Ar fin yr hen Iorddonen ddofn

(Dymuniad i Ysgoi Angau)
Ar fin yr hen Iorddonen ddofn,
  'Rwy'n gruddfan ddydd a nos,
Yn teimlo weithiau chwant myn'd trwy,
  Ond eto'n ofni'r loes.

O na bai modd i mi yn awr,
  Ysgoi ei chenllif cry',
A 'hedeg uwch ei thònau mawr,
  I'r lân breswylfa fry.

Wrth imi gofio grym y dw'r,
A'r tònog genllif mawr,
A'r mynych rymus
    ddewrwych ŵr,
  A suddodd ynddi i lawr.

'Rwy'n teimlo arswyd tàn fy mron,
  Wrth gofio hon mae'n wir,
Rhag ofn mai boddi ynddi wnaf,
  Cyn cyrhaedd Canaan dir.

Ond pan y gelwyf draw o bell,
  Fy hen gyfeillion gwiw,
Aeth trwyddi'n lluoedd o fy mlaen,
  Heb arnynt boen na briw.

'Rwy'n teimlo hiraeth y pryd hyn,
  Am wel'd yr hyfryd awr,
Y derfydd i mi ofni mwy,
  Yr hen Iorddonen fawr.
William Thomas 1790-1861
Llyfr Emynau 1823

[Mesur: MC 8686]

(Desire to Avoid Death)
On the edge of the old deep Jordan,
  I am groaning dy nd night,
Feeling sometimes n urge to go through,
  But still fearing the anguish.

O that there were some means for me now,
  To avoid its strong torrent,
And fly above its great waves,
  To the holy dwelling-place above.

As I remember the force of the water,
  And the great billowing torrent,
And the manifold strong
    brilliantly brave men,
  Who sank down in it.

I am feeling horror under my breast,
  On remembering this, it is true,
Lest I drown in it,
  Before reaching the land of Canaan.

But when I see yonder from afar,
  My old worthy friends,
Who went through it as hosts before me,
  With neither pain nor bruise upon them.

I am feeling longing at this time,
  To see the delightful hour,
When my fear shall cease forever
  Of the great old Jordan.
tr. 2023 Richard B Gillion

The middle column is a literal translation of the Welsh. A Welsh translation is identified by the abbreviation 'cyf.' (emulation by 'efel.'), an English translation by 'tr.'

No personal approval is given of products or services advertised on this site and no personal revenue is received.

~ Emynau a Thonau ~ Caneuon ~ Cerddi ~ Lyrics ~ Home ~