© 2023 Nicholas Williams
Pùb gwir gwethys / All rights reserved
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Text an bardhonak / Text of the poem
Egery in dyw several fenester rag gweles an text ha goslowes i’n kettermyn
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Yma Gerva orth pedn dewetha an bardhonak.
There is a glossary at the end of the poem.
Lies gour gorwyw a grÿs
bos an venyn venemys;
ny a gav prov brav ha dâ:
Adam y’n dampnyas Eva.
Debry aval dres dyfen –
dendyl dyn ny kereth men.
Beu sur meurbegh Ber-sabê,
“Ùrry lel,” ow lawl “ladh e!”
Dyslen o hy, leun dysdain,
fëdh ’vell gwre’ty ny veu gwain.
Nyns o salow – tala trist –
rag bomm Salômê Baptyst.
Gwenever, gowsergh euver,
’gara syra sêmly gwer
Lanslot, losel – owt! – fâlslych
dres Arthùr, hy arlùth lych.
Lies’he yw êsy dhyn
trespasrol an treus’henwyn:
last ha castys mowysy,
gweyth pùb gwragh, pùb gwann-wre’ty.
Na vo unn preder an den
bos bronnen vrew an venyn,
reckna res yw dhyn porrês
banothow benow an bës.
Kensa pardê person sans:
Debora pòr deg dyblans;
profuses praisys abell,
jùj jentyl a furneth fel.
Naomy nev-vamm dew vab,
dres fros freth êth in Moab.
Wosa mernans hy mebyon
trailyas in tir Yêdhewon.
Ny’s forsâkyas – fydhyans druth –
gwirdrueth fre Rûth gùhyth.
Boaz a’s gwrug y brias:
hanow brâs dhe’n venyn vas.
Henvam in Bethlem veu hy:
deuth Davyth doth dyworty.
Gwreg anvap heb mab i’n bës
bysna – ogh – Hana heskvrës.
Ely a’s gwelas; ellâs,
treus y tyby – camm an câss –
hy bos medhow – gwedhow sens;
hy gwelvow “Gweres” gelwens.
Pesys hy dour Duw Abram;
grâss grauntys veu bones mamm
a flehes flour, profus fel,
sqwir sansoleth Samùel.
Tregys Hester deg in Pers—
sefryn ’sùffras poos pervers.
Dhe Vashty vil nyns o bern
holya men colon mytern.
Y feu Hester mêstres gwrÿs
i’n plâss ena i’n palys.
Helghya ’wrug hy Hamon fell,
selwel flehes Israel.
Sûsana mamm meur hy fris;
gans losels lyg desîrys,
pàn na vynnas — drog an dra —
gansans — grysyl — growedha,
y a grias garow gow:
“Tastyens hy ùnchast ancow!”
Vertu a veu vossawys
dre Dhanyel dhyrag an bÿs.
Elsabeth dhybegh heb meth,
Gwreg sans — grâss an gorholeth —
Vyrjyn hy a’s vysytyas,
th’o hy brës gèn Jowan brâs.
Bêwas benenes gàn pow,
keuryow sansesow Kernow:
Ladoca, Manaca, Cler,
Sèn Stedyana debonêr,
Gwenep, Golvela ha Breg,
Wendron, Anta enefdeg,
Wena, Morwena dyson,
Mabyn, Merryn, Nolwen, Nòn.
An benenes dybarow —
gwethens pureth gwir gàn pow.
Saw yth yw sanses sensys
gwell ès ken benyn i’n bÿs.
P’yw an venyn venegys
gans oll Cristonyon kerys?
Gwerhes cuv colon yw hy,
hag a’gan worshyp wordhy.
Gwrug Duw dynwyn an arghel
len gwirgannas Gabriel,
rag dry dedhy messach mas:
“Bedhys mamm a’n Messias.”
Medh maghteth whar heb awhêr.
“Gwra, Arlùth, herwyth dha er.”
Denas issew denethys,
Dasprenyas an dus prenys.
Orth prÿs an Presentacyon
gans Ana, gans Symeon
destys veu hy destnans — gu —
colonwàn dre gledha glew.
Duwhan o dhe’n flour dyflows
meras orth hy Mab i’n grows.
Trailyas calestorment tynn
dhe hebasca Pask myttyn.
Golohas, glory, gordhyans
dhe’n argh gweres, Gwerhes sans!
GERVA
Glossary
Definitions have generally been confined to those relevant for the poem. To keep the glossary to a manageable length the listing excludes the most common words. These are best looked up in Gerlyver Kescows – A Cornish Dictionary for Conversation (Ian Jackson, Agan Tavas 2017). A draft of the Second Edition of Gerlyver Kescows is available on the Vocabulary page of skeulantavas.com. If you need grammar, by far the most helpful book is Desky Kernowek (Nicholas Williams, Evertype 2012). Bear in mind that some of the grammar is poetical.
abell adv afar
ancow m death
anvap adj childless
argh f arhow treasury, store
arlùth lych m arlydhy liege-lord
bomm m bommyn blow
bronnen vrew phr broken reed
bysna m warning
colonwàn m stab in the vitals
cuv colon phr dearly beloved
dasprenyas m dasprenysy redeemer
debonêr adj gracious
dena v suckle intr
dybegh adj free from sin
dyflows adj down-to-earth
dysdain m disdain
dyson adv without another word
fâlslych adv perfidiously
fëdh f faith
fell adj cruel
fre adj free, liberal
golohas m worship
gordhyans m adoration
gorwyw adj excellent
gowsergh m adulterous lust
grysyl adj horrible
gu m woe
gùhyth f gùhydhow daughter-in-law
gwann-wrety f adulteress
gwedhow adj deprived (of)
gwelv f gwelvow lip
gwre’ty f wife
hebasca f comfort, solace
helghya v pursue, hunt down
henvam f hanvammow ancestor (female)
hesk adj barren
last m nastiness
losel m losels vagabond
lyg adj lewd
men adj strong, vigorous
messach mas phr glad tidings
Messias m Messiah
pardê adv by God (intensifier)
pervers adj perverse
prena v redeem
presentacyon m presentation
profuses f profusesow prophetess
pureth m purity
sanses f sansesow saint (female)
sansoleth m holiness
sefryn m sefryns sovereign
sqwir m sqwîrys standard, pattern
tala m talys tale
trespas m trespassys transgression
trueth m pity
ùnchast adj unchaste
venemys adj poisonous
vertu m vertus virtue
vossawya v vouchsafe
vyrjyn f virgin
wordhy adj worthy, deserving
worshyp m reverence