Welsh Poetry of the French Revolution, 1789-1805 (Wales and the French Revolution)

This anthology presents a selection of poems written by Welsh writers living in Wales and London in response to the French Revolution. Edited and translated from Welsh into English for the first time, these poems artfully capture this period of unprecedented change and upheaval, challenging what it meant to be Welsh, British, and patriotic amid shifting views on religious affiliation. Accompanying the English poems are the Welsh originals as well as explanatory notes and an introductory essay that provide context. List of Figures 14 Preface 17 Acknowledgements 19 List of abbreviations 21 Introduction 25 Texts and Translations - Editorial Principles 85 Edward Evan, ‘Golwg ar ddull y llywodraeth yn Lloegr pan ddaeth Wiliam a Mari i lywodraethu’ (A view of the manner of government in England when William and Mary came to govern) 88 Edward Evan, ‘Cywydd a wnaed yn amser rhyfel rhyngom a Ffrainc’ (A cywydd composed in the time of war between us and France) 94 Ioan Siencyn, ‘Englynion ar y rhyfel presennol yn Ffrainc 1794’ (Englynion on the present war in France 1794) 98 [Edward] Lewis, ‘Ar y gwrthrhyfel mawr yn Ffrainc pan torrwyd pen Brenin Lewis yr 16eg a’i frenhines’ (On the great rebellion in France when King Louis XVI and his queen were beheaded) 104 Jonathan Hughes, ‘Cerdd o anogaeth i lanciau chwe sir Gwynedd, am godi yn glau ym mhlaid Britannia . . .’ (A poem of encouragement to the lads of Gwynedd’s six counties for rising quickly in the cause of Britannia . . .) 112 Jonathan Hughes, ‘Cwynfan Britannia yn ei galar a’i thristwch am ei phriflyngesydd (Arglwydd Horatio Nelson) yr hwn a laddwyd yn y frwydr gerllaw Trafalgar, 21 Hydref 1805’ (Britannia’s lament in her grief and her sorrow for her admiral (Lord Horatio Nelson) who was killed in the battle near Trafalgar, 21 October 1805) 118 William Jones, ‘Awdl ar y pedwar mesur ar hugain i ryddid a thrais’ (An awdl in the twenty-four metres to liberty and oppression) 126 William Jones, ‘Am y rhyfel, yn eisteddfod Dolgellau 1794’ (About the war,in Dolgellau eisteddfod 1794) 134 John Williams, ‘Cywydd mewn perthynas i’r amser presennol, 11 Hydref 1793’ (A cywydd in relation to the present time, 11 October 1793) 136 John Thomas (Pentrefoelas), ‘Dangosiad achos y blinder a’r drudaniaeth yn amser rhyfel Ffrainc’ (A demonstration of the cause of the tribulation and famine experienced in the time of the French war) 144 John Thomas (Pentrefoelas), ‘Dydd ympryd, 12 Mawrth 1800’ (Fast-day,12 March 1800) 150 John Thomas (Pentrefoelas), ‘Annerch i’r Cymry yn amser y rhyfel 1803’ (An address to the Welsh in the time of war 1803) 152 David Davis, ‘Chwyldroad Ffrainc’ (France’s Revolution) 156 David Davis, ‘Y ddwy ffurflywodraeth’ (The two forms of government) 162 David Davis, ‘Hymn ar ddydd ympryd’ (A hymn on a fast-day) 164 David Davis, ‘Atebiad i gywydd heddwch a gant Tomos Glyn Cothi’(An answer to the cywydd to peace by Tomos Glyn Cothi) 170 Edward Williams, ‘Hymn i Siôr y crinwas’ (A hymn to George the miser) 172 Edward Williams, ‘Breiniau dyn’ (Rights of man) 178 Edward Williams, ‘[Englyn i freiniau dyn 1]’ ([An englyn to the rights of man 1]) 186 Edward Williams, ‘[Englyn i freiniau dyn 2]’ ([An englyn to the rights of man 2]) 188 ?Edward Williams, ‘[Breiniau dyn (“Newgate Stanzas”)]’ ([Rights of man (‘Newgate Stanzas’)]) 190 Edward Williams, ‘Englynion ar yr hen ddihareb “heb ddysg, heb ddawn”’(Englynion on the old proverb ‘there is no genius without learning’) 198 Edward Williams, ‘Trioedd yr offeiriad a gant Iolo Morganwg yng Ngorseddyr Alban Hefin ar ben [Mynydd] y Garth ym Morgannwg 1797’ (The priest’s triads sung by Iolo Morganwg in the summer solstice Gorsedd on Garth Mountain in Glamorganshire 1797) 200 Edward Williams, ‘Cywydd gorymbil ar heddwch’ (A cywydd invoking peace) 208 Edward Williams, ‘Dechreuad bonedd’ (The origin of nobility) 224 John Roberts, ‘Rhagoriaeth heddwch ar ryfel’ (The superiority of peace over war) 226 John Roberts, ‘[Englyn i ryddid]’ ([An englyn to liberty]) 230 John Roberts, ‘Cwyn yn achos cyflwr Prydain Fawr 1804’ (A lament for the plight of Great Britain 1804) 232 John Roberts, ‘Cyfarchiad Britannia i bobl Loegr ar farwolaeth yr Arglwydd Nelson’ (Britannia’s address to the English on the death of Lord Nelson) 234 John Roberts, ‘Ympryd’ (Fast) 238 Edward Charles, ‘Ar farwolaeth Lewis yr unfed ar bymtheg, brenin Ffrainc. . . drwy archiad y Gymanfa Giwdawdol’ (On the death of Louis XVI, kingof France . . . at the command of the National Assembly) 242 Edward Charles, ‘Englynion i’r democrats, neu’r dynion sydd yn siarad yn greulon yn erbyn y brenin a rhan fawr o’n llywodraeth; a hynny a fu yn y flwyddyn 1795’ (Englynion to the democrats, or the men who speak cruelly against the king and a large part of our government; and that in the year 1795) 246 John Thomas (Penffordd-wen), ‘Cwynfan merch ieuanc am gwmni ei chariad, yr hwn ydoedd filwr, gyda’i dymuniad am ddiwedd ar y rhyfel’ (A young girl’s lament for the company of her lover who was a soldier, and her wish for the war to come to an end) 250 David Thomas, ‘Awdl ar ryddid’ (An awdl on liberty) 254 David Thomas, ‘Newyddion o Fôn yn y flwyddyn 1796 pan oeddid yn trethu’r cwn y tro cyntaf’ (News from Anglesey in the year 1796 when dogs were taxed for the first time) 274 David Thomas, ‘Cân Twm Paen’ (The song of Tom Paine) 276 David Thomas, ‘Cywydd. At y Cymry yn gyffredinol ac at gyhoeddwyr yr Eurgrawn yn neilltuol . . .’ (A cywydd to the Welsh in general and to the publishers of the Eurgrawn in particular . . .) 286 David Thomas, ‘Dydd ympryd’ (Fast-day) 288 David Thomas, ‘Cân y fuddugoliaeth ar fyddinoedd y Ffrancod a’r Ysbaeniaid;a marwolaeth y pen-llyngeswr digymar Nelson . . .’ (The song of the victory against the armies of France and Spain; and the death of the peerless Admiral Nelson . . .) 292 Morgan John Rhys, ‘Coffadwriaeth o farwolaeth y Parchedig Dafydd Jones, Dôl-goch . . . A gyfansoddwyd yn Paris, Ffrainc’ (Remembrance of the death of the Reverend Dafydd Jones of Dôl-goch . . . Composed in Paris, France) 298 Walter Davies, ‘Arwyrain rhyddid’ (Praise to liberty) 314 Thomas Evans, ‘[Englyn ar ryddid]’ ([An englyn on liberty]) 342 Thomas Evans, ‘Englynion i’r Gwir Ddianrhydeddus William Pitt’ (Englynionto the Right Dishonourable William Pitt) 344 Thomas Evans, ‘Cywydd ar heddwch’ (A cywydd on peace) 346 Thomas Evans, ‘Dydd ympryd’ (Fast-day) 358 Thomas Evans, ‘Y Parchg T. Evans, Aberdâr, a’i cyfieithodd o’r Hog’s Wash’ (The Revd T. Evans, Aberdare, translated it from Hog’s Wash) 360 Robert Morris, ‘Ar ddydd ympryd’ (On a fast-day) 362 Robert Davies, ‘On Peace . . .’ (On Peace . . .) 364 Evan Prichard, ‘[Erchyllterau rhyfel]’ ([The horrors of war]) 372 Evan Prichard, ‘[Heddwch]’ ([Peace]) 374 Anon., ‘Ar ddydd ympryd a gweddi’ (On a day of fasting and prayer) 376 W. Davis, ‘Dydd ympryd pabaidd, yn amser Chwyldroad Ffrainc’ (A popish fast-day in the time of France’s Revolution) 380 Dafydd Risiart, ‘Cân newydd ar yr amser’ (A new song on the present time) 386 Dafydd Risiart, ‘Ychydig benillion o ddiolch i Dduw am gynnal ac amddiffyn y brenin a’r deyrnas rhag syrthio’n ysglyfaeth i lidiowgrwydd ffiaidd Ffrainc. . .’ (Some verses of thanks to God for maintaining and defending the king and the kingdom from falling prey to France’s vile wrath . . .) 390 Anon., ‘Pennill ar “Belle Isle March” yn dangos yr ymwared rhyfeddol awnaeth y Brenin mawr i’n teyrnas pan oedd y Ffrancod wedi mordwyo i ymyl tir Iwerddon . . .’ (A verse on ‘Belle Isle March’ that shows the wonderful deliverance that the great King brought to our kingdom when the French sailed near Ireland . . .) 394 Rowland Jones, ‘Ar y testun, “beth oedd achos y rhyfel?” . . .’ (On the subject, ‘what was the cause of the war?’ . . .) 396 The Revd J. Morgan, ‘Annerch at orthrymwyr’ (An address to oppressors) 398 Thomas Francis, ‘Cân am y rhyfel presennol . . .’ (A song about the present war . . .) 400 John Llwyd, ‘Cerdd o ystyriaeth ar y llyfr a elwir Seren Tan Gwmmwl . . .’(A poem reflecting upon the book called Seren Tan Gwmmwl (Clouded Star;1795) . . .) 406 Notes to the Texts 421 Select Bibliography 479 Index 491 This anthology of Welsh poetry and English translations presents some of Wales's radical and reactionary responses to the French Revolution and its cultural legacy, 1789-1805.