Conference tallis::celt

45.0. "Welsh song translation" by GROFE::DARCY (George Darcy) Tue May 06 1986 16:21

Newsgroups: net.nlang.celts,net.music.folk
Path: decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!mcvax!ukc!stc!tina
Subject: Re: Welsh song translation please
Posted: 22 Jan 86 09:59:48 GMT
Organization: STC Telecomms. London.
Xref: decwrl net.nlang.celts:300 net.music.folk:493
 
> 	Now strike the harp gladly, let music resound,
> 	To cheer all the true hearts here gather'd around,
> 	No word of contention shall sully our joy.
> 	No thought of dull care our contentment destroy.
> 	Here patriots may loudly rejoice to be free,
> 	And Cambrians to Cambria vow faithful to be,
> 	Mewn Awen fwyn lawen byw byth y bo hi.
> -- 
> Scott Brim				[email protected]
 
 
I have a translation of the last line done by a friend
who is Welsh. He says that it looks as if it came from
North (he is from the south - its a slightly different
dialect there). But he has done as much as he can.
 
  Mewn Awen fwyn lawen   byw byth  y bo hi.
   =    =   ====   ==     =    =   =======
   In   ??  I am joyful live ever  the ? ?
                                   'live within her'
                                   'live with her'
 
The last phrase is a difficult one to explain in 
english it is very nationalistic and sort of says
'this is the place for me'
 
Awen is probably a name but he cant be sure.
 
Thats the easy bit done. Now to dissapoint you.
 
We found the song in a book of Welsh songs dating
back to about the 1930's and though the welsh was
all there there was an English version (NOT translation)
printed alongside. Neither the English version nor the 
Welsh had the same meaning as your 'translation'.
 
We are guessing but think that your words too are 
an English version written to fit to the music.
They also rhyme !! Which a true translation probably
would not.
 
I have a photo-copy of the song on its way to me 
and could get a translation of all of it done if
you would like it.
 
Now just to give you a little more information-
I cant remember the name exactly but was somthing 
to do with a minstrel. The Welsh words were by
Ceiriog.
-- 
    Tina Coulson.          (tina@stc)
 
{root44,ukc,datlog,idec,stl,creed,iclbra,iclkid}!stc!tina
 
[ When a ball sleeps it dreams its a disc ]