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In Dafydd ap Gwilym Wales may justly feel pride in the distinction of having given birth to one of the great European poets of the Middle Ages. But the language of Dafydd's cywyddau is frequently obscure and his syntax inverted, and the lapse of six centuries has unavoidably increased the difficulty of his poetry for the present-day reader. This book attempts to give the necessary help toward the understanding and appreciation of Dafydd ap Gwilym's poetic artistry by offering an English translation of a selection of his poems. Each of these is accompanied by the original Welsh text as established by Dr. Thomas Parry in his Gwaith Dafydd ap Gwilym. Rachel Bromwich has also supplied an introduction and notes.
Author
Dafydd ap Gwilym (c.315 - c.1350) was an innovative Medieval poet. He is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. His father, Gwilym Gam, and mother, Ardudfyl, were both from noble families. As one of noble birth it seems Dafydd did not belong to the guild of professional poets in medieval Wales, but the poetic tradition had been strong in his family for generations. It is believed that about one hundred and seventy of his poems have survived, though many others have been attributed to him over the centuries. His main themes were love and nature. The influence of wider European ideas of courtly love, as exemplified in the troubadour poetry of Provençal, is seen as a significant influence on Dafydd's poetry. He was responsible for popularising the metre known as the cywydd and first to use it for praise. But perhaps his greatest innovation was to make himself the main focus of his poetry.
