Nantyglo by Geoff Jones

High up at the head of the valley
where the stream’s face hardened

under the breath of December
and where the mountain guardians

received their delivery of white cloaks
fashioned by swirling winds

and moonlight flooded
the land

the mining village nestled
in new disguise

frost nibbling away at its feet

by Geoff Jones

Nantyglo

Uchel i fyny ar flaen y cwm
lle caledai wyneb y nant

dan anadl mis Rhagfyr
a lle câi ceidwaid y mynydd

eu rhodd o fentyll gwynion
wedi’u llunio gan wyntoedd troelli

a llifai’r lloergan
y wlad

nythai’r pentref glofaol
dan rith newydd

cnoai llorrew ar ei draed

translated by Nigel Thomas
from Poetry Mine (2009)

Additional information: The poet notes ‘Nantyglo: stream of coal’.
There are a number of Geoff Jones’ on the internet so it was a little hard to find details about him. Here is a link to his Twitter account as, unfortunately, it seems his website is gone now. Here is a newspaper/news website article about him.

Nantyglo (from Welsh Nant-y-glo ‘brook of coal’) is a village in the ancient parish of Aberystruth and county of Monmouth situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Blaina and Brynmawr in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent.

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