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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.
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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