Now for the big Pam.
Well, you probably saw that post I did about the Pobol y Cwm video ... I couldn't understand most of what they were saying, and I was pretty upset about it. Glum. Sad. Cheesed off. Irked.
Now, I know I can usually get a fair idea of what Welsh speakers are saying ... various interviews I've put on here I've been able to follow reasonably well., all the Munud Gyda stuff as well.
But I do know that not being able to understand lots of spoken Welsh is not unusual. Pamela Petro, in her interesting book "Travels in an old Tongue" repeatedly has this problem, and it even goes back as far as all those country folk that get their 2 lines of fame in "Wild Wales".
So ... the obvious question is ... Pam ?
Well, there's the fact that lots of everyday Welsh speakers can't follow the Welsh news on the TV, because much of it is too formal. But that isn't anywhere near the main problem for us learners.
One thing I am very aware of is the massive amount of slang there is in Welsh writing, and distorted words, and great chunks of words being chopped off ... and I suppose that this happens a lot in the spoken language too ...which certainly would make it rather tricky to follow to some extent. It's do-able on the printed page because you can stop and think about what the mangled-up or chopped-off versions might actually really be ... but in the flow of speech us beginners have no chance of unravelling it all.
Anyhow, I don't feel quite so dischuffed as I did ..... right then ... music time ... here's an SFA set, and "Pan Ddaw'r Wawr" comes up at around 18:15 -ish ... it's off Mwng.
Digon i ddweud
Ond neb, neb i wrando
Digon i roi
Ond neb, neb i gymrd
Pan ddaw'r wawr
Dwi'n furddun hen ei lawr
Heb siw na miw
Na chlychau ar yr awr
Bwgan blin
Sy'n cuddio yn fy llun
Ai sibrwd mud
Yn byddaru fy myd
Telerau'n rhad
Ond dwi, dwi yn waglaw
Asgwrn cefn gwlad
Wedi ei dorri
Pan ddaw'r wawr
Dwi'n furddun hen ei lawr
Heb siw na miw
Na chlychau ar yr awr
Bwgan blin
Sy'n cuddio yn fy llun
Ai sibrwd mud
Yn byddaru fy myd
Pan ddaw'r wawr
Dwi'n furddun hen ei lawr
Heb siw na miw
Na chlychau ar yr awr (X2)