I’ve recently started listening to Dafydd Iwan ac Ar Log and its produced a few questions.
First, what is meant by “Ar Log”? I can’t find a translation.
Secondly, when Dafydd Iwan sings Y Pedwar Cae (Four Fields - originally The Four Green Fields), Cwm Ffynnon Ddu (Fountain Black Valley - originally Slievenamon) and Y Dref A Gerais I Cyd (The Town I Loved So Well) is he singing a direct translation into Welsh of the original Irish songs or is he singing entirely his own lyrics whilst just using the tunes and titles?
I can’t find lyrics anywhere and whilst Slievenamon and The Town I Loved So Well could easily be adapted to Welsh themes, or themes from anywhere else in the world, I would think it would be extremely difficult to adapt The Four Green Fields without losing the entire essence of the song.
The songs are from his album Yma O Hyd which is on Deezer.
I’ll link to the original Irish versions so if anyone who is good enough at Welsh can listen and tell me I’d be very grateful.
Four Green Fields is a strange choice to translate though given its a thinly veiled homage to the struggle for Irish freedom in the “fourth field” (the six counties).
Nice to hear it sung in a different language though.
Dafydd wants Free Cymru. I would imagine he feels sympathy with campaigns for Independence wherever they may be! Would that make sens of his translation? I am totally ignorant of lyrics or music apart from Yma o Hyd
All three are in there, they look like translations done loosely enough to keep gist while maintaining rhyming and scansion, rather than the complete rewording of e.g. Esgair Llyn to the tune of Fields of Athenry
