2026 Day 195

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Pemdhek

De Meurth, pajardegves mis Gorefen

Tuesday, 14th July

Ma dedh specyal dhe bub pow. Terweythyow thew degol sans tasek, rag sampel Gool Peran, pempes mis Meurth, en Kernow. Terweythyow, ma va ow cova wharvos storek a bris, rag sampel Dedh Bastille, le quatorze juillet, en Pow Frenk. An jedh na, an bobel bohojek a assâwltyas an preson ker na en Paris. An Wheldro a dhallathas Poblegeth Frenkek (heb metêrn) en seytek cans pajar ügens. Kernow nag ew poblegeth, na whath, bes nag eus preson ker dhe nei!

Every country has a special day. Sometimes it is the feast of a patron saint, for example St Piran's Day,  5th March, in Cornwall. Sometimes, it commemorates an important historical event, for example Bastille Day, le quatorze juillet, in France. On that day, the poor people stormed that fortress prison in Paris. The Revolution began the French Republic (without a king) in 1780. Cornwall is not a republic, not yet, but we don't have a fortress prison!

2026 Day 194

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Peswardhek

De Lün, terdhegves mis Gorefen

Monday, 13th July

Re dòbm ew an gewer raga vy ha rag an keun. Bettegens, my ell whesa ha my ell gòrra dhe ves nebes dilhas dhe omglowes moy yeyn. Na ell kei gwil hedna. Kei a res dyena. Ma othom dhodho a dhowr lowr. Kei a dal trouvya telher yeyn lowr ha goskeujys, mes a'n howl. Da ew gen an kei coth bos en skeuj an chei, dadn lies delen.  My a dhallathas trehy y vlew, bès nag ew gorfednys whath. Na ell an kei yonk bos cosel. Ma whans dhodho a wary oll an termyn. Ma va ow corwedha a-hes war an lehednow yeyn, ow còrtos pel po neb peth gwary aral. Ev eth dhe venyn en Towyn Plustry rag trogh blew. Na aljama y wil ow hònan.

The weather is too hot for me and for the dogs. However, I can sweat and I can take off some clothes to feel cooler. A dog cannot do that. A dog must pant. It needs enough water. A dog should find a cool, shaded place, away from the sun.The old dog likes to be in the shadow of the house, under a lot of leaves. I started to cut his hair, but it is not finished yet. The young dog can't be quiet. It wants to play all the time. It lies stretched out on the cold slates, waiting for a ball or some other toy. It went to a woman in Newquay for a haircut. I could not do it myself.

2026 Day 193

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Terdhek

De Sül, dewdhegves mis Gorefen
Sunday, 12th July

En termyn eus passyes, pur, pur hir alebma, martesen ügens mil bledhen, thera Oos Yey. Tho an brâssa radn an Enesow Bretednek, saw na Kernow, cüdhys en yey down. Kernow o pur yeyn ha garow, heb gwedh, pecar'a Alaska po Siberia hedhyw e'n jedh. An yey a omdednas. Thera tüs, wotiwedh. Fatel alja anjei trouvya aga vorr (fordh) adro? Nag era "SatNav" dhodhans. Thera badnyow, nebes ardhow, tir ûhel (saw na pecar'a Ûheldir an Alban). Gwelys ens rag mildiryow ha mildiryow oll adro. Mons ow qweres dhe'n düs cavas aga thûyow. Terweythyow keryow (po meyn cov)  a veu derevys warnodhans. Ha lebmyn ma gwedh lowr. Lebmyn ma henwyn dhe'n breow ma: Carn Bre,  Carn Breanek, Ker Kif.

Once upon a time, very, very long ago, perhaps twenty thousand years. there was an Ice Age. The greater part of the British Isles, though not Cornwall, was covered in deep ice. Cornwall was very cold and harsh, without trees, like Alaska or Siberia nowadays. The ice retreated. There were people eventually. How could they find their way around? They didn't have "SatNav". There were prominences, some eminences (high places), high land (not like the Scottish Highlands). They are seen for miles and miles all around. They help people get their bearings.  Sometimes, hill forts (or monuments) were built on them. And now there are plenty of trees. Now these hills have names:  Carn Brea (hill tor), St Agnes Beacon (tor at St Agnes), Caer Kief (treestump fort) .

2026 Day 192

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Dewdhek

De Sadorn, üdnegves mis Gorefen
Saturday, 11th July

Naw ar glogh my a dhallathas ow viaj dhe Falmeth rag cuntelyan gen cowetha. Solabres, tòbm o hei. Thera mir mystical dhe Ker Kif ha my a wrüg gòrtos buss. Thera bohes niwl war an mor ewedh, awos an tòbmder. Ma'n caplys power ow pagla - ystydnys ens. Whath ew possybyl rag edhyn dhe sedha war an caplys baglys. Rag fra ma pegebmys? Pandr'üjens ow kil? Thera anjei ena termyn my a dheuth tre hanter wòja pajar. Ma wel da dhodhans. Üjens ow colyas? 

At nine o'clock I began my journey for a meeting with friends. It was already hot. Caer Kief looked mysterious as I waited for a bus. There is slight haze on the sea too, because of the heat. The power lines are sagging - they have expanded. It is still possible for birds to sit on the sagging cables. Why are there so many? What are they doing? They were also there when I came home at half past four. They have a good view. Are they keeping watch?

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.

2026 Day 184

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Pajar

De Gwener, tryja mis Gorefen

Friday, 3rd July

Cosel o an jedh. Thera edhyn bian ow cana e'n keow. Terweythyow ayrplayn bian a neyjas a ûgh agan nans bian. War üdn labm, e veu son routh veur a edhyn brâs, edhyn dû trosüs, martesen briny chei. Leun o an ebron. Thera anjei ow tos dhort an gwelyow, car dre hevel. Devedhys ens sòdenly, ha gellys ens en scon.

The day was quiet. There were little birds singing in the hedges. Sometimes a small aeroplane flew above our little valley. All at once, there was sound of a crowd of big birds, noisy black birds, perhaps rooks. The sky was full. They were coming from the fields, it seemed. They came suddenly, and they were soon gone.

2026 Day 183

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Trei

De Yow, nessa mis Gorefen
Thursday, 2nd July

Hedhyw my eth dhe'n cuntelyans pub mis ow bagas art  ogas dhe Truro. Thera disqwethyans gen lymner meurgerys, Judi Trevorrow. Kernowes ew hei ha descadores. My re liwyas genjy kens lebmyn. An mater hedhyw a veu owravalow war baper nowodhow. En gwelha pres, na veu othom dhen a liwya paper nowodhow veth. Nei a liwyas war brynt a radn folen a baper nowodhow. Nei a ûsyas liwyow acrylek gen badna dhowr (na re). Melyn o an kensa liw (gen tabm gwydn dall rag cüdha an geryow dan an owravalow). Wòja hedna nei a ûsyas melynrüdh ha rüdhvelyn war an melyn, rag an frûtys. Thera glas rag an delkyow ha gwydn rag an bewin. War an diwedh loos boll a ros skeujow dhen. 

Today I went to monthly meeting of my art society near Truro. We had a demonstration by popular artist, Judi Trevorrow. She is a Cornish woman and a teacher. I have painted with her before. The subject today was oranges on a newspaper. Fortunately, we did not need to paint any newspaper. We painted on a print of part of a newspaper page. We used acrylic paints with a drop of water (not too much). Yellow was the first colour (with a bit of opaque white to hide the words under the oranges). After that we used reddish-yellow and yellowish-red on the yellow, for the fruits. There was green for the leaves and white for the pith. Finally, transparent grey gave us shadows.

2026 Day 182

2026 Dedh Cans Pajar Ügens ha Dew

De Merher, kensa mis Gorefen
Wednesday, 1st July

An kensa dedh a vis nowydh! My a dal pedery a neppeth nowydh, bes na ellama. Nag o vy nowydh na velha ow hònan. Skith o vy. Ma othom dhebm a divüna a-varr avorow. Martesen colm tavas münys alja bos possybyl.

An avalow a-varr na vedh arves avorow. 

The first day of a new month! I should think of something new, but I can't. I am no longer new myself. I'm tired. I need to wake up early tomorrow. Perhaps a tiny tongue-twister could be possible.

The early apples won't be ripe tomorrow.