It appears that the Rev. E. Evans (_Ieuan Prydydd Hir_), had prepared for
publication a Collection of our Ancient Welsh Proverbs; for a writer in
the second volume of the "CAMBRO BRITON," gives the following translation
of the Latin Preface preffixed to the MSS., which we here reprint.
Having discovered Dr. Davies of Mallwyd's Latin Translation of our Welsh
Proverbs among many other ancient MSS. in the library at Llanvorda, and
soon after having found, also the original, from which his was
transcribed, among the same valuable collection, I thought I could not
undertake a more useful work to my country, than to publish the same, and
dedicate it, as the first fruits of my labours, to my munificent patron,
Sir W. W. Wynn. The exact time when that ancient bard and philosopher,
called by the Welsh _Hen Gyrys o Ial_, flourished, cannot be accurately
ascertained. Two collections of Proverbs, made by him, and written on
parchment, are now extant in the above library, and, at the end of the
said book, a fair copy of Hywel Dda's laws; and from the best judgment,
which can be formed from the appearance of the said MSS. and the mode of
writing, or form of the hand, it may with safety be pronounced to be
about five hundred years old. To the former of these two collections is
annexed the following note respecting the author: "Mabieith Hen Gyrys o
Ial, yr hwn a elwit Bach Buddugre a Gado Gyfarwydd, a Gwynfarch
Gyfarwydd, a'r hen wyrda a ddyvawt y Diarhebion o Ddoethineb, hyd pan
veint gadwedig, gwedy hwynt, i roddi dysg i'r neb a synio arnynt; canys
crynodeb parablan llawer a synwyreu y cynghoreu doethbrud a ddangosir ar
vyrder, i'r neb a'u dyallo yn y diarhebion." Ial, where this celebrated
old Cyrys resided, is a mountainous district, containing five parishes,
situated towards the north-east corner of the county of Denbigh; and
Buddigre, where he lived, is near, if not within, the limits of the
parish of Bryn Eglwys. It is evident, that this collection of Proverbs
was made from various works of a great number of old bards, living in
different ages; for many of them are taken from the compositions of
Llywarch Hen (Llywarch the Aged), and from the poems of Aneurin and
Taliesin, and several from those of other bards much more ancient, whose
effusions have unfortunately perished.
It is more than probable, that many of these pithy sentences and
proverbial sayings, these aphorisms of wisdom and axioms of prudence,
were the productions of the venerable Druids; and they exhibit, in the
present imperfect form, in which they have been delivered to us, no
despicable specimens of those verses mentioned by Caesar, in the
seemingly enigmatical mysteries of which their pupils were initiated, and
spent many years in acquiring and committing them to memory. And he
farther informs us, that, notwithstanding these learned sages made use of
Greek characters in transacting both their public and private affairs,
yet their disciples were not permitted to _write_ these verses,
principally, (as it appeared to him,) for two reasons; in the first
place, because, if they were allowed to do so, the mysteries of their
profession would soon be divulged: and, secondly, if these aphorisms were
committed to writing, the noviciates, confiding in such artificial aids,
would no longer be at the pains of sufficiently exercising their
memories. Many of these poetical proverbs are composed in that peculiar
kind of metre, which is distinguished by the name of _Englyn Milwr_, and
these verses are possessed of such strong internal marks of antiquity,
that I may with safety pronounce them to be the genuine productions of
the Druids. And, as they are by no means unworthy of being considered as
the real effusions of those learned sages and philosophers, it will not,
I hope, be deemed a digression, or by any means irrelevant to the object
of this introduction, to gratify the reader with a specimen of one of
these oracular compositions, together with a close literal Latin version.
The first two lines of these poetical triplets seem to contain some of
the privileges of the Druids, and the third generally exhibits some maxim
of wisdom or axiom of prudence. The following were transcribed from the
Red Book of Hergest, in the library of Jesus College, Oxford:--
1. 1.
Marchwiail bedw briglas, Virgulta betulae viridis
A dyn fy nhroed o wanas; Meum pedem e compede solvent;
Nac addef dy rin i was. Secretum tuum juveni ne
reveles.
2. 2.
Marchwiail derw mewn llwyn, Virgulta quercus de luco
A dyn fy nhroed o gadwyn: Solvent pedem meum e catena:
Nac addef dy rin i forwyn. Ne reveles secretum tuum
virgini.
3. 3.
Marchwiail derw deiliar, Virgulta quercus frondosae
A dyn fy nhroed o garchar: Pedem meum e carcere
Nac addef dy rin i lafar. liberabunt:
Ne reveles secretum tuum
homini loquaci.
The foregoing stanzas, as well as many others of the same description,
are still extant is the above mentioned book, called Llyfr Coch o
Hergest, and likewise in several MSS. in the libraries of Llanvorda near
Oswestry, and Hengwrt near Dolgellau; and, on account of their having
accidentally been discovered among the compositions of that ancient bard
Llywarch Hen, Dr. Davies and Edw. Llwyd have hastily and inconsiderately
pronounced them to be some of his productions; but the frequent
recurrence of the oak, their favourite tree, and the dark allusions to
the druidical rites and privileges, most evidently and convincingly, (in
my opinion,) denote their origin to be from that source. But here it may
be objected, that the Druids could not, (as Caesar declares it was not
their usual practice,) have committed these verses to writing. Granted
it was so in his time; yet it is manifest from the poems of our
celebrated bard Taliesin, that, in subsequent times, they did not
strictly adhere to this resolution; for many of their pretended mysteries
are divulged in his compositions. It is also evident, that, in these
early ages, the Druids were not the only persons, who were thus cautious
of revealing their secrets to the vulgar; but the Bards also endeavoured
to conceal their poetical rules and metres, from the public; for their
book of prosody, containing the intricacies of the art, is distinguished
by the name of _Cyfrinach y Beirdd_, (i.e. The Secret of the Bards,) and
they were strictly prohibited from explaining these, except to their own
noviciate disciples, which continued to be their practice nearly to our
own times. But, notwithstanding these strict prohibitions, it is well
known, that the poetical compositions of the bards were publicly recited;
and it is evident that, after the commencement of the Christian aera, the
Druids were not so scrupulously cautious with respect to these rules of
secrecy, which may be proved from some stanzas, which I have seen in an
ancient MS., denominated _Englynion Duad_, probably from a bard or druid
of that name. Some few of the lines I shall here subjoin, for the
inspection of the reader.
Bid gogor gan iar,
Bid gan lew drydar,
Bid oval ar a'i car;
Bid ton calon gan alar.
These lines have been introduced into our Welsh proverbs; and the
following remark is made on them at the end of Dr. Davies's MS. copy.
"Gwyl y rhagor y sydd rhwng y rhai hyn ar rhai sydd yn Llyfr Coch, a hen
gopiau eraill; a gwybydd fod y gerdd hon yn hen iawn; gan fod cymmaint o
ymrafael rhwng yr hen gopiau." i.e. Advertat lector quam variant inter
se exemplar Hergestianum et alia exemplaria in hoc cantico, et sciat, hoc
carmen ob differentias praedictas esse vetustissimum.
Those learned men are, therefore, mistaken, who suppose, that the Druids
never committed any of their compositions to writing; when it is evident,
that these and others of their productions have been conveyed down to us.
Taliesin, as I have before hinted, informs us, that he was instructed by
them in many of their mysteries, particularly in that of the [Greek
text], and in many other rudiments of their philosophy. And hence it is,
that his works are more obscure than those of any other of the ancient
bards.
There is also a certain degree of obscurity in the very words and
language of Taliesin; and the same may be observed of the compositions of
Aneurin Gwawdrydd and other bards of the same age, a catalogue of whose
works may be found in the learned Edward Llwyd's Archaeology, collected
from the notes of William Maurice, Esq., of Cefn y Braich. But Mr. E.
Llwyd never saw any of the poetical compositions of Taliesin, Aneurin,
and other early bards, except those of Llywarch Hen, which he found in
_Llyfr Coch o Hergest_: and the works of these ancient authors will
afford us very material assistance, not only in the investigation of our
ancient British language, but also in examining historical facts, and in
tracing the origin of the various tribes, who inhabited this island
during that early period. Taliesin, in a poem, of which the following is
the title, "_Cerdd am Feibion Llyr ap Brychwel Powys_," mentions three
separate nations, who had taken possession of different parts of Britain,
previous to his time, viz., _Gwyddyl_ (Celts or Gauls,) _Brython_, and
_Romani_, (Romans.)
Gwyddyl, a Brython, a Romani,
A wna hon dyhedd, a dyfysci;
Ac am derfyn Prydein, cain ei threfi.
And they are represented as exciting war and tumult on the borders of
this fair isle, and its beautiful towns and cities; and it appears
evidently from this poem, that the first inhabitants were _Gwyddyl_ or
Celts, which circumstance Mr. Llwyd and others have proved most
satisfactorily, from the names of mountains, rivers, &c. But by the word
_Gwyddyl_ Taliesin must, by no means, be understood to mean the modern
Irish; for their language at present contains a very considerable mixture
of Cantabrian and Spanish, and differs very materially from the ancient
genuine Celtic and British, which clearly appears from the writings of
the old bards, and the ancient British Proverbs. For, if any person were
vain enough to suppose, that he could discover the meaning of some of our
obsolete British words, by consulting an Irish Dictionary, he would soon
find himself woefully disappointed, and I am clearly of opinion, that the
ancient genuine Celtic dialect had a very near affinity to the old Welsh
or British. I believe, that the persons, denominated _Gwyddyl_ by
Taliesin, were genuine Celtae, and inhabited this island previous to the
arrival of the Britons, and probably soon after the general deluge, and
that these Celtae were the progeny of the Titans; for the Curetes and
Corybantes, who were their princes and nobles, are clearly identified
with the _Cowri_ of the British history, written by Tyssilio (the
bishop), which Geoffrey of Monmouth has very improperly translated
_Giants_. And this blunder of his has been the source of endless
mistakes; for the word _Cowri_ evidently means princes, generals, nobles,
or persons of great eminence. The Curetes are therefore our _Cowri_; and
the Corybantes (i.e. _Cowri-Bann_) were princes or persons of great
eminence, as the expression denotes; and, what is still more to our
purpose, the word gwyddyl also implies any thing conspicuous, and is
nearly synonymous with _Cowri_, which is the usual term, even to the
present day, to designate persons of uncommon stature or great bodily
strength. The Curetes, therefore, were evidently our Cowri, and the
Corybantes (i.e. _Cowri-Bann_) imply princes or leaders, or persons of
the most eminent rank and consequence: and, in order to corroborate this
assertion, it may be observed here, that there is a very high mountain
near Towyn, in the county of Merioneth, which, to this day, bears the
name of _Gwyddyl Fynydd_; and the highest peak or summit of Snowdon, is
denominated _Yr Wyddfa_, (i.e. the highest eminence or the most
conspicuous,) and by the common people, even at this time, is known by no
other name. And _Gwydd Grug_ means a high hill, or eminence; _Gwydd
Fryniau_, high banks; and _Trum Gwydd_, the ridge of a mountain; and many
others, which it would be tedious and useless to enumerate. And it may
also be observed here, that the [Greek text] and [Greek text] of the
Greeks, and the _Celtae _and _Galli_, of the Latins, appear to me to bear
no other import. For _Gallt_ and _Allt_ are clearly synonymous with
_Gwyddel_, and denote any thing high or eminent, though the word _Gallt_
is, at present, restricted to designate the steep ascent of a hill, or a
declivity; but, that the word Gallt was anciently used to denominate high
mountains may be justly inferred from the word _Alps_, which is evidently
composed of two Celtic words, Gallt-ban, or pen, i.e. Allt-ban, Al-pen,
or Alpine, which commutation or change of initial letters will appear
easy to any person acquainted with the British language, and perfectly
justified by the rules of grammar, as the mutations of radical letters in
Welsh are well known to be nearly endless. It would not be difficult to
prove, that the ancient Britons are descendants of the Celtae, and a
close connection and affinity may be traced between their language not
with the ancient Celtic only but also with the Greek; and, it is at the
same time very evident, that their dialect differed materially from that
of the aboriginal inhabitants of this island, and whom on that account
they denominated _Gaillt_ and _Gwyddyl_. The British language retains to
this day many words purely Greek, such as _Haul_, [Greek text], the sun,
_Dwfr_, [Greek text], water, and many others, which have been pointed out
some time by the learned _Pezron_. But, that the Britons had other words
of the same import purely Celtic may be proved from the works of the
ancient bards; for _huan_ is made use of by Iorwerth Vychan, and many
other bards, to signify the _sun_,--
Llewyrch ebyr myr, morfeydd dylan;
Pan lewych _huan_ ar fann fynydd.
_Iorwerth Vychan_.
Coruscatio portuum aquarum, et paludum marinarum;
Cum sol splendet ab excelso monte.
And the old bard, _Avan Verddig_, in his elegy on the death of Cadwallon,
the son of Cadvan, makes use of _ber_ for water, instead of _dwr_ or
_dwfr_.
"Goluchav glew, hael, hilig Nav Ner,
Aded gynt, ettiynt, hyd yn _irfer_ hallt."
_Avan Verddig_.
Exorabo potentem et liberalem Dominum Creatorem,
Iverunt ad madidam aquam salsam.
And from hence it is manifest, that _huan_ and _ber_ are two ancient
Celtic words; but, if any one were to consult an Irish lexicon in hopes
of finding the expressions, he would be disappointed; yet he may discover
_bir_ among the obsolete words in that language. The names of moors,
meadows, and rivers, in different parts of Wales, may also be produced as
an additional evidence that _ber_ and _mer_ originally signified
water,--for instance, _Bereu Derwenydd_, near Snowdon, _Castell y Berau_,
in Llanfihangel y Pennant, in Merionethshire, where many mountain
torrents meet. _Aber_, a confluence, seems also to justify this opinion,
and _inver_, in the Erse dialect.
A TRANSLATION OF
CYWYDD MARWNAD LLEUCU LLWYD,
BY LLEWELYN GOCH AT MEIRIG HEN. (A BARD OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.)
* * * * *
AN ELEGY,
TO THE MEMORY OF LLEUCU LLWYD, THE FAIR NYMPH OF PENNAL.
_Lleucu Llwyd_, _a great beauty_, _was a native of Pennal_, _in Comit.
Meirion_; _she was greatly beloved by Llewelyn Goch ap Meirig Hen o
Nannau_, _and died when he was gone on a journey to South Wales_; _upon
his return_, _he composed this Elegy_; _which is a master-piece in its
kind_.
"_Llyma haf llwm i hoew-fardd_,
_A llyma fyd llwm i fardd_;" &c.
Lo, to the jocund Bard, here's a barren summer; to the Bard the world is
desolate.
How is Venedotia bereft of its bright luminary? How its heaven is
enveloped with darkness, ever since the full moon of beauty has been laid
in the silent tomb! Mournful deed! a lovely Fair, in the oaken chest; my
speech can find no utterance since thou art gone, O thou of shape divine!
Lamp of Venedotia; how long hast thou been confined in the gloomy grave!
Arise, thou that art dearer to me than life; open the dismal door of
thine earthly cell! Leave, O fair one, thy sandy bed; shine upon the
face of thy lover. Here by the tomb, generous maid of noble descent,
stands one whose mirthful days are past, whose countenance is pale with
the loss of thee; even Llewelyn Goch, the celebrater of thy praise,
pining for the love of thee, helpless and forlorn, unequal to the task of
song.
I heard, O thou that art confined in the deep and dismal grave, nought
out of thy lips but truth, my speechless Fair! Nought, O thou of stately
growth, fairest of virgins fair! But thou hadst promised, now unfeeling
to the pangs of love, to stay till I came from South Wales; lovely
silk-shrouded maid! The false Destinies snatched thee out of my sight;
it nought concerns me to be exposed to the stormy winds, since the
agreement between thee and pensive me is void! Thou! thou! lovely maid,
wert true; I, even I was false; and now fruitlessly bemoan! From
henceforth I will bid adieu to fair Venedotia. It concerns me not
whither I go. I must forego my native soil for a virtuous maid, where it
were my happiness to live, were she alive! O thou whose angelic face was
become a proverb; thy beauty is laid low in the lonesome tomb! The whole
world without thee is nothing, such anguish do I suffer! I, thy pensive
Bard, ramble in distress, bewailing the loss of thee, illustrious maid!
Where, O where shall I see thee, thou of form divine, bright as the full
moon! Is it on the Mount of Olives, loveliest of women? Ovid's love was
nothing in comparison of mine, lovely Lleucu; thy form was worthy of
heaven, and my voice hath failed in invoking thy name. Alas! woe is me,
fair maid of Pennal. It sounded as a dream to me, to hear that thy
charms were laid in the dust; and those lips which I oft have praised,
excelled the utmost efforts of my Muse. O my soul, whiter than the foam
of the rapid streams, my love, I have now the heavy task of composing thy
Elegy.
Lovely virgin! How are thy bright shining eyes closed in everlasting
sleep in the stony tomb! Arise to thy pensive Bard, who can smile no
more, were he possessed of a kingdom; arise in thy silken vest, lift up
thy countenance from the dismal grave!
I tell no untruth, my feet are benumbed by walking around thy dwelling
place, O Lleucu Llwyd, where heretofore, bright lamp of Venedotia, I was
wont to celebrate thy beauty in fine flowing verse, where I was wont to
be merry in praising thy delicate hand and tapering fingers, ornamented
with rings of gold, lovely Lleucu, delicate sweet-tempered Lleucu! Thou
wert far more precious than reliques to me! The soul of the darling of
Meirionydd is gone up to God, its original Author, and her fair corpse is
deposited in the sanctuary of holy ground, far, far from me in the silent
tomb! The treasure of the world is left in the custody of a haughty
black man. Longing and melancholy dirges are the portion of my lot. I
lament with faltering accents over the lovely Lleucu! whiter than the
flakes of riven snow. Yesterday I poured down my cheeks showers of tears
over thy tomb. The fountains of my head are dry, my eyes are strangers
to sleep, since thou art gone; thou fair-formed speechless maid hast not
deigned to answer thy weeping Bard. How I lament, alas, that earth and
stones should cover thy lovely face; alas that the tomb should be made so
fast, that dust should ever cover the paragon of beauty, that stony walls
and coffin should separate thee and me, that the earth should lock thee
fast in her bosom, that a shroud should enclose a beauty that rivalled
the dawn of the morn; alas that strong doors, bolts, and stately locks
should divide us for ever!
EVAN EVANS, alias IEUAN PRYDYDD HIR.