Medieval Hunting and Multimedia

Spencer Gavin Smith

RCAHMW

Llys Owain Glyn Dŵr yn Sycharth

Addewais yt hyn ddwywaith, Addewid teg, addo taith;.Taled bawb, tal hyd y bo,Ei addewid a addawo.Pererindawd, ffawd ffyddlawn, Perwyl mor annwyl mawr iawn,Myned, eidduned oddain,Lles yw, tua llys Owain.Yn oddain yno ydd af,Nid drwg, yno y trigafI gymryd i'm bywyd barch Gydag ef o gydgyfarch;Fo all fy naf, uchaf ach,Eurben clear, erbyn cleiriach;Clod bod, cyd boed alusen,Ddiwarth hwyl, yn dda wrth hen.I'w lys ar ddyfrys ydd af,O'r deucant odidocaf;.Llys barwn, lle syberwyd,Lle daw beirdd aml, lle da byd.Gwawr Bowys fawr, beues Faig,Gofuned gwiw ofynaig.

Court of Owain Glyn Dŵr in Sycharth

I have promised twice before now,fair promise, promising a journey;let everyone fulfill, as much as is due,his promise which he promises.A very great pilgrmage,certain prosperity, such a dear destination,is going, swift promise,It is beneficial, towards Owain's court;swiftly will I go there,not bad, there will I dwellto bring honour into my lifeby exchanging greetings with him;my leige can, highest lineage,bright golden head, receive an old codger;it is praiseworthy, though it is but alms,Course without shame, to be kind to the old.I will go to his court in haste,The most splendid of the two hundred;a baron's court, place of refinement,Where many poets come, place of the good life;queen of great Powys, Maig's land,promise of good hope.

Llyna'r modd a'r llun y mae:Mewn eurgylch dwfr mewn argae.(Pand da'r llys?) pont ar y llyn,

Ac unporth lle'r ai ganpyn;Cyplau sydd, gwaith cwplws ynt,Cwpledig pob cwpl ydynt.

Clochdy Padrig, Ffrengig ffrwyth,Clostr Wesmustr, clostir emswyth;Cynglynrhwym pob congl unrhyw,Cangell aur, cygan oll yw.

Cynglynion yn y fronfron fry,Dordor megis daeardy,A phob un fal llun llyngwlm

Sydd yn ei gilydd yn gwlm.Tai nawplad fold deunawplas,Tai pren glan mewn top bryn glas;Ar bedwar piler eres

Mae'i lys ef i nef yn nes.Ar ben pob piler pren praff,Llofft ar dalgrofft adeilgraff,

A'r pedair llofft, o hoffter,Yn gydgwplws lle cwag cler.Aeth y pedair disgleirlofft,Nyth lwyth teg iawn, yn wyth lofft;

To teils ar bob ty talwg,A simnai lle magai'r mwg.Naw neuadd gyfladd gyflun,

A naw gwardrob ar bob un.Siopau glan, glwys cynnwys cain,Siop lawndeg fal Siep Lundain.Croes eglwys gylchlwys galchliw,

Capelau a gwydrau gwiw;Popty llawn poptu I'r llys,Perllan, gwinllan, ger gwenllys,

Melin deg ar ddifreg ddwr;A'i glomendy gloyw maendwr.Pysgodlyn, cudduglyn cau,A fo rhaid i fwrw heyday

Amlaf lle, nid er ymliw,Penhwyaid a gwyniaid gwiw.A'I dir bwrdd a'i adar byw,

Peunod, crehyrod hoywryw,Dolydd glan gwyran a gwair,Ydau mewn caeau cywair,Parc cwning ein por cenedl,

Erydr a meirch hydr, mawr chwedl;Gerllaw'r llys, gorlliwio'r llall,Y pawr ceirw mewn parc arall;Ei gaith a wna pob gwaith gwiw,

Cyfreidiau cyfair ydiw,Dwyn blaendrwyth cwrw Amwythig,Gwirodau, bragodau brig,

Pob llyn, bara gwyn a gwin,A'I gig, a'i dan i'w gegin;Pebyll y beirdd pawb lle bo,Pe beunydd caiff pawb yno;

Tecaf llys bren, pen heb bai,O‘r deyrnas, nawdd Duw arnai;.A awraig orau o'r garaged

Gwyn fy myd o'i gwin a'i medd!Merch eglur llin marchoglyw,Urddol hael anianol yw;.A'i blant a ddeuant bob ddau,

Nythaid teg o beneath.

 

This is its manner and its formIn the bright circle of water within an embankment:(isn't the court fine?) a bridge on the lake,

and one gate through which would go a hundred loads;there are couples, they are couple work,every couple is coupled together;

Patrick's bell house, French fruit,the cloister of Westminster, comfortable enclosure;each corner is bound together in the same way,golden chancel, it is entirely symmetrical,

bonds side by side above,cheek-to-cheek like an earth house,and every one looking like a tight knot

Is tied fast to the next one,nine-plated buildings on the scale of eighteen mansions,fair wooden buildings on top of a green hill;on four wonderful pillars

his court is nearer to heaven;on top of each stout wooden pillara loft built firmly on the summit of a croft,

and the four lofts of lovelinesscoupled together where poets sleep;the four bright lofts turned,a very fair nest load, into eight lofts;

a tiled roof on every house with frowning forehead,And a chimney from which the smoke would grow;nine symmetrical identical halls,

and nine wardrobes by each one,bright fair shops with fine contents,a lovely full shop like London's Cheapside;a cross-shaped church with a fair chalk-coloured exterior

chapels with splendid glass windows;a full bakehouse on every side of the court,an orchard, a vineyard by a white court;

a lovely mill on flowing water,and his dovecot with bright stone tower;a fishpond, hollow enclosure,what is needed to cast nets;

place most abounding, not for dispute;In pike and fine sewin,and his bord-land and his live birds,

peacocks, splendid herons;bright meadows of grass and hay,corn in well-kept fields,the rabbit park of our patriarch,

ploughs and sturdy horses, great words;by the court, outshining the other,stags graze in another park;his serfs perform all fitting tasks,

those are the necessities of an estate,bringing the best brew of beer from Shrewsbury,liquors of foaming bragget,

every drink, white bread and wine,and his meat and his fire for his kitchen;shelter of poets, everyone wherever he be,were it daily, he will have everyone there,

loveliest wooden court, chief without fault,of the kingdom, may god protect it,and the best woman of all women,

blessed am I by her wine and her mead!Fair girl from the line of a knightly ruler,she is dignified and noble by nature;and his children come in pairs,

a fine nestful of chieftains.

Anfynych iawn fu ynoWeled na chlicied na chlo,Na phorthoriaeth ni wnaeth neb,Ni bydd eisiau budd oseb,Na gwall, na newyn, na gwarth,Na syched fyth yn Sycharth.Gorau Cymro, tro trylewPiau'r wlad, lin Pywer Lew,Gwr meingryf, gorau mangre,A phial'r llys; hoff yw'r lle.

Very rarely was bolt or lockto be seen there,nor did anyone act as porter;there will be no want, beneficial gift,nor lack not hunger nor shame,Nor ever thirst in Sycharth.The best Welshman, valorous feat,owns the country, of Pywer Lew's line,slender strong man, best spot,and owns the court, splendid is the place.

Yr Iwrch

Tydi'r cariwrch ffwrch ffoawdr, Hediad wybren, lwydwen lawdr,Dwg hyn o lythr talmythrgoeth

Er Duw nef ar dy din noeth.

Cyflymaf wyd, cofl lemain, Negesol, cywyddol cain.

Rho Duw, iwrch, rhaid yw erchi

Peth o lateieth i ti.

Grugwal goruwch y greigwen,

Gweirwellt a bawr gorwyllt ben. Talofyn gwych teuluaidd, Llamwr allt, llym yw ei raidd.

Llama megis bonllymoen I'r rhiw, teg ei ffriw a'i ffroen.

Fy ngwas gwych, ni'th fradychir, Ni'th ladd cŵn, hardd farwn hir. Nod fawlgamp, n'ad i filgi

Yn ôl tes d'oddiwes di. Fy llatai wyd anwydael A'm bardd at Ddyddgu hardd hael.

Dwg dithau, deg ei duthiad, Y daith hon i dŷ ei thad.

Nac ofna di saeth lifaid, Na chi yn ôl o chai naid. Gochel Bali, ci coesgoch,

Ac Iolydd, ci efydd coch.

Adlais hued a gredir, O daw yn d'ôl Dywyn dir

Dos i'r llaid, dewiswr lludd,

Deall afael dull Ofydd. Neidia goruwch hen adwy I'r maes ac nac aro mwy.

Mab maeth erioed glyngoed glân, Main dy goes, myn di gusan. Ymochel, n'ad dy weled,

Dros fryn i lwyn rhedyn rhed. Debre'r nos heblaw'r ffosydd

Dan frig y goedwig a'i gwŷdd  chusan ym, ni'm sym seth, Dyddgu liw eirblu eurbleth.

Cyrch yno'r cariwrch hynod Carwn, dymunwn fy mod. Ni'th fling llaw, bydd iach lawen,

Nid â dy bais am Sais hen, Na'th gyrn, f'annwyl, na'th garnau,

Na'th gig nis caiff Eiddig gau.

Duw i'th gadw, doeth a geidwad,

A braich Cynfelyn rhag brad.

Minnau wnaf, o byddaf hen, Dy groesi, bryd egroesen.

The Roebuck

You roebuck with fleeing haunch, sky-flier with grey-white leggings, take this swift and refined letter

on your bare rump for the sake of God in heaven.

With your leaping breast you are the fastest messenger, sweet singer.

By God, roebuck, I must ask

you to do the work of a love-messenger for me.

Lair of heather above the white rock,

the untamed head grazes on meadow grass. Fine courteous requester of payment, leaper of the hillside, his antler is sharp.

He leaps like a bare-rumped lamb up the slope, fair is his face and nostril.

My fine servant, you will not be betrayed, no dogs will kill you, tall fair baron. Praiseworthy destination, don't let any greyhound

catch you after heat. You are my noble-natured love-messenger and my poet to fair noble Dyddgu.

Take this journey to her father's house, you lovely trotter.

Don't fear a sharp arrow, nor any pursuing dog if you get a chance to leap. Watch out for Pali, the red-legged dog,

and Iolydd, the bronze-red dog.

If what sounds like the cry of hunting dogs comes after you to the land of Tywyn

make for the bog, chooser of hindrance,

have resort to Ovid's method. Jump over an old gap to the open field and don't linger any longer.

You who have ever been foster son of the fair trees of the glen, slim-legged one, demand a kiss. Beware, don't let yourself be seen,

run over hill to a clump of ferns. Come by night past the ditches

under the branches of the forest and its trees with a kiss for me, the straight-backed girl won't disappoint me, [from] Dyddgu the colour of snowflakes with bright plaits.

Make for that place, you splendid roebuck, where I would love, where I long to be. No hand will skin you, be well and carefree,

your coat will not clad an old Englishman, nor your antlers, my dear one, nor your hooves,

and the false Jealous One will not have your flesh.

May God, wise guardian,

and Cynfelyn's arm keep you from treachery.

I too, if I live to be old, will bless you, hip-coloured face.

Forests and Chases Map