Llythyrau Goronwy Owen/Llythyr 22
| ← Llythyr 21 | Llythyrau Goronwy Owen golygwyd gan John Morris-Jones |
Llythyr 23 → |
𝔏𝔩𝔶𝔱𝔥𝔶𝔯 22.
At WILLIAM MORRIS.
ANWYL SYR,
MI addewais, yn y diweddaf, ysgrifennu attoch eilchwyl gyntaf ag y gallwn ar ol y Nadolig; ac yn awr dyma fi'n cywiro. Mae'n debyg gennyf dderbyn ohonoch Gywydd y Farn cyn hyn, ac nid wyf yn ammau na byddwch heno yn ei ddarllain ar osteg i'r Gymdeithas; a llwyr y dymunaswn fod hyn o Lythyr hefyd yn eich dwylaw 'run modd; on'd nid oedd modd i hynny mor bod, oblegid fy mod yn rhy brysur trwy'r Gwyliau, heb neb i'm cynhorthwyo mewn un darn o ddyledswydd y Plwyf mawr yma. Dyma fy hên Gyfaill anwylaf Mr. Huw Williams (yn awr) Periglor Aberffraw ym Môn, wedi gyrru imi Ramadeg Sion Rydderch i'm hyfforddio yn yr hên Gelfyddyd. Nid yw'r Grammadeg hwnw (e ŵyr Daw) ond un o'r fath waelaf; etto y mae'n well na bod heb yr un, canys y mae ynddo Engraphau o'r pedwar mesur ar hugain; ac y mae hynny yn fwy nag a welswn i erioed o'r blaen. Disgwyl yr oeddwn weled rhyw odidog Ragoriaeth o Gywreindeb orchestol rhwng gwaith y Beirdd o'r oesoedd diweddaraf (sef D. ap Gwilym ac eraill) a gwaith trwsgl yr Hên Feirdd gynt yn amser Taliesin, Llywarch Hên, Cynddelw, a'r cyffelyb; ond i'm mawr syndod, nid oedd hynny ond sommedigaeth.—I find that all the old Metres (despised & antiquated as they are) were really what all compositions of that nature should be, viz Lyrick verses, adapted to the Tunes & Musick then in use. Of this sort were the several kinds of Englynion, Cywyddau, Odlau, Gwawdodyn, Toddaid, Trybedd y Myneich, & Clogyrnach, &c which to any one person of understanding & genius that way inclined, will appear to have in their composition the authentick Stamp of genuine Lyrick Poetry, and of true primitive Antiquity. As to the rest, I mean Gorchest y Beirdd, Huppynt Hir a Byrr, and the newest (falsely thought the most ingenious & accurate) kind of all the other Metres; I look upon them to be rather depravations than improvements in our Poetry, being really invented by a set of conceited fellows, void of all taste in Poetry, at a time when the Tunes of the Antient Metres were no more known than those of the Odes of Horace are now. What a cursed groveling, low thing that Gorchest y Beirdd is, I leave you to judge; & I would at the same time have an impartial answer, whether the old despised, exterminated, &, (I had almost said) persecuted Englyn Milwr hath not something of antique Majesty in its composition. Now, for goodness' sake, when I have a mind to write good sense in such a Metre as Gorchest y Beirdd, and so begin, the Language itself does not afford words that will come in to finish with sense & Cynghanedd too, what must I do? Why, to keep Cynghanedd, I must talk nonsense to the end of the Metre, as my Predecessors in Poetry were used to do, to their immortal Shame; & cramp & fetter good sense, while the Dictionary is all overturned & tormented to find out words of alike ending, sense or nonsense. And besides, suppose our Language was more short, comprehensive and significant, than it is, (which we have neither reason, nor room to wish) what abundance of mysterious sense is such a jingling Metre of such a length able to contain! An Iliad in a Nut—Shell, as they say. In short, as I understand that it & its fellows were introduced by the Authority of an Eisteddfod, I wish we had an Eisteddfod again to give them a Dimmittus to some peaceable acrostick Land to sport and converse with the spirits of deceased Puns, Quibbles, & Conundrums, of Pious Memory. Then could I gladly see the true primitive Metres reinstated in their antient Dignity, & sense regarded more than a hideous jingle of words which hardly bear sense. —But where would I be a going? I must not expect to see these things till the Antiquated Crwth a Thelyn Rawn are in fashion again; which I much fear is not likely to be within this century.—Dyma i chwi ryw fath ar ddynwared Caniad ar 24 mesur i'ch Cymdeithas a'ch Iaith, a chan mai nhw yw'r cynnyg cyntaf a rois erioed ar ganu ar y 24 Mesur, nid wyf yn disgwyl amgen nâ bo rai beiau a gwallau ynddo; etto os yw Gramadeg Sion Rhydderch yn gywir, yr wyf yn tybio nad oes nemawr o feiau anafus yn y Gerdd ychwaith; pan ddêl Ioan Dafydd Rhŷs i'm dwylaw, mi a ganaf yn gywreiniach. Ni yrrais mo hwn i Allt Fadawg etto, ond mi ai gyrraf pan gaffwyf amser, ac yno mi gâf wybod beth a dalo. Chwi ellwch weled na bydd mo'r lle i'r Gwynn nag i'r Hir[1] i achwyn bod gormod o Lusga Sain, yn hwn, a bychan o'r Groes a'r Draws oblegid ni's gwn fod ynddo un Gynghanedd ond y Groes Rywiog yn unig, os yw hono well nag eraill, eithr nid wyf fi'n medru canfod Gorchest yn y byd ar un Gynghanedd mwy na'r llall; yr orau yn fy nhyb i, yw'r hon a ddelo Naturiolaf.—I have hardly room to tell you how much I am yours
Dear Sir I must beg of you to excuse the inaccuracy & bad writing that you meet with, impute it to the very great hurry that I am in. A line at your leisure will be exceedingly agreeable.
Nodiadau
golygu- ↑ Wynne of Llangynhafal & Evans of Llanfair.