Rudsamblog

If you're interested in joining the Plygain Party for our Christmas concerts:

I've found a suitable carol.  "Suitable" means that I have also found a YouTube performance with very clear pronunciation. See it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZw-ir4fIrY

You can stop watching when the singing ends. The rest of the clip is an explanation of the text, in Welsh.

I have written the text out below with an "interpretation" to give you an idea of what the individual words mean.

You could try printing off the words and then listening to the YouTube performance to see whether you can relate the Welsh text to what you hear.

There is a catch, though. The tune that the YouTube singers use is a bit dull. Here is the sheet music for a more interesting version:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwwYzKy5FfrPcWNkNFpSYkg0c2M/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-bYOoUqi5rl73_MEQWo3MAw

I propose to use the tune on the sheet music with the words that they sing on YouTube.

John

Text of the carol "Mae Gwahoddiad i ni heddiw"

1.
Mae      gwahoddiad i  ni heddiw
There is invitation to us today

 i  gadw gŵyl.
 to keep festival.

Clywch heb gêl y   clych yn galw,
Hear   openly  the bells calling,

 O cadwn       ŵyl.
 O let us keep the feast.

Gŵyl     i  goffa'r      bore    dedwydd,
Festival to remember the morning blessed,

 Genedigaeth Crist     yr  Arglwydd
 birth       of Christ the Lord

Rhoddwn     foliant am  y   newydd,
Let us give praise  for the news,

 a   chadwn ŵyl
 and keep   the feast

Heddiw ganed   draw   ym Methlem,
Today  is born yonder in Bethlehem,

 y   gwir Siloh  aer  Caersalem,
 the true Shiloh heir of Jerusalem,

Ei  addoli Ef a ddylem -
His worship     we owe -

 a   chadw gŵyl.
 and keep  the feast.

2.
Dyma'r      hen     addewid fore
Here is the ancient promise of dawn

 'Nawr wedi dod;
 Now   arrived.

Dyma'r  Gwreiddion o  gyff     Jesse
Here is the root   of the tree of Jesse

 'Nawr wedi dod;
 Now   arrived.

Dyma    sylwedd               y cysgodau,
Here is the foundation of [our] shelter

Dyma    ddiwedd yr aberthau,
Here is the final  sacrifice,

Yn y   preseb mewn cadachau,
In the manger in   [swaddling] cloths,

 'Nawr wedi dod;
 Now   arrived;

Dyma    Fachgen   Esau'r* proffwyd,
Here is the child Isaiah  foretold,

Dyma'r  Mab     i  ni a roddwyd,
Here is the Son to us   given,

Dyma'r  Ffordd   i  fythol  fywyd,
Here is the road to eternal life,

 'Nawr wedi dod;
 Now   arrived.

3.
Gwelwn gariad rhad        difesur;
Behold a love of blessing infinite;

 O! ryfedd ras!
 O! Marvel of grace!

Ganwyd  Ceidwad     i   bechadur;
Born is the Saviour for sinners;

 O! ryfedd ras!
 O! Marvel of grace!

Cadd ei eni      o  Fari'r forwyn,
He has been born of Mary   the Virgin,

Roddes   laeth    ei     bron   i'w    Brenin
Who gave the milk of her breast to her King

Ac a'i daliodd  ar ei  deulin;
And    held him in her lap;

 O! ryfedd ras!
 O! Marvel of grace!

Rhyfedd    ydoedd ei  gnawdoliaeth,
Marvellous was    his incarnation,

Rhyfedd yn     ei  enedigaeth,
Marvellous was his birth,

Rhyfedd    fywyd, a   marwolaeth;
Marvellous life,  and death

 O! ryfedd ras!
 O! Marvel of grace!

4.
Crist  agorodd    ffordd   i'n    gwared,
Christ has opened the road to our salvation,

 clod   iddo   byth.
 praise to him for ever.

Crist  a'n dygodd     o'n      caethiwed,
Christ has brought us from our slavery,

 clod   iddo   byth.
 praise to him for ever.

Iesu  hynod   roes  ei hunan
Jesus amazing gives himself

dros bechadur   euog   aflan
for  the sinner guilty filthy

I'w saredu     o    feddiant  Satan,
To  redeem him from the power of Satan,

 clod   iddo   byth.
 praise to him for ever.

Ar ei  lais  bechadur gwrando,
To his voice sinner   listen,

nid yw'n    gwrthod neb    ddaw    ato
he does not forbid  anyone to come to him

Ond yn derbyn pawb     a   gredo,
But receives  everyone who believes,

 clod   iddo   byth.
 praise to him for ever.

* Verse 2 in the YouTube video refers to Esau proffwyd (Esau the prophet). Isaiah was a prophet; Esau was not. The two names sound very similar in Welsh - Esau and Eseia. I think Esau is a mistake, but we can sing it anyway, because it's easier and none of our audience will notice.

The words - at least, some of them - are attributed to Eos Powys, who may be Thomas Hughes of Gwernaffield, near Mold, d. 1867.

Finally - neither the words nor the tune are the same as a well-known Welsh hymn called "Gwahoddiad". That's a Welsh version of an American gospel song "I am coming, Lord".