Tra bwy 'n darllain cain acceniad-beirddion, Ac uwch fy mhen, ym mysg cangenau, A thra bo 'r adar mân yn canu,* Minnau a'm deulange mwyn i'm dilyn, Deued i Sais yr hyn a geisio, Dwfr hoff redwyllt ofer a ffrydio Drwy nant a chrisiant, a chroeso,—o chaf 7 Ni wnaf f' arwyrain yn fawreiriog, 2 Olau adroddiad. W. M. These minute changes in the reading may seem scarcely worth noting. They prove, however, the bard's anxiety to render every line and word worthy of his pen. 3 Ednaint, the winged tribe. 4 W. M. has :— "A thra bae 'r adar mân yn canu, Diog esgud od a i gysgu." 6 5 His two sons. • Crisiant, crystal. 7 W. M. gives :— "Ofer im' arwyrain ferw mawreiriog, Coffau teganau, gwyrthiau gwerthiog." 8 Tud, region. 9 Mŷr, a plural form of môr. Pab a gâr Rufain, gywrain gaerau,1 Am wychder dynion; Mon i minnau. Rhoed Duw im' adwedd iawnwedd yno, PROEST CADWYNODL BOGALOG,3 A math o Watworgerdd ar yr hen Englyn Bogalog, “Oi wiw wy i weu e a." O'I wiw wy a weua e Ieuau o ia, ai e yw ? Ai o au weuau a we, A'i au i wau ei we wyw? 1 W. M., in his MS., gives this stanza as originally written by our bard: 3 This, as well as the Englyn on which it is founded, is a fanciful production, serving only to show “Pab a gâr Rufain, gywrain gaer- the flexibility of the language au; Llundain i Sais lle nad oes eisiau; Caraf rosydd, bronydd, bryniau rhywiog which enabled the bard to compose, out of mere vowels, a stanza of some merit, and in accordance with the rules of Welsh poetry. Ym Mon doreithiog a'i mân Goronwy's grasp of his native draethau." tongue was such that he could 2 For awenwaith, W. M. has mould it, at his will, into any aweniaith. form or shape. CYWYDD Y FARF. CEFAIS gystudd i'm gruddiau, A dir boen o dori barf. The versatility of Goronwy's genius is admirably exhibited in Cywydd y Farf. He could not have chosen a more unpromising subject. It seemed to afford no scope for romance or imagination, pathos or humour. But what a fund of clever and amusing things he has extracted out of it, and heaped into his poem! The objects he dilates upon are few and apparently devoid of interest; but in their manipulation they grow and multiply into a medley of wit and humour as rich in colouring as it is crowded with figures. He appears to have put his material into a sort of mental kaleidoscope, which, when turned around, presents to the reader's wondering eye forms and shapes, conformations and combinations, as grotesque and fantastic as were ever displayed by the ruffled surface of a lake, or the fragments of a broken mirror. 5 W. M. writes these two lines thus: Mae im' gofl o fân oflew, Arwydd twf blwydd, attwf blew. • Crynwydd ac eithin crinion. W. M. 7 Athrywyn, to separate combatants. 8 Difudd rhoi cais i'w dofi. W. M. D O waith y farf ddiffaith, ddu. Ffluwch lednoeth, yn boeth na bo !3 Farf ddiffaith! ni fu waith well.4 "Briwo 'i boch wrth ei llochi; Brawychai hon, brochai hi; Taerai mai sofl yw 'r goflew, Rhoe aml gnith i blith y blew. W. M. 1 Dannedd ar agwedd yr og. W. M. 2 Pigau o ryw cangau coed. 4 The similes of the previous eight or ten lines may appear exaggerated; but in that exaggeration there is a purpose. Exaggeration is oftentimes the product of a sterile or uncultivated mind. Such is not the case here. It enhances, and W. M. 3 The following lines are greatly altered:Fluwch bennoeth, yn boeth na greatly enhances, the humour that bo! Gwyll hyll, a gwell ei heillio; the poet would throw into his verse. He heaps simile on simile, rising with his subject, until a climax is reached. 'Stubble, rows of Ond gwell, rhag y gyllell gerth, Ennyn gwalc yn wen goelcerth; Mindrwch gwlltwr gweindrwch, gwandrwm ;5 O mynnai, nef im' unwaith, steel needles, quills of the hedgehog, teeth of a pair of harrows, rough prickly brushwood,' are but a portion of what he brings together for the humorous elucidation of his theme. Goronwy's poetry is at all times suggestive. We feel, as we read it, that he has left much unsaid which he might fairly have pressed into his service. 5 Every epithet in this line is of remarkable strength; an incising edge', a 'plough-share making its furrow', 'piercing heavily'. • Gwanaf, a layer, a thick crust. 7 Agen, gash. 8 Ddinidr, without delay. 9 Creiriau, the relicks of saints, objects of idolatry. In vowing by these, Goronwy treats them with the contempt they deserved. A'r llw mau uwch creiriau cred. W. M. |