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Taith y Cardi / The Cardi's Journey
Alaw/Melody - 'Cill Liadain' (Tradd. Gwyddelig/Trad. Irish)
Geiriau/Words - Rhys Davies 'Llew Llywel' (1844-1899)

I live in Llandysul yn Shir Aberteifi,
A letter inform me my uncle was dead,
To ask me in a minute to go up to Llunden
As cannoedd o bunnoedd was left me ‘twas said.
So I was determined to go on my siwrne
And bwco my ticket, first class I was fine.
But if I was go third class I was never encounter
The widw fach lân I was see in the train.

Y widw and me side by side sit together
In the carrige was no one but us and no more.

Distawrwydd was broken by my purty companion
Who ask me the time by the watch I was wore
Wrth gwrs’ I was tell her and then conversation
Was speaking between us, indeed ‘till my brain
Was go on the bendro, ‘on i bron mynd yn wallgo
Gyda’r widw fach lân
I was see in the train.

She was so talïedd I venture to ask her
How old was the child she was have on her breast.
‘Ah sir’ she did say, and she did llefen shockin
And the plentyn she carry to her bosom she prest. ‘When you speak of my child I am quite broken hearted,
His father, my husband, oh my heart breaks in pain’
And what she then do, she lean her head on my wascot
Did the widw fach lân I was see in the train.

By this time the train it was come in the station
A couple of miles from big big one in town
When the widw was say as she look through the window
‘Good gracious alive, why, there goes Mr Brown,
He’s my late husband’s brother, dear sir would you kindly
Take hold of my baby, I’ll be back again.’
‘Wrth gwrs’ I was say, ac allan i’r platform
Aeth y widw fach lân
I was see in the train.

Three minuites was go by, the guard whistle blowin’,
The train was a’ movin’ but no widw appear!
With a pwff and a pwff it was off! I was fear!
My watch...where was it? And where was my chain?,
My purse and my ticket, loose tocins was all gone!
Wel drato’r hen widw I was see in the train. 

When I found out my colled indeed I was cryin’
The train did then stop and ‘tickets please!’ I heard.
So I tell the collector whilst shiggling the baby
The loss I was lost, but he doubted my word
So he call a policeman and a lot come about me,
They take from me the baby...how shall I explain?
For indeed ‘twas no baby! ‘twas a dolbren! A dummy!
That filen o widw I was see in the train!

They let me go when they see I had no money
And I was walk home for many a day,
When I come in to Merthyr I saw Dai Llanybydder
And in his old cart I come home all the way.
Now boys of Llandysul now mind you, take warnin’!
Mind you those fair widows who do cry like rain,
For they sure to rob you of your purse and your pocket

Like the widw fach lân I was see in the train.

 

Welsh Vocab.

Shir Aberteifi – Cardiganshire
Llunden – London
Cannoedd o bunnoedd – hundreds of pounds
Siwrne – Journey
Widw fach lân – the pure little widow
Distawrwydd – silence
Wrth gwrs – Of course
Bendro – head-spin
Oni bron mynd yn wallgo – I almost went crazy
Gyda’r widw fach lân – with the pure little widow
Talïedd - Polite
Llefen – Cry
Plentyn – child
Wascot – waistcoat
Ac allan i’r platform – and out to the platform
Aeth y widw fach lân – went the pure little widow
Tocins - Tickets
Wel drato’r hen widw – well damn that old widow
Colled – loss
Shiggling – shaking
Dolbren – wooden doll
Filen o widw – Devil of a widow

 

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