Lynne Blanchfield Eisteddfodau

Lynne Blanchfield: Cystadlu mewn Eisteddfodau i Ddysgwyr – Rhowch Gynnig Arni! / Competing in Learners’ Eisteddfods – Give it a go!

Mae llawer o gyfleoedd i ddysgwyr ymarfer eu lefel o’r iaith trwy gystadlu mewn Eisteddfodau ar draws y wlad, a dyma Lynne yn siarad mwy am ei phrofiad o wneud hyn – gan gynnwys llwyddiant bach yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol.

There are lots of opportunities for learners to practise their level of language through competing in Eisteddfods across the country, and here Lynne speaks more about her experience of doing this – including a small success in the National Eisteddfod!

Un bore Sul ym mis Awst 2019, cyrhaeddodd ebost oddi wrth un o’m tiwtoriaid, yn dweud yr enillodd fy ngherdd yr ail wobr yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Sir Conwy (Adran Dysgwyr). “Oeddet ti'n gwybod?” meddai hi – nac o’n! Doedd dim clem gyda fi ei bod hi wedi ennill dim byd o gwbl.One Sunday morning in August 2019, an email arrived from one of my tutors, saying that my poem had won second place in the National Eisteddfod Conwy (Learners’ Section). “Did you know?” she said – no I didn’t! I had no idea that it had achieved anything at all.
Cysylltir â’r enillwyr yn unig, felly nid yw’r cystadleuwyr eraill yn cael gwybod am eu hymdrechion, ac roedd Llanrwst yn yn rhy bell i fi fynychu’r digwyddiad. Felly alla i ddim disgrifio’r seremoni wobrwyo, ond hoffwn i rannu gyda dysgwyr eraill fy mhrofiad o gymryd rhan mewn cystadlaethau, er mwyn eich annog chi i geisio! Os ydw i’n gallu cyrraedd y tri uchaf, fe allwch chi hefyd! Only the winners are contacted, so other competitors don’t know the outcome of their efforts, and Llanrwst was too far for me to attend the event. So I can’t describe the award ceremony, but I would like to share with other learners my experience of taking part in competitions, to encourage you to try! If I can make it into the top three, so can you!
Wrth dderbyn y neges oddi wrth fy nhiwtor, roeddwn i’n teimlo fy mod i wedi cyrraedd y brig ar fy nhro cyntaf. Gwir anrhydedd yw bod yn Ail mewn Gŵyl sydd mor bwysig i’r diwylliant Cymraeg. Braint i fi yw gweld y feirniadaeth wedi’i chyhoeddi yn llyfr Cyfansoddiau a Beirniadaethau Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Sir Conwy 2019. [Gweler mwy am hyn yn isod.] Mae cyfrolau blynyddol yr Eisteddfod yn adnodd heb ei ail i ddysgwyr sy’n dymuno ysgrifennu’n greadigol yn y Gymraeg. Mae’n fuddiol darllen cyfansoddiadau buddugol a’r beirniadaethau ar yr holl geisiadau (dan ffugenwau’n unig heblaw am yr enillwyr). On getting that message from my tutor, I felt as though I had made it to the top at my first go! It is a real honour to come second in such an important festival in Welsh culture. I felt privileged to see the judgement published in the book Compositions and Judgements of the Conwy Eisteddfod 2019. [See more on this below.] The yearly Eisteddfod volumes are a resource second-to-none for learners wishing to do Welsh creative writing. It’s beneficial to read both the winning compositions and also the judgements on all the entries (under pen names only except for the winners).
Hyd yn oed os nad ydych chi’n ennill, mae’n ffordd dda i ddatblygu sgiliau ieithyddol, trwy chwarae gyda’r iaith, a thrwy’r ddisgyblaeth o ddysgu rheolau a ffurfiau cyfyngedig y mesurau a’r odlau – ffordd fwy diddorol i ategu ymarferion gramadegol arferol! Mae’r Gynghanedd tu hwnt i fi ar hyn o bryd – dyma’r cam nesaf! Even if you don’t win, it’s a good way of developing your linguistic skills, by playing with the language, and through the discipline of learning the rules and restricted forms of metres and rhymes – a more interesting way of supplementing the usual grammatical exercises! Cynghanedd is beyond me at the moment – that’s the next step!
Dechreuais i wrth gystadlu yng Ngŵyl Haf Merched y Wawr (cangen Aberystwyth), gan ennill y wobr gyntaf yn 2015 gydag ebost syml ar lefel Sylfaen, a’r ail wobr yn 2016 ar lefel Canolradd, gyda darn o ryddiaith yn dadansoddi poblogrwydd yr emyn Calon Lân. Mae aelodau Merched y Wawr yn gyfeillgar ac yn gefnogol iawn o ferched sy’n dysgu Cymraeg: maen nhw’n ein hysbrydoli ni i gymryd rhan yn niwylliant Cymru, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn amdano.I started by competing in the Merched y Wawr summer festival (Aberystwyth branch), by winning first prize in 2015 with a simple email at Foundation Level, and second prize in 2016 at Intermediate Level with a prose piece analysing the popularity of the hymn Calon Lân. The members of Merched y Wawr are very friendly and supportive to women Welsh learners: they inspire us to take part in Welsh culture, for which I’m very grateful.
Dechreuais i ysgrifennu darnau mwy creadigol yn ystod y Cwrs Haf Cymraeg Dwys, a gynhelir yn flynyddol ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth – gallaf ei argymell yn gryf! Mae dosbarthiadau ar lefelau 1-5 (Mynediad-Uwch) a Chwrs Cymraeg Proffesiynol hefyd (lefel 6). Gall dysgwyr ar lefel 5 fynychu’r Cwrs Proffesiynol, hyd yn oed os ydyn nhw’n weithwyr cyflogedig neu beidio. Mae’r profiad yn ymestyn sgiliau siarad ac ysgrifennu, trwy weithio mewn grwpiau i gynhyrchu cyflwyniadau ac adroddiadau. I started writing more creative pieces during the Intensive Welsh Summer Course, held yearly in Aberystwyth University – I can strongly recommend it! There are classes at levels 1-5 (Entry level to Advanced) and also a Professional Welsh Course (level 6). Learners from level 5 can attend the Professional Welsh Course, whether they are paid employees or not. The experience extends both spoken and written skills, through working in small groups to produce presentations and reports.
Yn 2017 cynhaliwyd cystadlaethau wythnosol ar gyfer pob lefel y Cwrs Haf Cymraeg Dwys, ac roeddwn i wrth fy modd yn ennill y wobr gyntaf am fy ngherdd gyntaf erioed yn y Gymraeg ar yr hen ddywediad ‘Hawdd cynnau tân ar hen aelwyd’. In 2017 weekly competitions were held for every level in the Intensive Welsh Summer Course, and I was over the moon to win first prize for my first ever poem in Welsh on the old saying ‘It’s easy to kindle a fire on an old hearth’.
Mae’r gerdd yn syml iawn ond yn agos at fy nghalon:The poem is very simple but close to my heart:
Roedd fy hen aelwyd ym Mhrestatyn
Yn llosgi gan gariad y Gymraeg;
Roedd y tân yn diffodd yn Lloegr,
Ond cynnwyd sbardun gan ddraig:
Daeth y Ddraig Goch i’m nôl i
i aelwyd newydd ym Mhen-y-Graig;
A nawr mae’r tŷ yn dwym a chariadus,
Gyda ’ngŵr a fy mywyd fel dysgwraig.
My old hearth was in Prestatyn
Burning with love of the Welsh language;
The fire was extinguished in England,
But a spark was ignited by a dragon:
The Red Dragon came to fetch me home
To a new hearth in Pen-y-Graig;
And now the house is warm and loving,
With my husband and my life learning Welsh.
Roeddwn i’n siomedig na chynhaliwyd gwaith cystadleuol yng Nghwrs Haf Dwys 2018. Mae’r holl diwtoriaid yn gweithio mor galed ar ein cyfer, a doedd dim digon o amser gyda nhw i’w drefnu, ond heb os nac oni bai roedd hyn yn golled fawr. Serch hynny, ces i ysbrydoliaeth i ysgrifennu cerdd arall. Bob prynhawn dydd Mercher, mae siaradwyr o’r gymuned yn dod i helpu’r dysgwyr trwy sgwrsio â nhw yn y Gymraeg, neu drwy wneud gweithgareddau amrywiol fel chwarae gemau iaith neu ddarllen gyda’i gilydd. Roeddwn i yng ngrŵp 5 ar y pryd, a gofynnodd dyn i ni, ‘sut allaf i helpu chi orau’? I was disappointed that competition work was not held in the 2018 Intensive Welsh Summer Course. All the tutors work so hard on our behalf and there just wasn’t any time for them to arrange it, but undoubtedly it was a great loss. However, I did get inspiration to write another poem. Every Wednesday afternoon, speakers from the community come to help learners by chatting to them in Welsh, or by doing various activities such as playing language games or reading together. I was in Group 5 at the time, and a gentleman asked us, ‘how can I best help you?’
Yn sgil hyn, daeth syniad am gerdd i’m meddwl am sut i’w ateb, ac ar ôl dysgu ffyrdd o fynegi fy syniadau mewn Cymraeg resymol farddonol, des i o hyd i gystadleuaeth farddonol Eisteddfod y Dysgwyr yn Aberhonddu ym Mai 2019 – a'r testun oedd ‘Y Bont’, yn berffaith addas i’m cerdd. Gydag anogaeth gan fy nhiwtoriaid, anfonais i hi i’r gystadleuaeth, ac roeddwn i wrth fy modd yn ennill y drydedd wobr amdani! Roedd Seremoni Cadeirio ar gyfer yr enillydd ac yna, gwahoddwyd enillwyr yr Ail a’r Drydedd wobr i’r llwyfan i gasglu ein tystysgrifau. Roedd yn brofiad diddorol a chyffrous iawn.As a result of this, an idea for a poem came into my head on how to answer him, and after learning ways to express my ideas in reasonably poetic Welsh, I came across the poetry competition for the Brecon Learners’ Eisteddfod in May 2019 – and the subject was ‘The Bridge’, perfectly suited to my poem. With the encouragement of my tutors, I sent it into the competition, and I was over the moon to win third prize for it! There was a Chairing Ceremony for the winner, and then the winners of the Second and Third places were invited onto the stage to collect our certificates. It was an interesting and very exciting experience.
Felly yn sgil anogaeth barhaol fy nhiwtoriaid, anfonais i’r un gerdd i’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol (Adran Dysgwyr) Sir Conwy, Awst 2019, ac fe enillodd hi’r Ail wobr, a dyma stori fy llwyddiant bach i eleni! Roedd yn syndod i fi fod y beirniad wedi dehongli naws y gerdd fel un “gellweirus, led-feirniadol” – mwy o apêl ddiffuant oedd fy mwriad wrth ysgrifennu’r gerdd! Ond yn sgil disgyblaeth y ffurf farddonol, doedd hi ddim yn bosib ei hysgafnhau er mwyn osgoi ymddangos yn feirniadol. Does dim modd i roi ‘Os gwelwch yn dda’ bob tro!Therefore as a result of the continuing support from my tutors I sent the same poem to the Conway National Eisteddfod (Learners’ Section), August 2019, where it came Second, and that’s the story of my tiny success this year! I was surprised that the judge interpreted the tone of the poem as “jocular, semi-critical” – my intention in writing the poem was more of a sincere appeal! But due to the discipline of the poetic form, it wasn’t possible to lighten it in order to avoid appearing critical. No room to put in ‘Please’ each time!
Serch hynny, roeddwn yn falch iawn o sylw olaf y beirniad: “Roedd hi rhwng direidi Elbereth [fy ffug enw] a chrefft Y Brân goesgoch yn y pen draw. Byddwn wedi bod yn fwy na hapus yn rhoi’r wobr i’r naill neu’r llall, ond am ei gamp a’i feistrolaeth o’i fesur, Y Brân goesgoch sy’n mynd â hi” (t.259). Felly roeddwn i o fewn trwch blewyn o gyrraedd y brig! (Gweler y gerdd fuddugol yn llyfr yr Eisteddfod, gwaith wir gelfydd.)Despite that, I was very pleased with the judge’s final remark: “In the end it was between the mischievous Elbereth [my pen name] and the craft of Y Brân goesgoch. I would have been more than happy to give the prize to the one or the other, but for her achievement in mastering the poetic form, Y Brân goesgoch takes it” (p.259). So I felt I’d come within a hair’s breadth of winning! (See the winning poem in the Eisteddfod book, a truly skilful work.)
Mae fy ngherdd yn sôn am sut i ddatblygu perthynas rhwng dysgwr swil a siaradwr brodorol hyderus – nid i fod yn bigog, ond i ddangos sut i gydweithio er mwyn croesi’r bont at ein gilydd: My poem talks about how to develop a relationship between a shy learner and a confident native speaker – not to be prickly, but how to work together to cross the bridge to meet each other:

Ffugenw: Elbereth
 Dysgwyr 132: Cystadleuaeth y Gadair
Y Bont: rhwng dysgwr swil a siaradwr brodorol hyderus  (Apêl ddiffuant!)

Cymraeg (cyfyngiedig)English – liberal translation
Mae llais da fi hefyd, t’mod;
Dw i’n hoff o roi clust i ti –
Ond paid â siarad gormod,
Dw i eisiau siarad â thi!
I have a voice as well, you know;
I like listening to you –
But (please) don’t talk too much,
I’d like to talk to you!
Dw i’n hoffi dy straeon gwych,
Ond mae hanes hefyd ’da fi;
Fyddaf i ddim yn siarad yn sych,
Os nei di aros i fi.
I enjoy your great stories,
But I have a story too;
I won’t speak (too boringly),
If you’ll only wait for me.
Dw i’n meddwl yn araf, gwn i,
Ond paid â thorri ar draws;
’Set ti’n gallu rhoi amser i fi,
’Swn i’n gallu ateb yn haws.
I think slowly, I know,
But (please) don’t cut across me;
If you could give me more time,
I could answer more easily.
Paid ag ateb yn Saesneg,
Dw i’n trio ’ngorau glas;
Mae rhaid i fi gofio’r Ramadeg –
Rho’ amser im weithio fe ma’s!
(Please) don’t answer in English,
I’m doing my very best;
I have to remember the Grammar –
(Please) give me time to work it out!
Mae angen amynedd yn wir,
Nid niwsans ydw i, gobeithio;
Dros amser mae’n dod yn glir
Y gallwn ni gydweithio.
I know you need a lot of patience,
I (don’t want to be a) nuisance;
Over time it’s becoming clear
That we can (indeed) work together.
Mae’r bont rhyngddon ni’n cryfhau
Wrth i fi ddringo’r graig;
Mae ’nghalon yn hollol llifhau
Gyda chariad o’r iaith Gymraeg!
The bridge between us grows stronger
As I climb up the cliff;
My heart is overfllowing
With love of the Welsh language!

Hoffwn i ddiolch o galon i fy nhiwtoriaid gwych: Philippa, Ioan, Felicity a Siôn, sy wedi bod mor gefnogol wrth i fi ymsefydlu yn y byd Cymraeg!

Hoffwn i hefyd ddiolch i'm gŵr annwyl John am ei gefnogaeth ddi-ffael yn fy ymdrechion i ddysgu Cymraeg. I would also like to thank my beloved husband John for his unfailing support in my efforts to learn Welsh.

aber.ac.uk/cy/learn-welsh / learnwelshCP

Mae'r llun yn y brif ddelwedd yn dod o Gwrs Haf Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2018; mae Lynne yng nghanol y cylch coch!
The picture in the main image comes from Aberystwyth University's Summer Course 2018; Lynne is in the middle of the red circle!

Y diweddaraf oddi wrth Learners