A Year of Late Cornish Day 272

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!

A Year of Late Cornish Day 271

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.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 270

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.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 269

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.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 268

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!

A Year of Late Cornish Day 267

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 at all in the street, and the ground looks sandy. What time is it? Early morning, perhaps, although the shadows are short. So, perhaps it's noon. It’s not very busy – perhaps it’s Sunday! Has the place changed? Look at a more recent photograph. The cars are bigger. There are more cars and the street isn’t sandy.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 266

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.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 265

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.

A Year of late Cornish Day 264

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!

A Year of Late Cornish Day 263

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 moon in autumn. Why? When does autumn start? Meteorological autumn started on the first day of September. The three autumn months are September, October and November. Astrological autumn starts tomorrow, from the equinox. (The sun is above the Equator.) It lasts till the winter solstice. After tomorrow the days will be shorter than the nights. Winter is coming! If tomorrow is the first day of autumn – it is the last day of Virgo as well.   

A Year of Late Cornish Day 262

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.

Ma gwedhen vian reb an vownder. Nag ew hei teg en hav, bes lebmyn hei a dhallathas dhe dreylya. En hav hei a veu blewek, bes lebmyn thew an del teg - brith purpur-dû, rüdh, owriek, melen ha dehen. Mons o codha dhe'n dor.

There is a small tree by the lane. It is not pretty in summer, but now it has started to turn. In summer it was boring, but now the leaves are lovely - patterned purple-black, red, golden, yellow and cream. They are falling down.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 261

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.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 243

Dew Cansves Dedh Dew Ügens ha Trei

De Sadorn ew, an kensa dedh a vis Gwedngala.

It’s Saturday, the 1^st day of September.

En Sowsnek thew an mis-ma gelwys warlergh an seythves mis an calander Roman coth. Saw mis Gwedngala “September” ew an nawhes mis agan calander, nag ew an seythves mis. Rag fra? Calander soudoryon Roman a dhiwedhes gen mis Meurth – na wrüg soudoryon Roman ombla en gwav! En pecar maner nessa mis a vedh an ethves mis “October”, ha òja hedna e vedh an nawhes mis “November” ha’n degves mis “December”. Ha rag fra “Gwedngala” en Kernôwek? Òja an drevas thew an prasow leun a gala. Nag ew gwydn poran bes disliw ew en tevry.

In English this month is named after the seventh month of the old Roman calendar. But September is the ninth month of our calendar; it’s not the seventh month. Why? The Roman soldiers’ calendar began with March – Roman soldiers didn’t fight in winter! Similarly next month will be the eighth month “October” and after that there will be the ninth month “November” and the tenth month “December”. And why “white/fair straw” in Cornish? After the harvest the fields are full of straw. It is not exactly white but it is certainly faded.