Ar Lan Y Mor
This is a traditional Welsh Song, which I’ve translated.
Unlike other poems on this site the English version has been placed in the Public Domain.
So it is free to use, but it would be appreciated if you let me know when you use it, and if it was credited to me.
Part of this translation was used in the English Subtitles of “Only Men Aloud: Y Bois ar Enlli” on S4C, 17 May 2015 and the full text appears in the book “Only Men Aloud – Y Llyfr / The Book”, together with some very nice imagery.
Ar Lan Y Môr
Beside the sea red roses growing
Beside the sea white lilies showing
Beside the sea their beauty telling
My true love sleeps within her dwelling
Beside the sea the stones lie scattered
Where tender words in love were uttered
While all around there grew the lily
And sweetest branches of rosemary
Beside the sea blue pebbles lying
Beside the sea gold flowers glowing
Beside the sea are all things fairest
Beside the sea I found my dearest
Full the sea of sand and billows
Full the egg of whites and yellows
Full the woods of leaf and flower
Full my heart of love for ever.
Fair the sun at new day’s dawning
Fair the rainbow’s colours shining
Fair the summer, fair as heaven
Fairer yet the face of Elin.
Original Welsh
Ar lan y môr mae rhosys cochion
Ar lan y môr mae lilis gwynion
Ar lan y môr mae ‘nghariad inne
Yn cysgu’r nos a chodi’r bore.
Ar lan y môr mae carreg wastad
Lle bûm yn siarad gair â’m cariad
O amgylch hon fe dyf y lili
Ac ambell gangen o rosmari.
Ar lan y môr mae cerrig gleision
Ar lan y môr mae blodau’r meibion
Ar lan y môr mae pob rinweddau
Ar lan y môr mae nghariad innau.
Llawn yw’r môr o swnd a chegryn
Llawn yw’r wy o wyn a melyn
Llawn yw’r coed o ddail a blode
Llawn o gariad merch wyf inne.
Mor hardd yw’r haul yn codi’r bore
Mor hardd yw’r enfys aml ei liwie
Mor hardd yw natur ym Mehefin
Ond harddwch fÿth yw wyneb Elin
Malcolm Cowen copyright 2008
Notes
“blodau’r meibion / young men’s flowers” = St John’s Wort (which has golden flowers)
Thank you so much for the translation of Ar Lan Y Mor to English. I am not a Welsh speaker……. but I can now SING in Welsh…….. Brilliant. Thank you once again.