Music of a thrush, clearbright
Lovable language of light,
Heard I under a birchtree
Yesterday, all grace and glee –
Was ever so sweet a thing
Fine-plaited as his whistling?
Martins, he reads the lesson,
A chasuble of plumage on.
His cry from a grove, his brightshout
Over countrysides rings out,
Hill prophet, maker of moods,
Passion’s bright bard of glenwoods.
Every voice of the brookside
Sings he, in his darling pride,
Every sweet-metred love-ode,
Every song and organ mode,
Competing for a truelove,
Every catch for woman’s love.
Preacher and reader of love.
Preacher and reader of lore,
Sweet and clear, inspired rapture,
Bard of Ovid’s faultless rhyme,
Chief prelate mild of Springtime.
From his birch, where lovers throng,
Author of the wood’s birdsong,
Merrily the glade re-echoes –
Rhymes and metres of love he knows.
He on hazel sings so well
Through cloistered trees (winged angel)
Hardly a bird of Eden
Had by rote remembered then
How to recite what headlong
Passion made him do with song.
by Dafydd ap Gwilym
translated by Tony Conran
Mawl i’r Ceiliog Bronfraith
Y ceiliog, serchog ei sôn,
Bronfraith, dilediaith loywdon,
Deg loywiaith, doe a glywais,
Dawn fad lon, dan fedw ei lais.
Ba ryw ddim a fai berach
Blethiad na’i chwibaniad bach?
Plygain y darllain deirllith,
Plu yw ei gasul i’n plith.
Pell y clywir uwch tiroedd
Ei lef o lwyn a’i loyw floedd,
Proffwyd rhiw, praff awdur hoed,
Pencerdd gloyw angerdd glyngoed.
Pob llais diwael yn ael nant
A gân ef o gu nwyfiant,
Pob caniad mad mydr angerdd,
Pob cainc o’r organ, pob cerdd,
Pob cwlm addwyn er mwyn merch,
Ymryson am oreuserch.
Pregethwr a llywiwr llên,
Pêr ewybr, pur ei awen,
Prydydd cerdd Ofydd ddifai,
Prif urddas, prim-y-mas Mai.
Adwaen ef o’i fedw nwyfoed,
Awdur cerdd adar y coed,
Adlais lon o dlos lannerch,
Odlau a mesurau serch,
Edn diddan a gân ar gyll
Yng nglwysgoed, angel esgyll.
Odid ydoedd i adar
Paradwys, cyfrwys a’i câr,
O dro iawngof drwy angerdd
Adrodd a ganodd o gerdd.
Additonal information: The original title, Mawl i’r Ceiliog Bronfraith, translates as Praise to the (song) Thrush. Tony Conran shortened this to ‘The Thrush’ for his translation.
There is an excellent site published by Swansea University regarding ap Gwilym‘s poetry. If you wish to read their notes on this specific poem it is number 159 and you need to click on the ‘notes’ tab at the bottom of the screen. It’s suggested, due to its simpler style compared to his other works, this is someone emulating ap Gwilym rather than an authentic piece by him.
Rambling At The Bridge Head 