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Pais Dinogad

Found among the text of Y Gododdin in the Llyfr Aneirin, this charming song is clearly not intended to be part of the epic war poem. It appears to be a kind of elegy, sung to the child Dinogad about his lost father's exploits and prowess as a hunter.

Peis dinogat e vreith vreith
O grwyn balaot ban wreith
Chwit chwit chwidogeith
Gochanwn gochenyn wythgeith
Pan elei dy dat ty e helya
Llath ar y ysgwyd llory eny law
Ef gelwi gwn gogyhwc
Giff gaff dhaly dhaly dhwg dhwg
Ef lledi bysc yng corwc
Mal ban llad llew llywywg
Pan elei dy dat ty e vynyd
Dydygai ef penn ywrch penn gwythwch pen hyd
Penn grugyar vreith o venyd
Penn pysc o rayadyr derwennyd
Or sawl yt gyrhaedei dydat ty ae gicwein
O wythwch a llewyn a llwyuein
Nyt anghei oll ny vei oradein
Dinogad's tunic is very speckled
From the skins of martens it was made
Whistle! Whistle! Whistling
We call, they call, the eight captives
When your father went to hunt
Spear on his shoulder, club in his hand
He called his lively dogs
'Giff, gaff!  Catch, catch! Fetch, fetch!'
He killed fish in his coracle
Like the lion killing small animals
When your father went to the mountain
He would bring back a head of buck, of boar, of stag
A head of speckled grouse from the mountain
A head of fish from the falls of Derwent
At whatever your father drove his spear
Whether wild boar, or wild cat or fox
None would escape if they had not strong wings

~ Adapted from W. Skene (1868) The Four Ancient Books of Wales