Bob et al, here's Twll Bach y Clo. I don't know how the formatting will turn out, as I input it to Word and copied across, and threw in a few br's here and there for luck. Also there are circumflex accents throughout which I've tried to put after the appropriate letter. Arggh.

Twll Bach y Clo (The Little Key Hole)

'Roedd cap nos o eira ar gopa pob bryn,
A'r rhew wedi gwydro pob ffos,dw^r a llyn;
'Roedd Gwenno'n gwau hosan wrth olau'r ta^n glo,
A Huwcyn oedd yn specian trwy dwll bach y clo.

(Every hill-top was wearing its night cap, and ice had glassed over every ditch, bit of water and lake; Gwenno was knitting a sock by firelight, and Huwie was peeking at her through the little key hole.)

Y gath oedd yn gorwedd yn dorch ar y mat,
A'r tad yn pesychu wrth smocio ei gat,
Y fam oedd yn ffraeo fel dynes o'i cho',
A Huwcyn oedd yn clywed trwy dwll bach y clo.

(The cat was curled up on the mat and dad was coughing while smoking is pipe, mother was in a mad rage and Huwie was listening to it all through the little key hole.)

Y fam oedd yn synnu fod Gwenno mewn gwanc,
Mor wirion a^ charu rhyw leban o lanc,
A Huwcyn yn gwybod mai hwnnw oedd o,
A'i galon fach yn crynu wrth dwll bach y clo.

(Mam was amazed that Gwenno had gone crazy in love over some young bumpkin, and Huwie knew that she was talking about *him*; and his little heart started quivering at the little key hole.)

Y tad aeth i fyny i'r lloft oedd uwch ben,
A'r fam roes agoriad y drws, dan ei phen,
Ond Gwenno arhosodd i 'nuddo'r ta^n glo
A disgwyl am lythyr trwy dwll bach y clo.

(Dad went up to bed, as did Mam, putting the key to the door beneath her head -ie. pillow - but Gwenno stayed up to tend to the fire ... and look for a letter through the little key hole.)

'Roedd sw^n y dylluan fel bwgan mewn coed,
A'r ci bach yn cyfarth wrth glywed sw^n troed,
A Huwcyn yn dianc fel lleidr ar ffo
'R o^l dwedyd gair yn ddistaw trwy dwll bach y clo.

(The owl sounded like a ghost in the trees, and the puppy barked at the sound of footsteps, and Huwie escaped like a thief in the night, having spoken a quiet work through the little key hole.)

A chyn pen dwy flynedd 'roedd Gwen Jo^s yn wraig,
A Huw Jo^s yn hwsmon i Ffowc Tan-y-graig,
A chanddynt un plentyn, y glana'n y fro,
Ac arno fan-cyn-geni -- llun twll bach y clo!

(Within two years, Gwen Jones was a wife, and Huw Jones a manager on Ffowc Tan-y-Graig's farm, and together they had one child, the prettiest in the land, and on him a birth-mark, the shape of a little key hole.)

You might also find it useful, if you want to give the Welsh a try, to refer to one of the on-line Welsh courses for pronunciation. Try welsh.lamp.ac.uk/camu or www.cs.brown,edu/fun/welsh/Welsh.html Sorry, I've no idea how to do the BCTs.

The song has been recorded by Plethyn, with a chorus but it makes it awfully long and a friend of mine always sings it without. In fact, I think the chorus might come from the other version mentioned below: Clywch y Bloedd, Fechgyn.

These are notes (in translation) on the song by one of our experts, Huw Williams:

Published in several collections in the previous century (ie. 19th) under the title 'Clywch y floedd, fechgyn' (Hear the call, boys), words by Gwrtheyrn, and without the name of the tune's composer. The music is the work of H.C.Work, and it was published under the title, 'Ring the bell, watchman' in Musical Bouquet (number 3936). For H.C.Work see under 'Dowch adref fy nhad', ...

So, under that one Huw writes of Work:

'Father come home' (Dowch adref fy nhad) is the tune, written by Henry Clay Work (1832 - 1884), a native of Middletown, Conn, America. The composer was self- educated, and wrote a number of songs which became very popular, amongst them, 'Grandfather's Clock' and 'Marching through Georgia'. ...

Hope that's of use or interest.

sian