2026 Day 69

2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Naw

De Meurh, degves mis Meurh
Tuesday, 10th March

Seythen-ma nanj ew deg bledhen my a welas kensa tycky-Duw an vledhen. Ev a gòscas dres an gwav, ha'n howl a'n difünas. Nag eus tycky-Duwes whath e'n vledhen ma. Solabres ma flourys lowr. Otta hokles, primula ha sevy. Nag o an gwav euthyk yeyn, saw pur wenjek ha pur, pur leb o ev. Nag eus gwenen whath naneyl. A wrüg anjei dürya po a veu anjei beudhys?

 

Ten years ago this week I saw the first butterfly of the year. It slept through the winter, and the sun woke it up. There are no butterflies yet this year. There are already plenty of flowers. Here are hawkweed, primula and wild strawberry. The winter wasn't terribly cold, but it was very windy and very, very wet. There aren't any bees yet either. Did they survive or were they drowned? 

2026 Day 68

 2026 Dedh Trei Ügens hag Eth

De Lün, nawes mis Meurh

Monday, 9th March

E'n vledhen mil whegh cans pajar ügens hag etek Capten Noel Carter dhort Breanek a scrifas dysmyk ow tòchya peskecha. En a'n lavaras dhe Thomas Tonkin. Pehen ew an pesk? Naw lost? Nag ew hedna pesk gwir, theram ow pedery. Martesen eth esel po eth bregh ha pedn. Terweythyow tüs an puskes a gachas padelenken, stifek po collel lesa et aga roos emesk aga hern.

In the year 1698 Captain Noel Carter of St Agnes wrote a riddle about fishing. He told it to Thomas Tonkin. What was the fish like? Nine tails? That is not a true fish, I think. Perhaps eight members (tentacles) or eight arms and a head. Sometimes fishermen caught a cuttlefish, or a squid or an octopus in their net among their pilchards.

Otta an rim en spellyans arnowydh, gen treylyans.

Here's the rhyme in modern spelling, with a translation.

Ha my ow mos en goon las,

As I was going in the 'blue down' (poetic for the sea),

My a glowas tros an puskes münys.

I heard the sound of the tiny fishes.

Bes my a drouvyas üdn pesk brâs, naw y losyow,

But I found one big fish, with nine tails (nine its tails),

Oll an bobel en Porth Ia ha Marhas Vian (or Marhas Yow)

All the people in St Ives and Marazion (Little Market or Thursday Market)

Na my a wör dh'y gensynjy. (Nevra na wör  dh'y gensynjy.) 

Nor me didn't (never) know how to get hold of it.

Otta an mûsek. Here's the music.

https://cornishnationalmusicarchive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CMA-2-1-33-Ha_My_Ow_Mos.pdf

A Mi a moaz, a mi a moaz in Goon Glaze,
Mi a clouaz, a clouaz, a clouaz, a troz, a troz, a troz, an pysgaz miniz.
Bez mi a trouviaz un pysg brawze, Naw Losia,
Olla Boble en Porthia ha Marazjowan
Ne mi ôr Dho Gan Zingy.
(Bor.MS: Nevra ni ôr dho ganzingy.

(in Borlase & Tonkin) 1698 OC Vol I (Tonkin MS)

2026 Day 67

 2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Seyth

De Sül, ethves mis Meurh
Sunday, 8th March

Ow whei parrys rag descans story moy?

Are you ready for another history lesson?

Otta nebes geryow moy (radnow nebes gwersow) scrifys gen John Boson en mil seyth cans ha pemp.
Here are some more words (parts of several verses) written by John Boson in 1705,

"Kawall ha Try Cans Hern" = a basket and 300 pilchards
"gweel Barcadoes en Kenifer Choy" = to make 'bulks' in each building (barcada is Portuguese for as much as a ship can carry, i.e. a boat-load)
"Holan moy" = more salt
"Salles da, idden Mees worbar" = well salted, one month together
"Squatcha man" =  break up
"Goula glaneth en dour sal" =  wash clean in salty water (sea water)
"en Ballier, Pedden ha Teen" = in a barrel, head to tail
"Minow pemp canz pooz" = 5 hundredweight rocks
"hanter mees" = half a month, a fortnight
"saim vedn cotha" = grease/oil wil fall out
"Gorollion toas" = ships come
"ort Dour Gwavas" = at Gwavas Lake (a sheltered anchorage in Mounts Bay)
"Gwenz Noor East" = a NE wind (wind from the north-east, blowing south-west towards Portugal)
"an Poble pow tooben" = people in a hot country (Portugal and Italy were obviously hot compared to Cornwall!)

Tabm ha tabm, my a wra dysmygya! 

Bit by bit, I will explain!

Tüs an puskes en cokow a gemeras hern gen roos ha 'ga drei dhe'n treth. Lies benyn, gen cawel war geyn, a guntellas an hern, trei cans pesk a'n venyn, ha'n gemeras dhe'n palysys e'n porth - 'barcada' pesk en keniver chei, war an leur gen holan. Terweythyow thera othom a "holan moy". An pesk o sallys da rag üdn mis warbarth (gen badna oyl cuntellys rag lugern). Nenna an bernow a veu sqwachys emann rag gòlhy an puskes glânyth en dowr sal (dhort an mor). An hern a veu gòrrys en balyers, pedn ha tin. Anjei o gweskys hanter mis gen menow pur vrâs. Saim a godhas mes a'n balyers - comodita a-bris dhe vos gwerthys. Pernoryon rag an pesk sallys a dheuth a-dhia bell, en gorholyon-gòlyow dhort powyow Catholik tòbm, Italy ha Portugal! Anjei a wòrtas en Dowr Gwavas rag gwens vas dh'aga whetha tre arta.

An benenes a wrüg gwertha an pesk ewedh. Ha degedhow casys o kemerys.

Fishermen in fishing boats caught pilchards with a net and brought them to the beach. Many women, with big basket on back, collected the pilchards, three hundred fish a woman, and took them to the fish 'palaces' in the port - a boat-load of fish in each building, on the floor with salt. Sometimes they needed "more salt". The fish was well cured for a month altogether (with some oil collected for lamps). Then the heaps were broken up to wash the fishes clean in salty water (from the sea). The pilchards were put into barrels, head to tail. They were compressed for a fortnight by very heavy stones. Grease fell out of the barrels - a valuable commodity to be sold. Buyers for the cured fish came from afar, in sailing ships from "hot" Catholic countries Italy and Portugal! They waited in Gwavas Lake for a good wind to blow them home again.

The women sold the fish as well. And hated tithes were taken.

2026 Day 66

 2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Whegh

De Sadorn, seythves mis Meurh

Saturday, 7th March

John Boson, Kernow genys en Pluw Powl e'n vledhen mil whegh cans dogens ha pemdhek, o mab Nicholas Boson. Ev a dhescas an tavas Kernôwek dhort y sira - hag ev a dhescas William Gwavas y hònan. E'n vledhen y genesegeth nag era metêrn. Metêrn Charles a veu dibednys ha thera Oliver Cromwell ha Puritans ow routya. Termyn calish o rag an Eglos Catholik ha'n Eglos Anglican. Degedhow o nekevys. Wòja nebes bledhydnyow meternow ha meternesow a veu dewhelys. Rag fra o hedna dhe les dhe'n düs Kernow? Otta Metêrnes Anne en seytek cans ha dew! Deg bledhen yonca o hei avel John Boson. Thera whans dhedhy a scodhya Eglos Pow an Sowson - gen mòna dhort degedhow - henwys "Dadder Metêrnes Anne". Nag o hedna meurgerys gen tiogow ha tüs an puskes. 

En "Reem an Parra Hern" ma John Boson ow scrifa: "Tees Por Dega dega Creea" (ma tüs an porth ow creia 'dega dega').

Lebmyn tüs a res rei anvodh aga degedhow.

John Boson, a Cornishman born in Paul Parish in the year 1655, was a son of Nicholas Boson. He learnt the Cornish language from his father - and he taught William Gwavas himself. In the year of his birth there was no king. King Charles I had been beheaded and Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans were in charge. It was a hard time for Catholic and Anglican churches. Tithes were forgotten. After a few years kings and queens were returned. Why was that of interest to the people of Cornwall? Behold Queen Anne in 1702! She was ten years younger than John Boson. She wanted to support the Church of England - with income (money received) from tithes - called "Queen Anne's Bounty". That was not popular with farmers or fisher folk. 

In "A Rhyme of Preparing Pilchards" John Boson writes: "People of the port cry 'tithe tithe'".

Now people must unwillingly give their tithes.

Gerva rag hedhyw Vocabulary for today

anvodh unwilling

dadder (m) bounty

degedhow tithes < dega (m)

dibedna to behead > (va) dibednys

genesegeth ~ genejegeth (m) birth (SWFM genesigeth)

genys born

meurgerys popular

mòna degemerys (m) income

nakevys forgotten < nakevy ~ ankevy 

routya to be in charge, be in control

scodhya to support

tiogow farmers < tiek (m)

tüs an puskes fisher folk

2026 Day 65

2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Pemp
 

De Gwener, wheffes mis Meurh
Friday, 6th March

Pur wenjek o an nos, ha lebmyn ma lies lôst on war an glesin. A vedh lies knofen goll e'n kidnyadh? Da ew genam know coll saw, dres lycklod, anjei a vedh debrys gen gwyweres. Na ellam gweles an flourys benow rüdh war an wedhen, re vian ens. Gwell ew genam mires orth ow brially war an mena. Nag ew pup tra teg. Shyndys  'veu ow crow gen oll an hager awel ha nebes taclow ew gossenys. Lies tra ew gleb ha pyndy.   

The night was very windy, and now there are many catkins (lambs tails) on the lawn. Will there be lots of hazelnuts in the autumn? I like hazelnuts but, probably, they will be eaten by squirrels. I can't see the red female flowers on the tree, they're too small. I prefer to look at my primroses on the hillside. Not everything is beautiful. My shed was damaged by all the bad weather and some things have gone rusty. A lot of things are wet and mouldy.

Gerva rag hedhyw Vocabulary for today

benow feminine < benyn (f) woman

brially primroses < briallen (f)

crow (m) shed

glesin (m) lawn

gosseny to rust, go rusty > va. gossenys

gwenjek windy > pur wenjek

gwyweres squirrels < gwywer (m)

kidnyadh (m) autumn

know coll hazelnuts < knofen goll (f)

lôst on (m) hazel catkin (lamb's tail)

mena (m) hillside

pyndy mouldy

shyndys damaged

2026 Day 64

2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Pajar

De Yow, pempes mis Meurh
Thursday, 5th March

Degol Peran lôwen dhe whei oll. Nag ew an gewer pur dha hedhyw - nag ew da rag procecyons. Glaw a wra. Na aljama mos en Truru hedhyw, saw da via genam gweles an rolyer eth gwir henwys Cita Truru! Patron ew hebma.

Happy St Piran's Day to you all. The weather is not very good today - it's not good for processions. It rains. I couldn't go into Truro today, though I'd like to see the real steamroller called the City of Truro! This is a model.

2026 Day 63

2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Trei

De Merher, pajwora mis Meurh
Wednesday, 4th March

Ero whei ow qweles pictours en cloudys? Lies gweyth en gwav thew an eborn gorherys en tien ha nag ewa bes loos. Hedhyw, radn an eborn o cler ha blou, bes tûa'n west thera cloudys bian, pecar'a para deves. Mons ow trei co dhebm a neppeth. Ewa cawlvleujen?

Do you see pictures in clouds? Often in winter the sky is completely overcast and it is just grey. Today, part of the sky was clear and blue, but towards the west there were little clouds, like a flock of sheep. They remind me of something. Is it cauliflower?

2026 Day 62

 2026 Dedh Trei Ügens ha Dew

De Meurth, tryja mis Meurth

Tuesday, 3rd March

Pur leb o an gwav, re a law. Pur wenjek o, re lies enawel. Bes lôwen ew an losow. An gwens a whethas has a-derdro. Lebmyn ma glasbrednyer ha brially nowydh war an glesin. Ma flourys ha buddys war vagasow cottha. Ma camellia rüdh tredh avalen ha perbren. Ma'n lily Corawes ow mires war tûa'n howldrevel, e'n est.

The winter was very wet, too much rain. It was very windy, too many storms. But the plants are happy. The wind blew seeds all around. Now there are tree seedlings and new primroses on the lawn. There are flowers and buds on older bushes. There's a red camellia between an apple tree and a pear tree. The daffodils are looking towards the sunrise, in the east.

2026 Day 61

 2026 Dedh Trei Ügens hag Onan

De Lün, nessa mis Meurth
Monday,  2nd March

Terweythyow nag eus dhebm tibyans veth, ha na wöra vy pandra dhe scrifa. Ha terweythyow ma dhebm re a dibyansow ha na ellama dewis! Ma lavar coth: Re a üdn dra na dal traveth. Hedhyw, na wrüga vy scrifa traveth dhe les. A veu vy heb tibyans po heb ervirans?

Sometimes I don't have a single idea, and I don't know what to write. And sometimes I have too many ideas and I cannot choose! There is a proverb: Too much of one thing is worth nothing. Today, I didn't write anything interesting. Was I without an idea or without a decision?

2026 Day 60

2026 Dedh Trei Ügens 

De Sül, kensa mis Meurth

Sunday, 1st March

Cala Meurth, ha otta an kensa dedh a sêson nowydh. Gwenton ew wotiwedh. Gool Davydh lôwen dhe whei. Davydh Sans ew an tas sans Kembra. Prins ha Prinses Kembra a wrüg desky tabm tavas Kembrek dhe salüjy an bobel a Gembra. A vedn anjei desky Kernôwek dhe salüjy an bobel a Gernow dhe Gool Peran? 

The first day of March, and behold the first day of a new season. It's spring at last. Happy St David's Day to you. St David is the patron saint of Wales. The Prince and Princess of Wales learnt a bit of the Welsh language to greet the people of Wales. Will they learn Cornish to greet the people of Cornwall on St Piran's Day?

2026 Day 59

2026 Dedh Nawnjek ha Dogens

De Sadorn, ethves warn ügens mis Whevrel
Saturday, 28th February

Modrep ow gour a ros dhebm an folen paper ma. Ma pictour an den ma ow cregy war vos hor ow gour. Piw ew an den? Nathaniel Davey ew ev, an den a wrüg mos dhe'n eglos Baldhu ha gweles bedh Billy Bray. Ev a scrifas an gwersow ma ha's danvon dhe'n paper nowodhow a'n pow. An sewyans a veu lies alüsen dhe brovia mòna rag men co brâs. Na vadna vy treyla gwersyow Gorhok Nathaniel. 

My husband's aunt gave me this piece of paper. The picture of this man is hanging on the wall of my husband's sister. Who is the man? He is Nathaniel Davey, the man who went to Baldhu church and saw Billy Bray's grave. He wrote these verses and sent them to the local newspaper. The result was many donations to pay for a big memorial. I will not translate Great-Great-Grandfather Nathaniel's verses!

REQUIEM FOR BILLY BRAY

 

Billy Bray, most famous of Cornish Local preachers, might today be lying in an unmarked grave but for a visit from Mr. Nathaniel Davey, then stationmaster at Perranwell Station, paid in 1875 to Baldhu Churchyard.

 

Mr. Davey was saddened by the neglected state of Billy’s grave that he set down his feelings in verse, which was duly published in the local press. Correspondents hastened to respond to his suggestion of a memorial for the grave, and a granite stone was erected four years later.

The original verse is written in a beautiful long rounded hand that is so rare today. The paper, parting at the folds, has now turned yellow with age but the original black ink still gives its message clearly to the world.

 

“Alas, is this thy grave, this humble mound

And art thou shrouded here in clay?

Doth moulder here, the sacred dust

Of the once famous Billy Bray?

 

Yes, here’s thy grave beneath this turf

Neglected, almost lost to view,

A few green clods mark out thy bed

In the churchyard of old Baldhu.

 

No monument nor sculptured stone

Nor trophy o’er thy head arise,

No simple tablet from thy friends

To shew the spot where thy dust lies.

 

Where, then, thy people’s boasted love?

Amongst them all is there not one

To place some token o’er thy grave

Or o’er thy head a simple stone?

 

Yet no inscription o’er thy grave

Could wider spread thy honest fame.

No spacious vault nor painted stone

Can add new lustre to thy name.

 

But one small boon thy memory craves,

For one so faithful and so dear,

Some sign should tell the future age

That Billy Bray lies buried here.

 

2026 Day 58

 2026 Dedh Etek ha Dogens

De Gwener, seythves warn ügens mis Whevrel

Friday, 27th February 

Progother a bris o Billy Bray. Nag o ev pronter clehys a'n Eglos Pow an Sowson. Tho ev esel Cristòdnyon a'n Beybel. Termyn ev a veu maw, derevys emann veu va gans y sira wydn,  Methodist. Bes termyn ev a veu den yonk ev a wrüg eva re ha codha en myschew, gen ombla. Ev a veu genys en seytek cans pajar ügens ha peswardhek en teylû balweyth. Den bal, ev o den a'n bobel. Ev a cessyas heb eva hag ombla ha treylya Cristyon a'n Beybel en etek cans trei warn ügens. Y brogathow en chapel o pigüs. Leun a nerth o y ordenals meurgerys, gen cana, donsya ha garma. Ev a wrüg derevel y japelyow y honan ha gweres dhe düs amendya aga bownans.  Ev a verwas en etek cans eth ha trei ügens, hag encledhys ew ev reb eglos Baldhu. Seyth bledhen woja hedna tho y vedh overdevys ha heb bos merkys. Den a'n pluw, henwys Nathaniel Davey, a dhallathas galow dhe rei dhodho men co vas.

Billy Bray was a famous preacher. He was not an ordained Anglican priest. He was a member of the Bible Christians. When he was a boy, he was raised by his grandfather, a Methodist. But when he was a young man he had drunk too much and got into trouble, by fighting. He was born in 1794 in a mining family. A miner, he was a man of the people. He stopped drinking and fighting and became a Bible Christian in 1823. His preaching in chapel was exciting. His popular services were full of energy, with singing, dancing and shouting. He built his own chapels and helped people to improve their life. He died in 1868 and was buried by Baldhu church. Seven years after that his grave was overgrown and unmarked. A local man called Nathaniel Davey started an appeal to give him a suitable memorial.

2026 Day 57

 2026 Dedh Seytek ha Dogens

De Yow, wheffes warn ügens mis Whevrel

Thursday, 26th February

Nag ew da genam treylya cottha, saw da ew genam golyow. Pedn-bloodh vy ewa ha theram ow colyas! Nehewer my eth dhe'n wariva gans ow mab. Nei a viras orth "Hamlet" gen Shakespeare. Marthys da ew an gwary, ha marthys da ew an derevel. Sempel ha vas. An gordhûher o pur blegadow. Ma lies laverans e'n gwary ew ajwonys dhen. "Ogh trû, Yorick trûan."

I do not like getting old, but I do like a good celebration. It's my birthday and I'm celebrating! Yesterday I went to the theatre with my son. We watched "Hamlet" by Shakespeare. The play is wonderfully good and the production is wonderfully good. Simple and effective. The evening was very enjoyable. There are many sayings in the play that are familiar to us. "Alas, poor Yorick."