A'r bara gosod yn rhodd ar yr allor,
dychwelwn i'n ceginau gwlân;
suddwn i ddigonedd ein seddau
a'r gwresogi canolog,
i hepian a phendwmpian
a chysgu'n braf, i freuddwydio am
y bachgen bach du ar y papur gwyn,
a'i fogail fel cwlwm balwn;
y llygaid mawr
yn y pen bach,
y corff gwag
yn gwanhau
fel gwlith
yn y gwres creulon
crwn.
Ar allor fach y wal
bwytäodd yr adar
y briwsion
i gyd.
Nid
oes
yno
ddim
ar
ôl
i'r
bachgen bach
ar y papur
gwyn
gwyn
gwyn
gwyn
gwag.
Darn yw hon o'r bryddest, I Gwestiynau Fy Mab, gan Dafydd Rowlands,
Pontardawe, a ennillodd y Goron yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, Fflint, yn 1969.
Mae'r bardd yn cyfeirio at y rhyfel a'r llwgfa yn Nigeria yn 1967.
Daeth tadcu Dafydd Rowlands i Gymru o Gappoquin yn Swydd Waterford, Iwerddon,
ond bryd hynny y cyfenw oedd Rawlins.
The bread placed as an offering on the altar,
we go back to our kitchens of wool;
we sink into our ample seats
and the central heating,
to nod and to doze,
to have a nice sleep and to dream about
the small black boy on the white paper,
and his navel like a knot in a balloon;
the big eyes
in the little head,
the empty body
fading away
like dew
in the cruelty of a heat
that is
round.
On the little altar on the wall
the birds have eaten
all of the crumbs
away.
There
is
nothing
left
over
there
for the
small boy
on the paper
that is
white
white
white
white
empty.
This is an excerpt from the ode, To the Questions of my Son, by
Dafydd Rowlands of Pontardawe which won the bardic crown at the National Eisteddfod
in Flint in 1969. The poet is referring to the war and famine in Nigeria in 1967. Dafydd
Rowland's grandfather came to Wales from Cappoquin in County Waterford, Ireland, but
at that time the surname was Rawlins.
Translation ©: Wales Famine Forum.
an spideog rua is a bantiarna an smólach,
an lon dubh is an bithiúnach ar an díon;
tálaimid féasta don chomhluadar,
tugaimid dóibh ár n-arán laethúil
ina fhéarach gann i mbáine gortach an sneachta.
Is an t-arán leagtha ina bhronntanas ar altóir
fillimid ar ár gcistineacha olla;
íslímid féin i sólann ár suíochán
is sa téamh lárnach,
ag míogarnach is ag claonadh cinn
is ag codladh go sámh go bhfeicimid i mbrionglóid
an buachaillín gorm ar an bpáipéar bán,
is a imleacán mar a bheadh snaidhm i mbalún,
na súile móra
sa cheann beag,
an corp toll
ag dul i laige
mar a bheadh an drúcht
ins an teas crúáilte
cruinn.
Ar altóir bheag an bhalla
d’ith an éanlaith
na blúiríní
go léir.
Ní
bhfuil
ann
faic
ar
fáil
don
bhuachaillín beag
ar an bpáipéar
bán
bán
bán
bán
toll.
Is é atá anseo ná cuid den dán fada, Do Cheisteanna mo Mhic, le
Dafydd Rowlands as Pontardawe a bhuaigh an Choróin in Eisteddfod Náisiúnta na
Breataine Bige, Fflint, sa bhliain 1969. Tá an file ag tagairt don chogadh agus don
ghorta sa Nigéir sa bhliain 1967.
Tháinig seanathair Dafydd Rowlands as Ceapach Choinn i gContae Phort Láirge ach
an uair úd ba é ‘Rawlins’ an sloinne a bhí acu.
Aistriúchán ©: Fóram na Breataine Bige um an nGorta.
Gorgysylltiadau i'r Gymraeg / Nascanna don Bhreatnais / Links to Welsh.
Nascanna don Ghaeilge / Links to Irish / Gorgysylltiadau i'r Wyddeleg.