A Year of Late Cornish Day 275

Dew Cansves Dedh Trei Ügens ha Pemdhek

De Merher, tryja mis Hedra.

Wednesday, 3^rd October.

En hav nag eus traveth rag an horr (hordh) semly ma hag y wesyon dhe wül. Anjei el debry ha powes puppres. E vedh odhom dhodhans a aga nerth en kidnyadh. Ma lavar coth: “En hav per co gwav.” Thera odhom dhen dhe witha boos dres rag en hav rag an gwav. Bes rag tiogow ma odhom deffrans. En kidnyadh per co gwenton. Ma whans dhe diogow deves cawas enas rag kig ôn gwenton rag an varhas, rag Pask dres ehen. Mewnyk ew an deves pa codha an dedhyow cottha ha’n nosow hirra. En eur-na ma’n tiek o settya y horres e’n pras gen y dheves. Ma keniver hordh o toan padn liw (henwys “raddle”) war y vrodn. An tiek ell gweles: Ew davas gen flogh, ew hei po nag ew hei? Eus merk liwys dhedhy war an keyn? Pemp hordh gen cans davas ha dogans: pajer dedh a whel rag an horres. Lebmyn anjei ell powes arta rag moy es hanter cans seythen, dhe voghhe aga nerth rag nessa bledhen.  

      

In summer there is nothing for this handsome ram and his fellows to do. They can eat and rest all the time. They will need their energy in autumn. There is a proverb (old saying): “In summer remember winter.” We need to store food produced in summer for winter. But for farmers there is a different need. In autumn remember spring. Sheep farmers want to have lambs for spring lamb meat for market, especially for Easter. The ewes are on heat when the days become shorter and the nights longer. Then the farmer puts his rams in the meadow with his ewes. Each ram wears a dye pad (called a raddle) on his chest. The farmer can see: Is a ewe pregnant, is she or isn’t she? Does she have a coloured mark on the back? Five rams with 140 ewes: four days of work for the rams. Now they can rest again for more than 50 weeks, to build up their strength for next year.