Tydi a Roddaist
Tydi a roddaist is considered one of the greatest Welsh hymns, with a rousing amen. The history of this hymn composed by Arwel Hughes to words by T. Rowland Hughes for a BBC Wales Radio play is well summarized in the link below.
http://www.aureus.co.uk/MusicCatalogues/ArwelHughes/Tydiaroddaist.html
Listen to the end of Tydi A Roddaist
Tydi a roddaist liw i’r wawr, |
A hud i’r machlud mwyn; |
Tydi, a luniais gerdd a sawr |
Y gwanwyn yn y llwyn : |
O, cadw ni rhag colli’r hud, |
Sydd heddiw’n crwydro drwy’r holl fyd. |
|
Tydi, a luniaist gân i’r nant, |
A’i si i’r goedwig werdd; |
Tydi, a roist i‘r awel dant, |
Ac i’r ehedydd gerdd : |
O, cadw ni rhag dyfod dydd, |
Na yrr ein calon gân yn rhydd. |
|
Tydi, a glywaist lithriad traed, |
Ar ffordd Calfaria gynt; |
Tydi, a welaist ddafnau gwaed |
Y Gŵr ar ddieithr hynt : |
O, cadw ni rhag dyfod oes |
Heb goron ddrain, na chur, na chroes |
Amen, Amen, Amen |
In our choir emphasis is put on understanding the feeling of the piece and the english translation is essential for this and this translation seems to reflect that feeling
Thou who gavest colour to the dawn,
And magic to the gentle sunset;
Thou, who fashioned a song and the smell of spring in the hedgrow :
O keep us from losing the magic
That today wanders through all the world.
Thou, who fashioned a song to the spring,
And its murmur in the green forest;
Thou, who gave the breeze a melody
And a song to the lark :
O, keep us from seeing a day
Where our songful hearts have been driven away.
Thou, who hears the dragging of feet
On the road to Calvary in former times
Thou, who saw the drops of blood
The Man on his strange (unfamiliar) way :
O, keep us from an age
That has no crown of thorns or pain or cross.
