Lament for Princess Gwenllian / Galarnad am Dywysoges Gwenllian
Instrumentation: Picc/2alto/2/Cor/2/Bass/2/Contra/4/2/2/Harp/Piano/Perc(5)/Timp(2)/Solo Vl/Sopranos(3)/Strings
The soprano voices are to be amplified in this composition, discreetly, to give an aural aura to the vocal lines.
Duration: 24 minutes
Date of Composition: 2014
Programme Note, further details of this work, and samples of pages of the music, are all available from the score.
Memorial to Princess Gwenllian at Sempringham
Play audio, then click on ‘Enable Full Screen’ to view the score in a new window.
Gwenllian
(ar ôl ei gweld fel lleian gwflog yn ei charreg goffa grai yn Sempringham)
(after seeing her, imaged as a hooded nun, in her sculptured memorial stone at Sempringham)
T James Jones
Ein hangof a’i caethiwodd We forgot, and confined her
i fynwent ei chwfaint to the convent yard,
a’i dirwest. and chastity’s grave.
Ein hangof a’i tynghedodd We forgot, and ordained her
i rythu a rhythu ar furiau to stare at stone walls
heb fenest. down windowless days.
Ein hangof a wadodd iddi We forgot, we barred and withered
wrth gloi a chrino’i chroth her womb, denied her the ardor
gynnwrf un don. of one white-tipped wave.
Ein hangof a’i halltudiodd We forgot, and expelled her
i fro heb ben mynydd to a place where no mountain,
na haul ar fron. or hill, breasts the sun.
Ein hangof a’i condemniodd We forgot, and condemned her
i farw heb ei geni’n fam to die a loving mother
i’n hanwylo. languishing unborn.
Fe’i rhyddhawn o’i hirbell We will free her from remoteness
pan fynnwn allwedd when we claim the key
i agor ein hatgof. that lets remembrance in.
Translated by John Dressel
Yn Sempringham In Sempringham
Mererid Hopwood
Atat ti down, Gwenllian, To you we come, Gwenllian,
down â’th iaith, a down â thân we bring our language, and we bring the fire
dy aelwyd i dawelwch of your hearth to the quietness
y lle hwn, lle mae holl lwch of this place, where there is all the dust
dy hannes, lle mae d’enw’n of your story, where your name
torri’n waedd tros eu tir nhw, bursts out in a loud cry across their land,
lle buost ti Gwenllian where you, Gwenllian, were
yn fud – down yn ôl i’r fan. silent – we come back to the place.
Doli glwt ein cenedl glaf. The rag doll of our wounded race.
Oet ein harwr tyneraf, You are our gentlest hero,
ein baban gwan, ein mam gaeth, our helpless baby, our captive mother,
yn ifanc dy hynafiaeth, young in your antiquity,
ac atat ti, Gwenllian, and to you, Gwenllian,
y down o’th wlad, eneth lân, we come from your land, blameless girl,
dod eto i’r gwastatir come again to the flat lands
heddi i fan dy ddioddef hir. today to the place of your long suffering.
Am fod cur ym miaguro’r Because there is pain in the blossoming of the
gwanwyn, am fod cwyn mewn co’, spring, because there is lamentation in memory,
dyma pam mae’r fam na fu this is why the mother who never was
a’i had yn dal i waedu, and her seed still bleed,
a’r chwaer a fu’n garcharor and the sister who was prisoner
yn dal ar y daith ddi-dor is still on the unbroken journey
tua’r lle y tyr ei llais to the place where her voice breaks out
a’i hanadlu’n ein hadlais. and her breath in our echo.
Ynom ni mae Gwenllian, Within us is Gwenllian,
hi yw’r gerdd a nodau’r gân, she is the poem and the notes of the song,
a chaiff hi eto’i choffhau. and she will still be commemorated.
Yma heddiw, Here today,
rhaid maddau. there is need of forgiveness.