Aberdaron is a poem by Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan). This is a famous and well loved poem and you can see the words of two verses carved in stone near the center of Aberdaron village. Aberdaron is on the coast of the Lleyn Peninsula, an attractive village with a good beach and views to sea including Bardsey Island.
Sir Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan)
Sir Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan) CBE (1895-1970) was a Welsh war poet and dramatist.
He was born in Pwllheli and graduated from University College of North Wales, Bangor, in 1916. He then served in World War I in Greece and France, as an ambulance man and military chaplain. The war strongly shaped his poetry. After the war Evans-Jones went into the ministry in the Presbyterian Church of Wales. In 1931 he relinquished the ministry to teach drama and Welsh literature back at Bangor although he continued to take preaching engagements and was one of the most popular nonconformist preachers of his day.
As well as being a poet and minister Evans-Jones was a very successful National Eisteddfod competitor, winning the Crown three times, the Chair once, and the drama prize once. He was Archdruid twice, and was the first archdruid to accept that the Gorsedd was just an invention by Iolo Morganwg and not an ancient druidic tradition, and redesigning the ceremonies to make them more Christian.
Aberdaron is his best known poem and tells of his wish to retire there. He is buried at St Tysilio’s Church, Porthaethwy on Anglesey. St Tysilio’s Church is on an island (Ynys Suliau or Ynys Tysilio) linked to Anglesey by a causeway.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Evans-Jones
Here is a reading of it by Gerallt Llwyd Owen.
Aberdaron
Pan fwyf yn hen a pharchus
Ag arian yn fy nghod
A phob beirniadaeth drosodd
A phob yn canu ‘nghlod
Mi brynaf fwthyn unig
Heb ddim o flaen ei ddôr
Ond creigiau Aberdaron
A thonnau gwyllt y môr.
Pan fwyf yn hen a pharchus
A’m gwaed yn llifo’n oer
A’m calon heb gyflynnu
Wrth wylied codi’r lloer
Bydd gobaith im bryd hynny
Mewn bwthyn sydd â’i ddôr
At greigiau Aberdaron
A thonnau gwyllt y môr.
Pan fwyf yn hen a pharchus
Tu hwnt i fawel a sen
A’m cân yn ôl y patrwm
A’i hangerdd oll ar ben
Bydd gobaith im bryd hynny
Mewn bwthyn sydd â’i ddôr
At greigiau Aberdaron
A thonnau gwyllt y môr.
Oblegid mi gaf yno
Yng nghri’r ystormus wynt
Adlais o’r hen wrthryfel
A wybu f’enaid gynt
A chanaf â’r hen angerdd
Wrth syllu tua’r ddôr
Ar greigiau Aberdaron
A thonnau gwyllt y môr
Ar greigiau Aberdaron
A thonnau gwyllt y môr.
When I am old and respected
And money in my purse
And all judgement over
And everyone singing my praises
I’ll buy a lonely cottage
With nothing in front of its door
But the rocks of Aberdaron
And the wild waves of the sea .
When I am old and respected
And my blood flows cold
And my heart no longer quickening
While watching the moon rise
There will be hope for me then
In a cottage that has its door
To the rocks of Aberdaron
And the wild waves of the sea.
When I am old and respected
Beyond breeze and censure
And my song according to the pattern
And its passion is all over
There will be hope for me then
In a cottage that has its door
To the rocks of Aberdaron
And the wild waves of the sea.
Because I will be there
In the cry of the stormy wind
An echo of the old rebellion
Did my soul know earlier
And I will sing with the old passion
When looking towards the door
At the rocks of Aberdaron
And the wild waves of the sea
At the rocks of Aberdaron
And the wild waves of the sea.