9.5.06

kintevin

april is the cruelest month... but



another reverdie says, in tri thrawiad meter,

mae'r ddaear yn glasu
a'r coed sydd yn tyfu
a gwyrddion yw'r gerddi
mae'r llwyni mor llon
a heirdd yw'r egine
a'r dail ar y dole
a blode'r perllane
pur llawnion


X:1
T:Mae'r Ddaear yn Glasu (Carol Mai)
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/8=150
C:Tradd
K:Am
A|ee2e|dd2d|c2ec|BB2A|
c2de|ed2c|AA2c|B3A|cc2B|
Ad2e|gg2e|fe2e|fe2c|
ec2A|c(A3|A3)z|



and this from the thirteenth century reading abbey ms

svmer is icumen in,
lhude sing cuccu
groweþ sed and bloweþ med
and springþ þe wde nu,
sing cuccu
awe bleteþ after lomb,
lhouþ after calue cu.
bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ,
murie sing cuccu!
cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þu, cuccu;
ne swik þu naver nu,
sing cuccu nu. sing cuccu.
sing cuccu. sing cuccu nu




the cuckoo in the following poem from llyfyr du caerfyrddin presages what sir ifor williams calls a change to the minor key when mentioned. the translation is by ifor williams also

kintevin keinhaw amserr
dyar adar glas callet.
ereidir in rich ich iguet
guirt mor brithottor tiret

ban ganhot cogeu ar blaen guit guiw
handit muy uy llauuridet

maytime, fairest season
loud are the birds green the groves
ploughs in furrow ox under yoke
green is the sea lands are many coloured

when cuckoos sing on the tops of fine trees
greater grows my gloom


the melancholy of the welsh cuckoo according to williams is that "in old welsh the interrogative of place 'where?' was cw (pronounced like the english coo) men everywhere heared the cuckoo's call as cw cw" this is also true in persia, apparently

more than a hint of sublime melancholy can be heared in this version of the cuckoo's nest from mid/northeast wales. the ms (cwrtnewydd) passed through the hands of mary richards sometime in the middle of the nineteenth century. she was the vicar of darowen's daughter and played the fiddle

X:1
T:nyth y gwcw (miss pritchard)
O:traditional welsh
O:cwrtnewydd ms
M:2/4
L:1/4
Q:1/2=100
K:Em
Bd|e3e|efge|dBBA|B2dB|ABde|faef|d2B2|B2Bd|
e2ef|g2fe|dBGB|d2BA|GFGE|D2BA|1GAFG|E2:||2GAFG|E4|
B3G|EGG2|BAGF|E2FG|AFF2|DFF2|AGFE|D2EF|
G2GF|G2GE|DBGB|d2BA|GFGE|D2BA|GAFG|E4:||

very little melancholy is to be encountered on padstow's joyful may day celebration. the same swagger can be heared in the music as in the welsh spring carol above



day song

unite and unite and let us all unite,
for summer is acome unto day,
and whither we are going we will all unite,
in the merry morning of may.

arise up mr..... i know you well afine,
for summer is acome unto day,
you have a shilling in your purse and i wish it was in mine
in the merry morning of may.

all out of your beds,
for summer is acome unto day,
your chamber shall be strewed with the white rose and the red,
in the merry morning of may.

where are the young men that here now should dance,
for summer is acome unto day,
some they are in england and some they are in france
in the merry morning of may.

where are the maidens that here now should sing
for summer is acome unto day,
they are in the meadows the flowers gathering,
in the merry morning of may.

arise up mr..... with your sword by your side,
for summer is acome unto day,
your steed is in the stable awaiting for to ride
in the merry morning of may.

arise up miss..... and strew all your flowers,
for summer is acome unto day,
it is but a while ago since we have strewed ours
in the merry morning of may.

o! where is st. george,
o, where is he o?
he is out in his long-boat all on the salt sea o.
up flies the kite and down falls the lark o,
aunt ursula birdhood she had an old ewe
and she died in her own Park o.

with the merry ring, adieu the merry spring,
for summer is acome unto day,
how happy is the little bird that merrily doth sing
in the merry morning of may.

the young men of padstow might if they would,
for summer is acome unto day,
they might have built a ship and gilded her with gold
in the merry morning of may.

the young women of padstow might if they would,
for summer is acome unto day,
they might have made a garland with the white rose and the red,
in the merry morning of may.

arise up mr..... and reach me your hand,
for summer is acome unto day,
and you shall have a lively lass with a thousand pounds in hand
in the merry morning of may.

arise up miss.... all in your cloak of silk,
for summer is acome unto day,
and all your body under as white as any milk,
in the merry morning of may.

with the merry ring, adieu the merry spring,
for summer is acome unto day,
how happy is the little bird that merrily doth sing
in the merry morning of may.

now fare you well and bid you all good cheer,
for summer is acome unto day,
we call no more unto your house before another year
in the merry morning of may.




X: 1
T: padstow may song (day)
O: Trad
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
Q:1/4=80
K: G
P: verse
D \|D2 EF|G2 A2|GG GF|E2 D2|EE FF|G2 DB,|A,3 D|
|ED GA|G2 FD|G>D GB|d2 cB|AB c2|B2 AF | G4-|G2 z :|
P: chorus
M: 3/4
L: 1/4
|: D|GGG|G2D|GAB|A2B|EFG|AEA|ABc| BAF|G2:|