Myfanwy Fechan

Trymaf yw cariad tramwy, - hoen eumef,
          Hwn arnaf dy facwy;
    Dy fr, feinwar Fyfanwy,
    Ar a'th gr ni bu fr fwy.

Gofyn ni allaf, namyn gofwy - cur,
          Dug mewn cariad fwyfwy,
    Fynawg eirian Fyfanwy,
    Fuchudd ael, fun hael, fyw'n hwy.

Eurais wawd, ddidlawd ddadl, rhwy - eglurllwybr,
          I glaerllun Myfanwy;
    Euraf i haul amaerwy
    Er ei mwyn o eiriau mwy.

Neud hawdd, ardeml cawdd, ardwy - adneuboen,
          Adnabod Myfanwy;
    Hoen a'th gr, afar ofwy,
    Hoed brwyn, ei ry ddwyn ydd wy'.

Gorwydd, cyrch ebrwydd, ceirch ebran - addas,
          Dwg dristwas, dig Drystan,
    Llwrw buost, farch llary buan,
    Lle arlloes fre, eurllys Frn.

Gwn beunydd, herwydd herw , amcan - dilyd,
          Delw berw Caswennan,
    Golwg - deddf amlwg - diddan,
    Gwelw freichfras, brenhinblas Brn.

Gyrrais, a llidiais, farch bronllydan - hoyw
          Er hoen blodau sirian,
    Gyrrawdd ofal i'r Alban,
    Garhir braisg, ucheldir Brn.

Lluniais wawd, ddefawd ddifan, - traul ofer,
          Nid trwy lafur bychan,
    Lliw eiry cynnar pen Aran,
    Lloer bryd, lwys fryd o lys Frn.

Mireinwawr Drefawr, drofa brad - i'm dwyn,
          Gwarandaw fy nghwyn,
    frwyn freuddwydiad,

Mau glwyf a mawmwyf, murniad - hun oheb,
          Gwrtheb, teg ateb, tuag atad:

Mi dy fardd digardd, dygn gystuddiad - Rhun,
          Gyfun laes wanllun wrth lys winllad;

Mynnu'dd wyf draethu heb druthiad - na gwyd
          Wrthyd, haul gymryd, gamre wastad,

Mynud hoyw, fun loyw, oleuad - gwledydd,
          Glodrydd gain gynnydd, nid gan gennad,

Maint anhun, haelfun hwylfad, - em cyfoeth,
          Ddoeth fain oleugoeth, fy nau lygad.

Medron hoen goroen, wyf ddigarad - was
          Heb ras, mau drachas o'm edrychiad.

Magwyr murwydr, hydr hydreiddiad - lwysle,
Mygrwedd haul fore eume amad.

Megais, llwyr gludais llawer gwlad - yn ddwys,
Dy glod, lwys cynnwys pob atceiniad.

Mal hy oedd ymy am wyl gariad - graen
Myfanwy, hoen blaen eiry gaen gawad,

Meddwl, serchawl hawl, liw ton hwyliad - welw,
Arddelw dy gynnelw heb dy geniad.

Modd trist y'm gwnaeth Crist, croesteg nerthiad - llwyr,
Wanwyr o'i synnwyr drwy lud syniad,

Murn boeni mi o'm anynad - hawl,
Serchawl eneidiawl, un fynediad.

Mul y bwriais trais tros ddimad - Duw gwyn,
Tremyn ar ddillyn porffor ddillad

Megis ti, ferch rhi, rhoddiad - gymyrredd,
Mwyfwy anrhydedd, wledd wledychiad.

Marw na byw, nwyf glyw, gloyw luniad - cyngaws
Hoednaws, nid anaws ym amdanad.

Meddwl ofeiliaint braint, braidd o'm gad - llesmair
I gael yr eilgair wrth offeiriad.

Masw imi brofi, brif draethiad - a wnawn,
Lle ni'm rhoddi iawn, ne gwawn na gwad;

Mesur cawdd, anawdd i ynad - eglur
Adrodd fy nolur, ddwysgur ddysgiad.

Maith glwyf nid ethwyf, doeth bwyllrad - riain,
Maith dy arwyrain cain o'm caniad,

Modd nad gwiw fy lliw, lleuad - rhianedd,
Na'm gwedd, hud garedd, gan hoed girad.

Meinir, neu ' th berthir, gwn borthiad - poenau,
Yn nau hoen blodau, blawd ysbaddad;

Medraist, aur delaist er adeilad - gwawd,
Ym nychdawd ddifrawd, ddyfrys golliad;

Meddylia o'th ra a'th rad i'th brydydd
Talu y cerydd, Duw Dofydd Dad,

Meddiannus Ddeus, ddyad - ffyddlonder,
Ner dreisgwyn bryder, dros gain brydiad.

Prydydd wyf tros glwyf, trais glud - hoen gwaneg,
Iaith laesdeg, i'th lwysdud,
Fynawg riain, fain funud,
Fun arlludd hun, eirllwydd hud.

Ym neud glud dy hud, hydr riain - wanlleddf
O'r wenllys ger Din-brain;
Aml yw gwawd, gynefawd gain,
O'm araith i'th dwf mirain.

Sorrowing I strike the plaintive string;
     Deign, cruel maid, to hear me sing;
And let my song thy pride controul,
     Divine enchantress of my soul;
Sure Creirwy's charms must yield to thine,
     And Garwy's* sufferings to mine.
Far from Myfanwy's marble tow'rs,
     I pass my solitary hours.

O thou that shinest like the sky,
     Behold thy faithful Howel die!
In golden verse, in flowery lays,
     Sweetly I sang Myfanwy's praise;
Still the disdainful, haughty fair,
     Laughs at my pain, and my despair.
What though thine eyes, as black as sloes,
     Vie with the arches of thy brows;

Must thy desponding lover die,
     Slain by the glances of thine eye?
Pensive, as Trystan**, did I speed
     To Brân, upon a stately steed:
Fondly I gaze: but hard's my doom,
     Oh fairer than the cherry's bloom!
Thus at a distance to behold
     Whom my fond arms would fain enfold.

How swift on Alball,*** steed, I flew,
     Thy dazzling countenance to view!
Though hard the steep ascent to gain,
     Thy smiles were harder to obtain.
Thy peerless beauties to declare
     Was still thy zealous lover's care,
O fairer thou, and colder too,
     Than new fall'n snow on Aran's**** brow!

O, lovely flow'r of Trevor's race,
     Let not a cruel heart disgrace
     The beauties of that heavenly face!
Thou art my daily thought; each night
     Presents Myfanwy to my sight;
And death alone can draw the dart
     Which love has fixed in my heart.
Ah! canst thou, with ungentle eye,
     Behold thy faithful Howel die?

For thee my verse shall ever run,
     Bright rival of the mid-day sun!
Shou'dst thou demand thy lover's eyes,
     Gladly to thee I'd sacrifice
My useless sight, that only shews
     The cruel author of its woes,
Refulgent in her golden bower,
     As morning in her eastern tower.

Thy name the echoing vallies round,
     Thy name a thousand hills resound,
Myfanwy Vechan, maid divine!
     No name so musical as thine;
And every bard with rapture hung
On the soft music of my song,
     For thee I languish, pine, and rave,
White as Dwrdwy's curling wave,
     While thus I love, but love in vain!

Wisdom, and Reason, what are they,
     What all the charms of Poesy,
Against the fury of thy darts,
     Thou vanquisher of human hearts ?
When first I saw thee, princely maid!
     In scarlet robes of state array'd,
Thy beauties set my soul on fire,
     And every motion fann'd desire;

The more on thy sweet form I gaz'd,
     The more my frantic passion blaz'd.
Not half so fine the spider's thread
     That glitters on the dewy mead,
As the bright ringlets of thy hair,
     Thou beauteous object of my care!
But ah! my sighs, my tears, are vain!
     The cruel maid insults my pain!

And canst thou, without pity, see;
     The victim of thy cruelty-
Pale with despair and robb'd of sleep,
     Whose only business is to weep? -
Behold thy bard, thy poet, languish?
     Oh! ease thy bard's, thy poet's, anguish;
And for Heaven's sake some pity shew,
     Ere to the shades of night I go!

O, fairer than the flowers adorning
     The hawthorn in a summer's morning!
While life remains, I still will sing
     Thy praise, and make the mountains ring
With fair Myfanwy's tuneful name!
     And from misfortune purchase fame;
Nor ev'n to die shall I repine,
     So Howel's name may live with thine.
     -R.W.

*        This knight and lady seem to have been the same with Syr Gareth and Damoysell Lynet, celebrated in the VIIth book of the Storye of the most worthy kynge Arthur. Sir Gareth loved and was beloved by the fair Lyones, sister to Lynet. Their passion exceeded the bounds of discretion; but Lynet, to save their honor, by enchantment prevents their loves, till they are joined together in holy matrimony.

**       Trystan was another famous knight. His sorrow seems to have arose from his being deserted bya lady, who, as the history relates, forsook him for Syr Bleoberys.

***     A Scotch horse.

****   Two lofty mountains in Meirioneddshire. This poem is taken from the collection formed by the learned and ingenious Mr, Evan Evans. The original was found written on parchment in the castle of Dinas Brn.