Dafydd ap Gwilym, Wales' Greatest Poet Options

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Dafydd ap Gwilym (c1320 to 1370) is Wales' best-known poet. He was born near Aberystwyth ("Mouth of the River Ystwyth") and is burried in Strata Florida Abbey. He excelled at romantic and nature poems.

To quote from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) website: (BBC Website about Dafydd ap Gwilym )
Most of his poems consist of cywyddau in full cynghanedd, each line consisting of seven syllables and arranged in couplets in which a stressed syllable rhymes with an unstressed one. His mastery of such a complicated medium is astonishing, and he gave such prestige to the cywydd that it was, for 300 years, the preferred poetic form of all ambitious Welsh poets.

A RECANTATION by Dafydd ap Gwilym
(The English translation)

I am Morfudd's poet:
I sang to her, it was a costly task.
By Him who rules today
my head aches for the fair girl,
and sickening sorrow wears my brow;
for my golden girl I die.
When death comes, cramping the bones,
with its sharp arrows,
life's end will be stupendous,
man's tongue will become silent.
Lest there come lamentation with great misery
may the Trinity and the Virgin Mary
forgive me for my great offences,
Amen, and I shall sing no more

A RECANTATION by Dafydd ap Gwilym
(The Original Welsh version)

EDIFEIRWCH - Dafydd ap Gwilym

Prydydd i Forfudd wyf fi,
Prid o swydd, prydais iddi.
Myn y Gwr* a fedd heddiw
Mae gwayw i'm pen am wen wiw,
Ac i'm tâl mae gofalglwyf;
Am aur o ddyn marw ydd wyf.
Pan ddêl, osgel i esgyrn,
Angau a'i chwarelau chwyrn,
Dirfawr fydd hoedl ar derfyn,
Darfod a wna tafod dyn.
Y Drindod, rhag cydfod cwyn,
A mawr ferw, a Mair Forwyn
A faddeuo 'ngam dramwy,
Amen, ac ni chanaf mwy.