Works of Gutor Glyn

Poem about the death of William Herbert 1st Earl Pembroke [aged 46] who was executed on Thursday 27th July 1469 following his capture at the Battle of Edgecote Moor aka Danes Moor aka Banbury fought on Monday 24th July 1469.

LIII MARWNAD WILIAM HERBART IARLL PENFRO	53. Elegy for William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke
Dawns o Bowls, doe'n ysbeiliwyd,	The Dance of St Paul’s1, yesterday we were plundered,
Dwyn yr holl dynion i'r rhwyd.	All men were drawn into the net.
Dawns gwŷr dinas y Garrai,	The dance of the men of the City of the Thong2 [Doncaster],
Dawns yr ieirll (dawn nes i rai).	The dance of the earls, it draws nearer to some.
Duw Llun y bu waed a lladd,	On Monday there were bloodshed and slaughter,	5
Dydd amlwg, diwedd ymladd.	A conspicuous day, the end of battle.
Duw a ddug y dydd dduw Iau	On Thursday God took away
Iarll Dwywent a'r holl Deau.	The Earl of the two Gwents and of all the South.
Marchog a las dduw Merchyr,	A knight [deceased] was slain on Wednesday,
Mwy ei ladd no mil o wŷr;	His death outweighed that of a thousand men,	10
Syr Risiart, ni syr lesu	Sir Richard, Jesus will not be angry
Wrtho, er lladd North a'r llu.	With him for slaying the North and its host.
Duw-Mawrth, gwae ni am Domas,	On Tuesday, alas for us, Thomas [deceased]4 fell,
Duw Llun gyda'i frawd y llas.	On Monday he was slain beside his brother.
Dwyn yr iarll a'i bedwarllu,	The taking of the earl and his fourfold host	15
Dydd farn yr anrhydedd fu.	Was a Day of Judgement for honour.
Arglwydd difwynswydd Defnsir	The dishonourable Lord of Devon [aged 30]5
A ffoes, ni chafas oes hir.	Fled, and did not live long.
Bradwyr a droes brwydr a drwg	Traitors turned battle and calamity
Banbri i'r iarll o Benbrwg.	At Banbury against the Earl of Pembroke.	20
Cad drycin am y drin draw,	A storm of battle arose from that conflict,
Carliaid a wnaeth y curlaw.	Base men brought about the deluge.
Ymladd tost am laddiad hwn	The journey to Northampton
A wna'r hynt i Norhantwn.	Will bring fierce fighting in vengeance for this death.
Awn oll i ddial ein iaith	Let us all go to avenge our nation	25
Ar ddannedd y Nordd unwaith ;	Upon the teeth of the North at once.
A dyludwn hyd Lydaw	And let us pursue them as far as Brittany,
Dan draed y cyffredin draw,	Trampling those common men beneath our feet.
Ef â'r gwyr, a fu ar gam,	May he and the men who acted wrongfully
Oll i ddiawl, yn lladd Wiliam.	All go to the devil for killing William.	30
O rhoed, lle'i bu anrhydedd,	Where honour once rested, let armour or a sword
Ar fwnwgl iarll arf neu gledd,	Now be placed upon an earl’s neck.
(Och Fair!) gnodach fu arwain	Alas, Mary, more often he was accustomed to wear
Aerwy mawr o aur a main.	A great collar of gold and precious stones.
Doe'dd aeth dan y blaned ddu	Yesterday he went beneath the dark planet,	35
Drwy'r Fâl draw i ryfelu.	Through the Vale [Map], to wage war.
Och finnau, ucho f'anhun,	Alas for me, above my sleep,
Nad arhôi'n ei dir ei hun!	That he did not remain in his own land!
Ymddiried I'r dynged wan	He trusted in frail fate,
A'i twyllodd o Went allan.	Which deceived him out of Gwent.	40
Tair merched, tair tynged hon,	Three maidens, these three Fates7,
Y sy'n dwyn oes ein dynion.	Are carrying away the lives of our men.
Un a gynnail cogeilyn ;	One holds the distaff,
Arall a nydd dydd pob dyn.	Another spins each man’s days.
Trydedd yn torri edau	The third cuts the thread,	45
Er lladd iarll a'r llu dduw Iau.	To slay the earl and the host on Thursday.
Mynnwn fy mod ymannos	I wish that I had been nearby,
Yn torri pen Atropôs.	Cutting off Atropos’s head.
Nid rhan y tair a henwais	It is not the task of the three I have named
Nyddu oes hir yn nydd Sais.	To spin a long life in an Englishman’s day.	50
Os gwir i blant Alis gau,	If it is true that the false children of Alis8,
Draeturiaid, dorri tyrau,	Traitors, have broken the towers,
Ni ddói'r iangwyr, ni ddringynt	The young men would not come, nor would they climb
I dai'r gWr na'i dyrau gynt.	To the man’s halls or his towers as before.
Gwinllan fu Raglan ir iaith,	Raglan was a vineyard for our nation,	55
Gwae ni wjl ei gwin eilwaith !	Alas for us to see its wine once more!
Gwae a weles ar galan	Alas for him who saw, at the New Year,
Gynnal gwledd ar ganol glan !	A feast held beside the riverbank!
Gwae a geisio rodio rhawg	Alas for anyone who seeks to wander long
Gwent dlawd oedd gynt oludawg!	Through poor Gwent, which once was rich!	60
Ei farw oedd well i fardd iach	His death was better for a sound poet
Heb ei bwyll no byw bellach.	Who had lost his wits than living on.
Merddin Wyllt am ei urddas	Myrddin Wyllt9, for his lord’s honour,
Amhorfryn, aeth i'r glyn glas;	Son of Morfryn, went to the green valley,
Af yn wyllt o fewn elltydd	I shall go mad among the wooded slopes,	65
I eiste' rhwng clustiau'r hydd.	To sit between the stag’s ears.
Ef a'm llas i am nasiwn	He killed me for my nation
Yr awr y llas yr iarll hwn.	At the hour when this earl was slain.
Cymro oedd yn ffrwyno Ffrainc,	He was a Welshman who curbed France,
Camreol Cymry ieuainc.	A leader of young Welshmen.	70
Ofn i bawb tra fu'n y byd,	He was feared by all while he lived,
Yn iach ofn, oni chyfyd.	Farewell to fear, unless he rises again.
Ymgyrchu i Gymru a gân',	They will march against Wales and sing,
Ymsaethu 'Mhowys weithian.	They will shoot in Powys now.
Doed aliwns, nis didolir,	Let an alliance come, they will not be divided,	75
O dôn', pwy a'u lludd i dir?	From overseas, who will prevent their landing?
Llusgynt wŷr, llosgen' eu tai,	They will drag men away and burn their houses,
Lladdwyd y neb a'u lluddiai.	The man who hindered them has been slain.
Traws eto rhag trais atyn',	There is still a defence against violence against us,
Tra ater Syr Rosier ynn.	So long as Sir Roger [aged 59]10 remains with us.	80
Tri mab iarll, nid trwm y byd,	Three sons of an earl11, the world is not bleak,
Tri a ostwng ein tristyd.	Three who will lessen our sorrow.
Un o'i hil yn neheuwlad	One of his line in the southern land
A gyrraedd dwyn gradd ei dad.	Will attain and inherit his father’s rank.
Iarll oedd, Cymru oll iddo,	He was an earl, all Wales was his,	85
Iarll o'i fab arall a fo.	May another of his sons become an earl.

Note 1. The Dance of St Paul’s. The Dance of Death was a popular performance, in which Death led twenty-four representatives of every age and social class to the grave. This dance was depicted in many forms, media and places. 'There was a Dance of Death painted round the cloister of old St Paul’s in London, in the reign of Henry VI'. Guto had seen the image, and to him the slaughter at Banbury was an imitation of the Dance of St Paul’s, with Death 'drawing all the men into the net'. Line 2. On that day Death took a great prey from among both the English and the Welsh, but Guto was thinking chiefly of the earls.

Note 2. the City of the Thong: Hengist asked for as much land on which to build a castle as a thong could enclose. Vortigern promised him this. Hengist then took an ox-hide, cut it into a single thong and enclosed a considerable piece of land. There he built a fortress, 'which was formerly called Caer y Garrai by the Britons, but is now called Doncaster by the English, that is, Thong-Chester'.

Note 3. It was Richard Herbert who was executed on Wednesday 26th July 1469 although Ifor Evans suggests Henry Neville [deceased].

Note 4. Thomas Vaughan of Bredwardine, executed Tuesday 25th July 1469.

Note 5. Humphrey Stafford 1st Earl Devon.

Note 6. Dore Abbey, Herefordshire [Map], in the Golden Valley.

Note 7. The Fates, namely Clotho, who spins the thread of life, Lachesis, who determines the length of the thread, and Atropos, who cuts it.

Note 8. That is, the English, the children of Alis Rhonwen.

Note 9. Myrddin ap Morfryn: that is, Myrddin Wyllt, who went mad and fled to the Caledonian Forest after losing his patron, Gwenddolau, at the Battle of Arfderydd.

Note 10. Probably Roger Vaughan, brother of Thomas who is referred to in line 13.

Note 11. 81. Three sons of an earl: Richard [aged 27], William [aged 18] and Walter [aged 17], sons of the Earl of Pembroke.