Bywyd a Gwaith Henry Richard AS/Awdl Coffa

Bywyd a Gwaith Henry Richard AS

gan Eleazar Roberts

"Chwythu'i dân dan chwibianu
Ei fyw dôn wna y gof du;
Un llaw fegina, a'r llall
Faluria'r glo fel arall :
Wedi trefnu taclu'r tân,
Arbwynt allor ei bentan,
Yn hyi mewn hen gleddyf glas,
Luniai lawer galanas,
Gafaela y gof eilwaith,
Chwery âg ef cyn dechreu gwaith ;
Rhed ei fawd ar hyd ei fin
Dewrfodd i brofi'r durfin;
Ffugia'r gŵr yn filwr fod,
Neu yn hen gadben hynod :
Areithia, bygythia'n gâs
I'w elynion alanas;
Yna try, tery e'n y tân,
A chwyth yn gryfach weithian;
A gwreichion filamgochion gant
Drwy dorchau mwg draw dyrchant;
E dyn allan o dân dig
Ei ffwrn. dan ffrio'n ffyrnig;
Yr hen gledd mawr iawn ei glod,
Yn y maes mewn ymosod;
A dwg ef yr aileg bon
Yn wynias ar ei einion:
Ac mewn hwyl â'r morthwyl mawr,
Esgud, a nerth grymusgawr,
Fe'i cura nes â yn swch,
Gywrain ei gwas'naethgarwch,
I aru'r ddaiar iraidd,
A thy o hon wenith a haida."

Allan o Awdl Gwylym Hiraethog ar "Heddwch."

TRANSLATION

(From Herald of Peace, 1871, p. 287)

“The blacksmith at his forgefire blows,
And whistles gaily as it glows;
One hand the bellows work controls,
The other trims the burning coals.
His fiery altar ready made,
He boldly takes a polished blade,
Of ancient shape that vengeance sought
In many scenes of slaughter wrought;
In playful mood, its edge to feel,
He runs his thumb along the steel;
Then acts he like a soldier bold,
Or as a captain famed of old,
He gives his charge to armed hosts,
And hurls defiance mixed with boasts;
Then of a sudden twirls his hand,
And in the fire he thrusts the brand,
Driving with double force the blast,
Red flaming sparks fly thick and fast
From out the teeming curly be
Of darkling smoke, which now ascends;
Then from the angry fire restora,
Frying and hissing comes the sword;
The sword which won its glory of yore,
On fields of battle, steeped in gore;
Now, white with heat, and pliant made,
Upon the blacksmith's anvil laid;
Who with high glee, and giant's strength,
His sinewy arms outstretched at length,
His heavy hammer on it plies,
Until a ploughshare greets his eyes,
The husbandman the ploughshare takes
And tills the earth, and thus he makes
It reproduce and smile again
Luxuriantly with fruitful grain.