Pensynnu, synfyfyrio, ystyried: rywbryd fe fydd dyn eisiau mynd gyda’r llif o flaen dim, gan ei chymryd hi’n araf deg ac ymlacio. Ond, er mai cysurus yw’r agwedd hon, ydy’n syniad da yn gyffredinol? All breuddwydion lliw dydd fod yn ddefnyddiol erioed, neu ynteu fydd dyn a’i ben yn y cymylau wastad yn cael ei niwed? Beth yw’r gwahaniaeth rhwng gwallgofrwydd ac ysbrydoliaeth? Sut yr ymdopwn ni a’n natur ddynol ddeuol — ein traed clai, ynglŷn â’n hymennydd dilyffethair? Fydd yr artist yn gymorth i’r gwyddonydd maes o law? Tra ydym yn llifo yn ôl ac ymlaen trwy hanes Cymru o dan hudoliaeth geiriau melysber, gadewch inni gofio mai, ar adegau, fe fydd arnom angen peidio meddwl a chychwyn gweithredu’n ddibetrus, a heb oedi, cyn y delir ni gan yr amgylchiadau, pan fydd wedi mynd yn rhy hwyr.
Meditating, considering, pondering: sometimes you want to go with the flow more than anything else, taking it easy and relaxing. But, although this attitude is reassuring, is it a good idea in general? Can daydreams ever be useful, or will the person with her head in the clouds always come to harm? What is the difference between madness and inspiration? How do we cope with our dual human nature: our feet of clay, together with our unfettered minds? Will the artist be of help to the scientist in due course? While ne flow back and forth through the history of Wales under the enchantment of honeyed words, let us remember that, at times, we need to stop thinking, and begin to act unhesitatingly, and without delay, before we are caught up by the circumstances, and it will be too late.
| Pan ddelo’r llanw, fe ddaw’r trai. Yn llythrennol, codi a gostwng rheolaidd lefel y moroedd ydy’r llanw, a achosir gan ddisgyrchiant y lleuad ac i raddau llai gan dynnu’r haul, yn ogystal â chylchdro’r ddaear. Ddwywaith y dydd, yn feunyddiol, yr ymchwydda’r dyfroedd i fyny, oddeutu glannau Cymru. A rhaid mai gwlad yn llifeirio o laeth a mêl ydy hon, sydd wastad wedi croesawi a chartrefu llif cyson mewnfudwyr. Wrth gwrs, pan dyf y boblogaeth, cynydda’u hanghenion ynni, hefyd. | When comes the ebb, there comes the flow. Literally, the tide is the regular rise and fall of the level of the seas, which is caused by the moon’s gravity, and to a lesser degree, the pull of the sun, together with the rotation of the earth. Twice a day, every day, the waters surge up, around the shores of Wales. And it must be that this is a land flowing with milk and honey, which has always welcomed and integrated the constant flow of incomers. Of course, when the population grows, their energy needs increase as well. |
| Crea’r hinsawdd a’r ddaearyddiaeth unigryw ym Mae Abertawe un o’r amrediadau llanw a thrai mwyaf yn y byd. Yno, gallai morglawdd gydag olwynion dŵr gynhyrchu ynni adnewyddadwy. Er hynny, anrhagweladwy, o bosibl, fydd y tywydd a chyfnodau cynhyrchu pŵer; a, phwy ar wyneb y ddaear a ŵyr beth fyddai’r effeithiau ar yr amgylchedd, ar y planhigion a’r anifeiliaid? | The unique climate and geography in Swansea Bay create one of the widest ranges of ebb and flow in the world. There, sea-walls with water-wheels could produce renewable energy. Despite that, it might be that it is not possible to predict the weather and the periods of power production, and who on the face of the earth knows what would be the effects on the environment, on the plants and the animals? |
| Fel mater o ffaith, rhanna’r mwyafrif o famaliaid heddiw gylchau rheolaidd sy’n seiliedig ar luosrifau o gylch pythefnosol y llanw, er enghraifft chylchred y misglwyf. Ymhellach mae tua thrigain y cant o bwysau’r corff yn ddŵr, ar gyfartaledd. Efallai y dengys hyn y disgynnwn i gyd o ryw hynafiad dyfrol, cyffredin. | As a matter of fact, the majority of mammals today share regular cycles that are based on multiples of the fortnightly cycle of the tide, for example the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, about sixty percent o the body’s weight is water, on average. Perhaps this shows that we are all descended from some common, aquatic, ancestor. |
| O’r herwydd yr awgrymai’r athronwyr cynharaf fod llanw’r môr cysefin wedi’i amgodio yn ein gwaed. Credent y pery gweddau’r lleuad i rai ohonom fynd yn lloerig, pan â’n teimladau’n drech na’n hewyllys, er gwaethaf ein dealltwriaeth aruthrol. Ond yn ddiweddarach, mae meddylwyr eraill wedi honni i’r gwrthwyneb, y dylai pwyll ddilyn arweiniad llanw’r emosiynau. | On this account the earliest philosophers suggested that the flow of primal seas has been encoded in our blood. They believed that the phases of the moon cause some of us to go mad, when our feelings overcome our will-power, despite our frightful intelligence. But more recently other thinkers have alleged, to contrary, that reason should obey the emotional flow. |
| Yr ydym yn byw, felly, mewn byd llawn llanwau: llanw pobl, adnoddau, syniadau, a theimladau. Heb os nac oni bai y dysgem wers hollbwysig gan Cnut Fawr, oedd yn fab i Sweyn Farf Fforchog, sefydlydd chwedlonol Abertawe. Profodd y cyntaf na all hyd yn oed yr awdurdodau grymusaf yn y byd fedru dal y llanw yn ôl. | We live, therefore, in a world full of flows: the flow of people, resources, ideas, and feelings. Without a doubt we could learn a crucial lesson from King Cnut the Great, who was son to Sweyn Forkbeard, fabled founder of Swansea. The former showed that even the strongest forces in the world cannot hold back the tide. |
| Ond i bob llanw y mae trai cyfatebol; dwy lednant i’r un afon ydynt, fel petai. Llifeiriaint wedi’u hargáu sydd ynom, nyni a orfodir i gydbwyso grymoedd cyferbyniol, byth a beunydd: gwyddoniaeth ac athroniaeth; calon a phen; gwybodaeth ac ansicrwydd. Ym mha borthladd y gobeithiwn chwilio am loches, yna? | But for every flow, there is the corresponding ebb: they are two tributaries of the same river, as it were. There are dammed-up torrents within us, we who are forced to balance opposing forces, constantly: heart and head; knowledge and uncertainty. In which harbour do we hope to seek refuge, then? |
| Mewn gwirionedd, os bwrw’n blinder fydd yr unig beth y dymunwn ei wneud, wedyn, yn debyg i bysgod marw awn ni gyda’r llif yn y pendraw – i lawr y twll plwg. Ac eto, y gallem ufuddhau greddf yr haid a dilyn y dorf yn hytrach na foddi. Rhai eraill sy’n gyffelyb i garreg lanw. Siaradant fel pwll y môr, gan lenwi pob bwlch yn eu meddwl â geiriau llanw; ond na chyflawnant ddim byd o bwys. | In truth, if all we wish to do is take things easy, then, like dead fish, we shall go with the flow in the end – down the plughole! And then again, we could obey the herd instinct, and follow the crowd rather than drown. There are some others who are similar to shards of filling-stone. They talk nineteen-to-the-dozen, filling every gap in their thought with expletives; but they achieve nothing of note. |
| Er mwyn ffynnu, yn hytrach na goroesi yn unig, bydd bodau dynol yn gorfod brwydro yn groes i’r llanw, gan fod yn wreiddiol, wrth sefyll dros eu byd-olygon. Tra cadwn ein traed synnwyr ar dir sych rhesymoldeb, crwydra’n meddyliau yn ffrydiau dyfais. Bob yn ychydig yr hwyliwn i ranbarthau nas mapiwyd, lle down o hyd i gysyniadau estron newydd, ond dewiswn rhyngddynt yn ddoeth a datblygu. Eithr, hanfodol fydd amser: fel y’i gwelir, y llanw a’r thrai nad arhosant am neb! | In order to flourish, rather than simply to survive, human beings have to fight against the flow, being original, whilst standing up for their world-views. While we keep our sensible feet on the dry land of rationality, our minds wander in the streams of invention. Little by little we shall sail to unmapped regions, where we shall find strange new concepts, but we shall choose between them wisely, and evolve. But, time is of the essence: as anyone can see: the ebb and the flow wait for no-one! |
