Welsh Journals

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concerned with research and with amassing knowledge to have much time for original work. Moreover, most of our poetry is lacking in thought and in philosophy. There are, I am confident, dozens of Welsh poets who could write a rich and glowing description of a sunset-a des- cription, moreover, that would be full of wonderful imagery and verbal beauty; but how many of them could give express- ion to original and profound ideas that are awakened in the soul of man by a contem- plation of that sunset? Few of our choral singers appear to imagine that the words are of any moment they can frequently sing the music from memory, but I doubt if one per cent could Mewn caban cudd dan gysgod gwern Gwelais y Crist yn grwm ar groes,- A rhwyfwyr Haf ar Lyn Luzern Ganain gytun yn swn gitar. Rhwng rhesau o ganhwyllau gwer Gwelais y gwaed a'r cleisiau coch A baentiwyd gan ryw law afler Ar fron a thraed a dwylo Duw. repeat the words without consulting the printed copies. But, in vocal music, the words are just as important as the music; indeed, in one sense they may be said to be more important, as the music itself springs directly and entirely from the poetry, and the poetry was there before ever the music was thought of. No man should take it upon himself to be either a trainer or a conductor of a choir, unless he appreciates and understands poetry as fully as he does music. Not until the value of poetic literature in connection with music is understood will music make any great advance in Wales, and the endeavours of our educationists should be directed to- wards this end. DUWIAU DYN Yn ymyl mur yn nheml y main Gwelais law Duw mewn efydd gwyrdd,— A brysiog wyr Caer Baris gain Yn dirwyn, dirwyn heibior drws. A mab a merch ynghlwm ynghyd Welais ar gledr annelwig law, A rhwng y bysedd dalp o'r byd, A rhyfedd fawr oedd dyrnfedd Duw. Mewn capel eel dan bulpud plaen Gwelais werinwr ar ei lin,- A'r Wyrfai wyllt wrth lifo 'mlaen Yn lleisio n Ileddf dros gerrig lIyfn. Ni welais Grist na dwylo Duw 0 flaen addolwr garw'r tir Sibrydai'r afon, If Ysbryd yw Ysbryd yw Ner," sibrydwn i. T. H. Parry-Williams.