Author Topic: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please  (Read 10535 times)

Offline Cell

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,752
  • Two words that can change the world "Thank You"
    • View Profile
Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:01 GMT (UK) »
Hi,
Can anyone translate this gravestone for me please.
It's off an 1891 gravestone of some of our ancestors. I'm having trouble translating this part of the gravestone with my "schoolgirl Welsh" .

 So far , I have gathered  it's something to do with "strength",  is it some sort of poem?   -  Is it something to do with My strength ? - Fy nerth

 Priddlestri?  I can not find this word in my dictionary.And my husband's father is hopeless, pretends he can't speak welsh for some odd reason ( he was fluent in it when he was child, until the age of 8 , it was his very first language)

Fy Nerth A wywodd fel priddlestr ?

Thank you for any help  :)
Census information in my posts are crown copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.u

Offline Welsh Jen

  • Dyfal donc a dyr yr garreg!
  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,105
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:32 GMT (UK) »

I think it is a psalm:

Fy nerth a wywodd fel priddlestr = My strength is dried up like a potsherd (Pottery / Earthenware vessel)

Regards Jen  :D

Offline Cell

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,752
  • Two words that can change the world "Thank You"
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:49 GMT (UK) »
 Thanks very much for that WelshJen. It sounds sad so far. This is a grave of husband and wife, the husband was the first to die

Have you any idea what the other bit says? Am Tafod A lynodd wrth daflod fy ngenau aci lwch "angeuiym" ? (it's hard to read that word on the stone ) dy gaist.

my welsh stops at the basics  :)
Census information in my posts are crown copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.u

Offline D ap D

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,133
  • Stuck with John Jones in Wales? Join the club!
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:52 GMT (UK) »
Priddlestri? 

Priddlestr would probably be an older word. don't recognise it myself, but its definitely a compound:

Pridd : earth

llestri : pots / dishes

Jens translation sums it up pretty well.
Stuck with:
William Williams of Llanllyfni
John Jones in Llanelli
Evan Evans in Caio
David Davies of Llansanffraid
Evans: Caio/Carms
Jones: CDG, DEN

Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

"Nor do I think that any other nation than this of Wales, or any other tongue, whatever may hereafter come to pass, shall on the day of the great reckoning before the Most High Judge, answer for this corner of the earth": The Old Man of Pencader to Henry II


Offline Welsh Jen

  • Dyfal donc a dyr yr garreg!
  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,105
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:53 GMT (UK) »
Something to do with "my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth"

On a seperate note: I see you have links to Oystermouth / Swansea if you need help with places drop me a line I am in the locality

Offline Cell

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,752
  • Two words that can change the world "Thank You"
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:57 GMT (UK) »
Something to do with "my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth"
  lol ! ;D , my mind is boggling now!

Thank you  ,D ap D too :)

P.S

Oystermouth, - My husband's lot. we've traced most of them bar these few, the Bydders we at the stage of - Margaret Bydder C1755 ( haven't got a clue who  her parents are). The Parkers we have traced for 100% sure to Willaim parker ( born in illfracombe) , doubled checked the parish records when I went back this year  then above that to John parker who was born in Pennard ( back and fore across the water - need to prove above, William).  There was only two Parker families in Oystermouth - one moved out of oystermouth, the other  who stayed in Oystermouth is my Husbands - I'm interested in linking them to anyone who is tracing this family.  Kate parker was my Hubands G gran, her dad John etc, etc.

Oystermouth so far has the been easiest to trace, until recently my husband's grandparents were alive, so we had some solid info from them( the family go back for years in the  oystermouth area) . My mum-in-law still lives there

The carlsen family of Swansea , again I'm hoping to link them up to more recent rellies - , I can  only go back to  the G G grandad on this one - as he was from Russia.

so we are  sort of looking for anyone who is tracing the same lines.

 But if you come across a Kate parker , or any parker graves in Oystermouth (  Kate's   proper name  is Catherine Parker) I'd be most interested.  Catherine Parker  buried 09 NOV 1895  Age 55 type - Oystermouth All Saints. I tried to find her grave when I was back home , but no luck , she is not buried in the small churchyard "all saints" , unless it's an unmarked grave. I have been told she might be up  ( moved) at the big cemetery - almost impossible to find her there.

Thanks :)
Census information in my posts are crown copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.u

Offline Welsh Jen

  • Dyfal donc a dyr yr garreg!
  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,105
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 13:59 GMT (UK) »
Forgot to post it written for you (incase you were unsure):

Fy nerth a wywodd fel priddlestr: Am tafod a lynodd wrth daflod fy ngenau ac llwch angen ym dygaist

Just spoken with my hubby (who is more fluent than me!) This was his translation:

My strength is dried up like a potsherd & my tongue stick to my jaws & you have brought me into the dust of death.

Fy nerth a wywodd fel priddlestr  a’m tafod a lynodd wrth daflod fy ngenau ac i lwch angau y’m dygaist.

Hhhhmmmm Lovely!  :-\

Oh yes he said it is definately a Psalm he has heard it in Church years ago.

Offline Cell

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,752
  • Two words that can change the world "Thank You"
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 09 March 05 14:29 GMT (UK) »
Forgot to post it written for you (incase you were unsure):

Fy nerth a wywodd fel priddlestr: Am tafod a lynodd wrth daflod fy ngenau ac llwch angen ym dygaist

Just spoken with my hubby (who is more fluent than me!) This was his translation:

My strength is dried up like a potsherd & my tongue stick to my jaws & you have brought me into the dust of death.

Fy nerth a wywodd fel priddlestr  a’m tafod a lynodd wrth daflod fy ngenau ac i lwch angau y’m dygaist.

Hhhhmmmm Lovely!  :-\

Oh yes he said it is definately a Psalm he has heard it in Church years ago.


And  here is me thinking it was going to be some Beautiful, moving poem -lol!!
This is one of the Butler's gravestones of Llangafelach   - I hasten to add they liked a drink or two lol (  Most of them used to live next door to pubs, find a pub and you'd find the family)

Thanks  :)

P.S.

I think I've worked  the meaning out ;  I think, In so many words my strength has crumbled, fragile ( if you pick up an old dried up  earthen ware jar it is fragile) I haven't got a clue about  what the Tongue bit could mean though  ;D - sticking to her jaw . And because of this he has brought her into death, grief - i.e. she feels she  can not live without him .

That's my translation of  it anyway.  It  sounds  sort of  nice when you  sort of put it that way.lol

she , the wife died after 1900

I'm going to have one odd dream tonight.  I should get to bed, I've just realised the time - 2am!
Census information in my posts are crown copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.u

Offline trystan

  • Administrator
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ********
  • Posts: 14,154
  • RootsChat Co-founder
    • View Profile
Re: Welsh Gravestone translation. Help needed please
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 16 March 05 22:31 GMT (UK) »
It's from Psalm 22

(verse 15)

from v14:

I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my brest;
my mouth [or stength] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

(from the NRSV)

Wow - powerful stuff. It's well worth reading the whole Psalm though. In my bible it's been titled "Plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility" - it may be that this person suffered a great deal in life, or suffered from hostility.

It's lovely in the Welsh the poetic rythm of:

Fy nerth a wywodd fel priddlestr  a’m tafod a lynodd wrth daflod fy ngenau ac i lwch angau y’m dygaist.

Pob bendith,
Trystan :)

Send RootsChat a postcard:
RootsChat.com, Europa House, Barcroft Street, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 5BT
Admin Tip: Forgotten your Username or Password and would like to reply to one of these messages?  CLICK HERE to get a reminder.
AOL Users: You may need to 'cut and paste' any links you get in emails for them to work.