Lyr ADD: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)

Subject: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Nov 13 - 11:43 PM

I received this message in my e-mail todah:

Hi Joe, I have been searching, literally for years, to find the words for Arabella by Cuhelyn. I did have them allin the early 1980's but they have been long lost. I saw on your forum someone else is keen to find them too. I've not been a forum user previously but tried to post a question yesterday, not sure I was successful! I would like to join the forum and seek further info.
Yours,
Mike

And here's a previous message in the Forum. Can anybody help?

The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #114217   Message #3365217
Posted By: GUEST,kevs
18-Jun-12 - 07:33 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Myfanwy (Welsh song by Joseph Parry)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Myfanwy (Welsh song by Joseph Parry)
I was hoping to find the lyrics of the song that goes under the title "Arabella". It opens "Why shoots wrath's lightning, Arabella". Does anyone have the rest of this version?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 03:57 AM

I have these words, but I'm busy today. I will post them this evening if no-one beats me to it. I will have to type them because the copy I have is a 4-part tonic solfa score with Welsh and English words.

Phil

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 09:40 AM

http://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/lyrics/myfanwy.html

---

Myfanwy

Words: Joseph Parry

Why is it anger, O Myfanwy,
That fills your eyes so dark and clear?
Your gentle cheeks, O sweet Myfanwy,
Why blush they not when I draw near?
Where is the smile that once most tender
Kindled my love so fond, so true?
Where is the sound of your sweet words,
That drew my heart to follow you?

What have I done, O my Myfanwy,
To earn your frown? What is my blame?
Was it just play, my sweet Myfanwy,
To set your poet's love aflame?
You truly once to me were promised,
Is it too much to keep your part?
I wish no more your hand, Myfanwy,
If I no longer have your heart.

Myfanwy, may you spend your lifetime
Beneath the midday sunshine's glow,
And on your cheeks O may the roses
Dance for a hundred years or so.
Forget now all the words of promise
You made to one who loved you well,
Give me your hand, my sweet Myfanwy,
But one last time, to say "farewell".

Original Welsh lyrics

Pa ham mae dicter, O Myfanwy,
Yn llenwi'th lygaid duon ddi?
A'th ruddiau tirion, O Myfanwy,
Heb wrido wrth fy ngweled i?
Pa le mae'r wen oedd ar dy wefus
Fu'n cynnau 'nghariad ffyddlon ffol?
Pa le mae sain dy eiriau melys,
Fu'n denu'n nghalon ar dy ôl?

Pa beth a wneuthym, O Myfanwy,
I haeddu gwg dy ddwyrudd hardd?
Ai chwarae oeddit, O Myfanwy
 thanau euraidd serch dy fardd?
Wyt eiddo im drwy gywir amod
Ai gormod cadw'th air i mi?
Ni cheisiaf fyth mo'th law, Myfanwy,
Heb gael dy galon gyda hi.

Myfanwy boed yr holl o'th fywyd
Dan heulwen disglair canol dydd.
A boed i rosyn gwridog ienctid
I ddawnsio ganmlwydd ar dy rudd.
Anghofia'r oll o'th addewidion
A wnest i rywun, 'ngeneth ddel,
A rho dy law, Myfanwy dirion
I ddim ond dweud y gair "Ffarwel".
Llef or Deus Salutis.

About this song

Welsh traditional, sometimes performed live.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 10:47 AM

I'm interested in Welsh music, so I did some searching. I googled 'wrath's lighning,' and one of the pages suggested by Google had a link to llgr.org.uk, the National Library of Wales. The song about Arabella shooting wrath's lightning is listed on that page.

I tried to make a link, but it didn't work. Too detailed, I guess. When a link is 6 or 7 lines long, it generally isn't going to copy and paste well.

Mike, why don't you try doing the same? I hope you can read Welsh.   

Or perhaps the first Guest above will post the desired lyrics tonight.

(I don't think the 'Myfanwy' lyrics posted directly above are related to the song about Arabella.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 11:13 AM

http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/JosephParry.htm

Subject: Lyr Add: ARABELLA
From: Newport Boy
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 11:59 AM

OK - the first Guest was me (I've been clearing cookies recently).


ARABELLA

Why shoots wrath's lightning, Arabella,
From those jet eyes? What clouds thy brow?
Those cheeks that once with love blush'd on me,
Why are they pale and bloodless now?
Why bite those lips that bore my kisses?
Where lurks the smile that won my heart?
Why will be mute, oh Arabella;
Speak love, once more before we part.

What have I done, oh, cruel fair one
To merit e'en a frown from thee?
Am I too fond, or art thou fickle,
Or play'st thou but to humble me?
Thou art my own by word and honour,
And wilt thou not thy word fulfil?
Thou need'st not frown, oh, Arabella,
I would not have thee 'gainst thy will.

Full be thy heart with joy for ever,
May time ne'er cypher on thy brow;
Through life may beauty's rose and lily
Dance on thy healthy cheeks as now;
Forget thy broken vows and never
Allow thy wakeful conscience tell
That thou did'st e'er mislead or wrong me;
Oh, Arabella fare thee well.


English words by the late 'Cuhelyn' [Thomas Gwallter Price (1829-69)]
to the tune 'Myfanwy' by Joseph Parry

From a 4-part male voice tonic solfa, published 1875
and printed by Lowe & Brydons, London.

Joseph Parry 1841-1903
Welsh words by 'Mynyddog' [Richard Davies (1833-77)]

It's a bit florid for my taste, but typical of the period. The Welsh words are a better fit with the tune, in my opinion.

Phil

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: GUEST,Mike610
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 03:08 PM

Success at the first attempt!!Very many thanks Phil. I'll sleep well tonight, Ive been looking snce 1984!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Nov 13 - 09:16 AM

Thanks, Phil. You've helped bring another song back to life.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: Newport Boy
Date: 07 Nov 13 - 09:55 AM

Oh no, leeneia, please not. I had hoped that Cuhelyn's English words were forgotten and this was an academic exercise only. I really don't want to hear them sung again.

Our male voice choir sang them once for amusement - it really is very difficult to put any feeling into them. Our (mainly English) members were glad to return to learning Welsh pronounciation.

Phil

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 May 22 - 05:31 PM

Here is a different setting of the same lyrics, from the sheet music at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.


WHY ART THOU MUTE, OH! ARABELLA. (Myfanwy.)
English words by Cuhelyn. Welsh words by Mynyddog. Music by Dan Protheroe.
Published by D. O. Evans, Youngstown, Ohio, 1889.


There is no need to transcribe the English lyrics; they are very close to those posted by Newport Boy above. However, the same sheet music also contains Welsh lyrics which may be of interest to someone.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Arabella (by Cuhelyn)
From: leeneia
Date: 27 May 22 - 03:09 PM

I have a sister-in-law who teaches English as a foreign language, and she has alerted me to our tendency to put one consonant right after another, as in

    wraTH"S Lightning   - thsl

Many languages don't do that. Think of Chinese words you may know - they have one consonant at a time.

For this reason, "Why art thou mute, O Arabella," is more singable. But setting that aside, I do thing the whole thing is cringeworthy.

It seems to me that throughout the 19th century, poetry got more and more freighted with thee's and thou's and erstewhiles and immemorial elms. Then Robert Frost came along and swept all that away. The world breathed a sigh of relief.