| Dafydd ap Gwilym: His Poems
Translated by Gwyn Thomas
University of Wales Press
304 pp 234x156 mm Paperback £12.99 ISBN 0-7083-1664-6
Click here
to order.
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.
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.
Click here to view a sample chapter directly on the Web as a PDF file. You will need to have Acrobat Reader on your PC. You can download Acrobat Reader free by clicking on the link below if you do not have it installed already.

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.
|