Dafydd ap Gwilym is the most prolific and famous of medieval Welsh poets and perhaps the greatest Welsh poet of all time. In his work he portrays himself as a not too successful lover, a joker, story-teller and a profound observer of the brevity of human life, while his innovative language, subject-matter and poetic technique gave a new dimension to Welsh poetry.
‘In addition to its sound academic base, the volume also benefits from Gwyn Thomas's ability and insight as a modern Welsh poet, a vocation which has enabled him to understand that a translated poem can provide only a glimpse of the original composition.’ (gwales.com)
‘Gwyn Thomas combines the detailed knowledge of the literary scholar with the intuitive grasp of one who is himself a distinguished poet.’ Planet
‘His poems . . . have been painstakingly translated with empathy and sensitivity by the scholar and the experienced translator Gwyn Thomas. Without doubt he has set he has set himself a difficult and almost impossible task but undaunted he has done so with integrity, skilful patience, weaving Dafydd ap Gwilym’s words into an English harmony.’ PQR
Gwyn Thomas provides an accessible English translation of Dafydd ap Gwilym’s complete poems which aims not only to give an accurate rhythmic version of the meaning of the Welsh text but also to suggest the complex orchestration of the original material. The poems are annotated to bring out their historical and literary context and the translation is prefaced by an introduction to the poet and his work.
This edition of the poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym will appeal to all those interested in Welsh literature and the literature of the middle ages. It presents a poet who not only integrated European ideas of courtly love with the Welsh bardic tradition, but who, in his depiction of the pursuit of love and his celebration of nature, defines himself as a fascinating individual figure in an age of heavy conventions.
Gwyn Thomas is Emeritus Professor of Welsh Language and Literature at the University of Wales, Bangor and the translator of several acclaimed English-language editions of Welsh legends.
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