A Year of Late Cornish

   2020 Dedh Trei Hans ha Pemp   De Sadorn, üdnegves warn ügens mis Hedra Saturday, 31 st  October   Aidan a dremenas a-ûgh e’n termyn an nos. Pur wenjek ha gleb o an nos. Ma branch sqwardyes dhort gwedhen e’n ke reb an vôwnder. Whath ma hager vor. Ma meur a dhowr e’n gwelyow ha ma va ow resek an vorr war nans. My a welas euthvil bian ow pònya gans y das. Gwiskys o ev en clôk dû rag Nos Calan Gwav. Na aljama gweles an den barvüs e’n peul growan hedhyw – bes my a wrüg gweles (ha clowes) hûjes pil teyl (dhort bowjy). Thera lies edhen e’n ebòrn, na aljama gweles pehen. Martesen thera anjei ow cachya wibes ha kelyon a-ûgh dhe’n teyl. Aidan passed overhead during the night time. The night was very windy and wet. There is a branch torn from a tree in the hedge by the lane. There is still a rough sea. There’s a lot of water in the fields and it’s running down the track. I saw a little monster running with his dad. He was dressed in a black cloak for Halloween. I couldn’t see the bearded man i

  2020 Dedh Trei Hans ha Pajar De Gwener, degves warn ügens mis Hedra Friday, 30 th  October An re ma ew termynyow coynt. An shoppys a wra gan ynia dhe varhasna a-bres rag Nadelik. Ma taclow Nadelik dhe berna.  Nag ew Nadelik whath, saw ma carten Nadelik ha ro bian dhebm solabres. Nag ew Nos Calan Gwav whath, saw ma whans solabres dhe’m mergh wydn tòllwisca avel vampîr. “Ma dens apek!” emedh hei. Hanter tremmîs ew en scolyow, etho na venja flehes gwil whel veth. Bettegens, nei a wrüg gwary “Keas an Gisten” – ha na wrüga vy gwaynya, rag certan. “Gero nei dhe wül tekheansow Nadelik. Ma kelyn trehys gen Tas gwydn. Nei ell gwil garlons.” “Na vadna vy, meur ras dhis. Re a-varr ew. Ma Nadelik termyn hir derag.” These are strange times. The shops urge us to shop in good time for Christmas. There are Christmas things to buy. It’s not Christmas yet, but I already have a card and a little present. It’s not Halloween yet but my granddaughter already wants to dress up like a vampire. “I have monke

  2020 Dedh Trei Hans ha Trei   De Yow, nawhes warn ügens mis Hedra Thursday, 29 th  October   Ma gwens crev hedhyw ha ma todnow garow e’n mor. Terweythyow thew an gwens dhia’n noor.  Nena yeyn ew an awel. Ma othom a wens crev dhe dreylya an widdersians.  Ma dowr sall e’n ayr dhort an mor. Nag ew hedna da gen oll plansow. En Kernow ma menowgh gwens gorlewen. Hedna ell bos gleb ha holanek ewedh. Ma pub gwedhen ow poyntya tûa’n est. Nag üjens ow tevy en üskis war drenewen west. Terweythyow nei a wel scorren ow cregy. Pana dermyn a wra hedna codha? A wrüg an preven blewek ma codha dhort gwedhen? Rag fra ma whans dhe brev a dremena an vorr? There’s a strong wind today and there are rough waves in the sea. Sometimes the wind is northerly. Then the weather is cold. It needs a strong wind to turn the weathervane. There is salty water in the air from the sea. Not all plants like that. In Cornwall there is often a westerly wind. That can be wet and salty as well. Every tree points towards the e

  2020 Dedh Trei Hans ha Dew De Merher, ethves warn ügens mis Hedra Wednesday, 28 th  October  Ma barvow gwydn e’n ke, barv an cothwas. An hanow en Laten ew  Clematis vitalba  – scorren wydn. Ma hanow aral – Lôwena Vajyer (po Travalyer). Dor alcaliek ha calhek ew gwell gen an plans ma – bes ottava en Kernow, gen dor trenk. Bettegens, ma va reb gover ogas dhe’n bal coth ha’n velin eskern diswres. Martesen ma nebes calgh en neb le. Ma lies barv wydn en Kernow e’n eur-ma, barvow gwydn war elgethyow cothwesyon. Ow gour ew onan – bes nanj ew lies bledhen thera barv dhû dhodhans – pecar’a morlader (saw nag eus clout lagas dhodho)!    There are white beards in the hedge, old man’s beard. The name in Latin is  Clematis vitalba  – white vine. There’s another name – Traveller’s Joy. This plant prefers alkaline, chalky ground – but here it is in Cornwall, with acidic ground. However, it’s by a stream near the old mine and the ruined bone mill. Perhaps there is some calcium somewhere. There are ma

   2020 Dedh Trei Hans hag Onan De Meurth, seythves warn ügens mis Hedra Tuesday, 27 th  October   Thew puptra rüdhvelyn hedhyw! Otta gorgath, bes pe le ma va? Na ellen nei scant y weles emesk an delkyow e’n wedhen kidnyavek. Cüdhliwys ew ev, avel tiger en enawel drovadnek e’n pictour gen Rousseau. Ha pandr’ew an re ma emesk an delkyow marow war lesin? Scavellow cronek nowydh ens. An avalow dar ew owriek lowr e’n gòlow an howl. Pandr’ew hebma wrappyes war wel? Everything is orange today! Here’s a tomcat, but where is he? We can hardly see him among the leaves in the autumnal tree. He’s camouflaged, like a tiger in a tropical storm in the painting by Rousseau. And what are these among the dead leaves on a lawn? They are new toadstools. The oak apples are quite golden in the sunshine. What is this wrapped on a stalk? Deg ger rag hedhyw:  Ten words for today an re ma  these aval dar  (m)  oak apple cüdhliwys  camouflaged glesin  (m)  lawn gorgath  (m)  tomcat gwel  (f)  stalk owriek  gold

  2020 Dedh Trei Hans De Lün, wheffes warn ügens mis Hedra Monday, 26 th  October   “Ma’n termynyow ow treylya.” Henn ew cân ow yonkneth. (An keth oos ew avel ow frâwk glas.) Bob Dylan hag y gowsow o meurgerys e’n bledhednyow trei ügens. Lebmyn ma’n sêson ow treylya. An clegh (clockys) a dreylyas a-dhelher üdn our, De Sül mettin pur arvis (diw eur). Lebmyn thew an mettinow moy gòlow ha’n gordhûherow moy tewal. Res ew dhen kerdhes e’n cres an jedh. Bes kemer’ with! Ma tüs whel oll adro. Mons ow trehy gwedh ha hackya scorr dhe demmigow gen jynnys br â s. Ma prei ha dowr war an trolergh ewedh. “The times they are a-changin’.” That’s a song of my youth. (It’s the same age as my blue jumper.) Bob Dylan and his lyrics were popular in the sixties. Now the season is changing. The clocks turned back one hour, very early Sunday morning (two o’clock). Now the mornings are lighter and the evenings darker. We must walk in the middle of the day. But take care! There are workmen all around. They are

2020 Dedh Dew Cans Pajar Ügens ha Nawnjek De Sül, pempes warn ügens mis Hedra Sunday, 25 th October Piw o pobel an blüw ma? O an blüwogyon ha’n plüwogesow stenoryon po tiogow, rych po bohojek? Piw a wrüg gordhya e’n eglos ma? Thera nebes chapelyow Methodist en ogas – en Kellestek, Melinjy ha Fenten Beran. Martesen bohosogyon a wordhyas ena. (Thew oll treylys dhe anedhow lebmyn.) Piw ew dres dhe’n co gen an meyn co ma?  Nag ew an vohosogyon. Meyn co nag ew ras.  Thera nei ow perthy co an düs ma der rêson aga henwyn ha manylyon war an meyn. Hemm ew aga anvarwoleth. Res ew dhen whiles en reknans pobel po sodhva recordys dhe gawas tüs erel. Otta tiogow.    Who were the people of this parish? Were the parishioners tin miners or farmers, rich or poor? Who worshipped in this church? There were several nearby Methodist chapels – in Callestick, Bolingey and Perranwell. Perhaps poor people worshipped there. (They are all converted to residences now.) Who are commemorated by these memorials?

  2020 Dedh Dew Cans Pajar Ügens hag Etek De Sadorn, pajwora warn ügens mis Hedra Saturday, 24 th October Nag ew da an gewer hedhyw. Glaw a wra oll an jorna. Ma dowr ow resek an to gweder war nans. Ma mir discler ha deformys dhe’n wedhen a-dâl. Na vedh pres vas rag kerdhes, etho res ew dhebm cavos neppeth aral dhe wül (a-der scrifa). Martesen gwians gwlân alja bos an digolm. Bes ma dilhas lower et ow gwisgdy rag an present termyn, etho nag eus othom dhebm a wia veth môy. Thew hebma frâwk glas gwres ragam gans ow mabm nanj ew lies bledhen. Ma gwlânweyth ow türya pell – otta an keth frâwk en nawnjek cans trei ügens ha pemp. Hedna veu ow kensa pres en Kernow. Martesen my a vedn gwil diwedh dhe’n pictour gwlânek ma – pandra wra vy gwil ganjo?   The weather today is not good. It’s raining all day. There is water coursing down the glass roof. The tree opposite looks blurred and misshapen. There won’t be a good time for walking, so I have to find something else to do (apart from writin

  2020 Dedh Dew Cans Pajar Ügens ha Seytek   De Gwener, tryja warn ügens mis Hedra Friday, 23 rd October Kescowethyans! My a welas pobel - pobel gwir. Agan mergh a dhros nebes vyctûal. Hy fleghes a dheuth genjy ewedh. Pe le ma’n flehes? My ell clowes levow, son an flehes, bes pe le mowns? Fatel wrüg anjei drehedhes dei? “Na ellama deskydnya! Stagys oma.” “Na ellama gweres dhis – ma drog keyn genam.” “Ottavy! Thera vy ow tedna an slynk y din. Chy a ell crambla war an stappys.” Wòja hedna e veu pres rag pel droos. “Na wra pôtya an bel e’n tû cabm! Hei a vedh kellys.” Companionship! I saw people – real people. Our daughter brought some groceries. Her children came with her as well. Where are the children? I can hear voices, the sound of the children, but where are they? How did they reach there? “I can’t get down! I’m stuck.” “I can’t help you – I’ve got backache.” “Here I am! I’m pulling the slide. You can climb on the steps.” After that it was time for football. “Don’t kick the bal