Welsh Journals

"THE GREATEST OF THESE." A memory of the War. Beneath a sky of sullen cloud that cast On the chill air scuds of half-hearted rain, From ugly street to ugly street I passed With dull, despondent heart and weary brain. Here (to my thought it seemed) on London lay The very shadow of war, and visible blight; There, in the trenches, day succeeding day, Men died and suffered, and no end in sight. Doubting of man, incredulous of God, Nor faith nor hope could I for comfort find, And as that morn the miry ways I trod Love all but turned to hate of humankind. But seated on a step by the road-side, Ill-clad in the cold blast of that dull day., A little lad of some ten years I spied, And in his arms his little sister lay. What peace or cheer in such poor court could be, Foul, sordid streets around, gray sky above? Yet sweetly in his arms she slept, while he Bent over her with look of infinite love. Then in a flash my mood of darkness fled, And with a boundless joy my spirit burned; It seemed some ray from God's own presence shed The murk and mire of earth to glory turned. O love of man for man 0 miracle O light that dost through all our darkness shine Though God be but a dream and earth a hell, Yet in man's heart abides a spark divine. H. IDRIS BELL. CLAWDD Y MYNYDD. Y sawl a'i cododd genedlaethau maith Yn ol, ni wyddys dim o'u hanes mwy Dim ond yr hyn a welir wrth eu gwaith Mai cryfion wyr, a chyson, oeddynt hwy. Edrych a erys weithion yn ein byd Un yn eu lie a roddai'r meini trwm? Neu un a dreuliai einioes ar ei hyd I'w gario 'mhellach dros y bryndir llwm? Gwel fel y dirwyn acw dan y trum Heibio'i furddunnod oedd gyfannedd gynt, Cyn blino o'r meibion ar eu bywyd Ilym O drin y rhostir yn y glaw a'r gwynt. Cymysg a. thorf y dref o dan eu pwn Yw hil y cedyrn a fu'n codi hwn. Nid oes dras i Fanawyddan Na Phryderi, ddau o ddawn, Heddyw'n trin y grefft yn ddiddan Yn ein trefi llwyd a Ilawn. Eithr mae tras eu ffals elynion Wedi chwyddo fwy na rhi, Ond fe adwen un A chalon Gywir eto wrthi hi. EVAN JENKINS. THE PASSING OF COINNEACH MOR. Darkness and gloom brood over us to-night. (Wild wails the wind across the lonely shore) Sorrow with tears had stricken all our sight: (And hush! — the rushes stir upon the floor, and faces peer beyond the flickering light, and surely something croons beyond the door?) O pray aloud, and weep for Coinneach M6r O stir the turf; the shadows in the room like evil beasts are crouching everywhere, and out beyond, the sombre wings of doom flutter and beat across the mountains bare O stir the turf, for chill grows all the gloom about us, and the hidden horrors scare our souls with unseen menace and despair. Dread is upon us with a hand of might (Loud through the glens the swollen torrents roar !) Low crouch the hounds and whimper in their fright (0 God !-that ceaseless crooning past the door, and the dim faces leering wild and white, and the lank rushes stirring on the floor Woe to the house, and woe to Coinneach M6r -LEIGH HENRY. (The Gloom on the Glens: A URIFRIGIA, part 3: "TORR, TORR, TORR." Torr, torr, torr, Ar dy fain llwyd oer, 0 li Ac 0 na chai 'nhafod ddatgan Meddyliau fy nghalon i. Gwyn fyd y pysgotwr bach, Sydd yn chware a'i chwaer mor lion A'r bachgen o longwr draw A gân yn ei gwch ar y don. Heibio'r a 'r llongau heirdd Dan y bryn i'w hafan glyd; [oer, Ond 0 na chawn deimlo'r llaw sydd yn A chlywed y llais sydd yn fud Torr, torr, torr, Ar odre dy greigiau, li Ond tyner swyn y dyddiau gynt Byth ni ddaw'n ol i mi. Cwm-y-glo. Gwilym OWEN. V CRYDD. Nid oes addurn o waegau Aur ac arian ganddo ef, Ac ni chei'r "y cordwal goreu" Heddyw'n unman yn y dref. Ond a allo, hyn a ddyry- Gwaith disorod goreu'i law, Ac mae bro yn falch o'i weithdy, Ac yn dyfod ato o draw. EVAN JENKINS.