Notes

GDG 134

This is a poem in praise of Newborough in Anglesey, the earliest example of a cywydd dedicated to the praise of one particular location. The Welsh poems which belong to this genre are discussed and set in a Classical and European context by Helen Fulton, 'Y Cywyddwyr a'r encomium urbis Cymreig', Dwned 12 (2006), 49–71.

When Edward I decided to build Beaumaris castle the inhabitants of Llan–faes in the commote of Dindaethwy were relocated to nearby Rhosyr in the commote of Menai where Llywelyn the Great once held court, and the new settlement became known as Newborough, see A. D. Carr, Medieval Anglesey (Llangefni, 1982), 258–65. Dafydd ap Gwilym uses a Welsh form of the English name in line 2 (Niwbwrch); he also refers to the place by its traditional Welsh name (Rhosyr) in line 7. The borough from the outset contained a strong Welsh element and Dafydd is likely to have felt empathy with the native burgesses. Another poem of his is also located in Newborough. It was here that Dafydd suffered the indignity of having his servant drenched in wine by the maiden whose favour he was seeking, see poem 74.

Most of the manuscript texts derive either directly or indirectly from the Vetustus although M 161 and C 7 suggest an independent source. The line order in GDG 134 is not consistent with any manuscript version. Lines 7–30 contain a series of couplets skilfully linked by cymeriad llythrennol (the repeating of the first consonant at the beginning of each line). Thomas Parry brought together all couplets beginning with C, Ll and P but chose not to acknowledge his amendments.

18. pair dadeni   'Cauldron of rebirth'. The cauldron features in the second branch of the Mabinogi which is set partly in Anglesey. Dafydd's poems contain several explicit references to events in the Mabinogi although it seems that the copyists failed to recognise the meaning and significance of the phrase.