Today I read one of the nine lessons in a Cornish language service at Bridge near Portreath. The translation of Matthew II used was initially by Wella (William) Rowe.
Wella Rowe (1668-1709) was from Bojewyan near Pendeen, St Just in Penwith. Nowadays this is near Geevor Mine (which, of course, did not exist in his day). In 1830, one of his descendants included his biblical translations in the “Rowe Family Manuscript”. This was last seen in Boston, MA, in the 1920s but has since disappeared without trace. Rowe’s work is important because it gives us some idea of how Cornish was pronounced in west Cornwall in his lifetime.
Here is the account of the visit of the Wise Men in SWFLt:
1. Lebmyn, pa veu Jesus genys en Bethalem a Judea en dedhyow Erod an Mytern, e wrüg doas tüs für adhor an Est dhe Jerusalem.
2. Leverel, Pele ma E, ew genys Mytern an Edhewon? Rag ma gwelys gene’nei Y steren e’n Est, ha tho nei devedhys dhe wordhya dhodho.
3. Pa wrüg Erod an Mytern clowes hebma, e veu troblys, hag oll Jerusalem gens ev.
4. Ha potho contlys warbarth ganjo oll an cogasers ühel ha’n screfars an bobel, ev a vednas dhor anjei pele via an Crîst genys.
5. Ha anjei a laveras dhodho, En Bethalem a Judea, rag andelma thewa screfys gen an profet.
6. “Ha che, Bethalem, en Pow Judea, nag os an bihatna e’mesk pednjivigyon (Myternyow) Juda, rag mes a che e wra doas rowler a vedh bügel o fobel Ezarel.”
7. Nena, Erod, pa wrüg e privedh creia an düs für adenewen, ev a vednas dhor anjei sür pana dermyn a wrüg an steren disqwedhes.
8. Ha ev a’s dhavanas dhe Vethalem, ha leverel dhodhans, Grewgh whilas sür an flogh yonk, ha pa wrew’whei y gavos, drewgh ger dhebm arta, mala vy moas ha gordhya dhodho e’wedh.
9. Ha potho clowys gonjans an Mytern, ei eth ker’, ha mero, an steren a wrüg anjei gweles e’n Est ’geth deragtans, na wrüg hei doas ha sevel dres an le a era an Flogh yonk.
10. Pa wrüg anjei gweles an steren, tho anjei lowen gen meur a lowender.
11. Ha potho anjei devedhys e’n chei ei a welas an Flogh yonk gen Maria y dhama, ha anjei a godhas dhe’n dor ha gordhya dhodho. Ha pa wrüg anjei egery aga throsor, ei a ros dhodho owr ha frankencens hag er.
12. Ha anjei a veu gwarnys gen Düw ha anjei o còsca na wressa anjei doas ogas dhe Erod, ha anjei eth ker’ dhe bow ga honen vor’ aral.
13. Ha pa tho anjei gellys ker’, merowgh, el nev a dhisqwedhas ha Joseph a veu hendrys andella, Sa’man, ha kebar an Flogh yonk ha y dhama, ha ke dhe Ejyp, ha bedhes ena tereba me dhe drei dhis ger; rag Erod vedn whilas an Flogh yonk rag e ladha.
14. Pa wrüg e saval, ev a gemeras an Flogh yonk ha’y dhama e’n termyn an nos, ha moas dhe Ejyp.
15. Ha E veu ena tereba mernas Erod, malja boas composys a veu cowsys gans an Arludh nev der an profet o laul, “Mes a Ejyp me a vedn creia o Mab.”
16. Nena Erod, pa wrüg ev gweles fatel o gis gwres anodho gen an düs für, ev a veu engrys ha danen mes, ha ladha oll an flehes a era en Bethlem hag oll adro dew vloodh coth ha en dadn, adhor an termyn a wrüg ev govyn orth an düs für.
17. Nena e veu composys a veu cowsys gen Jeremy an profet, o laul,
18. “En Rama a veu clowes lev, olva, oulya ha garma: Rahel ola rag hy flehes; ha na venja hei boas confortys, rag nag ens.”
19. Pa tho Erod marow, el nev a dheuth dhe Joseph en còsca en Ejyp,
20. Laul, “Sa’man, ha kebmer an Flogh yonk ha’y dhama, ha ke dhe Bow an Edhewon, rag ma marow an re na, era o whilas bownans an Flogh yonk.
How sad it is that the "Rowe Family Manuscript" has been lost to us.
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