Oliver Jones’s final poem

Description

Oliver Jones had written and posted a final poem to Gwilym Cynlais a few days before he was drowned on the BOSCAWEN, titled: ‘At Fardd Porth y Wawr’ (To the Poet of Porth y Wawr).

Transcript:
At Fardd Porth y Wawr
Tra yn hwylio dros yr eigion,
Gwelaf fynydd Cymru dlos,
Yn fy lloni mewn atgofion,
Yr unygrwydd lleddf y nos;
Ton ac awel mewn cynghanedd,
Ydyw'r miwsig gaf o hyd,
Mor o ddwr yw Mor y Gogledd,-
Mor o gan yw Cymru i gyd.

Cymru, gwlad y myrdd o swynion,
Lle mae'r neint yn moli'r lor,
Mae'n anwylach i fy nghalon,
Er pan ydwyf ar y mor; o am derfyn am y rhyfel –
Croesaw foreu gweinio'r cledd,
Pan gaf rodio 'i broydd tawel—
Ymhydrydaf yn ei hedd.

Melys ydyw'r hen atgofion,
Am y delyn, am y gan;
Newydd oedd yr hen benillion,
Tra yr hwyl yn cyneu'r tan;
Mor amddifod ydwyf hebddi!
Mae cysuran lond ei llaw; Gobaith rydd addewid imi,
Am ei chwmni ddydd a ddaw.

Diolch iti, gyfaill siriol,
Am dy ddymuniadau byw,
Ceisiaf gofio yn wastadol,
Mai y "Tad sydd wrth y lyw"
Os yw'r cymyl yn yr wybren,
Heddyw'n gwgu ar y byd,
Rhaid yw meddwl ar yr heulwen,
Sydd wrth gefn y rhain i gyd.

Hapus, hapus fo dy hanes,
Yn awyrgylch Porth y Wawr,
A fy nghofion mwyaf cynes,
Lerbyn hwy yn dyrfa fawr.
Teimlaf di yn agos ataf,
Er fod rhyngom "for yn fur,"
Hyn yn wresog, ffrynd hawddganof
Oddiwrth dy gyfaill pur.
—Oliver Jones.

This translates roughly as:

To the Poet of Porth y Wawr
As I sail across the ocean
I see Wales’ sweet mountain
It pleases me to remember
The unique melancholy of the night
Wave and breeze in harmony
Is the music that I hear
A sea of water is the North Sea
All of Wales is a sea of song.

Wales the land of a myriad charms
Where the streams praise the Lord,
It endears my heart
Even when I am on the sea. Oh! For an end to the war –
I welcome the morning when I can throw away the sword
When I can walk her quiet places and be
Delighted in her peace.

So sweet are the memories
Of the harp and of the song
Refreshing are the old verses
While it was fun to light the flame
How it is so extinguished today!
And so comforting,
Free hope promised to me,
And for her company in the days to come.

Thank you, my dear friend,
For your genuine wishes.
I’ll try to remember always,
That ‘the Lord is at the helm’
If there are clouds in the sky
We must remember the sunshine
Which hides behind them.

Happy, happy may you be
In Porth y Wawr’s environs
And receive my warmest memories,
In a countless host
I feel you close to me
Although between us is a wall of sea.
This is warming, an easy friend,
From your true friend.
—Oliver Jones

• https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3979539/3979545/48/ (link opens in new window)