Thursday, June 9, 2011

Yr Wylan...the Seagull

A poem of the Welshman
Dafydd ap Gwilym (circa 1320 - 1380).
The story is about a seagull
who is commanded by a lover
to convey a message of love
to the girl he adores.

Free translation of the first stanza:

Where did you get your color from,
seagull?
Snow or the moon?
You are perfect in color and line,
a chip of sunshine.
Proud creature
-weightless-
as it hunts for fish,
on the waves.
Riding at anchor - come with me,
you, white lily of the sea,
so shiny, so white as paper,
a nun who sits on the waves.

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