"Marwnad yr Ehedydd" ("The Lark's Elegy") is a traditional Welsh folk song. A single verse was published by the Welsh Folk Song Society in 1914.Cylchgrawn Alawon Gweryn Cymru (1914) 1:59. It was attributed to the singing of Edward Vaughan, Plas-rhiw-Saeson, collected by Soley Thomas.
Words with English translation
There has been speculation that it is one of the oldest existing songs in Welsh, because the lark in the song may be a coded reference to Owain Glyndŵr and could have been written by one of his followers.Myrddin ap Dafydd (2004) Canu Gwerin 27:2-5. The single stanza has been 'exploded'Prof E Wyn James (2001) 'Ballad implosions and Welsh folk stanzas'. https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/special-collections/subject-guides/welsh-ballads/ballad-implosions into longer songs at least four times. The first was by Enid Parry,Enid Parry (1949) Wyth Gân Werin Cardiff: Hughes and Son adding three more verses about other birds. Her words were also published in two books of Welsh folksongs.Caneuon Traddodiadol y Cymry, eds Arfon Gwilym, Menai Williams, Daniel Huws (2006) Penygroes: Cwmni Cyhoeddi Gwynn, p.61.100 o Ganeuon Gwerin (2012) ed. Meinir Wyn Edwards, Talybont: Y Lolfa, p.67.
A second version was written by Albert Evans-Jones (bardic name Cynan),A Evans-Jones (1967) Cerddi Cynan, third edition, Liverpool: Gwasg y Brython, p. 53. adding four verses again about other birds.
This second version was used, for example, by Bryn Terfel on CD,Bryn Terfel (2008) Scarborough Fair and by Arfon Gwilym for Trac Cymru (Folk Development for Wales).Arfon Gwilym (2018). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLmObaoii0g
A slightly modified melody, compared to the original field-recording, is used in some publications and recordings.100 o Ganeuon Gwerin (2012), ed. Meinir Wyn Edwards, Talybont: Y Lolfa, p.67.
In 1979, Myrddin ap Dafydd created a third version of the words, based on the idea of it being about Glyndŵr, for the folk group Plethyn who released it on a cassette entitled 'Blas y Pridd', and subsequently in 1990 on a CD.Blas y Pridd/Golau Tan Gwmwl (1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9i_Y4oGP-A
During the celebration of the 600th anniversary of Glyndŵr's uprising, Myrddin ap Dafydd wrote a fourth version adding five verses to the original, entitled 'Mawl yr Ehedydd' (The Lark's Eulogy).Myrddin ap Dafydd (2004) Canu Gwerin 27:22-5.
References