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Llun oddi wrth / Picture from: reddit.com/r/Wales/comments/9cgwik/wales_in_european_languages/
There are currently 0 names in this directory beginning with the letter a.
Pronunciation Guide
In Welsh words the stress usually falls on the last but one syllable (a syllable is a unit of sound). Putting stress on a syllable means lengthening the sound with more emphasis in the voice.
For example, people with a Welsh accent would pronounce the surname Meredith as Mer-ed-ith, with the last sound but one ‘ed’ stressed. People with an English accent would tend to put equal weight on all three syllables – Mer-ed-ith.
If the stress falls on the last syllable of a Welsh word it is usually marked by an accent e.g. carafán. There are very few words like this in Welsh.
Try saying these words: – canol – canolfan. The stress moves on each time a unit of sound or syllable is added.
Abbreviations used
(adj) adjective- a describing word
(b) benywaidd – feminine (noun)
(col) colloquial– a word used in one area of Wales
(au) ….(s) plurals e.g. shop(s) – siop(au)
adre(f) (f) not pronounced
{rhed} root/stem of the verb e.g. rhedeg {rhed-}
(t.ll.) treiglad llaes – the word causes an aspirate mutation
(t.t.) treiglad trwynol – the word causes a nasal mutation
(t.m.) treiglad meddal – the word causes a soft mutation
(adj.) adjective
….(to) verb e.g. talk (to) – to talk
(tag) tags are short questions that we put on the end of sentences such as ‘…isn’t it?’
N.W. a word used in North Wales
S.W. a word used in South Wales
Further resources
For a complete learner’s dictionary I recommend Heini Gruffudd’s Welsh Learner’s Dictionary, and for a comprehensive online dictionary go to Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru.
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| Nid wy’n gofyn bywyd moethus, Aur y byd na’i berlau mân: Gofyn wyf am galon hapus, Calon onest, calon lân. | I don’t ask for a luxurious life, the world’s gold or its fine pearls: I ask for a happy heart, an honest heart, a pure heart. |
| Cytgan: Calon lân yn llawn daioni, Tecach yw na’r lili dlos: Dim ond calon lân all ganu- Canu’r dydd a chanu’r nos. | Chorus: A pure heart is full of goodness, More lovely than the pretty lily: Only a pure heart can sing – Sing day and night. |
| Pe dymunwn olud bydol, Hedyn buan ganddo sydd; Golud calon lân, rinweddol, Yn dwyn bythol elw fydd. | If I wished worldly wealth, He has a swift seed; The riches of a virtuous, pure heart, Will be a perpetual profit. |
| Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad Gwyd i’r nef ar edyn cân Ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad, Roddi i mi galon lân. | Late and early, my wish Rise to heavan on the wing of song, To God, for the sake of my Saviour, Give me a pure heart. |
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Amhendant/Indefinite:
Pendant/Definite:
Pŵer Trydanol/ Electrical Power:
Mae Rhea Seren Phillips yn fyfyriwr PhD ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe sy'n ymchwilio i sut y gellir defnyddio ffurfiau a mesurydd barddonol Cymraeg i ailystyried hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol Gymreig gyfoes ac i ennyn diddordeb yn hon. Yma, mae’n esbonio cynghanedd a cherdd dafod, safle beirdd yn y gymdeithas ganoloesol, a sut y mae’n dehongli gwaith y beirdd ar gyfer y rheini nad ydynt yn siarad Cymraeg…
Rhea Seren Phillips is a PhD student at Swansea University, who is investigating how the Welsh poetic forms and meter can be used to reconsider and engage with contemporary Welsh cultural identity. Here, she takes us through an explanation of cynghanedd and cerdd dafod, the position of poets in medieval society and how she is interpreting their work for those who don't speak Welsh…
Ymddangosodd y fersiwn Saesneg o’r erthygl hon yn wreiddiol yn The Luxembourg Review.
The English version of this article originally appeared in The Luxembourg Review.
| Hanes ac ychydig mwy Mae’r Gymraeg yn iaith liwgar a bywiog. Ei chlywed hi’n cael ei defnyddio yw gwrando ar gerddoriaeth, a’i deall hi yw bod yn rhan o ddiwylliant sy’n bodoli ers canrifoedd. Mae mwy i Gymru nag ei hiaith (a dydw i ddim yn sôn am fwyd), mae barddoniaeth Gymraeg wedi’i dylanwadu gan, ac wedi’i hysgrifennu gan ddefnyddio, cerdd dafod a chynghanedd er y bumed ganrif o leiaf. Mae’n rhan o’n diwylliant sy wedi datblygu’n uniongyrchol dan ddylanwad yr iaith Cymraeg. | History and a Little Bit More The language of Wales is vivid and vivacious. To hear it spoken is to listen to music and to understand it is to be part of a culture that has existed for centuries. There is more to Wales than its language (and I’m not talking about food), Welsh poetry has been influenced and written in the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd since at least the fifth century. It is a part of our culture that has evolved directly under the influence of the Welsh language. |
| Mae cerdd dafod (ffurfiau barddonol Cymraeg) a chynghanedd (mesur Cymraeg) yn dal i gael eu defnyddio ledled Cymru heddiw, yn enwedig yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol flynyddol, er enghraifft. Mae’r gerdd dafod yn cynnwys pedair ffurf farddonol ar hugain sy’n defnyddio odl fewnol a diweddawdl gyda llawer o bennill yn amrywio o ddwy i bedair llinell. Mae i gynghanedd bedwar mesur sy’n defnyddio cyflythreniad, odli, a chytgord rhwng y cytseiniaid i gyfantoli seiniau oddi mewn i linell. Mae’r wyth ffurf farddonol ar hugain hyn, yn ogystal â’r mesur, yn ôl-ddyddio i’r cyfnod pan fu Cymru’n genedl annibynnol, a pan gafodd llysiau Tywysogion Cymru eu hysbrydoli gan leisiau barddol meistri ar eu crefft. | The cerdd dafod (Welsh poetic forms) and cynghanedd (Welsh metre) remain in use throughout modern Wales, with the most notably example being the annual Eisteddfod. The cerdd dafod consists of twenty-four poetic forms that involve internal and end rhyme with many stanzas ranging from two to four lines. The cynghanedd is made up of four metres that use alliteration, rhyme and consonantal harmony to balance the sounds within a line. These twenty-eight poetic forms and metre date back to when Wales was an independent nation and the courts of the Princes of Wales were informed by the poetic voices of master craftsmen. |
| Roedd un o’r esiamplau enwocaf a chynharaf o’r gerdd dafod a chynghanedd mewn barddoniaeth ganoloesol Gymraeg yn ystod y bumed a’r chweched ganrif pan oedd beirdd megis Aneirin a Taliesin, beirdd mawr Cymru, yn ysgrifennu yn y ffurfiau a mesurau hyn. Nid ydym ni’n gwybod pryd y cychwynnodd y gerdd dant a chynghanedd ond mae’n siŵr mai wrth i’r iaith Gymraeg ddatblygu, fe ddatblygodd barddoniaeth Cymraeg ochr yn ochr â hi. Yn ystod y canrifoedd canlynol, trawsnewidiwyd y gerdd dant a chynghanedd yn hanfodol ond nid cyfundrefnwyd hyn yn ffurfiol nes y drydedd ganrif ar ddeg. | One of the most famous and earliest examples of the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd in Welsh medieval poetry was during the fifth and sixth century where poets such as Aneirin and Taliesin, the great bards of Wales, wrote in these forms and metre. There is no known beginning of the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd but it is certain that as the Welsh language evolved Welsh poetry matured alongside it. During the following centuries the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd underwent a critical transformation but it wasn’t to be formally codified until the thirteenth century. |
| Digwyddodd y newid mwyaf trawiadol yn ystod y ddeuddegfed ganrif a’r drydedd ganrif ar ddeg ymhlith y frwydr dros annibyniaeth Gymreig. Cyn i’r Tywysog Llywelyn ap Gruffudd farw ym 1282, cafodd beirdd y fraint o fod yn aelodau parchedig y llys. ‘Beirdd y Tywysogion’ oedd enw ar y beirdd hyn. | The most striking transformation took place during the twelfth and thirteenth century amidst the battle for Welsh independence. Prior to the death of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282, poets were afforded the privilege of being a respected member of court. These poets were known as the Poets of the Princes (Beirdd y Tywysogion). |
| Y safle uchaf y gallai bardd ei dal yn y teulu brenhinol oedd Pencerdd, sy’n golygu’n llythrennol ‘meistr yn ei grefft’. Roedd yn anrhydedd mawr i fardd canoloesol, a byddai’r safle wedi dod â llawer o fanteision yn ogystal â llawer o gyfrifoldebau: trwy nawdd ei dywysog, gallai bardd yn ymddiried y derbyniai strwythur talu ffurfiol, cleddyfau ac arfau eraill ond, yn gwrthbwyso’r moethusrwydd mawr hwn, fe ddisgwylid ganddo gymryd rhan mewn brwydrau fel rhyfelwr yn brwydro ar ochr ei dywysog. Nid yw’n rhyfedd iawn bod barddoniaeth ganoloesol yn ystod y canrifoedd hyn yn canolbwyntio gan amlaf ar wirioneddau maes y gad, gan ddisgrifio’n aml sgil y rhyfel yn fanwl arswydus. | The highest position that a poet could hold in a royal household was that of the Pencerdd, a literal translation would be ‘master craftsman’. It was a great honour for a medieval poet and the position would have brought with it many benefits as well as responsibilities: through the patronage of his prince, a poet could trust to receive a formal pay structure, swords and other weaponry but, counterbalancing this great luxury, he would have been expected to participate in battles as a warrior fighting by his prince’s side. It is of little surprise that medieval poetry during these centuries focused predominately on the reality of the battlefield, often describing the aftermath with horrific accuracy. |
| Pan nad oedd e’n rhyfela, eisteddodd y ‘Pencerdd’ yn llythrennol ar gadair arbennig yn y llys. Awdurdodai crefydd ac ofergoel y bardd yn y llys canoloesol: credid eu bod yn gallu rhagddweud y dyfodol (proffwydoliaeth) ac mai ganddynt gysylltiad cryf â Duw. Defnyddiai’r ‘Pencerdd’ ei safle i gynghori’r tywysog: cyn brwydr byddai’n adrodd cerdd i Dduw, ac un arall a fyddai’n anrhydeddu’r tywysog neu’i gyndadau. Ystyrid gwaed brenhinol yng Nghymru ganoloesol yn bwysig iawn. Roedd llawer yn credu bod tywysog yn cael ei ddewis gan awdurdod Dwyfol ac mai trwy gyfansoddi cerdd a ganmolai’i gyndadau, byddai’r bardd yn anrhydeddu’r tywysog byw o hyd. Mae’r ffurf hon o farddoniaeth yn gyffredin yng Nghymru ganoloesol ac roedd ei harfer yn ennyn parch sylweddol. Ni ddylwn gasglu bod ‘Pencerdd’ yn berson llygredig, mewn gwirionedd roedd llawer yn eithriadol o ffyddlon i’w noddwyr, gan ddewis i beryglu’u bywyd ar faes y gad. Defnyddiwyd y ffurf farddonol o’r enw marwnad yn aml yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Byddai’n dangos galar llwyr am golled noddwr. Ysgrifennwyd yr esiampl harddaf o farwnad gan Gruffydd ab yr Ynad Coch, sef Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf. | When battles were not being waged the Pencerdd held a chair in court. Religion and superstition empowered the medieval court poet: they were believed to be able to predict the future (prophecy) as well have a strong connection with God. The Pencerdd would use his position to advise the prince; before battle he would declaim a poem to God and another that would honour the prince or his ancestors. Royal blood in medieval Wales was cherished. Many held the belief that a prince was chosen by Divine rule and by composing verse that praised his ancestors’, the poet was still honouring the living prince. This form of praise poetry is common in medieval Wales with its practice commanding a great deal of respect. That is not to infer that a Pencerdd was a corrupt figure, indeed, many were fiercely loyal to their patrons choosing to risk their life on the battlefield. The elegy was a widely used poetic form during this time. It depicted absolute grief at the loss of a patron. The most beautiful example of an elegy poem was written by Gruffydd ab yr Ynad Coch entitled, Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf. |
“Poni welwch chwi hynt y gwynt a'r glaw? | “See you not the way of the wind and the rain? |
| Roedd dwy safle ar gael mewn llys i fardd oedd eto’n dysgu’i grefft. Y Bardd Teulu, y cyfieithiad llythrennol fyddai’n ‘bardd i’r tŷ’, yr un isaf oedd Cerddor, fyddai’r cyfieithiad llythrennol wedi bod yn syml iawn yn ‘rhywun sy’n gwneud cerddoriaeth’. Byddai wedi bod i bob safle yn y teulu ddyletswyddau ffurfiol ac anffurfiol, er nad ydym yn gwybod yn llwyr am rôl Cerddor ond diogel yw derbyn y byddai wedi bod yn rhaid iddynt ganu’r delyn neu’r delyn fach. Roedd y Bardd Teulu yn un o bedwar swyddog ar hugain yn y llys. Disgwylid iddo berfformio’i farddoniaeth cyn brwydrau, a difyrru’r Frenhines. Byddai dyletswyddau beirdd yn y llys canoloesol wedi cynnwys rôl croniclwr, archifydd llafar, a digrifwr, tri chyfrifoldeb hollbwysig i gymdeithas a ddibynnai ar draddodiadau llafar am ei grefydd, ei hanes, a’i adloniant (a fyddai wedi bod yn debycaf yn gymysgedd o foliant, hanes, a moesoldeb). | There were two lower positions within a royal court for a poet still learning his craft. The Bardd Teulu- the literal translation would be ‘poet of the household’; the lowest was that of the Cerddor, the literal translation would be quite simple ‘musician’. All positions within the household would have had formal and informal duties, although the role of Cerddor is not completely known but it is safe to assume that they would have required the ability to play the harp or lyre. The ‘Bardd Teulu’ was one of twenty-four officers at court. He was expected to perform his poetry before battles and to entertain the Queen. The duties of medieval court poets would have included the role of chronicler, oral archivist and entertainer, three vital responsibilities to a society that depended on oral traditions for its religion, history and entertainment (which would have most likely been a concoction of praise poetry, history and morality). |
| Nid oedd bardd llys yn dod o safle breintiedig er y byddent wedi bod yn ddynion bonheddig. Roedd eu hyfforddiant yn hir ac yn llafurus. Petasent yn datblygu agwedd o hunanbwysigrwydd prin y gallent gael eu beio. Cymerai hi naw mlynedd i feistroli’r sgiliau angenrheidiol er mwyn dod yn fardd llys a phan gwblhaodd ei hyfforddiant byddai Pencerdd yn mynnu pedair ceiniog ar hugain, ac yn hawlio cael ‘amobr’ merch y Cerddor. Byddai raid i fardd llys adrodd darnau o’r Beibl ac o gerddi hysbys o’r cof; disgwylid iddo hefyd fod yn feistr mewn cyfansoddi barddoniaeth wedi’i hysgrifennu yn y gerdd dant a chynghanedd o'i ben a'i bastwn ei hun, ar fympwy ei dywysog. Er gwaethaf ei holl ofynion a galwadau, roedd y bardd llys yn dal safle cheinachod mewn cymdeithas Gymreig ganoloesol. | A court poet did not originate from a position of privilege although they would have been of noble birth. Their training was long and arduous. If they did develop an attitude of self-importance then they could hardly be blamed. It would take nine years to master the necessary skills to become a court poet and upon completion of training a Pencerdd would demand twenty-four pence and the right to the ‘amobr’ (the virginity of the Cerddor’s daughter). A court poet would be required to recite extracts from the Bible and famous verses from memory; he was also expected to be a master at composing verse written in the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd within his head and at the whim of his prince. For all its requirements and demands, a court poet still held an enviable position within medieval Welsh society. |
| Ar ôl 1282 pan gollodd Cymru ei hannibyniaeth, byddai Beirdd y Tywysogion yn dioddef sarhad mawr: diwreiddiwyd nhw ac fe’u gwasgarwyd, wedi’u gyrru allan o’u trigleoedd brenhinol ac i oes ‘Beirdd yr Uchelwyr’. Er mwyn goroesi, dechreusant draddodiad o’r enw ‘clera’, oedd yn gofyn iddynt fentro, gan grwydro o faenor i blasty i gael hyd i fwyd, arian a beth bynnag arall a fyddai’n eu helpu i oroesi. Galluogai’r ymdeithiau hyn nhw i barhau i dderbyn nawdd eu tywysogion, erbyn hynny wedi’u diraddio’n foneddigion dan reolaeth Seisnig, gan gadw arfer y gerdd dafod a chynghanedd yn ffynnu mewn diwylliant Cymreig. Os sefydlu arferion y gerdd dant a chynghanedd a wnâi’r ddeuddegfed ganrif, diffinio nhw a wnâi’r drydedd ganrif ar ddeg. | After 1282 and the loss of Welsh independence, the Poets of the Princes suffered a great indignation: they became uprooted and dispersed, thrown out of their royal residencies and into the age of the Poets of the Gentry (Beirdd yr Uchelwyr). To survive they began a tradition known as ‘clera’; this demanded that the poet undergo an expedition, wandering from manor to mansion seeking food, coin and anything else that would assist in their survival. These expeditions enabled them to continue receiving the patronage of their princes, now demoted to gentry by English rule, keeping the practise of the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd flourishing within Welsh culture. If the twelfth century established the practises of the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd, then the thirteenth century defined them. |
| Ychydig Mwy... Mae traddodiad y gerdd dafod a chynghanedd yn dal yn fywiog ledled Cymru. Mae’n bell o gael ei anghofio, fel y gellir ei weld o boblogrwydd parhaol yr Eisteddfod. Mae f’astudiaeth i, o’r enw Translations: a poetry project, yn ymchwilio sut y gallai ffurfiau barddonol a mesurau Cymraeg gael eu defnyddio i ailystyried, cysylltu â, a chynrychioli’n fanwl, hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol gyfnewidiol Cymru gyfoes. Mae’n gwneud hyn drwy ystyried dau beth, yn gyntaf, dadansoddiad critigol o dair perthynas: tirwedd arfordirol a diwydiannol Cymru; beirdd Cymraeg, Eingl-Gymreig, a Saesneg; a chyhoeddi prif ffrwd a llawr gwlad. Yn ail, mae’r ymateb creadigol yn cyfieithu’r gerdd dafod a chynghanedd i Saesneg ac yn defnyddio’r trawsffurfiant yn ymarferol ar ffurf dau gasgliad o gerddi, y ddau hefyd yn cynnwys cerdd arwrol o hyd sylweddol. | A Little Bit More... The tradition of the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd remains vibrant throughout Wales. It is far from being forgotten, evidenced by the continued popularity of the Eisteddfod. My study, entitled Translations: a poetry project, researches how Welsh poetic forms and metre could be used to reconsider, engage and accurately represent the changing cultural identity of modern Wales. It does this through two considerations, firstly, a critical analysis of three relationships: the coastal and industrial landscapes of Wales; Welsh, Anglo-Welsh and English speaking poets; and, mainstream and grassroots publishing. Secondly, the creative response translates the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd into the English language and applies that translation practically in the shape of two poetry collections each with an accompanying epic poem of substantial length. |
| Mae i’r prosiect tri nod: - Ennyn diddordeb amrywiaeth helaeth o ddarllenwyr trwy hybu defnydd o’r gerdd dafod a chynghanedd gennyf fi fy hunan a beirdd cyfoes; - Darganfod y lleisiau i gyd sy’n diffinio’r hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol Gymreig gyfoes; - Herio cyhoeddi prif ffrwd a llawr gwlad ac o ganlyniad, sefydlu llwyfan genedlaethol lle y caiff lleisiau oll Cymru gyfoes eu cynrychioli’n gyfartal. | The project has three aims: - To engage with a wide readership by promoting the use of the cerdd dafod and cynghanedd through myself and modern poets; - To discover all the voices that define the modern Welsh cultural identity; - To challenge mainstream and grassroots publishing and by doing so establish a national platform where all the voices of modern Wales have an equal representation. |
| Mae’r astudiaeth yn ei chyfnod cyntaf ac er mwyn dal yn ffyddlon i’w gwerthoedd a’i hegwyddorion, bydd y prosiect yn ymchwilio, ac yn arbrofi ag, ideoleg cyfieithu uniongyrchol. Mae’n defnyddio safbwynt Cymreig i ysbrydoli’r cyfieithiadau hyn trwy gyfweld beirdd Cymraeg sy’n gwybod sut i ysgrifennu yn y ffurfiau hyn ac mewn mesurau Cymraeg a Saesneg. Roedd fy nhraethawd M.A., Grandiloquent Wretches (Hiraeth oedd yr enw ar y pryd), yn cyfieithu’r gerdd dafod i Saesneg. Mae’n gasgliad barddonol sy’n cyfuno hanes, mytholeg, a ffurfiau barddonol Cymraeg i greu ffantasi ddinesig. Nid yw’n canolbwyntio’n unig ar hanes a mytholeg Gymreig; yn hytrach mae’n defnyddio helaethrwydd o hunaniaethau rhyngwladol, pob un ohonynt sy’n byw ac yn cyfrannu at gyfoeth diwylliannol, economaidd, a diwylliannol Cymru gyfoes. | The study is in its primary stage and in order to remain loyal to its values and principles, the project researches and experiments with the ideology of direct translation. It uses a Welsh perspective to inform these translations through interviewing Welsh speaking poets who have knowledge of and write in these forms and metre in Welsh and English. My MA thesis, Grandiloquent Wretches (then titled Hiraeth) translated the cerdd dafod into the English language. It is a poetry collection that combines history, mythology and Welsh poetic forms to create an urban fantasy. It doesn’t focus exclusively on Welsh mythology and history; instead, it draws from a wealth of international identities, all of whom live and contribute to the social, economic and culturally wealth of modern Wales. |
| Mae’r pedair ffurf ar hugain o’r gerdd dant yn cynnwys penillion o ddwy i bedair llinell. Roedd y casgliad yn ailystyried y ffurfiau hyn i ddatblygu amrywiad modern oedd yn debycaf ei wedd i ffurf soned. Roedd hyn yn cefnogi defnyddio dyfeisiau barddonol megis octawd a chwechawd, oedd yn darparu strwythur traethiadol ffurfiol. Llwyddodd Grandiloquent Wretches i wneud hyn trwy arbrofi â gwnïo at ei gilydd ddwy ffurf farddonol sy’n gyflenwol ac, o bryd i’w gilydd, yn anghyson, i greu sain a werthfawrogai cynulleidfa fodern. Er enghraifft: | The cerdd dafod’s twenty-four forms are made up of two to four lined stanzas. The collection reconsidered these forms to develop a modern variation that had a more visual relationship to that of a sonnet. This supported the use of poetic devices, such as an octet and sestet, which provided a formal narrative structure. Grandiloquent Wretches achieved this by experimenting with the stitching together of two complementary and, at times, conflicting poetic forms to create a sound that a modern readership would appreciate. For example: |
| Justice * Let us just play this arid game, if we lose then you should not blame them, you got cocky, let bedlam dictate where the pious venom strikes in righteous indignation; war sought the tired Thracian lilt, invoked wrath from lethargy and called it justice. Liturgy transformed from sacred to mundane, fudged fingers gouged out his left brain. He had cold justice on his side; least the Imp took the time to chide him with keen doe-eyed promises; justice lobotomises...conscience. * [Poetic form: Cyhydedd Fer – Welsh sonnet] |
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| The Wolf’s Honey ** The rat snatched the wolf's honey; sore, he tore its soft, bunny flesh into a gunny mess, bejewelled he bugled an umbrae with sugar-snapped bayonets; laced with perse, cloud silhouettes will make the plaster sweat; hope to previse, incise these mottled webs; the spider drank flaxen cider, drunk, the piper used the barrels to play a sniper's tune, cipher tasseomancy from pyre ashes; hope that it was not your fault. Suck a lolly dipped in salt, thwart their strikes with rumour, club her cries to equalise and escort her moans with guided patience, mistake twists for gyrations of pain, stained laces tremble at the scream, cetirizine harks, chases the tussles that burst the bubbles as convulsions spilt drooling from silver buckles, sand knuckles with piteous justice mewling. ** Poetic form: two stanzas of Englyn Crwca; two stanzas of Rhupant Hir; two stanzas of Englyn Crwca; two stanzas of Rhupant Hir. |
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| Nid yw’r casgliad yn ymddiheuro am fod yn Faróc ei iaith a’i arddull, gan orfoleddu yn ei hanes trwy ddefnyddio ffurfiau barddonol Cymraeg wrth ymwreiddio’n gadarn yn yr oes sydd ohonom. Mae Translations: a poetry project yn gwerthfawrogi naratif cyson yn fwy ond nid yw’n gwyro’n rhy bell o’i natur rwysgfawr. Gweler y gerdd isod o The Silver in the Water, Pennod 3. | The collection is unapologetically baroque in language and style, revelling in its past through the use of Welsh poetic forms whilst firmly set in the present. Translations: a poetry project places a higher value on a cohesive narrative but it does not deviate too far away from its grandiloquent nature. See the poem below taken from The Silver in the Water, Chapter Three. |
Swathes of Empyrean Heather*** Wyled**** curdled the stomach; Cistern snagged the Bittern co…pse. Scourge dirge steep like Icarus, periwinkle him; skim milk to the broth, froth this relief; temper this heather charnel**** with carrion,
malingers and infers sea.
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| Yn y pen draw, mae Translations: a poetry project yn sicrhau bod y ffurfiau a’r mesur yn parhau i ddatblygu i fodernedd. Wedi’u cadw’n ddiogel, nid fel arteffact mewn amgueddfa, ond fel creadur byw, creadur sy’n agored i fethu yn ogystal ag i lwyddo ac, yn bwysicaf oll, wedi’i ysbrydoli gan ei hanes a’i ddiwylliant, sy’n datblygu’n gyson, gan gydgordio ag anghenion ei ddiwylliant. | Ultimately Translations: a poetry project ensures that the forms and metre continue to evolve into modernity. Preserved, not like a museum artefact but as a living organism; an organism that is open to failures as well as successes and, most importantly, informed by its history and culture, constantly evolving, harmonising with the needs of its society. |
Swathes of Empyrean Heather
Wyled | curdled | the stomach; Cistern | snagged the Bittern | co…pse. Scourge | dirge |steep like Icarus, periwinkle him; |skim | milk to the broth, |froth | this relief; temper | this heather | charnel with carrion,| river malingers | and infers | sea.
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Nid ydym ni’n gwybod pryd y cychwynnodd y gerdd dant a chynghanedd ond mae’n siŵr mai wrth i’r iaith Gymraeg ddatblygu, fe ddatblygodd barddoniaeth Cymraeg ochr yn ochr â hi.
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Erthygl ar gael i lawrlwytho ar Apple Books, PDF & Kindle / Article available to download on Apple Books, PDF & Kindle:
Rhea Seren Phillips is a PhD student at Swansea University, who is investigating how the Welsh poetic forms and meter can be used to reconsider and engage with contemporary Welsh cultural identity. Here, she explains how literature can help us connect with our cultural identity…
Ymddangosodd y fersiwn Saesneg o’r erthygl hon yn wreiddiol yn The Conversation, gyda chyfres o erthyglau sydd yn cynnwys Cymru yma.
The English version of this article originally appeared in The Conversation, with a series of articles that feature Wales here.
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| Beth yw ystyr bod yn Gymreig heddiw? Ai cael eich geni yng Nghymru, dod o deulu Cymreig, neu ddim ond byw yno sy’n bwysicaf? Mae’n gallu bod yn anodd i rywun o unrhyw ddiwylliant ddiffinio’n benodol sut y ffurfir ei hunaniaeth. Ond, o ran y Cymry – sydd a chanddynt ganrifoedd yn ogystal â haenau amryfal o ddiwylliant i’w gweithio trwyddynt – mae’n gallu bod yn eithriadol o anodd. | What does it mean to be Welsh today? Is it being born in Wales, having Welsh family, or simply a matter of living there? It can be hard for a person of any culture to specifically define what makes up their identity but, for the Welsh – who have hundreds of years as well as multiple layers of culture to work through – it can be particularly tricky. |
| Un agwedd o ddiwylliant Cymraeg y byddai pawb yn cytuno amdani yw’r cysylltiad cryf rhwng y wlad a’i llenyddiaeth. Mae’r Gymraeg yn iaith delynegol, oslefol, sy’n ymgynnig yn dda ar gyfer canu a barddoni ers canrifoedd – yn gymaint felly nes ei bod wedi’i gwau â hunaniaeth y werin, a ydynt yn sylweddoli hyn neu beidio. | One defining aspect of Welsh culture that all would agree on is the country’s strong relationship with its literature. Wales’s rolling, lyrical language is one that has lent itself well to song and poetry for centuries – so much so that it has become interwoven with the people’s identity, whether they realise it or not. |
| Mae hanesyddion yn gallu disgrifio llawer o’r digwyddiadau sy wedi gwneud y wlad fel y mae hi heddiw. Ond nid mor syml yw diffinio beth sy wedi arwain at hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol Gymreig gyfoes. Felly er mwyn archwilio’r syniad hwn, rwy’n defnyddio ffurfiau barddonol a mesurau Cymraeg. | Historians can point to a lot of the events that have made the country what it is today. But defining what has led to the contemporary Welsh cultural identity is not quite so simple. So, to explore this idea, I am using Welsh poetic forms and metre. |
| Mae barddoniaeth wedi bod yng nghalon diwylliant Cymreig er yr Oesoedd Canol, ac mae’r enghreifftiau cynharaf yn dyddio o’r bumed a’r chweched ganrif. Roedd beirdd yn yr Oesoedd Canol yn ennill parch gyda’u gwaed a thrwy eu geiriau – nid gwahanol oedd yr awduron Cymraeg Aneirin a Taliesin. Yn bennaf roedd eu cerddi’n darlunio clod a threchiad mewn brwydr, wrth iddynt ddilyn eu noddwr brenhinol i ryfela. | Poetry has been at the heart of Welsh culture since medieval times, with the earliest known examples dating back to the fifth and sixth century. Poets of the medieval period earned their respect in blood and words – and the Welsh writers Aneirin and Taliesin were no different. Their poetry chiefly depicted glory and defeat in battle, as they followed their royal patron to war. |
| Ceir, er enghraifft, y llinellau hyn o Marwnad Owain ab Urien, gan Taliesin, sy’n cael eu cyfieithu’n fras fel, “The wide host of England sleeps with the light in their eyes”: | Take, for example this line from from Marwnad Owain ab Urien, by Taliesin, which roughly translates to, “The wide host of England sleeps with the light in their eyes”: |
Cysgid Lloegr llydan nifer a |
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| Bellach mae Cymru’n cael ei hymosod llai, ond mae cymynrodd parhaol y 24 o’r ffurfiau barddonol Cymraeg yn dal i gysylltu’r wlad â’r gorffennol. Llinell cynghanedd, er enghraifft– mesur barddonol sy’n unigryw i’r Gymraeg wedi’i seilio ar batrymau rhythmig neilltuol yr iaith, ac ar ailadrodd cytseiniaid- sy’n hanes byw, ac nid dim ond o ran y geiriau wedi’u defnyddio ynddi. | Now, Wales is going through a less embattled time, but the lasting legacy of the 24 Welsh poetic forms still connects the country to the past. A line of cynghanedd, for example– a poetic metre unique to Welsh which uses the language’s consonantal repetition and syllabic stress– is a living history, and not just in terms of the words that are set to it. |
| Cyfieithu mesur Mae’n ddihareb am ba mor anodd yw ceisio defnyddio pob un o’r ffurfiau a’r mesurau Cymraeg yn Saesneg – mewn gwirionedd, mae llawer yn credu nad yw’n bosibl cyflawni hyn yn iawn na’n fanwl gywir. Fe fyddent yn dadlau’n gall, ond nid cywirdeb yw’r peth mwyaf pwysig yma. Yn hytrach, rwy’n ymddiddori mewn dysgu’r grefft a deall nodweddion y ffurfiau barddonol a’r mesurau Cymraeg sy’n dangos mai rhai Cymraeg ydynt. | Translating metre Each of the Welsh poetic forms and metre is notoriously difficult to write in the English language – in fact many believe that writing these forms and metre in English is almost impossible to accomplish well or accurately. They would have a sound argument, but accuracy is not the most important thing here. Rather, it is engagement with the learning of the craft and the characteristics of Welsh poetic forms and metre which identify them as Welsh. |
| Mae barddoniaeth Eingl-Gymreig wedi’i sefydlu fel rhan o hanes barddoniaeth Cymru, ac yn cynnwys cyfraniadau oddi wrth feirdd Saesneg yn ogystal ag ysgrifenwyr rhyngwladol sy wedi ymgartrefu yng Nghymru. Er enghraifft, bardd o’r Ariannin oedd Lynette Roberts, a ddefnyddiai ffurfiau barddonol a mesurau Cymraeg yn ei cherddi. Efallai bod y gerdd Fern Hill gan Dylan Thomas yn un o’r enghreifftiau mwy adnabyddus o farddoneg Gymraeg yn Saesneg: | Anglo-Welsh poetry is an established part of Welsh poetic history and includes contributions from English poets as well as international writers who have settled in Wales. Lynette Roberts, for example, was an Argentinian poet who used Welsh poetic forms and metre in her poetry. Perhaps one of the more well known examples of Welsh poetics in the English language, is Dylan Thomas’s Fern Hill: |
“Though I sang in my chains like the sea.” |
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| Yn debyg i’r beirdd sy wedi defnyddio cynghanedd mewn cerddi Saesneg, rwy’n credu’n frwd ei bod yn bosibl defnyddio amrywiadau ar ffurfiau barddonol a mesurau Cymraeg i lunio barddoniaeth yn Saesneg, a’i bod yn bwysig dechrau annog mwy o gerddi Saesneg sy’n defnyddio cynghanedd. | Like the poets who have used cynghanedd in English poems, I strongly believe that it is possible to use variations of Welsh poetic forms and metre to create poetry in the English language, and that it is important that we start encouraging more English poems using cynghanedd. |
| Fe all y grefft o ddefnyddio ffurfiau barddonol a mesurau Cymraeg arwain y gwrandäwr ar daith trwy hanes, tirwedd, diwylliant a mytholeg Cymru. Trwy’i defnyddio mewn cerddi Saesneg, mae’n bosibl ailddiffinio llais barddonol cenedlaethol ar gyfer Cymru yn y byd sydd ohonom, a ellir ei ddefnyddio mewn sawl iaith. Nid datblygu llais barddonol heb ei debyg a ystyrir i fod yn Gymreig yw nod y prosiect hwn. Yn hytrach gobeithiaf y bydd beirdd yn gallu edrych trwy lens fydd yn eu cysylltu â gwreiddiau cyfrannol y wlad, lens y gallant ffocysu eu profiadau o hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol Gymreig trwyddi. | The craft of Welsh poetic forms and metre has the potential to take the listener on a journey through the history, landscape, culture and mythology of Wales. By using it in English poems, it is possible to redefine a contemporary national Welsh poetic voice that can be used in several languages. It is not about developing a singular poetic voice that is considered to be Welsh, but giving poets a lens which links them to the country’s collective roots through which they can focus their experiences of Welsh cultural identity. |
| O bosibl y byddai archwilio hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol Gymreig trwy ddefnyddio’r fath hon o farddoniaeth yn hyrwyddo sgwrs newydd, genedlaethol am hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol. Trwy hybu’r ffurfiau a’r mesurau, fe allwn ddechrau ymosod ar y dadymafael diwylliannol a’r arwahanu sy’n bod oddi mewn i rai unigolion a grwpiau sy’n byw yng Nghymru. Efallai y helpai hyn i greu llwyfan lle y cyfrannai safbwyntiau gwahanol at drafod hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol mewn ffordd sy’n cyd-fynd yn well â Chymru fodern, amlddiwylliannol. | Exploring Welsh cultural identity using this type of poetry could potentially facilitate a new, national conversation about cultural identity. By promoting the forms and metre, we can begin to address the cultural disengagement and isolation which exists within certain individuals and groups who live in Wales. It could help to create a platform where different perspectives could contribute to a discussion on cultural identity that is more in keeping with a modern, multicultural Wales. |
| Mae’n bosibl y bydd y fath hon o drafodaeth yn herio’n syniadau ynglŷn â hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol trwy feithrin gwreiddiau y tu hwnt i’r Gymraeg, er mwyn cofleidio’r rhai sy’n bodoli ar ei hymylon. Trwy gyfuno diwylliant cyfoes Cymreig â thraddodiadau hynafol o farddoni, fe all Cymru groesawu’i hunaniaeth genedlaethol gyfnewidiol, wrth anrhydeddu’r oes o’r blaen o hyd. | These kinds of discussions have the potential to challenge our ideas of cultural identity by nurturing roots outside of the Welsh language in order to embrace those who exist on its borders. By melding modern Welsh culture with the ancient traditions of rhyme and verse, Wales can embrace its changing national identity while still honouring its past. |
Un agwedd o ddiwylliant Cymraeg y byddai pawb yn cytuno amdani yw’r cysylltiad cryf rhwng y wlad a’i llenyddiaeth.
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Rhea Seren Phillips is a PhD student at Swansea University, who is investigating how the Welsh poetic forms and meter can be used to reconsider and engage with contemporary Welsh cultural identity. Here, she introduces the Welsh 24 poetic forms and four metres…
Ymddangosodd y fersiwn Saesneg o’r erthygl hon yn wreiddiol yn The Conversation, gyda chyfres o erthyglau sydd yn cynnwys Cymru yma.
The English version of this article originally appeared in The Conversation, with a series of articles that feature Wales here.
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| Fe fyddai byd heb farddoniaeth yn lle enbyd yn wir. O’r gerdd Fy Ngwlad gan Gerallt Lloyd Owen am arwisgiad Charles fel Tywysog Cymru i Trafferth mewn Tafarn gan Dafydd ap Gwilym, mae ffurf y fath ysgrifennu, yn ogystal â’r geiriau a’r ymadroddion ynddo, wedi dod yn rhan fawr o’n hanes a diwylliant llenyddol ni. | A world without poetry would be a dire thing indeed. From Dylan Thomas’s famous villanelle Do not go gentle into that good night to Shakespeare’s famous love sonnet parody, Sonnet 130, the forms of these writings, just as much as the words and phrases, have become a large part of literary history and culture. |
| Er mai adnabyddus yng Nghymru oedd arddulliau cymhleth cerddi Saesneg, dros y canrifoedd datblygai gwerin Cymru set unigryw o batrymau barddonol oedd yn perthyn dim ond i’w hiaith eu hunain. Yn wahanol i’r rhan fwyaf o ffurfiau Saesneg, mae’r rhai Cymraeg yn pwysleisio seiniau oddi mewn i linell, a’r adleisiau wedi’u gadael ar eu holau, yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar y geiriau’n unig. | As well-known as these intricate styles may be, over many centuries the people of Wales developed a unique set of patterns all of their own. Unlike most English language forms, these focus on the sounds produced within a line and the echoes left after, rather than just on the words themselves. |
| Mae cyfanswm o 24 o ffurfiau barddonol Cymraeg, ynghyd â phedwar mesur. Mae’r ffurfiau’n tueddu i fod yn eithaf byr – er enghraifft, roedd milwyr yn arfer defnyddio Englyn Milwr i afon negesau byrion adref yn ystod y Rhyfel Mawr. Rywbryd cyfeirir ato fel haicw Prydeinig, ac mae i bob pennill dair llinell, pob un ohonynt sydd yn cynnwys saith sillaf, ac maent i gyd yn odli gyda’i gilydd. O ganlyniad i’r llinellau mynegol ymddengys yr Englyn braidd yn debyg i’r dull Japaneeg, ond wedi dweud hynny, mae i’r englyn hunaniaeth dra Chymraeg. Mae odli’n agwedd hanfodol o ffurfiau barddonol Cymraeg. Felly yn wahanol i’r haicw, pob un o’r tair llinell mewn pennill sydd ar un odl. | In total, there are 24 Welsh poetic forms and four metres. The forms have a tendency to be quite short – an Englyn Milwr, for example, was a form used by soldiers to send short messages home during World War I. Sometimes referred to as a British haiku, every verse is composed of three lines, each seven syllables long, all of which rhyme with each other. Though the expressive lines do lend it certain similarities to the Japanese style, the Englyn has a very Welsh identity. Rhyme is an integral aspect of Welsh poetic forms and so, unlike the haiku, each of a verse’s three lines is monorhymed, that is they end in the same rhyme. |
| Llinellau persain Er mwyn creu a chadw cytgord oddi mewn i linell, ffurfiau o farddoniaeth gaeth Gymraeg, sef ‘cynghanedd’, a ddefnyddir. Mae cynghanedd yn fwy tebyg i gerddoriaeth nag i farddoniaeth draddodiadol Saesneg, ac yr un fath â chyfansoddiad cerddorol maent yn cynnwys mwy nag yr un nodyn. A dweud y gwir, er mwyn gwerthfawrogi llinell cynghanedd yn llwyr, rhaid i chi’i darllen hi’n uchel a gwrando ar yr haenau o sain sy’n llifo o’r tafod. | Harmonious lines To create and maintain harmony within a line, strict Welsh metres, known as “cynghanedd”, are used. The cynghanedd have more in common with music than traditional poetry, and like a piece of music it is made up of more than just one note. In fact, in order to fully appreciate a line of cynghanedd you should read it aloud and listen to the layers of sounds that roll off the tongue. |
| Mae cynghanedd mor bersain gan ei bod yn arfer ‘cyseinedd’, hynny yw, cysondeb rhwng y cytseiniaid. Unigryw i Gymru yw’r ffurf hon o gyseinedd am fod yr iaith yn defnyddio cynghanedd yn ddiymdrech mewn bywyd pob dydd: mae cyseinedd yn rhan o dirwedd yr iaith Gymraeg. | They achieve this lyrical metre by practising something called “consonantal harmony”. This is unique to Wales because the language effortlessly uses cynghanedd in everyday life: consonantal repetition is part of the landscape of the Welsh language. |
| Ysgrifennir llinell o gynghanedd gyda thoriad anweladwy neu want yn ei chanol sy’n rhannu’r llinell, er enghraifft, ceir: X X X | X X X X. Yn draddodiadol mae saith sillaf mewn llinell o gynghanedd, ac yma mae ‘X’ yn cynrychioli pob un ohonynt. | A line of cynghanedd is written with an invisible break or caesura in the middle that divides the line, for instance: X X X | X X X X. The cynghanedd is traditionally made up of seven syllables, so here “X” represents each syllable in a line. |
| Yn y Gymraeg mae ar bob gair acen sillafog gref, fel arfer ar y goben, hynny yw, y sillaf olaf ond un. Ystyrier y llinell ganlynol o englyn gan R Williams Parry, er enghraifft: “Rhowch wedd wen dan orchudd iâ.” | Welsh is a heavily syllabic language with the stress usually falling on the penultimate syllable. Consider the following line from an englyn by R Williams Parry, for example: “Rhowch wedd wen dan orchudd iâ.” |
| Rydym yn gallu cymharu hon gyda’r llinell Saesneg o’r gerdd Fern Hill gan Dylan Thomas, lle mae’r seiniau ‘th’ ac ‘s’ yn creu’r cysondeb: | We can compare this with the line in English from the poem Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas, where the sounds ‘th’ and ‘s’ make up the harmony: |
“Though I sang in my chains like the sea.” |
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| Wrth gwrs mae’r Gymraeg yn gallu bod yn iaith anodd ei meistroli. Serch hynny, rwy wedi cynnwys yr enghraifft hon er gwaethaf nad ydym yn gwybod heb amheuaeth fod Thomas yn deall na’n defnyddio cynghanedd. Eto i gyd, mae’r llinell yn enghraifft gref o’r ffurf hyd yn oed os un anfwriadol ydy. Dyma enghraifft arall o gynghanedd go iawn yn Gymraeg, o’r gerdd Cefn Gwlad gan Dic Jones: | As Welsh can be a tricky language to master, this example is included despite the fact that Thomas’s knowledge of the cynghanedd is debatable. Still, the line is a strong if unintentional example of the metre. A true Welsh language cynghanedd example for comparison would be the following, from Dic Jones’s poem Cefn Gwlad: |
“I fyw yn glos wrth gefn gwlad.” |
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| Gadwech inni nodi nad yw’r fersiwn Saesneg llythrennol, sef, “To live close to nature”, yn cynhyrchu’r un effaith o gwbl. | Translated into English, the line reads, “To live close to nature”, which doesn’t have quite the same effect. |
| Mae pedwar math o gynghanedd, sef cynghanedd lusg, cynghanedd draws, cynghanedd sain, a chynghanedd groes. Maent i gyd yn gweithio’n wahanol i’w gilydd, ond yn y bôn mae’r egwyddor yr un peth mewn pob achos: rhaid i’r cytseiniaid yn rhan gyntaf y llinell ymddangos yn yr un drefn yn ail ran y llinell (gweler uchod). | There are four types of cynghanedd or metres: cynghanedd lusg (echoing harmony), cynghanedd draws (bridging harmony), cynghanedd sain (sonorous harmony) and cynghanedd groes (criss-cross harmony). Although they achieve the metre in different ways, their principles are basically the same: the consonants that appear in the first part of the line must appear in the same order in the second, as shown above. |
| Hanes trwy gerddi Mae’r ffurfiau barddonol hyn yn aros yn boblogaidd iawn yng Nghymru, ond i ddeall pam mae rhaid defnyddio’r fath gymhlethdod, pwysig ydy deall beth yw eu tarddiad: maent yn perthyn yn annatod i’r iaith Gymraeg. Tra oedd y Gymraeg yn datblygu, fe ddatblygent hwythau gyda hi, gan ddechrau cael eu haeddiant yn y 12fed ganrif yn enwedig. | History through verse These forms remain widely popular in Wales, but to understand why such complexity is necessary, it is important to understand where the poetic forms and metres originate from: they are intrinsically intertwined with the Welsh language. As Welsh developed so did they, coming into their own particularly during the 12th century. |
| ‘Penceirddiaid’ oedd yr enw arbennig ar feirdd oedd wedi meistroli cynghanedd yn ystod y ganrif hon. Byddent yn treulio tua naw mlynedd i feistroli’r ffurfiau a’r mesurau angenrheidiol. Er mwyn dynodi ei statws, rhoddid i’r pencerdd gadair neilltuol yn y llys. Roedd hefyd swyddi eraill i feirdd yn y cartref brenhinol, megis ‘bardd teulu’ – swyddog y llys a fyddai’n perfformio ei waith i’r frenhines. Cerddor oedd enw ar y safle isaf. | Poets who had mastered the cynghanedd during this century were hailed as “pencerdds”, chiefs-of- song. It would take approximately nine years to master the forms and metres required. In recognition of his position, the pencerdd was granted a special chair in the royal court. There were other poetic positions within the royal household, too, such as bardd teulu – poet to the household – an officer of the court tasked with the duty of performing his work to the queen. The lowest position was that of the musician, the cerddor. |
| Roedd un brif ddyletswydd ar ddalwyr y swyddi hyn i gyd: croniclwyr ac archifwyr oeddent. Eu cyfrifoldeb nhw oedd gwneud yn siŵr y cofid gorchestion y brenin, a’i frwydrau oll, ac y’u hailadroddid am amser maith ar ôl iddo farw. Dim ond yr ychydig breintiedig a fwynhâi ddarllen ac ysgrifennu, ac felly roedd rhoddi straeon i lawr yn alwedigaeth anodd. Roedd ailadrodd seiniau’r gynghanedd yn sicrhau bod y cerddi’n gofiadwy. | All of these roles had one very important function: they were chroniclers and archivists. It was their responsibility to ensure that the great feats of the king and all his battles were remembered and recited long after he had passed. Reading and writing were enjoyed by a privileged few which made passing down stories a tricky profession. The repetition of sounds in the cynghanedd ensured the poetry was memorable. |
| Mynd ymlaen â chynghanedd Bron yn unigryw i’r Gymraeg yw’r modd y mae cynghanedd yn gweithredu i lunio cerdd. Fe fyddai’n eithriadol o anodd ail-greu yn union yr un cysondeb rhwng y cytseiniaid mewn llinell o farddoniaeth naill ai yn Saesneg, neu ynteu mewn unrhyw iaith arall. | Continuing cynghanedd The way that the metre forms each poem connects it almost exclusively to the Welsh language: it would be very difficult to recreate the same harmony and balance between a line’s consonants in English or any other language in exactly the same way. |
| Mae ffurfiau a mesurau barddonol Cymraeg yn rhwysgfawr, beiddgar, a dwys; a dyna nodweddion ardderchog ar gyfer canu clod brenin ac adrodd hanesion. Mae barddoniaeth fodern wedi symud y tu hwnt i’r fath hon o gyfansoddi wedi’i seilio ar strwythurau ffurfiol a bellach yn defnyddio arddull fwy agored. Wedi’r cwbl, nid llawer o bobl sy’n dymuno darllen cerdd lle y gallant ddyfalu’r odl nesaf. Serch hynny, mae lle o hyd i’r ffurfiau a mesurau barddonol hyn yn y wlad. Bob blwyddyn yn y Brifwyl, sy’n dal i fod yn rhan bwysig o ddiwylliant Cymraeg, fe fydd beirdd yn anadlu bywyd i gerddi wedi’u hysgrifennu’n draddodiadol. | Welsh poetic forms and metres are grandiloquent, challenging and dense, which is great for praising a king and narrating stories. Modern poetry has moved beyond this form-led poetry to a more open style – after all, not many want to read a poem where they can guess the next rhyme – but these poetic forms and metre still have their place in the country. Each year, the words and lines of these poems are brought to life at the National Eisteddfod music and poetry festival, which remains a large part of Welsh culture. |
| Mae disgwyliadau’r oes fodern ynghylch barddoniaeth Saesneg wedi newid, ond mae’r cerddi Cymraeg sy’n bodoli ers canrifoedd yn pwysleisio pa mor hynafol yw crefft eu cyfansoddi. Fe allant fywiogi chwedlau am ddyddiau a fu, lle na allai unrhyw dafod arall byth lwyddo i ddwyn y maen i'r wal. | The modern expectations of English poetry have changed, but the centuries-old Welsh poems emphasise that their writing is an ancient craft, and can bring life to the tales of times long ago in a way no other tongue ever could. |
Mae’r cerddi Cymraeg sy’n bodoli ers canrifoedd yn pwysleisio pa mor hynafol yw crefft eu cyfansoddi. Fe allant fywiogi chwedlau am ddyddiau a fu, lle na allai unrhyw dafod arall byth lwyddo i ddwyn y maen i’r wal.
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Mae Patrick Jemmer wedi creu’r fersiwn Cymraeg i parallel.cymru / Patrick Jemmer has created the Welsh version for parallel.cymru
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Rhea Seren Phillips is a PhD student at Swansea University, who is investigating how the Welsh poetic forms and meter can be used to reconsider and engage with contemporary Welsh cultural identity. Here, she delves deeper into the story of the last Welsh Princess of Wales…
Ymddangosodd y fersiwn Saesneg o’r erthygl hon yn wreiddiol yn The Conversation, gyda chyfres o erthyglau sydd yn cynnwys Cymru yma.
The English version of this article originally appeared in The Conversation, with a series of articles that feature Wales here.
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| Wedi rhoddi i lawr y teitl ‘Tywysog Cymru’ y mae cenhedloedd o deulu brenhinol Lloegr – ac yn ddiweddarach, rheolwyr y Deyrnas Unedig – er y 13eg ganrif. Maen nhw’n anrhegu’r aer aparawnt â fe, er nad oes raid i’r aer ei ddal. | The title “Prince of Wales” has been passed down through generations of England’s – and later the United Kingdom’s – royals since the 13th century. It is granted to the heir apparent, though it is not a requirement that the next in line to the throne holds it. |
| Ond nid breninoldeb ‘gwir’ Cymru mo’r tywysogion hyn. Cafodd y teitl ei ddwyn ym 1301 oddi wrth frenhinoedd olaf Cymru, ar ôl y frwydr dros annibyniaeth Gymreig. Ail-grëwyd e ar gyfer Edward o Gaernarfon, oedd i fod yn Edward yr 2ail yn nes ymlaen. Dyma oedd y tro cyntaf yr arwisgen nhw fab hynaf Brenin Lloegr fel ‘Tywysog Cymru’. | But these princes are not the “true” royals of Wales. The title was taken in 1301 from the last monarchs of Wales following the battle for Welsh independence, and recreated for Edward of Caernarfon, the future Edward II. This was the first time that the eldest son of the King of England was invested as “Prince of Wales”. |
| Ers hynny, mae ‘Tywysoges Cymru’ wedi bod y teitl ar wragedd tywysogion Cymru. Yr un gyntaf oedd Joan o Gaint. Derbyniodd hi’r teitl pan briododd Edward o Woodstock, y Tywysog Du – yr ail yn y llinell o dywysogion Cymru a ddeuai o Loegr – ar y 10fed o Hydref 1361. Efallai mai Diana, Tywysoges Cymru, yw’r person mwyaf adnabyddus o bawb sy wedi dal y teitl brenhinol bellach. Wedi dweud hynny, er mwyn cael hyd i wir dywysoges Cymru olaf, hynny yw, y person a anwyd gynt gan frenhinoedd Cymru oedd mewn grym ar y pryd, mae rhaid inni fynd yn ôl i’r 13eg ganrif i ddatguddio hanes Gwenllian. | The wives of the princes of Wales have since been known as “Princess of Wales”. The first was Joan of Kent, who took the title upon her marriage to Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince – second in the English line of princes of Wales – on October 10 1361. Though Diana, Princess of Wales is now perhaps the most well known of all those to have held the royal title, to find the last true princess of Wales, that is, the last person to be born to the reigning monarchs of Wales, one needs to go back to the 13th Century, and uncover the story of Gwenllian. |
| Tywysoges Cymru Nid tywysoges nodweddiadol mo Gwenllian – ni thriniwyd hi fel un ‘chwaith. Cafodd hi ei geni ym 1282, yn unig blentyn i Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ac Eleanor de Montfort, y llywiau olaf i deyrnasu yng Nghymru. Bu farw mam Gwenllian yn fuan ar ôl genedigaeth y ferch, tra berwai’r brwydro dros annibyniaeth Gymreig a ddygai fywyd ei thad yn yr un flwyddyn hefyd. | Princess of Wales Gwenllian was not a typical princess – nor was she treated like one. Born in 1282, she was the only child of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Eleanor de Montfort, the last sovereign royals of Wales. Gwenllian’s mother died shortly after childbirth, amid the fight for Welsh independence which also took the life of her father the same year. |
| Yn blentyn, cafodd Gwenllian ei rhoi o dan ofal ei hewythr, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, ond cafodd e’i ddal ac yn hytrach ei ddienyddio, a hithau’n ddim ond un oed. Wedyn, rhoddwyd y dywysoges ifanc o dan nawdd coron Lloegr. Dim ond yn ystod misoedd cyntaf ei bywyd y byddai Gwenllian yn byw yng ngwlad ei genedigaeth. | Baby Gwenllian was put under the protection of her uncle, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, but he was captured and later executed when she was just one year old. The young princess was then passed into the guardianship of the English crown. The first months of Gwenllian’s life were to be her only time residing in the country of her birth. |
| Pan oedd hi’n groten, fe dalodd y Brenin Edward y 1af y cyfanswm o £20 y flwyddyn i Sempringham, lleiandy yn Swydd Lincoln, i guddio Gwenllian rhag golwg, ac, yn fwyaf pwysig, i’w chadw hi’n ddietifedd. Deallodd y brenin pe bai hi’n esgor ar etifedd, byddai teitl Tywysog Cymru mewn dadl. | When she was a toddler, King Edward I paid Sempringham, a convent in Lincolnshire, the grand sum of £20 a year to keep Gwenllian hidden from view and, most importantly, childless. The king understood that if she produced an heir, then the title of the Prince of Wales would be in dispute. |
| Yn ofalus y dewisodd Edward Sempringham. Nid dim ond lleiandy oedd e, ond ar ben hynny, un a berthynai i Urdd Gilbert, sect seciwlar a gadwai ei hun ar wahân i’r byd. | Edward’s choice of Sempringham was a careful one: it was not just a convent, it was of the Gilbertine Order, a secular sect that kept itself isolated from the world. |
| Daeth Gwenllian yn gysgod a dim ond pan fyddai reidrwydd y câi hi ei hatgyfodi -- pryd bynnag yr oedd angen arian ar y lleiandy, er enghraifft. Fe fyddai’r Brenin Edward y 1af yn atgoffa’r Pab am y fenyw roedd Sempringham yn ei gwarchod – er y byddai’n fwy priodol dweud ei bod yn garcharor. | Gwenllian became a shadow only to be resurrected during great need – when the convent needed money, for example. King Edward I would remind the Pope who Sempringham was a guardian of – although the more appropriate word would have been prisoner. |
| Bu Gwenllian fyw nes iddi gyrraedd ei 54 oed. Dim ond ychydig rydym ni’n ei wybod am ei phersonoliaeth, neu hyd yn oed am ei gwedd hi. Doedd hi ddim yn gwybod ei henw cywir ei hun hyd yn oed: mae cofnodion y priordy’n ei rhestru hi fel ‘Wencilian’ tra oedd hi’n defnyddio’r llofnod ‘Wentliane’ – a llygredigaethau Saesneg yr ynganiad cywir ydyn nhw ill dau. Un o golledigion Cymru ydy hi, wedi’i chladdu yn anialdir Lloegr, bell oddi cartref. | Gwenllian lived until the age of 54. Little is known of her personality and even her appearance. She didn’t even know her true name: priory records have her listed as “Wencilian” while she used the signature “Wentliane” – both English corruptions of the correct pronunciation. She is a lost figure of Wales, buried in the wilderness of England, far from home. |
| Hanes wedi’i golli Ni lwyddodd cynllun Edward y 1af o ran Gwenllian yn llwyr, fodd bynnag. Er nad hanes Chymru na Lloegr sy’n ei chrybwyll hi lawer erbyn hyn, mae atgof y dywysoges golledig o Gymru wedi llwyddo i oroesi, yn rhannol o ganlyniad i grŵp anarferol o gynghreiriaid, sef, beirdd. | Lost history Edward I’s plans for Gwenllian did not succeed entirely, however. Though little mention is to be found now in the history of either Wales or Britain, the memory of the lost Welsh princess has managed to survive, partly thanks to an unusual group of allies: poets. |
| Ychydig bach a ysgrifennwyd am Gwenllian tra oedd hi’n cael ei chuddio. Wedi’r cwbl, gan mwyaf roedd beirdd Cymru yn y Canol Oesoedd yn gwneud â chadw atgof y brenin yn fyw, nid atgof gwraig ddibwys. Ond, fe oroesai eiliwiau ei hanes, diolch i glerddynion. | Very little was written about Gwenllian during her imprisonment, after all the poets of medieval Wales were mostly concerned with preserving the memory of the king, and not that of a mere woman. But glimmers of her story lived on thanks to wandering bards. |
| Mae beirdd Cymraeg wedi dal i gadw ei chof hi’n fyw yn yr oes fodern. Ym 1997 yr adfywiwyd hanes Gwenllian pan ddewisodd y Brifwyl hi fel ei thema y flwyddyn honno – ac wrth gwrs, yr ŵyl fwyaf o ran cerddoriaeth a barddoniaeth yn Ewrop yw’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol. Ers hynny dim ond wedi blodeuo mae ei dylanwad, gan ddadebru dychymig Cymru – ac o ganlyniad, mae’n sicr y bydd gwir dywysoges Cymru olaf yn dal i fyw o hyd. | Welsh poets have continued to preserve her memory into the modern age. In 1997, Gwenllian’s story was revived when the princess was chosen as the theme for that year’s National Eisteddfod – the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Her influence has only blossomed since, reinvigorating Wales’s imagination – and so ensuring that the last true princess of Wales lives on. |
Ynom ni mae Gwenllïan, | Within us is Gwenllian, |
O Yn Sempringham gan Mererid Hopwood. |
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Mwy am Princess Gwenllian |  |
Mae Patrick Jemmer wedi creu’r fersiwn Cymraeg i parallel.cymru / Patrick Jemmer has created the Welsh version for parallel.cymru
