Y llawysgrifau
Ceir y cywydd hwn mewn 11 llawysgrif, yr un llawysgrifau ag y ceir y gerdd flaenorol i Syr Siôn Mechain ynddynt (cerdd 84) ynghyd ag un ychwanegol, sef BL 12230, copi uniongyrchol o Pen 152. Tebyg iawn hefyd yw cydberthynas y testunau. Ac eithrio Pen 221, sy’n cynnwys cwpled yn unig (arni, gw. 1n), mae’r testunau’n cynnwys 62 o linellau. Ychydig o amrywio geiriol a geir rhyngddynt, yr un yw trefn sylfaenol eu llinellau a chywir iawn yn gyffredinol yw’r darlleniadau. Diau eu bod i gyd yn tarddu o’r un gynsail ysgrifenedig. Maent i gyd yn gysylltiedig â gogledd Cymru.

Mae’n ddiddorol nodi bod y gerdd hon i’w chael gyda cherdd arall Guto i Syr Siôn Mechain (cerdd 84) heb fwlch rhyngddynt ac yn yr un drefn yn y copïau o gynsail X. O gofio mor ddi-drefn fel arfer yw cerddi Guto yn y gynsail honno, yr awgrym yw fod y cerddi i Syr Siôn Mechain wedi dod i law gwneuthurwr y casgliad ynghyd ar yr un papur, a hwnnw, efallai, wedi dod yn syth o gartref y noddwr. Ategir y posibilrwydd hwn gan safon uchel y darlleniadau.

Seiliwyd y testun golygyddol ar Pen 77.

Trawsysgrifiad: Pen 77.

Stema

1 Iolo, tuthiodd at Ithael  Darlleniad Pen 77, LlGC 3049D, a hefyd Gwyn 4 cyn i William Salesbury roi llinell trwy Iolo a’i ddodi ar ôl tüthiodd. Rhaid cyfaddef, er hynny, mai anarferol yw’r gynghanedd gan nad atebir yr l ac ni ddisgwylid cael cynghanedd groes wreiddgoll yn y cyfnod hwn (gw. CD 186). Amlwg mai hyn a barodd i Salesbury newid y darlleniad ac i John Jones, Gellilyfdy, roi ei gynnig yntau yn Pen 221 Iolo tvthio at Ithael. Dichon fod gwall yng nghynsail X. Byddai diwygiad Salesbury yn foddhaol ond nid oes modd gwybod ai dyna oedd y darlleniad gwreiddiol.

3 gyfryw  Ceir y g- hefyd yn Gwyn 4 gyfriwr, LlGC 3049D gyfri^wwr; gthg. GGl cyfryw. Am enghreifftiau o dreiglo cyfryw ar ôl y fannod gydag enw genidol yn dilyn, hyd yn oed enw gwrywaidd neu luosog, gw. TC 87–8; GIG IV.4n.

18 gwawr ddydd  Felly Gwyn 4, Pen 77, LlGC 3049D; gthg. GGl Gwawrddydd ond camleolir yr acen felly.

48 costi  Felly hefyd LlGC 3049D, ond Gwyn 4 Costio. Ar y ffurf, gw. GPC 570. Ond cf. 78.55 Costio annedd Cystennin, ac yn arbennig 107.17–18 Dau’n costio dan y castell, / Dan Dduw ni chaid annedd well.

59 tŷ’r fendith  Pen 77 tuy vendith, ond Gwyn 4 Tüy’r vendith, LlGC 3049D ty /r/ vendith.

Dyma ail gywydd gan Guto’r Glyn i Syr Siôn Mechain (gw. hefyd cerdd 84). Yma molir tŷ newydd Syr Siôn yn Llandrinio a’i ddisgrifio fel Neuadd hir newydd (21), a diau fod Siôn Mechain wedi comisiynu Guto i ganu’r gerdd hon i ddathlu’r achlysur. Credir mai’r tŷ a adwaenid wrth yr enw ‘Henblas’ ydoedd (Roberts 1986: 11; GMRh 109). Tybed hefyd a gyd-darodd codi’r tŷ ag adeg penodi Syr Siôn yn rheithor Llandrinio tua 1470? Er bod y gerdd hon yn dilyn y gerdd arall i Syr Siôn yn y llawysgrifau, gall mai hon a ganodd yn gyntaf, ac nid oes unrhyw arwyddion yn y ddwy fod Siôn Mechain wedi byw mewn dau le gwahanol yn ardal Llandrinio. Yn yr un modd, canodd Maredudd ap Rhys ddau gywydd i’r un noddwr (GMRh cerddi 4, 5) ond nid oes dim yn y rheini ychwaith sy’n awgrymu bod gan Siôn Mechain ddwy breswylfa yn yr ardal. Cynhyrchodd Guto gerdd ragorol at yr achlysur, ac efallai mai rhan o ysbryd y dathlu hwn yw’r defnydd helaeth o gymeriad llythrennol a welir ynddi.

Dywed Enid Roberts (1986: 11) am y tŷ:

Tŷ â ffos o’i amgylch, moated settlement, math oedd yn gyffredin ar hyd y Gororau ac yn sir Amwythig, oedd tŷ newydd Syr Siôn Mechain … er y geill mai afon Hafren oedd rhyw gymaint o’r ffos o’i gylch. Yr oedd manteision amlwg i sefydliad o’r fath. Ar lawr gwastad dyffryn oedd yn tueddu i fod yn wlyb yr oedd yn ffordd o gael llecyn sych i adeiladu arno drwy wneud i ddraeniau’r tir redeg i’r ffos. Yr oedd y dŵr yn amddiffynfa rhag anifeiliaid gwylltion … Gydag adeiladau pren yr oedd yn ddoeth cael cyflenwad dŵr wrth law rhag ofn tân; rhaid wrth bysgod ar gyfer dyddiau ympryd a’r Grawys, a’r ffos yn aml oedd unig ffynhonnell dŵr yfed.

Fe’i lleolir gan Faredudd ap Rhys ym mron craig Freiddin (GMRh 4.9; cf. ibid. 4 dan gryno graig a gw. y nodyn) ac mewn canol llyn (GMRh 5.48). Yn ôl Enid Roberts, GMRh 4.8n, un o dai du a gwyn y Mers ydoedd (a gw. 11n derwgwrt). Dengys disgrifiad manwl Guto ei fod yn annedd helaeth a phwysig – Llys i holl Bowys lle bo (16).

Dechreua Guto drwy ei gyffelybu ei hun yn mynd at Syr Siôn i Iolo Goch gynt yn mynd at ei brif noddwr, Ithel ap Robert, ac esbonia fod cytundeb (10 amod) rhyngddo a Syr Siôn. Rhan Syr Siôn o’r cytundeb oedd gwneud trigfan (10 Adail) i Guto. Gallwn gasglu mai canu’r gerdd i ddathlu tŷ newydd oedd rhan Guto, er na ddywedir hynny (1–10). Cawn ddisgrifiad cryno, trawiadol o’r adeilad (11–20) cyn manylu ar ei wahanol adrannau a nodweddion (21–38). Troir wedyn i sôn am Syr Siôn fel gŵr bucheddol sy’n ymladd pechod trwy ymarfer rhinwedd (39–46), cyn dychwelyd at waith mwy daearol y noddwr yn darparu gwleddoedd di-ri (47–56). Cloir trwy sôn am amryfal fendithion tŷ Syr Siôn gan alw ar nawdd y saint Tysilio a Thrunio i amddiffyn y lle (57–62).

Dyddiad
Gellir dyddio’r gerdd i’r un adeg â’r gerdd arall i Syr Siôn, sef tua 1470.

Golygiad blaenorol
GGl cerdd CVII.

Mesur a chynghanedd
Cywydd, 62 llinell.
Cynghanedd: croes 55% (34 llinell), traws 24% (15 llinell), sain 21% (13 llinell), dim llusg.

1–4  Er bod Guto yn ei gyffelybu ei hun i Iolo Goch, mae ei bwyslais ar chwyddo clod Siôn Mechain yn hytrach na’i glod ei hun, trwy gysylltu Siôn â phrif noddwr bardd mor ddisglair â Iolo.

1 Iolo  Sef Iolo Goch o Ddyffryn Clwyd, y bardd mawr o’r bedwaredd ganrif ar ddeg a gydnabyddid gan feirdd y bymthegfed ganrif fel delfryd o’r bardd mawl, gw. CLC² 363–4.

1 tuthiodd  Mae’r defnydd hwn o air sy’n ymwneud yn benodol â theithio ar farch yn dwyn i gof ddau gywydd Iolo Goch i ofyn march gan Ithel ap Robert ac i ddiolch amdano, gw. GIG XII, XIII, ac mae’n debygol fod Guto yn gyfarwydd â hwy.

1–2 Ithael, / … ap Ropert  Prif noddwr Iolo Goch a drigai yng Nghoedymynydd yn Ysgeifiog, sir y Fflint, gw. CLC² 366.

3 fry  Cf. GMRh 4.43 Fry cefais ..., / Fawredd teg ar ei fwrdd tâl.

3 y gyfryw ŵr  Sef gŵr tebyg i Ithael ap Robert. Ar dreiglo cyfryw yn dilyn y fannod, gw. TC 87–8.

4 gwlad Deuddwr  Gw. 84.15n.

6 tai  Un tŷ, yn yr ystyr ‘cartref, preswylfan’, oedd gan Siôn Mechain, a chyfeiria’r lluosog at wahanol rannau yr preswylfan hwnnw, gw. Peate 1944: 113. Gallai gyfeirio at adeiladau ar y safle, neu ynteu at ystafelloedd o fewn yr un adeilad. Yng Nghyfraith Hywel sonnir am y tai yr oedd yn rhaid i’r bileiniaid neu’r meibion aillt eu hadeiladu i’r brenin; e.e., dywedir yn Llyfr Blegywryd, LlB 47, Naw tei a dyly y bilaeneit eu hadeilat y’r brenhin: neuad, ystauell, kegin, cappel, yscubawr, odynty, ystabyl, kynhorty, peiryant; cf. llinell 22 Nawty a gw. Peate 1944: 113, 132. Yn Llyfr Iorwerth, saith yw nifer y tai, LlI 62, Meybyon eyllyon e brenhyn a deleant guneythur seyth tey e’r brenhyn: sef ynt e rey henne, neuad a buytty a chegyn a hunty a marchty a kynorty a thy bychan.

7 sêl  Fe’i deellir yn ffigurol.

8 rhwymau uchel  Sef, fe ymddengys, y ddyletswydd i ganu clodydd tŷ newydd Siôn Mechain.

10 amod  Cytundeb neu fargen a wnaed rhwng Guto a Syr Siôn, sef, fe ymddengys, y byddai Guto yn moli tŷ newydd pe bai’n cael aros yno (gw. uchod).

11 derwgwrt  GLlGt 5.14 Llwyn derw, annedd Llandrunio; GMRh 4.8 Gorau perchen tŷ pren praff.

11 daeargylch  Golygir y tir o fewn y ffos a’i cwmpasai; cf. GMRh 5.48 Cynnal llys mewn canol llyn.

13  Cyffelybir glannau’r llyn i ymyl dilledyn.

15 ynys Drunio  Dichon fod chwarae ar wahanol ystyron ynys, sef ‘bro’ ac ‘island’ (gan fod y llys, ar un olwg, megis ar ynys). Yn 84.24 sonnir am [f]ro Drunio. Ar blwyf Llandrinio a Thrunio, gw. ibid. 24n.

16  Ceir yr un llinell yn union gan Lywelyn ap Gutun yn ei gywydd i ofyn dwy sbectol gan Siôn Mechain, GLlGt 5.13.

17–18 Gwylan deg … / Gwawr ddydd  Dyma ffordd o ddweud bod llys Siôn Mechain wedi ei wyngalchu; cf. 22 a’r tai’n wynion, 50 A’r tŷ gwyn, 60 Tref wendeg.

19 ar gwr mynwent  Safai preswylfan Syr Siôn i’r de o fynwent eglwys Trunio Sant, gw. Haslam 1979: 124.

22 nawty  Gw. 6n.

24 Cornatun  Mynydd yn ymyl Trefaldwyn (Corndon Hill yn Saesneg).

25 lwfer  GPC 2071, ‘twred bwaog agored ar do neuadd … a wasanaethai fel dihangfa i fwg a hefyd fel lle i oleuni ddod i mewn’.

26 croeslofft  Ymddengys mai’r hyn a olygir yw ystafell wely ar ffurf croes. Yn GLGC 1.235 Crist Naf mewn croestai nefoedd cynigir mai ‘capelau a chroesau ynddynt’ a olygir wrth croestai ond ymddengys ‘lloft a chroes ynddi’ yn llai tebygol yn achos croeslofft.

27 parlwr  Cf. GMRh 5.21–2 Doethach ym fyned weithian / I barlwr eglwyswr glân.

29 pont i’r dŵr  Cyfeirir at y bont dros y dŵr i’r ynys; cf. disgrifiad Iolo Goch o lys Owain Glyndŵr yn Sycharth, GIG X.25–6, (Pand da’r llys?) pont ar y llyn, / ac unporth lle’r ai ganpyn.

30 plas teils  Cf. GIG X.47 To teils ar bob tŷ talwg.

33–4  Nid yw’n eglur pa ran o’r adeilad a ddisgrifir yma – trawstiau’r to o bosibl.

36 Caer-dro  Y ddinas led-chwedlonol yng ngogledd-orllewin Twrci a fu dan warchae gan wŷr Groeg am ddeng mlynedd o ganlyniad i gipio Elen Fannog gan Baris, mab brenin Caerdroea.

37 tromlef  Awgryma’r cyd-destun mai brwydr a olygir; cf. 110.47–8 Nid er gwg y doir ag ef, / Nid er ymladd neu dromlef.

39 Antwn  Sef Antwn Sant o’r Aifft a ymneilltuodd i’r anialwch lle bu’n brwydro yn erbyn cythreuliaid, gw. 59.67n; ODCC³ 81.

41–2 y Saith … / Marwol Bechodau  Sef balchder, cybydd-dod, trachwant, eiddigedd, glythineb, dicter, llesgedd, gw. ibid. 1499.

43 Saith Rinwedd  Sef ffydd, gobaith, cariad, cyfiawnder, pwyll, cymedroldeb, dewrder, gw. ibid. 1500.

44 clos  Sef lle wedi ei amgáu, gw. GPC 508 d.g. clos¹.

45 mynned y medd  A yw Guto yn meddwl am hyn fel achos o roi diod i’r sychedig, sef un o’r Saith Gweithred Gorfforol o Drugaredd (gw. 45–6n)? Os ydyw, dyma enghraifft ddiddorol o droi anghenraid yn foeth.

45–6 Saith Weithred … / Drugaredd  Rhennid y Saith Gweithred o Drugaredd yn ddau fath, y rhai corfforol a’r rhai ysbrydol. Y cyntaf oedd: bwydo’r newynog, rhoi diod i’r sychedig, dilladu’r noeth, llochesu’r dieithryn, ymweld â’r cleifion, gweini ar garcharorion, claddu’r meirw. Yr ail oedd: troi’r pechadur, cyfarwyddo’r anwybodus, cynghori’r amheus, cysuro’r galarus, dioddef camau yn amyneddgar, maddau niweidiau, gweddïo dros y byw a’r meirw, gw. ODCC³ 423, 1542–3.

47–52  Defnyddir trosiadau milwrol yma i ddisgrifio annedd Siôn Mechain, gan gofio ar yr un pryd ei fod yn glerigwr. Mae’n gastell Iesu, a Duw’n fur amddiffynnol (caer) o gwmpas ei dŷ sy’n sefyll ar y tir rhyngddynt.

49 caer  Gan fod Guto wedi defnyddio’r gair castell yn y llinell flaenorol, ymddengys yr ystyr ‘mur’ yn fwy priodol yma, cf. 67.30 Na chwr cist na chaer castell a gw. y nodyn yno.

49 dôl  GPC 1073 (1), ‘llecyn gwastad ar lan afon neu lyn (yn wreiddiol y tir a amgylchid bron gan dro afon) …’. Gall mai glan afon Hafren, a oedd efallai’n ffurfio rhywfaint o’r ffos o gwmpas yr annedd (gw. uchod), a olygir.

50 gwart  GPC 1586 (2), ‘cwrt mewnol (castell), sef y tir rhwng y ddau fur (neu’r tri mur) amgylchynol …’.

51 cwnstabl  Yn yr ystyr ‘prif swyddog milwrol a llywodraethwr (trigiannol) ar gastell yn perthyn i frenin neu i arglwydd’, GPC 645.

52  Cf. 4.26 Ymladdwn ag aml wleddau.

54 gŵyl Drunio  Fe’i dethlid ar 29 Mehefin; ymhellach, gw. LBS iv: 265.

58 tŷ’r eglwyswr  Yr adeilad lle roedd Siôn Mechain yn byw.

59 tŷ’r fendith  Eglwys – un ai eglwys Syr Siôn neu eglwysi yn gyffredinol.

59 tŷ’r gwenith gwyn  Ysgubor – un ai ysgubor Syr Siôn neu ysguborau’n gyffredinol.

61 Tysilio  Nawddsant plwyf cyfagos Llandysilio a oedd hefyd dan ofal Syr Siôn, gw. 84.22n.

Llyfryddiaeth
Haslam, R. (1979), Powys (Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Breconshire) (Cardiff)
Peate, I.C. (1944), The Welsh House: A Study in Folk Culture (Liverpool)
Roberts, E.P. (1986), Tai Uchelwyr y Beirdd 1350–1650 (Caernarfon)

This is Guto’r Glyn’s second cywydd to Sir Siôn Mechain (see also poem 84). Here the poet praises Sir Siôn’s new house in Llandrinio. It is described as a Neuadd hir newydd ‘a long new hall’ (line 21), and Siôn Mechain doubtless commissioned Guto to sing this poem in order to celebrate the occasion. It is believed to have been a house known as ‘Henblas’ (Roberts 1986: 11; GMRh 109). One wonders too whether the building of the house coincided with Sir Siôn’s appointment as rector of Llandrinio around 1470. Although this poem follows the other poem to Sir Siôn in the manuscripts, he could have sung this one first, and there are no indications in either that Siôn Mechain lived in two different places in the vicinity of Llandrinio. Maredudd ap Rhys also sang two poems to the same patron (GMRh poems 4, 5) but there is nothing in these either to provide grounds for deducing that Siôn Mechain had two residences in the vicinity. Guto produced an excellent poem for the occasion, and perhaps the extensive use of cymeriad llythrennol seen in it is part of this spirit of celebration.

Enid Roberts (1986: 11) says of Sir Siôn Mechain’s new house (my translation), that it was:

surrounded by a ditch, a moated settlement, of a kind common throughout the Marches and Shropshire ... although the river Severn might have formed some of the ditch around it. There were obvious advantages to a settlement of this kind. On the flat floor of a valley which tended to be wet it was a way of obtaining a dry spot to build on by making the drains of the land run into the ditch. The water afforded protection from wild animals … With wooden buildings it was prudent to have a supply of water at hand in case of fire; fish were needed for the Lentern fasts, and frequently the ditch was the only source of drinking water.

It is located by Maredudd ap Rhys ym mron craig Freiddin ‘in the bosom of the rock of Breiddin’ (GMRh 4.9; cf. ibid. 4 dan gryno graig ‘under a compact rock’ and see the note) and mewn canol llyn ‘in the middle of a lake’ (GMRh 5.48). According to Enid Roberts, GMRh 4.8n, it was one of the half-timbered houses of the Marches (and see 11n derwgwrt). Guto’s detailed description shows that it was an extensive and important residence – Llys i holl Bowys lle bo ‘a court for the whole of Powys where it is’ (16).

Guto begins by comparing his going to Sir Siôn to the earlier poet Iolo Goch going to his chief patron Ithel ap Robert, and explains that there is an agreement (10 amod) between himself and Sir Siôn. Sir Siôn’s part was to make a dwelling-place (10 Adail) for Guto. We can assume that Guto’s part was to present Sir Siôn with the poem to celebrate the new house (1–10). We are provided with a concise, impressive description of the building (11–20), detailing its various parts and features (21–38). Then Guto turns for a moment to mention Sir Siôn’s piety in fighting sin by practising virtue (39–46), before returning to his patron’s more earthly activity of providing innumerable feasts (47–56). The poem concludes by mentioning the various blessings of Sir Siôn’s house and invoking the protection of the saints Tysilio and Trunio for the place (57–62).

Date
The poem may be dated to the same period as the other poem to Sir Siôn, namely around 1470.

The manuscripts
This poem has survived in 11 manuscripts. It is found next to Guto’s other poem to Sir Siôn Mechain (poem 84) in 10 manuscripts, with an additional copy in BL 12230 (a direct copy of Pen 152). See further, ‘The manuscripts’ of poem 84. The edited text is based on Pen 77.

Stemma

Previous edition
GGl poem CVII.

Metre and cynghanedd
Cywydd, 62 lines.
Cynghanedd: croes 55% (34 lines), traws 24% (15 lines), sain 21% (13 lines), no llusg.

1–4  Although Guto compares himself to Iolo Goch, his emphasis is on increasing the fame of Siôn Mechain rather than his own, by associating Siôn with the chief patron of such a brilliant poet as Iolo.

1 Iolo  Iolo Goch from the Vale of Clwyd, the fourteenth-century poet who was regarded by the poets of the fifteenth century as the ideal praise poet, see NCLW 351.

1 tuthiodd  This use of a word relating specifically to a horse brings to mind Iolo’s two poems to ask Ithel ap Robert for a horse and to offer thanks for it, see GIG XII, XIII, and Guto was probably familiar with them.

1–2 Ithael … ap Ropert  He was Iolo Goch’s chief patron and lived in Coedymynydd, in Ysgeifiog, Flintshire, see NCLW 354.

3 fry  Cf. GMRh 4.43 Fry cefais ..., / Fawredd teg ar ei fwrdd tâl ‘Above I received ... / fair ampleness on his high table.’

3 y gyfryw ŵr  A man similar to Ithael ap Robert. On lenition of cyfryw following the article, see TC 87–8.

4 gwlad Deuddwr  See 84.15n.

6 tai  Siôn Mechain had one house, in the sense of ‘home, residence’, and the plural refers to the different parts of that residence, see Peate 1944: 113. It could refer to various buildings or to rooms within the one building. In the Law of Hywel mention is made of the houses which the villeins or the bondmen (meibion aillt) had to build for the king; e.g., it is stated in the Book of Blegywryd, LlB 47, Naw tei a dyly y bilaeneit eu hadeilat y’r brenhin: neuad, ystauell, kegin, cappel, yscubawr, odynty, ystabyl, kynhorty, peiryant ‘The villeins should build nine houses for the king: a hall, a room, a kitchen, a chapel, a barn, a kiln-house, a stable, a dog-house, a latrine’; cf. line 22 Nawty and see Peate 1944: 113, 132. In Llyfr Iorwerth, the number of the houses is seven, LlI 62, Meybyon eyllyon e brenhyn a deleant guneythur seyth tey e’r brenhyn: sef ynt e rey henne, neuad a buytty a chegyn a hunty a marchty a kynorty a thy bychan ‘The king’s bondmen should make seven houses for the king: namely a hall and a refectory and a kitchen and a dormitory and a stable and a dog-house and a latrine.’

7 sêl  Taken figuratively.

8 rhwymau uchel  Apparently, the duty to sing the praises of Siôn Mechain’s new house.

10 amod  An agreement or bargain made between Guto and Sir Siôn, apparently to the effect that Guto would praise the new house if he were allowed to stay there (see above).

11 derwgwrt  GLlGt 5.14 Llwyn derw, annedd Llandrunio ‘oak-grove, dwelling-place of Llandrinio’; GMRh 4.8 Gorau perchen tŷ pren praff ‘best owner of a solid wooden house’.

11 daeargylch  The land within the moat that encompassed it; cf. GMRh 5.48 Cynnal llys mewn canol llyn ‘maintaining a court in the middle of a lake’.

13  The banks of the lake are likened to the edge or hem of a garment.

15 ynys Drunio  There may be a play on the different meanings of ynys, namely ‘vicinity, region’ and ‘island’ (since the hall is, in a sense, on an island). In 84.24 the expression bro Drunio occurs. On the parish of Llandrinio and Trunio, see ibid. 24n.

16  The same line exactly is found in Llywelyn ap Gutun’s cywydd to ask Siôn Mechain for a pair of spectacles, GLlGt 5.13.

17–18 Gwylan deg … / Gwawr ddydd  A way of saying that Siôn Mechain’s court is whitewashed; cf. 22 a’r tai’n wynion ‘the buildings being white’, 50 tŷ gwyn ‘white house’, 60 Tref wendeg ‘blessed/white and fair home’.

19 ar gwr mynwent  Sir Siôn’s residence stood to the south of the cemetery of St Trunio’s church, see Haslam 1979: 124.

22 nawty  See 6n.

24 Cornatun  Corndon Hill, Montgomery.

25 lwfer  The louver was a ‘lantern-shaped open turret on the roof of a medieval hall ... for the passage of smoke and also the admission of light’, GPC 2071.

26 croeslofft  Apparently, a cross-shaped bedroom. In GLGC 1.235 Crist Naf mewn croestai nefoedd ‘Christ the Lord in the croestai of heaven’, it is suggested that croestai means ‘chapels with crosses in them’, but ‘bedroom with a cross in it’ appears less likely in the case of croeslofft.

27 parlwr  Cf. GMRh 5.21–2 Doethach ym fyned weithian / I barlwr eglwyswr glân ‘It would be wiser for me to go now / to the parlour of a goodly churchman.’

29 pont i’r dŵr  A reference to the bridge over the water to the island; cf. Iolo Goch’s description of Owain Glyndŵr’s court in Sycharth, GIG X.25–6, (Pand da’r llys?) pont ar y llyn, / ac unporth lle’r ai ganpyn ‘(isn’t the court fine?) a bridge on the lake, / and one gate through which go a hundred loads’, IGP 10.25–6.

30 plas teils  Cf. GIG X.47 To teils ar bob tŷ talwg ‘a tiled roof on every house with frowning forehead’, IGP 10.47.

33–4  It’s not clear which part of the building is described here – possibly the roof-beams.

36 Caer-dro  Troy, the semi-mythical city in north-west Turkey which was besieged by the Greeks for ten years as a result of the abduction of Helen by Paris, son of the king of Troy.

37 tromlef  The context suggests that a battle is meant; cf. 110.47–8 Nid er gwg y doir ag ef, / Nid er ymladd neu dromlef ‘It is not borne to cause injury, / nor for fighting or to raise a sorrowful cry.’

39 Antwn  St Anthony of Egypt who retired to the desert where he fought against demons, see 59.67n; ODCC³ 81.

41–2 y Saith … / Marwol Bechodau  These are: pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth, see ibid. 1499.

43 Saith Rinwedd  Faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude, see ibd. 1500.

44 clos  An enclosed place, see GPC 508 s.v. clos¹.

45 mynned y medd  Is Guto thinking of this as a case of giving drink to the thirsty, one of the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy (see 45–6n)? If he is, then we have here an interesting example of converting a necessity into a luxury.

45–6 Saith Weithred … / Drugaredd  The Seven Works of Mercy were divided into two kinds, the corporal and the spiritual. The first kind comprised: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, harbouring the stranger, visiting the sick, ministering to prisoners, burying the dead. The second kind: converting the sinner, instructing the ignorant, counselling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving injuries, praying for the living and the dead, see ODCC³ 423, 1542–3.

47–52  Military metaphors are used here to describe Siôn Mechain’s residence, while remembering at the same time that he is a cleric. He is a castle of Jesus with God as a defensive wall (caer) around his house which stands on the ground between them.

49 caer  Since Guto has used the word castell in the preceding line, the meaning ‘wall’ seems more appropriate here, cf. 67.30 Na chwr cist na chaer castell ‘either the edge of a grave or the wall of a castle’ and see the accompanying note.

49 dôl  This is defined in GPC 1073 (1) (translated) as ‘a flat spot on the bank of a river or lake (originally the land almost surrounded by the bend of a river)’. The bank of the river Severn, which perhaps formed some of the moat surrounding the residence (see above), may be meant.

50 gwart  Ibid. 1586 (2) (translated) as, ‘the inner court (of a castle), i.e., the land between the two (or three) surrounding walls’.

51 cwnstabl  Defined in ibid. 645 (translated) as ‘the chief military official and (resident) governor of a castle belonging to a king or lord’.

52  Cf. 4.26 Ymladdwn ag aml wleddau ‘let’s fight with many a feast’.

54 gŵyl Drunio  It was celebrated on 29 June; further, see LBS iv: 265.

58 tŷ’r eglwyswr  The building where Siôn Mechain lived.

59 tŷ’r fendith  A church, whether Sir Siôn’s or churches generally.

59 tŷ’r gwenith gwyn  A barn, whether Sir Siôn’s or barns generally.

61 Tysilio  Patron saint of the neighbouring parish of Llandysilio which was also under Sir Siôn’s care, see 84.22n.

Bibliography
Haslam, R. (1979), Powys (Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Breconshire) (Cardiff)
Peate, I.C. (1944), The Welsh House: A Study in Folk Culture (Liverpool)
Roberts, E.P. (1986), Tai Uchelwyr y Beirdd 1350–1650 (Caernarfon)

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