California Cornish Cousins
Trelawny in Cornish Gaelic
Verse 1Gans cledha da yn dorn yu lei
Gwyr, lowen an golon
Yth aswon Myghtern Jamys fel
Pandr' wrello Kernewon
Yu ordnys Ie ha prys ancow?
Trelawny dos dh'y fyn?
Mes ugans myl an dus Kernow
Gothfos an praga 'vyn
Chorus
A vew Trelawny bras?
'Verow Trelawny bras?
Otomma ugans myl Kernow
A woffyth oil an cos
Verse 2
Yn meth an Capten, bew y wos
Gwas jolyf yn mysk cans
Tour Loundres kyn fe Carrek Los
Y'n dylerfsen dewhans
Ny a dres Tamar, tyr dhe dyr
By 'ny vyth Havren let
Ha scoth ryp scoth, cowetha gwyr
Pyu orthyn-ny a set?
Verse 3
Devedhys bys yn Fos Loundres
Gwel dek dhyn, ny a gry
Deugh mes, ownegyon oil, deugh mes
Gwell on. agesough-why
Trelawny yu avel felon
Fast yn cargharow tyn
Mes ugans myl a Gernewon
Gothfos an ken a vyn
Ma lel an lav, ma'n cledha mas,
Ma'n golon lowen, gwir!
Tis Matern Jams 'wra convedhas
Pandr' allo Kernow sir!
Burdhen (Chorus)
'Verow Trelawny bras?
'Verow Trelawny bras?
Mez igans mil a dis Kernow
A woffeth l an cas.
Here's how it appears in today's spelling, with a fairly literal translation by Dave Annear based upon the version in the book (the later revised version by Talek)
'Ma lel an lav', "ma'n kledha mas,
The task is loyal, the sword is good,
'Ma'n golonn lowen, gwir!
The heart is happy, true!
Tis Myghtern Jamys 'wra konvedhes
'Tis King James that will understand
Pandr' allo Kernow syrr!
[not sure about 'an lav' in the first line; it might be an abbreviation of 'an lavur' - 'the work/task']
Burdhen (Chorus)
'Verow Trelawny bras
Will great Trelawny die?
'Verow Trelawny bras?
Will great Trelawny die?
Mes ugans mil a dus Kernow
But twenty thousand of Cornwall's men
A wodhvydh oll an kas.>
will know of all the case.
"...In keeping with all this [the history of Bishop Trelawny], there is no settled Cornish translation. Nance was dissatisfied with Jenner's in the Cornish Song Book), and the present version by Retallack Hooper [Talek] incorporates most of Nance's amendments."