2026 Day 191

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Üdnek

De Gwener, degves mis Gorefen

Friday, 10th July

Whath theram ow pedery dro dhe'n cân ma gen Peggy Lee. Pur sempel ew en Sowsnek, bès nebes tickly ew y dreylya en Kernôwek. En kensa, myskemerys o vy. My a reknas an syllabednow. Bès ma form eth-barr dhe'n melody. Ma pajar barr dhe geniver linen an gwers, ytho pajar chîf syllaben gen poslev. Nebes lavarow negethek ew moy galys avel re erel. Ma whel moy dhe wil.

I am still thinking around this song by Peggy Lee. It is very simple in English, but it's a bit tricky translating it into Cornish. Initially, I was mistaken. I counted the syllables. But the melody has an eight-bar structure. There are four bars to each line of the verse, so four chief syllables with stress. Some negative sentences are more difficult than others. There is more work to do.

[Verse]
I don't wanna play in your yard
I don't like you anymore

“I don't wanna play in your yard”  works quite well as 

Na vadam gwary en dha lôwarth.

You'll be sorry when you see me
Sliding down our cellar door
You can't holler down our rain barrel
You can't climb our apple tree

Na 'lesta crambla 'n 'gan avalen.

I don't wanna play in your yard
If you can't be good to me

Useful vocabulary for translation :
Play = gwary
Yard (garden) = lowarth
Like = cara (usually used for “love”) or bos da gen
Anymore ~ no more = namoy (or na velha)
Sorry (be sorry) ~ regret = edrega (or bos edregüs, cawas edrek, gwil düwon, cawas trûedh, ola)
Slide = slynkya (You may need descend = deskydnya ~ skydnya as “down” is a problem – though war wòles might work)
Cellar door = daras selder ~ celder (think where you put “our”)
Holler (yell, shout) = garma
Rain barrel = balyer glaw
Climb = crambla (or yskydna – not to be confused with deskydnya)
Apple tree = avalen (or gwedhen avalow)
Be good ~ nice = bos wheg, bos da, bos vas

2026 Day 190

2026 Dedh Cans Deg ha Pajar Ügens

De Yow, nawes mis Gorefen
Thursday, 9th July

Nebes sogh o vy e'n gewer dòbm ma. Calys ew dhe vos hewol. Na ellama remembra tra veth. De my a necovas kescussülyans en Fondyans Stüdhyansow Kernowek. My a vyskemeras an jedh. Pandr'a wra vy nakevy nessa? Pur drûedhek o vy.

I am a bit stupid in this hot weather. It is hard to be alert. I can't remember anything. Yesterday I forgot a conference at the Institute of Cornish Studies. I mistook the day. What will I forget next? I am very sad.

2026 Day 189

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Naw

De Merher, ethves mis Gorefen

Wednesday, 8th July

Coth lowr o vy dhe remembra canores jazz ha scrifores a ganow Peggy Lee. Da via genam treylya hy hanow. Eus othom dhewgh a dreylya neppeth dhort Sowsnek? En Kernôwek ma lies vorr (fordh) dhen rag leverel an keth tra! 

Rag sempel...

I am old enough to remember the jazz singer and songwriter Peggy Lee. I'd like to translate her songs. Do you need to translate something from English? In Cornish we have many ways for saying the same thing! 

For example...

"I don't want" (3 beats)

Nag eus whans dhe vy (pemp polj)

Nag eus whans dhebm (pajar polj)

Na vadna ~ vydna vy (pajar polj)

Na vadma ~ vadam (trei polj)

"I don't wanna play" (5 beats)

Na vadma gwary (pemp polj)

"I don't wanna play in your yard." (8 beats)

Na vadma gwary en dha lôwarth. (naw polj)

Na vadm' gwary en dha lôwarth. (eth polj)

Gwrewgh mires ort Peggy Lee war YouTube

Watch Peggy Lee on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v43aQTsVb5o

Lebmyn, my a res treylya an remenat. Ha nena my alja y gana en Kernôwek. En gwelha pres, cott ew.

Now, I have to translate the rest. And then I could sing it in Cornish. Fortunately, it's short.

Martesen an nessa linen ewedh

Perhaps the second line too

"I don't wanna play in your yard." (8 beats)

"I don't like you any more." (7 beats)

Na vadm' gwary en dha lôwarth. (eth polj)

Nag os ta da genam na moy. (eth polj.

2026 Day 188

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens hag Eth

De Meurth, seythves mis Gorefen
Tuesday, 7th July

An gewer ma ew calys raga vy. Re dòbm ew hei. Na ellama còsca en termyn a'n nos ha nena skith o vy en termyn a'n jedh. Ma gwrythyans coynt gen edhyn brâs e'n mettin, ha terweythyow e'n gordhûher ewedh. A wör anjei pe le mons ow mos? Pur drosüs en jei.

This weather is difficult for me. It is too hot. I cannot sleep at night time and then I am tired in the daytime. There is strange behaviour by big birds in the morning, and sometimes in the evening too. Do they know where they are going? They are very noisy.

2026 Day 187

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Seyth

De Lün, wheffes mis Gorefen
Monday, 6th July

Thew an mis ma pur vesy. E veu Dedh Anserhecter in America an Pajwora Mis Gorefen. Ma lies fytt rugby (hanter noor an bes warbedn hanter sooth an bes) ha lies fytt pel droos (Hanath an Norves). Thera revya en Henley ha ma tennis en Wimbledon. Na wrüga vy mires ort tra veth, nag era vy ow mires ort tra veth ha na vadna vy mires ort tra veth! Nag ew da genam lies sport. Na ellama y wil ow hònan. Dornglikin o vy en scath. Na ellama gweskel na pôtya pel.

This month is very busy. It was Independence Day in America on the Fourth of July. There are many rugby matches (northern hemisphere against southern hemisphere) and many football matches (the World Cup). There was rowing at Henley and there is tennis at Wimbledon. I did not watch anything, I am not watching anything and I will not watch anything! I don't like many sports. I can't do it myself. I'm clumsy in a boat. I can't hit or kick a ball.

2026 Day 186

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Whegh

De Sül, pempes mis Gorefen

Sunday, 5th July  

Termyn ew, theram ow pedery, rag üdn colm tavas moy.

Whei ell whenny an whynas e'n whennek saw kemerowgh with na wrewgh whei gwedhra an wedhen wydn.

It's time, I think, for one more tongue twister.

You can weed the weeds in the weedpatch but take care you don't wither the white tree.

2026 Day 185

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Pemp

De Sadorn, pajwora mis Gorefen
Saturday, 4th July

Pur deffrans ew an jedh hedhyw. De, tho an ebron blou ha cler. Lebmyn, comolek ew an gewer. Gwydn ha gorherys ew an ebron. Era glaw e'n nos? Gleb ew an gwels. Ew an glesin glouthek? Martesen e veu glouth poos po niwl dhort an mor. Ma dagrednow dowr war an delkyow ha war an flourys. Ens gluthednow po dagrow glaw? Mons ow terlentry pecar'a adamantys. Flourys ew ow jowals erel - lies jowal rüdh ha glas emesk an delkyow.

The day today is very different. Yesterday, the sky was blue and clear. Now, the weather is cloudy. The sky is white and overcast. Was there rain in the night? The grass is wet. Is the lawn dew-covered? Perhaps there was heavy dew or fog from the sea. There are water droplets on the leaves and on the flowers. Are they dewdrops or raindrops? They sparkle like diamonds. Flowers are my other jewels - many red and blue jewels among the leaves.