CANWR GWERIN CYMRAEG
WELSH FOLK SINGER
Hanes y Sesiwn yng Nghymru / The Tale of the Session in Wales
Alaw/Melody - 'Diferion o Frandi' (Tradd/Trad.)
Geiriau/Words -John Jones 'Jac Glan-y-Gors' (1766-1821)
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A fuoch chi ‘rioed mewn sesiwn yng Nghymru
Lle mae cyfraith a ieithoedd yn cael eu cymysgu,
Rhai’n siarad Cymraeg, a’r lleill yn rhai Seisnig,
A nhwytha’r twrneiod yn chwarae’r ffon ddwybig
Efo’i ffal-di-ral ffal-di-ral ffal-di-ral ffal-di-ral
ffal-di-ral ffal-di-ral ffal-di-ra-lal.
Bu yno’n ddiweddar rhyw helynt mewn treial
A’r ustus ar ddodwy wrth wrando ‘r y ddadl,
Hen ast i Gadwalad’ o Ben Ucha’r Nant
Giniawodd ar oen i Siôn Ty’n y Pant
Wel Siôn aeth i gyfraith drwy lawer o boen
I wneud i Gadwalad’ roi tâl am yr oen
A chownsler o Lundain, dan godi ei glôs
A gododd i fyny to open the cause
‘’Gentlemen of the jury...
Cadwallader’s dog of the Head of the Nant
Killed a fat lamb of John Ty’n y Pant.
We claim in this court without any dispute
The value of the lamb, with all cost of suit”
Fe dyngai rhyw Gymro “mae’n hysbys i mi
Nad ydyw Cadwalad’ yn cadw ‘run ci”
A’r cownsler a waeddai “Pray don’t be in haste,
If he don’t keep a ci then he does keep a gast”
A’r jury a waeddodd “wel dyma’n barn ni,
Na welwyd yng Nghymru yr un gast yn gi,
A na fedrwch chithau efo’ch cyfraith a’ch Saesneg
Gneud caseg yn geffyl a cheffyl yn gaseg”
Wel Siôn Robert Rowlands o ben isa’r dre
A ddaeth i gyfieithu, bob gair yn ei le
‘Rol sychu ei drwyn i gael edrych yn drefnus,
Dechreuodd ar osteg i ddysgu’r hen ustus
“You see my lord...
‘Ci’ is a dog, and male is a ‘gwryw’
So ‘buwch’ is a cow and bull is a ‘tarw’
And ‘gast’ is a bitch, with shaking her cwnffon
‘S the same sex, my lord, as your madams in London”
“Well that being so, it appears to me
This man lost his lamb between a ‘gast’ and a ‘ci’,
the value of verdict we may quickly rejoin”
“My lord! ‘Twas a cigfran that killed the oen!”
​
“A cigfran!?...
Against such a name there is no accusation,
It mentions a dog in this declaration,
for what is a cigfran? I can’t make a guess”
“My lord, ‘tis a black bird that feasts upon flesh”
“A bird that destroys such an innocent creature,
Of course, it must be of a ravenous nature”
“It’ll pick out your eyes, my lord, in a crack!
And just like old lawyers, he’s always in black”
Wel cofiwch chi bobol mai gwell yw cytuno
Rhag ofn y cewch frathiad os ewch i gyfreithio,
A mynd yn y diwedd, ar ol cadw sŵn,
Fel aeth yr oen bach rhwng y cigrain a’r cŵn.
Were you ever at a session in Wales
Where laws and languages are totally mixed up,
Some speak Welsh, and others are English,
And those old lawyers play fast and loose
With a fal-dee-rall fal-dee-rall fal-dee-rall fal-dee-rall
fal-dee-rall fal-dee-rall fal-dee-rah-lal
Recently there was some trouble at a trial
And the magistrate was feeling very agitated, listening to the arguments. A bitch, belonging to Cadwaladr from Pen Ucha’r Nant, had eaten a lamb belonging to Siôn from Ty’n y Pant.
Wel Siôn had taken a lot of trouble to take the case to court, to make Cadwaladr pay for his lamb.
And a counsellor came up from London to open the cause, whilst lifting up his trousers.
‘’Gentlemen of the jury...
Cadwallader’s dog of the Head of the Nant
killed a fat lamb of John Ty’n y Pant.
We claim in this court without any dispute,
the value of the lamb, with all cost of suit”
A Welshman swore “it is well known to me that Cadwaladr doesn’t own a ci (dog)” The counsellor shouted “pray don’t be in haste! If he don’t keep a ci
then he does keep a gast (bitch)
The Jury then shouted “this is our opinion,
That never in Wales was a dog mistaken for a bitch
And even you, with your laws and your English,
can’t make a mare of a horse and a horse of a mare”
Well Siôn Robert Rowlands from the bottom of town
Came to translate, every word in it’s place,
After wiping his nose to look a bit more tidy, He started educating the magistrate in front of everyone
“You see my lord...
‘ci’ is a dog, and male is a ‘gwryw’
So ‘buwch’ is a cow and bull is a ‘tarw’
And ‘gast’ is a bitch, with shaking her cwnffon (tail)
‘S the same sex, my lord, as your madams in London”
“Well that being so, it appears to me
This man lost his lamb between a ‘gast’ and a ‘ci’,
the value of verdict we may quickly rejoin” “My lord! ‘Twas a cigfran (raven) that killed the oen!” (lamb)
“A cigfran!?...
Against such a name there is no accusation,
It mentions a dog in this declaration,
for what is a cigfran? I can’t make a guess”
“My lord, ‘tis a black bird that feasts upon flesh”
“A bird that destroys such an innocent creature,
Of course, it must be of a ravenous nature”
“It’ll pick out your eyes, my lord, in a crack!
And just like old lawyers, he’s always in black”
Well, all of you, remember, it’s better to be agreed
In case you are bitten in the business of the courts
and go in the end, after keeping a loud racket,
In the same way as that little lamb, between the ravens and the dogs.