a maths test and I done it tidy by all account.”
“Tidy! Much different to what you’ve bin doin’”
“Oh aye, tidy job this is. Didn’t like my last job much to be honest. Gotta dress tidy an’all.”
“Tidy. Office job is it?”
“Aye. Gotta get some tidy shoes before I start. I’ve got a tidy suit and tidy shirts, but my shoes ‘en up to much.”
“Well you gotta ‘ave tidy shoes if you d’work in an office butt. Create a tidy impression see.”
“Well, I gotta dash. I gotta tidy my room before I get into town for them shoes.”
“All the best butt. See you in a bit I spoze. I’ll tell my missus about your new job.”
“Tidy. See you butt.”

Traaaaa: Goodbye. Farewell, ta-ta
“Ok, traaaa, see you Sunday.”
“Aye, see you Sunday, traaaa.”
“Traaaa.”
“Traaaa.”

Yer: Very versatile interchangeable word for; ear, year, here, hear. At the hospital:
“What’re you doin’ yer?”  (here)
“Got summut wrong with my yer.” (ear)
“What? You mean you can’t yer things?” (hear)
“Aye, ‘ad the problem over a yer and only now they’ve got round to seeing me.” (year)

Up by yer
If you ask a Welsh person where they are, or where something is, where they’ve been, where they’re going, you may not be fully au fait with the answer you get. We tend to like to instill a bit of mystery into the whereabouts of the subject of the question by not pinpointing its exact location, but steer you towards somewhere nearby. A form of guessing game that is played and enjoyed by all- the habit of saying, “By here” or “By there”.

So, if you ask where the Radio Times is and the response is “By there”, you may well be in the same boat as you were before you asked the question. This will mean that the responder will be making some gesture, either with his/her eyes or pointing with a finger which means that you must make a conscious effort to observe him/her when he/she responds so that you can follow the physical signs to find what you are looking for.

On the other hand, the responder may be more specific and reply with a: “By there by the coffee table.” This will enhance your success at finding the Radio Times exponentially because all you have to do is find the coffee table and hunt around in that vicinity.

The ‘by’ in this case is actually a non-descript unit of measurement. The Radio Times could actually be on the coffee table, on the floor at the side of the coffee table, a yard away from the coffee table or roughly within the same postcode that the coffee table is sitting in at the time. Quite a lot of scope there, but all perfectly acceptable.

You will see that I did not exaggerate when I made reference to within the same postcode when I tell you about a snippet gleaned from a conversation I heard a few years ago:
“Where to is Manchester?”
“It’s up north somewhere, up by Liverpool.”
In this case, the ‘by’ represented a distance in the region of 34 miles! As you can see, in this case it has actually exceeded the post-code boundary.

Asking and replying using the ‘by’ method

There are no standard protocols when questioning and answering here. There are certainly no rules covering tense, grammar, syntax – this is entirely governed by the speaker, and depending on the speaker, this can become as convoluted as he/she deems appropriate. Here are some examples of questions/answers which show the scope for the progression of bizarreness.

Questions                                                        Answers
“Where to is it?                                               “It’s up by yer.”
“Where is it to?”                                             “It’s down under by there.”
“Where’s it by?”                                             “It’s over by there.”
“Where to is it by?”                                        “I don’t know where to it’s by”
“Where by is it to?”                                        “It’s up over by yer.”
“Where by will you be to.”                              “In the bus station, by Burger King.”
“I put it by yer, and it en by yer now.”            “It was by yer. Where’s it’s to now?”

David Jandrell: My life through Valleys English

My immersion into the non-standard version of English spoken in the Welsh valleys began in 1955 when my mother gave birth to me on the kitchen table in a tiny house on the border of two villages, Cwmcarn and Pontywaun, in the county then known as Monmouthshire. Although I can’t remember it, the first words that I would have heard would have been along the lines of:
“Cor, flippin ‘eck mun. Inny luvly.”
“Aw bless. Jess like ‘is daar.”
“Worra luvly little dwt, he is, inny. Oooooh aye.”
“Worrew gonna call ‘im Joan?"
“Come over by yer Margaret and see your brother. Go on mun, give ‘im a kiss innit.”

And that was the language I grew up with.

In those days, Monmouthshire was a political hot potato, with regular debates of: is Monmouthshire in England or in Wales? This debate had been going on and off for over 400 years and even now in 2018 it is not clear when this area was ‘English’ or ‘Welsh’ or how long these periods of Englishness and Welshness lasted to classify those who lived there.

When I was in Cwmcarn Junior School the education authority seemed to lean towards Englishness, as I remember from my introduction to the National Anthem. It would have been sometime before St. David’s Day when the whole school were ushered into the school hall and told to sit cross-legged on the floor. The Headmaster unrolled a large printed canvas with ‘Land of Our Fathers’ in huge letters written on it. The anthem was actually written in English, and that’s how we were taught the anthem – in English.  For some reason, the educationalists throughout my primary secondary and tertiary education never deemed it compulsory to teach us the Welsh version.

My first ever contact with the Welsh language proper came about during visits to Cwmcarn post office. The postmistress, Mrs Clarke, rarely tended the counter- instead she sat at the back of the shop and shouted in Welsh at someone into one of only seven telephones that were in Cwmcarn at the time. Mrs Clarke often came up in our conversations in school:
“Dwn Mrs Clarke talk funny?”
“Aye. Can’t understand ‘er mun.”
“Our mam d’reckon it’s Welsh she’s talking.”
“Cor, flippin’ ‘eck, Welsh is it?”
“Aye, according to our mam anyhow.”
“Avew gorra shout Welsh?”
“Speckt so, Mrs Clarke’s always shouting when she d’talk it.”

So apart from Mrs Clarke, the language that I was immersed in was the south east Welsh Valleys version of English.

In 1974 the county on Monmouthshire disappeared and replaced by the county of Gwent and we were now all officially Welsh. Phew!  Having said that, Gwent was very Anglicised at the time compared with most of its surrounding areas, and still is.

My mother’s language was intermittently anglicised. This phenomenon occurred when she was on the telephone. My parents were very friendly with Charles Dickens’ great-grandson, Cedric Dickens, and he telephoned them regularly. He spoke with a very refined public school English accent (think Jacob Rees-Mogg), so when the phone rang Mother would get into ‘the zone’ to be ready just in case the caller was Cedric. If it wasn’t, she still maintained the posher stance but toned it down a bit so that she didn’t appear snobbish to whoever she was talking to.  If it was Cedric though, she went for the ‘full monty’.

When I got to the fifth form in school (aged 15) I noticed that the girls, with whom we’d shared every lesson since we entered secondary education, started to become a ‘bit posher’ and began to refine their language as they tried to sound sophisticated. Us boys didn’t really embrace this and distanced ourselves from them, as we were only interested in fighting and playing football. We didn’t need to use BBC English in order to follow these pursuits!

Before leaving for University, my group of friends decided that we would all meet up in the Beaufort pub in Newbridge over the following Christmas break to compare notes on our first term away from home. I noticed some drastic changes in the language that me ex-peers were using- I was the only person using the language that we all spoke the previous September.  Instead of picking up regional English accents, they all had the same accent- a version, or as near as they could get, to ‘BBC English’ obviously to ‘fit in’ with their newly acquired peer groups

I didn’t feel as if I ‘knew’ them any more and was quite disappointed that these people had modified their speech and, ‘bettered themselves’ in their eyes.  Even the swearing had been poshed up. I noticed that the standard valley exclamation, ‘fuckin’ ‘ell mun!’ had morphed into the more refined sounding, “Fahking Hell!”

I heard the term, ‘well spoken’ a lot in those days and those who were ‘well spoken’ deserved more respect and a better level of customer service from shopkeepers if they were ‘well spoken’. I began to hear this term more and more and my sister extended it to being ‘better spoken'. To me, ‘well spoken’ was code for ‘not using the Valleys language or accent.’

I always made sure I maintained my valleys accent throughout my 20s and 30s while living in England. When I visited shops I always asked for what I wanted in my natural Valleys accent. This meant that, mostly, I would not be understood and my request would be met with a, ‘pardon?’

When returning to work in Wales in my 40s I noticed that the bonding of different social groups centred entirely around the friendly but competitive banter about how we all spoke.  One thing this new environment taught me was that, despite the very diverse mix of accents- from the west country to Swansea, including Cardiff, Barry, Newport and the Valleys, the consensus was that the least desirable accent to have was, yes, you guessed, the Valleys accent.  

Interestingly, my Valleys accent has been ridiculed and patronised more by people from Newport and Cardiff than any other regions in the UK – including the times when I resided ‘over the bridge’. Yes, if you had a Valleys accent you were the pits. It was probably because of this that I started to take an interest in accents, idioms and language which led me to observe and report on them in the future.

I had observed how diverse the Valleys accent was in the Ebbw Valley (where I now live) and had identified vast differences in accents (five distinct) between Risca in the south to Ebbw Vale, in the north. Risca is very anglicised, but travel north towards places like Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, their vowel sounds get flatter and more drawn out, changes in syntax are marked and aitches rarely sounded. So, I was well armed with thoughts of noticeable changes in ways of speaking between distances of five or six miles in the Ebbw valley, but I was not prepared for what I was about to experience when I took up a teaching post at Ystrad Mynach college in 2000.

Students at Ystrad Mynach came from the Rhymney, Rhondda, Cynon and Taff valleys. By this time you’d think I was a bit of an expert in Valley accents, dialect and idioms. Not so. It took me a good eighteen months before I was fully au fait with the language used by the students. In my early days I failed to understand many of the students because their version of the Valleys English was so far removed from the version that I used. They didn’t have any trouble understanding me though – according to them, I spoke with a refined English accent, akin to newscasters on the telly.

Even the staff regarded me as a bit posh, even aloof. I remember a brief conversation with a colleague not long after I’d started:
“Where to are you from then, butt?”
“Cwmcarn.”
“Where by is that to?”
“Near Newport.”
“English arrew?”
“Er …. no. Welsh.”
“Bugger off, Newport’s England mun.”
They believed this so strongly that amongst a small group of colleagues, I was known as, 'English Dai.'

When I wrote Welsh Valleys Phrasebook I drew on the non-standard English used in a wide spectrum of different areas gleaned from my own ability to speak fluent Ebbw valleyspeak and my recently acquired Rhymney/Rhondda/Cynon/Taff valleyspeak. Whilst very diverse, the nonstandard English used was standard within the villages that used it and was the norm – even though 10 miles away, the language could be very different.  I concluded that the language is as vibrant and colourful as it has always been.

Will the language of the Welsh valleys ever die out? I hope not.

David's books are available from Y Lolfa:

Other exclusive writing by David on parallel.cymru:

David Jandrell’s first ‘What’s On In Cwmcarn’ newsletter- Legacy Edition

Welsh Valleys Q&A

Jump to: Local Courses / Residential Courses / Listen and Watch / Read / Publishers / Using the Language / Festivals / Interact / England / North America / Resources / Unofficial resources

Gwersi / Lessons

Y Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Gendlaethol / The National Centre for Learning Welsh

learnwelsh.cymru

The National Centre for Learning Welsh is responsible for all aspects of the Welsh for Adults education programme - from curriculum and course development to resources for tutors, research, marketing and e-learning. Its aim is to attract new learners to the Welsh language and increase the numbers using and enjoying Welsh each day. The National Centre works with a network of  providers across Wales, which delivers Welsh courses on its behalf and are outline below.

Addysgydd ac Awdures Eiry Miles:
Creu cyrsiau newydd ar gyfer dysgu Cymraeg / Educator and Author Eiry Miles: Creating new courses for learning Welsh

Lynda Pritchard Newcombe:
WLPAN: O Israel i Gymru: Llinach cyrsiau Cymraeg i Oedolion / From Israel to Wales: The lineage of Welsh for Adults courses

Say Something In Welsh

saysomethingin.com/welsh

SaySomethingInWelsh is a course that focuses on helping people learn to speak and understand Welsh, and avoids wasting time on complicated grammar rules and reading/writing. Based on the latest research in language learning, the course provides downloadable MP3 files for free. The entire introductory course of 25 lessons, the practice sessions and vocabulary units are all entirely free of charge. Give it a go and you'll be speaking Welsh in no time!

Nicky Roberts:
Dysgu Cymraeg gyda Say Something In Welsh / Learning Welsh with Say Something In Welsh

Profiad Iaith: Pobl Sydd yn Siarad am Ddysgu a Defnyddio’r Iaith / Language Experience: People Speaking about Learning and Using Welsh

Duolingo

duolingo.com/course/cy/ en/Learn-Welsh-Online

Everyone learns in different ways. For the first time in history, we can analyze how millions of people learn at once to create the most effective educational system possible and tailor it to each student. Duolingo's ultimate goal is to give everyone access to a private tutor experience through technology. It's hard to stay motivated when learning online, so we made Duolingo so fun that people would prefer picking up new skills over playing a game.

Duolingo Welsh for English speakers:
Dathlu 1 miliwn o ddefnyddwyr / Celebrating 1 million users

Cyrsiau Lleol / Local Courses & Classes

Anglesey, Conwy & Gwynedd

Denbighshire

Wrexham & Flintshire

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/bangor-universitygrwp-llandrillo-menai

Bangor University
Dean Street
Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 1UT

dysgucymraeg@bangor.ac.uk

01248 383928

learn_cymraeg

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/coleg-cambriapopeth-cymraeg

Canolfan Iaith Clwyd
Pwll y Grawys
Denbigh
Denbighshire
LL16 3LG

gwybod@popethcymraeg.com

01745 812287

popethcymraeg

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/coleg-cambriapopeth-cymraeg

Coleg Cambria
Grove Park Road
Wrexham
LL12 7AB

learncymraeg@cambria.ac.uk

01978 26 7596

Ceredigion, Powys & Carmathenshire

Carmarthenshire

Merthyr Tydfil, RCT & Bridgend

Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport & Torfaen

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/aberystwyth-university

Aberystwyth University
P5 Penglais Campus
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion SY23 3UX

learnwelsh@aber.ac.uk

0800 876 6975

learnwelshCP

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/carmarthenshire-county-council

Carmarthenshire County Council
Parc Dewi Sant
Carmarthen
Carmarthenshire
SA31 3HB

learnwelsh@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

 01267 246861

learncymraegSG

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/university-of-south-wales

University of South Wales
D Block (Dyffryn)
Trefforest
Pontypridd
CF37 1DL

learnwelsh@southwales.ac.uk

01443 483600

learncymraegMG

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/coleg-gwent

Learn Welsh Gwent
Coleg Gwent
Blaendare Road
Pontypool
NP4 5YE

welsh@coleggwent.ac.uk

01495 333710

learncymraegGWE

Pembrokeshire

Swansea, Neath & Port Talbot

Cardiff

Vale of Glamorgan

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/pembrokeshire-county-council

Preseli Community Learning Centre
Ysgol y Preseli
Crymych
Pembrokeshire
SA41 3QH

learnwelsh@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

01437 770180

LearnCymraegPem

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/swansea-university

Learn Welsh
Talbot Building
Swansea University
Singleton Park Campus
Swansea
SA2 8PP

learnwelsh@swansea.ac.uk

01792 60 20 70

learncymraegABA

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/cardiff-university

School of Welsh
Cardiff University
John Percival Building
Colum Drive
Cardiff
CF10 3EU

info@learnwelsh.co.uk

029 2087 4710

LearnCymraegCF

learnwelsh.cymru/about-us/providers/vale-of-glamorgan-council

Learn Welsh
Palmerston Learning Centre
Cadoc Crescent
Barry
CF63 2NT

learnwelsh@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk

01446 730402

LearnWelshBro

Cyrsiau Preswyl / Residential Courses

Nant Gwrtheyrn

nantgwrtheyrn.cymru

Nant Gwrtheyrn or “the Nant” as it is often called, now home to the National Welsh Language and Heritage Centre, is a magical place located in a former quarrying village on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in north Wales. The Centre specialises in Welsh for Adults (as a second language) and offers intensive residential courses throughout the year.

Prifysgol Aberystwyth

aber.ac.uk/en/learn-welsh

A four-week intensive summer course. Over the years, hundreds of people have become fluent Welsh speakers thanks to this ground-breaking course. You will be immersed in the Welsh language from dawn to dusk, speaking the language both in the classroom and socially.

Prifysgol Caerdydd

welshforadults. cardiff.ac.uk

Intensive courses every summer of varying lengths. Experience the capital city of Wales and enjoy great Welsh history and culture on your doorstep. Cardiff is a vibrant city which is packed full of Welsh history and opportunities to speak the Welsh language.

Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant

uwtsd.ac.uk/ courses/welsh-learners

One-week intense courses at Easter and in July in Lampter. The University is located in the heart of Welsh speaking Wales, providing learners with ample opportunity to practise the language. Where better to learn Welsh? Come to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David on the Lampeter campus to learn Welsh quickly, in a relaxed atmosphere with the help of experienced Welsh language tutors.

Gwrando a Gwylio / Listen and Watch

Apton

apton.cymru

A streaming service specifically for music by Welsh labels- over 10,000 tracks with no advertising.. Compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and web based platforms.

Cymru FM

cymru.fm

Cymru FM is a 24/7 online radio platform which allows users to contribute and broadcast their very own radio shows. It’s mainly aimed at Welsh speakers, Welsh learners and those with a keen interest in anything Welsh. It allows local communities to create and broadcast their own shows.

Radio Cymru

bbc.co.uk/radiocymru

The main source for listening to Welsh-language talk shows and music; the new Radio Cymru 2 station offers even more choice of broadcasts, and you can catch up online for free.

Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens:
Hyrwyddo cerddoriaeth Gymreig ar draws y DU / Promoting Welsh music across the UK

S4C

s4c.cymru

s4c.cymru/clic

s4c.cymru/en/ entertainment/dal-ati

Welsh language TV channel. Shows are available online for 30 days on catch up, and each Sunday morning a show for learners is broadcast: Dal Ati (keep at it).

Cyflwynydd S4C Alun Williams:
Straeon am fy ngyrfa ym myd teledu / Stories from my TV career

Darllen / Read

Cyfres Amdani

parallel.cymru/amdani

An exciting series of 20 books for adults who are learning Welsh, arranged by level (Mynediad, Sylfaen, Canolradd and Uwch) and aligned with national Welsh for Adults curriculum. A wide range of authors have contributed, including some of Wales' best-known and some who have learnt Welsh themselves. The range contains 14 new works and 6 adaptions of Cambridge Readers for new English speakers.

BBC Cymru Fyw

bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw

The main source of online written news and analysis for Welsh-language speakers.

Gwales

gwales.com

The retail arm of the Welsh Books Council, allowing you to buy from one place any of the vast range of Welsh-language books and publications. International shipping is available at reasonable rates.

Llyfr y Mis:
Monthly selections from the Welsh Books Council

Wicipedia

cy.wikipedia.org

The free encyclopedia with over 100,000 articles available in Welsh.

Wikimedian Jason Evans:
Sut mae'r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru yn cydweithio gyda Wicipedia / How the National Library of Wales partners with Wikipedia

Cyhoeddwyr / Publishers

Atebol

atebol.com

CAA Cymru

aber.ac.uk/en/caa

Gomer

gomer.co.uk

Y Lolfa

ylolfa.com

Cyflwyno blog Y Lolfa: Y Silff Llyfrau / Introducing Y Lofla's blog: The Welsh Bookshelf

Cyfres Amdani- Llyfrau i Ddysgwyr: Tu ôl y Llen / Behind the Scenes

Defnyddio'r Iaith / Using the Language

Yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol

eisteddfod.wales

Held during the first week of August every year, the National Eisteddfod is a celebration of the culture and language in Wales. The festival travels from place to place, alternating between north and south Wales, attracting around 150,000 visitors and over 250 tradestands and stalls. The history of the Eisteddfod in Wales can be traced back to 1176, with the modern history of the organisation dating back to 1861.  Traditionally a competition-based festival, attracting over 6,000 competitors every year, the festival has developed and evolved over recent years, and whilst the competitions form the central focus for the week, the Maes (site) itself has grown and developed into a vibrant festival with hundreds of events and activities for the whole family.

Gareth Thomas:
Iolo Morganwg a’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol / Iolo Morganwg and the National Eisteddfod

Mentrau Iaith

mentrauiaith.cymru

The Mentrau Iaith are the way in which local communities work together for the benefit of the Welsh language.  They have proven to be an effective community development model whose work makes a real difference to local communities. Today, there are 22 Mentrau Iaith which serve each and every part of Wales, such as providing events for learners, activities for children and organising music gigs.

Marged Rhys & Heledd ap Gwynfor:
Chwe mis ym Mentrau Iaith Cymru / Six months in Mentrau Iaith Cymru

Cymdeithas yr Iaith

cymdeithas.cymru

A group of people campaigning on behalf for the Welsh language and the communities of Wales as part of the international revolution over rights and freedoms.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith:
Blog dwyieithog / Bilingual blog

Gwyliau / Festivals

Tafwyl

tafwyl.org

Tafwyl is Cardiff’s annual Welsh arts and culture festival – a huge Welsh party! It's a family friendly festival, and is a lively mix of music, literature, drama, comedy, art, sports, food and drink. The event is nine days in total: a fringe event held all around the city for 7 days, ending with the main weekend event at Cardiff Castle at the start of July. Entry to Tafwyl is free and open to all – Welsh speaker or not. It’s a great event for families, Welsh learners and people experiencing Welsh language and culture for the first time.

Eisteddfod yr Urdd

urdd.cymru/en/eisteddfod

The Urdd National Eisteddfod is one of Europe’s largest youth touring festivals that attracts around 90,000 visitors over a week at the end of May and is held in a different location in Wales each year.  The Eisteddfod is a competitive festival with over 15,000 children and young people under the age of 25 competing during the Eisteddfod week in various competitions such as singing, dancing and performing. They have won their place following local and regional rounds held in the spring months leading up to the Eisteddfod.

Gŵyl Arall

gwylarall.com

A jam-packed weekend of literature, music, art and film in Caernarfon each July.

Dani Schlick:
Gŵyl Ddewi Arall yng Nghaernarfon / Gŵyl Ddewi Arall in Caernarfon

Eisteddfod Rhyngwladol Llangollen

international-eisteddfod.co.uk/cy

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. Singers and dancers from around the world are invited to take part in over 20 competitions followed each evening by concerts on the main stage. Over five thousand singers, dancers and instrumentalists from around 50 countries perform to audiences of more than 50,000 over the 6 days of the event.

Rhyngweithio / Interact

Map of places to speak Welsh

parallel.cymru/siarad

A crowd-sourced interactive map of over 300 shops, cafes, pubs and more where there is likelihood of staff speaking Welsh.

Say Something In Welsh Forum

forum.saysomethingin.com

A large community of learners from all over the world; a warm welcome is offered to all. To encourage accessibility, the language of the forum is English or bilingual.

Welsh speaking practice on Slack

welshspeakingpractice
.slack.com

A community of volunteers offering facilitated video/spoken practice sessions on Slack- all are welcome, including to sessions aimed at very new learners.

Yr Iaith Gymraeg ar Twitter

parallel.cymru/twitter

An dashboard of the main accounts on Twitter that use Welsh; a chance to read and participate in conversations.

Nicky Roberts: Cyflwyno sesiynau ar-lein ar gyfer dysgwyr newydd sbon ar Welshspeakingpractice.slack.com / Presenting online sessions for brand new learners on Welshspeakingpractice.slack.com

Lloegr / England

London Welsh Centre

londonwelsh.org

The home of the Welsh language community in the South-East, the Centre has a bar, classes, choirs and organises social events from its base in Kings Cross.

Derby

derbywelshlearnerscircle. blogspot.co.uk

A keen group of learners and speakers in Derby, who also caretake resources and contacts for communities around England.

Jonathan Simcock:
Dysgu a defnyddio Cymraeg yn Derby / Learning and using Welsh in Derby

Wales Week in London

walesweek.london

Wales Week in London is an annual series of activities and events that celebrate and promote everything that's great about Wales. Through a calendar of events around St David's Day, which galvanises existing Welsh communities in London, Wales Week in London builds a positive momentum across the capital that is distinctly about Wales.

Golgedd America / North America

AmeriCymru

americymru.net

Offers magazine stories, classes and an online shop for the Amercian Welsh-interest community.

Ninnau & Y Drych

ninnau.com

The North American Welsh Newspaper, dedicated to preserving and enhancing the vitality of the North American Welsh community.

Cymry Efrog Newydd / New York Welsh

newyorkwelsh.com

A network to support Welsh people and those that have an affinity for Wales, with a monthly meet-up, as well as a number of cultural and professional events.

Cymdeithas Madog

madog.org

Cymdeithas Madog, the Welsh Studies Institute in North America, Inc. is a non-profit that sponsors Cwrs Cymraeg, a week-long Welsh language course at a different North American campus every July.

North American Festival of Wales

thewnaa.org

The festival is held in a different location each year, in either the U.S. or Canada, and celebrated over the shared Labor Day holiday weekend. It celebrates the life, heritage, and culture of Wales over four full days of song, merriment, and camaraderie with old and new friends.

Wales Around The World: A Collection of Societies and Groups

Shelley Hughes: Llywodraeth Cymru yng Ngogledd America / Welsh Government in North America

Dysgwr Michelle Fecio: Adnoddau i ddysgwyr rhyngwladol / Resources for International Learners

Adnoddau / Resources

Ask Dr Gramadeg

parallel.cymru/ask-dr-gramadeg

A bilingual online grammar guide, presenting bite-sized topics in the order that Welsh for Adults classes are taught, with a search facility.

BBC Bitesize

bbc.com/bitesize/levels/z8w76sg

Welsh language revision and study resources for GCSE pupils, but great for adult learners as well.

Cysill Ar-Lein: Gwirydd Sillafu a Gramadeg Cymraeg / Spellchecker and Grammar checker on-line

cysgliad.com/cysill/arlein

An online spealling and grammar checker, from Bangor University's Language Technologies Unit.

Cyfeiriadur Cymreig / Welsh Directory

ylolfa.com/directory

A comprehensive list of services, companies and resources that operate through the Welsh language.

Mwy o fideos a sŵn / More videos and sound

S4C's Hwb

youtube.com...

Between 2012 and 2014 S4C broadcast a series for new learners called Hwb (boost), presented by an experienced tutor, Nia Parry, and a learner, Matt Johnson. Archives are available on S4C.

Yn Chwarae 

youtube.com/c/YnChwarae

Sianel Youtube Gemau Fideo i Oedolion 18+ / A YouTube channel for gamers aged over 18

Y Pod

ypod.cymru

A collection of Welsh-language podcasts.

Learn Welsh with Nicky

youtube.com

Nicky started learning Welsh at the end of 2016 and made very rapid progress; his YouTube channel captures his infectious approach to the language.

Crewyd gwaith celf y prif lun gan Rhiannon Roberts, rhiannonart.co.uk
The artwork in the main image was created by Rhiannon Roberts, rhiannonart.co.uk
Rhiannon Roberts: Peintio Cymru mewn lliwiau newydd / Painting Wales in new colours