A Year of Late Cornish

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Dewdhek De Sül ew, an degves dedh warn ügens a vis Gwedngala. It’s Sunday, the 30 th  day of September.   Hedhyw thew an diwettha dedh an mis ma, an mis a gala gwydn. Avorow, an nessa mis kidnyadh a wra dalla. Gellys lebmyn ew oll an gala gwydn, trehys ew oll an gora. Gwithys ens rag boos bestas dres an gwav. Eus das wora teg oll adro an powdir ha garthow bargen tir? Nag eus. Ma hûjes pusornow, maylys en plastek dû. Na via whans dhe Monet dhe liwya an re ma! It’s the last day of this month today, the month of white straw. Tomorrow, the second autumn month will begin. All the white straw is gone now, all the hay is cut. They are stored for animal food through the winter. Are there beautiful haystacks all round the countryside and farmyards? No. There are huge bales, wrapped in black plastic. Monet would not want to paint these!

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens hag  Üdnek De Sadorn, nawhes warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Saturday, 29 th  September. E'n seythdegves cansbledhen Nicholas Boson (marchant dhort Newlyn) a scrifas an geryow ma. "Gun tavas Carnoack eu mar pell gwadnhez, uz na ellen skant quatiez tho e wellaz crefhe arta." Martesen ew gwell e'n kensa cansbledhen warn  ügens. Ma lies deskybel en nebes gwlasow o madra an tavas. Anjei a venja y weles crefhe arta. Ma'n tavas o toas adro arta, ma esperans dhebm. In the seventeenth century Nicholas Boson (a merchant from Newlyn) wrote these words. "Our Cornish tongue is so far weekened, that we can hardly hope to see it strengthen again." Perhaps it is better in the twenty-first century. There are many students in several countries studying the language. They would like to see it strengthen again. The language is recovering, I hope.

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Deg De Gwener, ethves warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Friday, 28 th  September. Ma dorgeun ogas dhe’n lowarth vy. Martesen ma nebes anodhans o triga e’n nessa gwel po perth. Nag eus gwelys genam dorgy bew ha saw e’n jedh. Nag üjens o toas bes e’n nos. Loor leun ew da ganjans. Ma lies toll e’n lesin. Nag ens tollow cònidnas bes anjei a veu palys gen ewines galojek. Dorgeun a gar debry bulük. A dermyn dhe dermyn nei a wel dorgy marow reb an vorr – ladhys gen carr. Re syger ens.  There are badgers near my garden. Perhaps several of them live in the next field or thicket. I haven’t seen a live, healthy badger in the day. They only come in the night. They like a full moon. There are many holes in the lawn. They are not rabbit holes but they have been dug by powerful claws. Badgers love eating earthworms. From time to time we see a dead badger by the road – killed by a car. They are too slow.

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Naw De Yow, seythves warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Thursday, 27 th  September. Me a omwelas war o mergh wydn ha marth veu genam. E veu omweler aral dhedhy - hy moderep, ow gohydh. Limner ew hei ha hei ha thera hei o liwya war an vos en chambour an flogh bian. Da ew genen an bestas e'n levrow AA Milne. Lebmyn ma orsek bian ha pigy wydn o neyja tu ha an nen gen pelyow ayr. I visited my granddaughter and I was surprised. She had another visitor - her aunt, my daughter-in-law. She is an artist and she was painting on the wall in the baby's bedroom. We like the animals in AA Milne's books. Now a teddy bear and a piglet are flying towards the ceiling with balloons.

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens hag Eth De Merher, wheffes warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Wednesday, 26 th  September. E veu nebes rew dor e’n nos haneth. Ma’n pedn blewek dans lew ma o terlentry e’n golow abres an mettin. Ma gwrîsow münys a rew war bub blewen fin. Ma dhodhans semblant a arhans po adamantys. Ma gluthednow münys po rew war wiajow kennes. Ass ew lies kenesen e’n lowarth!          Last night there was a slight ground frost in the night. This fluffy dandelion head sparkles in the early morning light. There are tiny crystals of ice on every fine hair. They have an appearance of silver or diamonds. There are tiny dew-drops or frost on spiders’ webs. What a lot of spiders there are in the garden!

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Seyth De Meurth, pempes warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Tuesday, 25 th  September. Me a gavas fotograf coth a dre vy. Na via an kerry etto war an gis lebmyn. Nag eus lies carr naneyl. Pandr’ew an seson? Hav ew, theram pedery, drefen boas chayrys treth aves dhe’n tavern coffy. Ha ma goolow a-ûgh nebes beistry shoppa. Segh ew an gewer – nag eus plodnow veth e’n stret ha ma semblans trethek dhe’n dor. Pana bres ew? Mettin avar, martesen, keth ew an skeujow berr. Etho, martesen thew hanter dedh. Nag ew pur vesy – martesen de Sül ew! A wrüg an teller treylya? Gwrewgh mires ort fotograf moy alergh. Thew an kerrys brassa. Ma kerrys moy ha nag ew an stret trethek. I found an old photograph of my village. The cars in it would not be fashionable now. There aren’t many cars either. What season is it? It’s summer. I think, because there are deck chairs outside the café. And there are awnings over some shop windows. The weather is dry – there are no puddles

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Whegh De Lün, pajwora warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Monday, 24 th September. Ma loor spladn haneth. Nag eus scant odhom a dorchen e’n lowarth. Na ell an keun cüdha ragam e’n tewlder. Yeyn ew an ayr ha ma awra oll adro dhe’n loor avel cabmdhavas. A vedh rew e’n nos? Na ora vy. Ev alja boas an kensa rew a’n kidnyadh. Ma gwask a’n ayr ûhel e’n eur ma – e vedh jorna teg avorow – heb glaw. There is a bright moon tonight. There’s hardly any need of a torch in the garden. The dogs can’t hide from me in the darkness. The air is cold and there is an aura (halo) all round the moon like a rainbow. Will there be a frost in the night? I don’t know. It could be the first frost of the autumn. There’s high atmospheric pressure at the moment – there will be a lovely day tomorrow – without rain.

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Pemp De Sül, tryja warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Sunday, 23 rd  September. De a veu an keheja dedh ha nos ha an kensa dedh a gidnyadh. Lebmyn thew an nosow hirra es an dedhyow. An termyn a veu mantolys de. Ha hedhyw thew dallath an Vantol. An Vantol ew arwòdh an Zodiak. Ma va o cül diwedh an tryja warn ügens mis Hedra. Yesterday was the equinox and the first day of autumn. Now the nights are longer than the days. Time was balanced yesterday. And today is the beginning of Libra (the Scales). The Scales is a sign of the Zodiac. It finishes on 23 rd  October.

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Pajar De Sadorn, nessa warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Saturday, 22 nd September. Na veu an gewer hedhyw pur dha. E veu dhen glaw oll an mettin ha an brassa radn an dohajedh. Nei a wòrtas dhe gerdhes gen agan keun, agan kentrevogyon a wòrtas dhe voas mes gen aga mergh, ha na wrüg agan mergh wydn moas mes tabm veth. Nei a dhabras kidnyow sigerüs. Na veu odhom dhen a fistena. E’n gordhûher, nei a viras ort dauncya e’n tele. Gerow tüs erel dhe omobery! The weather today was not very good. We had rain all the morning and the major part of the afternoon. We waited to walk our dogs, our neighbours waited to go out with their horses, and our granddaughter didn’t go out at all. We ate a leisurely lunch. We had no need to hurry. In the evening, we watched dancing on TV. Let others do the exercise!

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Trei De Gwener, kensa warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Friday, 21 st  September. Ew hebma an diwettha loor leun a hav? Nag ew, drefen nag ew hei leun en tien. Na vedh loor leun terebo an pajwora warn ügens  mis Gwedngala – ha nena na vedh hav na fella. Hedna a vedh an kensa loor leun en kidnyadh. Praga? Pana termyn üjy kidnyadh o talla? Kidnyadh keweroniethel a dhallathas an kensa dedh a vis Gwedngala. An trei mis kidnyadh ew mis Gwedngala, mis Hedra ha mis Dû. Ma kidnyadh steroniethel o talla avorow, dhort an keheja dedh ha nos. (Ma’n howl a-ûgh keheja an bes.) Ma va o türya bys e’n mantol gwav. Òja avorow an dedhyow a vedh cotta vel an nosow. Ma gwav o toas! Mars ew avorow an kensa dedh a gidnyadh – ev a vedh an diwettha dedh an Werhes magata. Is this the last full moon of summer? No, because it’s not completely full. There won’t be a full moon until 24 th  September – and then it will no longer be summer. That will be the first full moo

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Dew De Yow ew, an ügensves dedh a vis Gwedngala. It’s Thursday, the 20 th  day of September. Da ew genam oll an liwyow kidnyadh. Ma prisken genam gen flourys glas en hav. Otta hei - pur vlou ew. Hedna a veu en mis Gorefan. Me a’n gonethas dhort radn bian trehys mes a bagas broas nanj ew nebes bledhednyow. Lebmyn ma’n flourys o treylya purpur en kidnyadh. Gwell ew genam an purpur, ogasty. Me a vedn trehy nebes flourys scon ha seha anjei rag Nadelik. Thera vy o longya dh’aga fayntya arhans rag tekheanjow. Ottobma an flourys hedhyw. I like all the autumn colours. I have a shrub with blue flowers in summer. There it is - it's very blue. That was in July. I propagated it from a small part pruned out of a big bush several years ago. Now the flowers are turning purple in autumn. I prefer the purple, almost. I shall cut some flowers soon and dry them for Christmas. I usually paint them silver for decorations. Here are the flowers today.

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens hag Onan De Merher ew, an nownjegves dedh a vis Gwedngala. It’s Wednesday, the 19 th day of September. Thew brially bleujyow gwenton, thera vy crejy, ha nag üjy mis Gwedngala en gwenton. Rag hedna, thew an flour-ma myskemerys. Thew ev nebes misyow re avar. Tevys ew dhort hasen. En gwenton ma pub pres lies briallen et o lowarth, o cül has lowr. Primroses are spring flowers, I believe, and September is not in spring. Therefore, this flower is mistaken. It’s several months too early. It has grown from a seed. In spring there are always lots of primroses in my garden, making plenty of seeds.

Dew Cansves Dedh ha Trei Ügens De Meurth, etegves mis Gwedngala.  Tuesday, 18 th September. Üjy an wedhen-ma o merwel? Ew hei marow solabres? Ma del donek ha marow segh dhedhy, bes ma del whath glas dhe'n gwedh erel oll adro. Nag ewa whath kidnyadh gwir. Eus fowt dhedhy a dhowr? Ma hei ogas dhe dhowr bian, rag hedna ma dowr en ogas. Martesen thew hy gwredh browys, po martesen thew oll an wedhen anhedhek. Kestenen marth ew hei. Ma prev bian o cara bewa et hy delkyow, ha ma fungus ewedh. Is this tree dying? Is it already dead? It has brown, dead leaves but all the other trees around still have green leaves. It is not true autumn yet. Does it lack water? It's near a little river, therefore there is water nearby. Perhaps its roots are damaged, or perhaps the whole tree is diseased. It's a horse chestnut. A little caterpillar likes living in its leaves, and there is a fungus as well.

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens hag Nawnjek De Lün ew, an seythdegves dedh a vis Gwedngala. It’s Monday, the 17 th day of September. Ma caletter broas dhe’n bagas art vy. Ma odhom dhen a naw scrifer po sodhek e’n kessedhek, drefen boas naw gwithres dhe wül. An kensa scrifer eseleth a godhas gwadn, ha lebmyn an nessa scrifer eseleth ew re vesy (ma ober nowydh dhedhy). Ha nag eus volunjedhek whath rag an sodh. Nag eus volunjedhek whath naneyl dhe wül bollys a de ha coffy e’n powes. Eus caletter aral? Entei! Ma cuntellyan de Merher ha ma dhe’n progother drog branja. Res ew dhe’n scrifer towl poroga y honan. My art group has a big problem. We need nine secretaries or officers in the committee, because there are nine jobs to do. The first membership secretary became infirm, and now the second membership secretary is too busy (she has a new job). And there is no volunteer yet for the post. Neither is there a volunteer yet to make cups of tea and coffee in the interval. Is there anot

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens hag Etek De Sül ew, an whetegves dedh a vis Gwedngala.       It’s Sunday, the 16 th day of September. Ma dhe’n loor peder tro: loor nowydh (na ellen nei gweles   loor veth), an kensa qwarter (nei ell gweles hanter loor), loor leun (nei ell gweles oll an “fas” loor) ha qwarter diwettha (nei ell gweles hanter aral an loor). Loor nowydh a veu an nawhes a’n mis ma. Haneth en nos, thew an kensa qwarter. Ma’n loor o cressya. Loor leun a vedh an pajer warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Hei a vedh Loor Drevas (gen golow lowr rag collenwel an trevas). Soweth, na ellama gweles an loor haneth – glaw a wra ha re gomolek ew. The moon has four phases: new moon (we can’t see any moon at all), the first quarter (we can see half a moon), full moon (we can see all the moon’s “face”) and last quarter (we can see the other half of the moon). New moon was the ninth of this month. Tonight, it’s the first quarter. The moon is waxing. Full moon will be on 24 th September. It wi

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Seytek De Sadorn, pemdhegves mis Gwedngala. Saturday, 15 th September. Ma mernans o toas dhe’n pras. Me a welas corf marow en dadn gwelen dredan ha moas dhe whithra. Soweth, bargas ew. Rag fra ew ev marow? A wrüg ev tremena dhort oos coth? Martesen yonk ew ev, ha ev a wrüg neyja bedn an caplys electrek voltach ûhel. A wrüg ev debry boos posnys? Eus nebonan, martesen, o hatya edhyn predha? An edhen drûan ew kelyonek solabres. Death comes to the meadow. I saw a dead body underneath an electricity pole and went to investigate. Alas, it’s a buzzard. Did it pass away from old age? Perhaps it’s young, and it flew against the high voltage electric cables. Did it eat poisoned bait? Is there, perhaps, someone who hates birds of prey. The poor bird is already fly covered.

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Whetek De Gwener, pajerdegves mis Gwedngala.   Friday, 14 th September. O gohydh ew lymnores. Ma ober hei en gwariow jynn-amontya bes hei a wras nebes lymnansow ragam, en gis manga. Me a vedn scrifa lever bian rag flehes. En kensa, ma odhom dhebm a scrifa an geryow, nessa ma odhom a dhyller po dyllores. My daughter-in-law is an illustrator. Her work is in computer games but she did some illustrations for me, in manga style. I wish to write a little book for children. Firstly, I need to write the words, next it needs a publisher.

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Pemdhek De Yow, terdhegves mis Gwedngala. Thursday, 13 th September. O whei euvergryjyk? Ero whei o crejy dr’ew anfujek an never terdhek? Anfujek ew raga vy – ma annes genam arta. Saw jorna teg o – ha me a wrüg cuntel mor dû. Ewa da lowr cuntel mor dû hedhyw? Ma lavar coth – na wrewgh whei cuntel mor dû òja Fer Summercourt. Rag fra na? Ma dew dhisplegyans anwheg. Òja hedna, ma gwrathes o trefya warnodhans po ma’n Jowl o pisa warnodhans. Bes pana dermyn ew Fer Summercourt ha pandr’ewa? Moy es eth cans bloodh ew an Fer. Ma chartour riel dhodha. En termyn eus passyes ev a wrüg wharvos an pajerdegves mis Gwedngala. En 1752 an calander a addyas üdnek dedh moy, ha lebmyn ma’n Fer o codha an pempes warn ügens mis Gwedngala. Ma üdnek dedh moy dhe nei rag cuntel mor dû heb own! Are you superstitious? Do you believe that the number 13 is unlucky? It’s unlucky for me – I’ve got a cold again. But it was a lovely day – and I picked blackberries. Is it OK

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Peswardhek De Merher, dewdhegves mis Gwedngala.   Wednesday, 12 th September. Thera vy o redya “Nebbaz gerriau dro tho Carnoack” (Nebes gerriow adro dhe Kernowek) gen Nicholas Boson. Ev a veu genys en Kernow e’n seytegves cansbledhen. Martesen ev a veu genys en Lulyn, ogas dhe Pensans. Prederys o ev. “Gun Tavas Carnoack eu mar pel gwadn hez, uz na ellen skant quatiez tho ewellaz crefhe arta.” (Agan tavas Kernowek ew mar pell gwadnhes, es na ellen scant qwaytyas dhe y weles crefhe arta.) “Ugge an teez goth tho merwal akar, ny a wele an teez younk tho e clappia le ha le ha lacka ha lacka.” (Òja an düs goth dhe merwel ekerr, nei a wel an düs yonk dhe y glappya le ha le ha lacka ha lacka.) I am reading “Some words about Cornish” by Nicholas Boson. He was born in Cornwall in the 17 th century. Perhaps he was born in Newlyn, near Penzance. He was worried. “Our Cornish language is so weakened, that we can hardly expect/hope for it to strengthen/reco

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Terdhek De Meurth, üdnegves mis Gwedngala.        Tuesday, 11 th September. Gwel dhort an kyttrin ew teg – herwedh ûsadow. Saw nag ew teg hedhyw. Na ellama gweles pell dres an veister. Niwlek ew. Ma odhom dhe’n kerry a wolowow. Gellys ew hav – kidneyavek ew lebmyn devry. Keheja dedh ha nos a vedh en deg dedh. Nenna agan nosow a wra codha hirra vel agan dedhyow.   A view from the bus is lovely – usually. But it’s not beautiful today. I can’t see far beyond the window. It’s foggy. The cars need lights. Summer’s gone – it’s certainly autumnal now. The equinox will be in ten days. Then our nights will become longer than our days.

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Dewdhek De Lün, degves mis Gwedngala. Monday, 10 th September. Ma lies shoppa en Porthia, bes da ew genam dew anodhans dres ehen. Ma sawarn wheg dhe Gisten Sebon Kernow. Mons o cül sebon ha oll sortow tacklow erel. Nag eus odhom dhe vy a vaylyans fislak, rag hedna gwel ew genam perna losyow sebon ancompes en sagh (moy ras). E veu dowis – lavender po “Whath an Mor Broas” (lavender, Rosmarinus ha menta). Cowethyans kesoberys a nebes artissys ew an shoppa aral. Da ew genam Victoria Hilliard. Ma hei o cül devnydh a brei dhe wül emajys hir ha ledan ha down. Ma hei o tisqwedhes flourys, frûtys, losow hag erel. There are lots of shops in St Ives, but I like two of them particularly. Cornwall Soapbox has a sweet smell. They make soap and all sorts of other things. I don’t need fussy packaging, so I prefer to buy uneven soap ends in a bag (cheaper). There was a choice – lavender or “Ocean Breeze” (lavender, rosemary and peppermint). The othe

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens hag Üdnek De Sül, nawhes mis Gwedngala. Sunday, 9 th September.   E veu areth pur dhe les en Solar Art Tate en Porthia adro dhe trei limner – Peter Lanyon, Bryan Wynter ha Patrick Heron.  Me a veras adro dhe’n disqwedhyans ewedh. Da ew genam an drehevyans. Thew an beistry avel gwedrow mires.  There was a very interesting lecture in the Tate Art Gallery in St Ives about three painters – Peter Lanyon, Bryan Wynter and Patrick Heron. I looked round the exhibition as well. I like the building. The windows are like mirrors. 

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Deg De Sadorn, ethves mis Gwedngala.     Saturday, 8 th September. Thera routh veur en Resrüdh hedhyw rag degol balweyth ha pasty kewolasek. Keniver onan a wrüg debry pasty.  There was a large crowd in Redruth today for an international mining and pasty festival. Everybody was eating a pasty. Aves dhe’n Kresenn Kernow me a aspias Will Coleman – o tebry pasty. Ev a veu gen kyttrin dû – an “Canatty a Gernow”. Grewgh gorryby nebes qwestyons, cawas passporth ha whei ell tastya badna cor’ heb cost. Outside the Cornwall Centre I spotted Will Coleman – eating a pasty. He was with a black bus – the “Cornish Embassy”. Answer a few questions, get a passport and you can sample a drop of free beer. Dedh posek ew rag Kresenn Kernow. An diwettha dedh ew e’n chei-ma. Lebmyn ma odhom dhe’n coscor leverva a maylya oll an levrow, paperyow, hag erol, rag movyans dhe cresen nowydh (e’n chei brihy coth). It’s an important day for the Cornwall C

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Naw De Gwener, seythves mis Gwedngala.        Friday, 7 th September. Da ew genam gwil kefeyth frûtys kemyskys. Me a wras nebes anodho hedhyw. Nag eus resayt dhebm. Me a dhismygyas an mensow a frûtys ha sugra! Thera dhebm ploumys broas dhort an shoppa ha eyrin dhort an ke. Me a gavas nebes mor dû ewedh. Martesen ma odhom dhebm a lavalow ha tabm limaval. Gwra hackya oll an frûtys, addya an sugra ha cabooly. Gwra gorra an bolla e’n vorn gorrdon, tobmhe ha cabooly, tobmhe ha cabooly. An kefeyth a wra tewlhe. Parys ew dhe voas gorrys en jarrigow glan. I like making mixed fruit jam. I made some of it today. I don’t have a recipe. I guessed the amounts of fruits and sugar! I had big plums from the shop and damsons from the hedge. I found some blackberries as well. Perhaps I need apples and a bit of lemon. Chop all the fruits, add the sugar and stir. Put the bowl in the microwave oven; heat and stir, heat and stir. The jam will darken. It’s read