Question Details
- Question:
- Over 50 years ago I had to do a BBC Choral Evensong broadcast, singing in Welsh, to celebrate an anniversary of the Bible being translated into Welsh by two men from my college, Bishop Morgan and, I think, a Bishop Rees.
At the back of my muddled old mind, I seem to recall a vestige of a psalm (was it 121?) which began something like "Da babell di mor huvrid yu o arglwth bu i cleoich"
Sorry about my travesty of your language but, as you can see, I can't spell it, can't speak it and my memory of the rest of it is even more hazy. It would be great if you could email me a copy of the words and I can check my pronunciation against them. And attempt to memorise them properly
As a party piece when I was a youngster, and a 100% Glasgow Scot, I could recite Llanfairpwllgwyn to its full extent (I still can do that) and to great acclaim (which I wouldn't get nowadays!). Someone ltold me that the word was made up as a kind of Welsh PR job to boost railway tourists to that little place. Can this sorry tale be true?
I look forward to hearing from you in due course
Many thanks
Iain McGlashan
Many thanks
- Answer:
- Thank you for contacting Ask Cymru.
In answer to your first query, the psalm for which you are looking is Psalm 84. In order to obtain a copy of the version that you sang, please follow the link below:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AzGR22IteswC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=babell+%22+mor+hyfryd+%22+arglwydd&source=web&ots=snHm0T2oCX&sig=JRbI5_ofHIk3nbKtHD0MLpUmMCg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result
This is an older Welsh translation of the psalm. For a more recent translation, please follow this link:
http://www.kimkat.org/amryw/1_testunau/sion_prys_003_beibl_salmau_19_1278k.htm
and scroll down to Salm 84 which begins with the second sentence: “Mor hawddgar yw dy bebyll…”
As for your second question, you are indeed correct about the longer version of the name for Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. According to the Encyclopaedia of Wales, recently published by the Welsh Academy, the longer name was invented in 1869, “probably by a local tailor eager to attract visitors”.
I hope this helps answer your questions. Thank you for contacting Ask Cymru.
- Answered By:
- Neath Port Talbot, Port Talbot Library
