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A Book of Wales - An Anthology

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Selected by Meic Stephens

J M Dent & Sons Ltd, 1987

From the book's dustjacket

Wales is a country with two languages and two literatures. This book, the only one of its kind now available, is an anthology of poetry and prose in English translation which reflects the ancient tradition of Wales and the contemporary vitality of literature in both Welsh and English. All the great names of Welsh and Anglo-Welsh literature are included -  Dafydd ap Gwilym, Saunders Lewis, Kate Roberts, Dylan Thomas, David Jones, R. S. Thomas and so on - as well as a host of other writers (more than a hundred in all) who have contributed memorably to their country's heritage.

Their writing touches on many of the major themes of human experience such as childhood, love, patriotism, work, politics, humour, nature, war, death and religion, and sparkles with passion, an imagination, a wit and a mastery of language which will be widely recognized as distinctively Welsh.

Not only are most periods of Welsh history represented but there is hardly any part of Wales that is not featured, from the mountains of the North to the industrial valleys of the South. The reader will find here a portrait of the land and people in all their moods, whether joyful or sombre, and perhaps come to a better understanding of Wales and the Welsh.

This is a delightful book for browsing in, a book to be enjoyed both as bedside reading and as an excellent introduction to the literature of that most creative of countries. It has been expertly compiled by Meic Stephens, who presents here a generous selection of Welsh writing in translation which, although personal, is knowledgeable, finely balanced and authoritative.

Contents

  • Dannie Abse
    • Return to Cardiff
    • Lol
    • Epithalamion
  • Ruth Bidgood Little of Distinction
  • George Borrow A Bard of Anglesey
  • Euros Bowen
    • The Swan
    • Blackthorn
  • Duncan Bush Summer 1984
  • Brenda Chamberlain Bardsey
  • Joseph P. Clancy A Cywydd for Kate
  • Gillian Clarke
    • Birth
    • Harvest at Mynachlog
    • Lunchtime Lecture
  • Anthony Conran Elegy for the Welsh Dead in the Falkland Islands, 1982
  • B.L. Coombes My First Night Underground
  • Alexander Cordell The Execution of DicPenderyn
  • Tony Curtis Preparations
  • Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr Poem on his Deathbed
  • Dafydd ab Edmwnd A Girl's Hair
  • Dafydd ap Gwilym
    • The Girls of Llanbadarn
    • The Seagull
    • In a Tavern
  • E. Tegla Davies Nedw and his Nuts
  • Idris Davies
    • One Day by the Sea
    • Land of my Mothers
    • Do You Remember 1926?
    • Consider Famous Men, Dai Bach
  • J. Kitchener Davies A Prayer
  • John Davies The Bridge
  • Pennar Davies Gravity
  • Rhys Davies The Courting of Esther
  • W.H. Davies
    • The Kingfisher
    • Leisure
    • Days that have Been
  • Clifford Dyment The Romance of Caerleon
  • Marion Eames Learning to Read
  • Tom Earley Rebel's Progress
  • Jane Edwards Only for a Walk
  • Owen M. Edwards
    • Owain Glyn Dwr
    • The Welsh Not
    • The Old Chapel
  • Islwyn Ffowc Elis
    • The Old Woman of Bala
    • Before I Go
  • Caradoc Evans Be This Her Memorial
  • George Ewart Evans
    • A True Story
    • The Gypsies
  • Hugh Evans What will you have for Supper?
  • Albert Evans Jones (Cynan) Aberdaron
  • Anonymous Olwen
  • Trevor Fishlock Remember Tryweryn
  • J.O. Francis Conversation in a Train
  • Raymond Garlick
    • Agincourt
    • Matters Arising
    • Anthem for Doomed Youth
  • Geoffrey of Monmouth
    • Brutus Names the Island
    • The Death of Arthur
  • Gerald of Wales
    • The boy who Stole a Golden Ball
    • The Birds of Llyn Syfaddan
    • The Old Man of Pencadair
  • Geraint Goodwin The Red Lion
  • Ll. Wyn Griffith
    • Learning English
    • Silver Jubilee, 1939
  • Ann Griffiths Lo, between the Myrtles
  • Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch Elegy for Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
  • Ifan Gruffydd The Hiring Fair
  • W J. Gruffydd
    • Gwladys Rhys
    • Exile in Cardiff
  • Anonymous The Hunting of Twrch Trwyth
  • George Herbert Love
  • Nigel Heseltine Hero of his Village
  • John Ceiriog Hughes Still the Mighty Mountains Stand
  • Richard Hughes The Glass-Ball Country
  • T. Rowland Hughes Thrown into the River
  • Anonymous The Assembly of the Wondrous Head
  • E. Morgan Humphreys Salem
  • Emyr Humphreys
    • From Father to Son
    • The Arrest
    • A Pacifist Protest
    • Hide and Seek
  • Rolfe Humphries For my Ancestors
  • Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd Exultation
  • Anonymous Branwen
  • Elisabeth Inglis Jones
    • The Black Ram
    • The Burning of Hafod
  • Sian James Miss Miriam Lewis
  • Anonymous The Gresford Disaster
  • Bobi Jones
    • Portrait of a Pregnant Woman
    • Having our Tea
  • David Jones Dai's Boast
  • D. Gwenallt Jones
    • The Dead
    • Rhydcymerau
    • Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire
  • Glyn Jones
    • The Meaning of Fuchsias
    • My Radiant Granny
    • The Common Path
    • Summer Camp
  • Gwyn Jones
    • All this is Wales
    • A White Birthday
    • The Sun of Llanfabon
  • Idwal Jones The Way Up
  • Jack Jones
    • The Light of the World
    • So long, Dad
  • John Gwilym Jones The Plum Tree
  • J.R. Jones Your Country Leaving You
  • Lewis Jones
    • The Father of Jane's Baby
    • Jane in her Coffin
  • R. Gerallt Jones Remember to Write
  • Anonymous Hiraeth
  • Robert Ambrose Jones Keep Yourselves a Nation
  • Sally Jones Ann Griffiths
  • T. Gwynn Jones
    • Argoed
    • Ystrad Fflur
  • T.H. Jones
    • Back?
    • Rhiannon
  • William Jones Young Fellow from Llyn
  • Lewis Glyn Cothi Lament for Sion y Glyn
  • Alun Lewis
    • The Mountain over Aberdare
    • In Hospital: Poona (1)
    • Goodbye
  • Eiluned Lewis The Birthright
  • Saunders Lewis
    • The Vineyard
    • The Deluge 1939
    • The Eagles Depart
    • Ascension Thursday
  • Gweneth Lilly The Normans cross the Menai
  • Richard Llewellyn In Blood, I say No
  • Alan Llwyd The Welsh Language
  • Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen Lament for Lleucu Llwyd
  • Alun Llywelyn-Williams
    • When I was Young
    • Yesterday's Illusion or Remembering the Thirties
  • Arthur Machen An Enchanted Land
  • Roland Mathias The Flooded Valley
  • Robert Minhinnick The Drinking Art
  • Derec Llwyd Morgan Trouble Registering my Daughter
  • Robert Morgan Blood Donor
  • Jan Morris The Welsh Republic
  • Leslie Norris
    • Water
    • The Ballad of Billy Rose
    • Elegy for David Beynon
  • John Ormond
    • Cathedral Builders
    • Salmon
    • In September
  • Daniel Owen
    • Will Bryan on the 'Fellowship'
    • Country Churchyards
  • R. Williams Parry
    • Eifionydd
    • The Fox
    • Bluebells
  • T.H. Parry-Williams
    • These Bones
    • This Spot
    • Hafod Lwyfog
  • Iorwerth C. Peate Nant-yr-Eira
  • Thomas Pennant
    • Portrait of a Lady
    • The Red Bandits of Mowddwy
  • John Pook In Chapel
  • Caradog Prichard
    • Goodbye to a Friend
    • Crying
  • A.G. Prys-Jones
    • Quite so
    • A Ballad of Glyndwr's Rising
  • Goronwy Rees The Hwyl
  • E. Prosser Rhys Wales
  • Alun Richards Elmyra Mouth
  • Gruffudd Robert Longing for Wales in Milan
  • Eigra Lewis Roberts Deprivation
  • Kate Roberts
    • The Condemned
    • No Letter from Twm
    • Old Age
  • Dafydd Rowlands
    • Joseph the Milk
    • A Child's War
  • Howard Spring
    • Errand Boy
    • Poverty
  • Anonymous A Reminder
  • Dylan Thomas
    • Fern Hill
    • Memories of Christmas
    • After the Funeral
    • The Outing
  • Anonymous Lament in old Age
  • Gwyn Thomas
    • The Jazz Band
    • Over the Mountain
    • Love in the Terraces
  • Gwyn Thomas
    • Horses
    • An old Thing
  • Ned Thomas The Black Cloud
  • R.S. Thomas
    • The Welsh Hill Country
    • A Blackbird Singing
    • Welsh History
    • Kneeling
  • Thomas Jacob Thomas (Sarnicol) Dic Sion Dafydd
  • John Tripp
    • Diesel to Yesterday
    • Separation
  • Anonymous The Death of Saint David
  • Aled Vaughan The White Dove
  • Henry Vaughan
    • They are all Gone into the World of Light!
    • Peace
  • Hilda Vaughan Megan Lloyd
  • Richard Vaughan A Country Wedding
  • Vernon Watkins
    • Ode to Swansea
    • Returning to Goleufryn
    • Peace in the Welsh Hills
    • Taliesin in Gower
  • Anonymous Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed
  • Harri Webb
    • Big Night
    • Thanks in Winter
    • A Crown for Branwen
  • DJ. Williams
    • Earliest Recollections
    • The Square Mile
    • A Good Year
  • Anonymous The Hall of Cynddylan
  • Gwyn Williams Easter Poem
  • Herbert Williams The Old Tongue
  •  Islwyn Williams Will Thomas 's Cap
  • Raymond Williams
    • You Got a Boy, Harry
    • Black Mountains
  • Anonymous Death
  • Waldo Williams
    • What is Man?
    • In Two Fields
    • Preseli
    • Remembrance
  • William Williams (Pantycelyn)
    • I Gaze across the Distant Hills
    • Guide me, O thou great Jehovah