I. ESSAY ON WELSH POETRY, BY THE REV. WALTER DAVIES. REV. W. J. REES, EDITOR. TRANSACTIONS OF THE Cymmrodorion. CARED DOETH YR ENCILION. AN ESSAY ON WELSH POETRY, Stating whether the four and twenty Metres have been a benefit to the Language, or otherwise.* BY THE REV. WALTER DAVIES, M. A. CONTENTS. ON Poetry in general-"poeta nascitur, non fit," (a' poet is born, not made)—Music anterior to poetry-The first musician on record—The first song a sacred one—the warmth of gratitude giving vent to language more dignified and sublime than prose-Few fragments remain of Druidical versification among the Britons-Decline of Poetry after the Saxon Invasion, for several ages-Revival in the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries-Davydd ab Gwilym, an inimitable writer-inventor of the most popular metre, called Cywydd-introduced a new species of poetry into use, the personifica * One of the subjects proposed by the Metropolitan Cymmrodorion Society for competition, against the Eisteddvod held at Cardiff, 1834. [An English Essay written by the same learned author, on a similar subject, entitled "On the distinct characters, and comparative advantages, of the Bardic Institutions of Carmarthen and Glamorgan," gained the premium at the Eistedd. vod held at Carmarthen, in July, 1819, and was published by the Committee, in 1822, together with an Essay "on the Language and Learning of Britain under the Roman Government," which was likewise successful at the same meeting.-ED. TR.] VOL. II.-PART IV. tion of inanimate beings, &c.-The great Eisteddvod (Bardic Sessions) held at Carmarthen in 1451, to reform the four and twenty metres - the Silver Chair proposed to be the reward of the bard who should prepare, in nine days, the most complete System of Prosody-Davydd ab Edmund the successful competitor-His twenty four metres adopted by the bards of Gwynedd (North Wales) from that time to the present-The bards of Siluria, (Gwent and Glamorgan,) in an assembled Gorsedd, (Bardic Congress,) enter a protest against the new system, thenceforth called the System of Carmarthen, deeming it an injurious imposition, the quackery of sacrificing sense to sound-These twenty four metres, as laid out by Davydd ab Edmund, and followed by all subsequent Grammarians, Dr. J. D. Rhys, Capt. Myddleton, Sion Rhydderch, &c. are considered not to have been either of benefit, or otherwise, to the Welsh Language; but the effect different with respect to Welsh poetry, their unmeaning restrictions being worse than useless-The System of Glamorgan, developed, and lately published, in the "Cyfrinach y Beirdd”*—The two Systems compared-and preference given to that of Glamorgan, which is nearly perfect-the other quite the reverse -Goronwy Owain, the inimitable bard of the last century-his reprobation of the System adopted at Carmarthen in 1451—a reciprocity of adaptation between the Welsh Language and correct Cynghanedd, (harmonic concatenation,) which constitutes not only a distinguishing ornament, but the very existence of Welsh Poetry-The Welsh Language, in its present state, not adopted to Moel-awdl or Cân benrhydd (blank verse)-nor any other known language suitable to the Welsh Cynghanedd-reasons given for both-A judicious selection of old metres from the System of Glamorgan recommended—and a reduction of the restrictions, the non-observance of which are commonly called "Beiau ac anavau Cerdd Davawd” (Faults and imperfections in poetic composition) from fifteen to half that number, sanctioned and authorized by a future Eisteddvod-Conclusion. * Transcribed from ancient MSS. and edited by the late Mr. Edward Williams, (Iolo Morganwg;) and published under the direction of his son, Mr. Taliesin Williams, (Taliesin ab Iolo,) in 1829.-ED. TR. TRAETHAWD AR BRYDYDDIAETH GYMREIG ; A pha un a fu y pedwar mesur ar hugain er lles, neu er niwaid ir Iaith? DYVELIR bod Cerdd Dant yn voreuach yn y byd na Cherdd Davawd; canys nid oedd gan y prydydd cyntav un athraw daiarol i'w hyforddi yn ei gelvyddyd: tra yr oedd cerddorion y goedwig, yn hwyr ac yn voreu, yn pyngcio cynlluniau tonau i hofwr peroriaeth. Yr eos, y llinos, y vwyalch, a'r vronvraith, neu ryw aelodau eraill o'r côr asgellog, a ddysgasant i vab Lamech ddychymmygu chyweiriaw telyn ac organ. Can nad oedd gan y prydydd cyntav un cynllun, gweledig na chly wedig, o'i vlaen i'w ddysgu i gyvansoddi cerdd, pa beth, pa allu, a weithiai ar ei ymbwyll i anturio y gorchwyl? Ei ddawn gynhenid, y ddawn oedd gyvansawdd â'i anian, ac a anwyd gydag ev. Yr oedd eve yn gyvarwydd yn ei vamiaith, yn ymhofi ynddi, ac yn ei gweled yn rhagori ar bob iaith arall. Llawenydd a gorvoledd yspryd a barai iddo dorri allan i draethu teimladau ei vynwes mewn faith mwy derchavedig nag a arverid mewn ymadroddion cyfredin. Y gerdd henav ar gov a chadw ydyw Cân Ddiolchgarwch Moses a phlant Israel ar draethell môr Edom, pan ddymchwelwyd eu herlidwyr, Pharaoh a'i vyddin, a'i veirch a'i gerbydau, yn rhyverthwy y dyvroedd chwyddedig. Ni weddillawdd amser ond ychydig o brydyddiaeth yr oesau Derwyddawl yn Mhrydain. Yn mhlith yr hynavion gathlau cyvrivir Tribanau "Marchwiail bedw briglas"-Tribanau "Cain Cynnwyre"-Tribanau "Eiry mynydd," &c. Am "Tydain Tad Awen" -Plennydd, Alon, a Gwron," ni wyddom nemmawr, oddieithr eu henwau hunont mewn heddwch gyda y Cynddiluwiaid! O gylch oes Arthur, ac ymgyrch y Saison, ni arverai y beirdd, Taliesin, Aneurin, ac eraill ond prin gysgod cynghanedd, oddieithr yn y privodliad (terminating rhyme.) Yn y 12ed ganriv, ymddyrchavodd Gwalchmai ab Meilyr yn Vychdeyrn beirdd yr oes. Un o'r awdlau mwyav hynod o'i waith a welir yn y "Myvyrian Archaiology, tu d. 167-"i Owain Gwynedd," yn yr hon y darlunia vrwydr "Tal Moelvre" yn Môn "Ac am dal Moelvre mil vanieri," &c. O gylch diwedd y drydedd ganriv ar ddeg, a dechreu y bedwaredd ar ddeg, y llewyrchodd bardd arall a ragorai ar ei gyvoesion, dan yr enw llŷs, Casnodyn. Eve a chwanegodd at niver y mesurau, ac yn enwedig yr ynglyn a elwir "Unodl union." Rhoddir yma ddull ei ynglyn, sev y cyntav yn "Marwnad Madawg" “Bu oerchwedl cenedl cwyn enwawg Tristlawn-Camp Meirchiawn cwymp Marchawg, Byd heb vyd-bod heb Vadawg!" Yn ei Awdl i'r Drindod, darlunia arswydol ddigwyddiadau y dydd olav yn yr iaith rymus a ganlyn Nid oedd Casnodyn ond prin gwedi oeri yn ei veddrod, pan ddyvyrwyd trigolion Dê a Gwynedd â pheraidd sain Cywyddau a Thoddeidiau Davydd ab Gwilym. Gelwir ef gan rai, megis o barch i'w enw" Yr Ovydd Cymreig." Ond chwarau teg i Vardd Bro Ginin; ei Gywyddau serchocav i Vorvydd ydynt vwy diwair o lawer na chaniadau nwydlawn yr adyn-vardd Rhuveinig. Eve (D. G.) a ddygodd ar arver gyfredin y mesur mwyav sathredig o'r pedwar ar hugain; a'i Gywyddau ev ydynt yn mhlith y rhai melysav yn yr iaith. Beirdd yr oes a ymostyngent i'w ragoroldeb : gweler yma dystiolaeth rhai o honynt Tudur Aled, yn Marwnad D, ab Edmwnd, a ddywed "Ni bu vyw neb vwy'i Awen, Ond da Vardd Glan Teivi wen; Mab Gwilym heb gywely, |