In Bod Iwan there have long
been gods of words and gods of song,
gods with feet sound upon this earth,
wild gods and wise gods, for what it’s worth:
Gerallt, who’s followed all the trails
from Madryn back again to Wales
and Edmwnd, Edmwnd who knows
that sense and sound are more than shows;
the great water and the smallest birds
are all in Ieuan’s quiet words:

Two came to Bod Iwan’s table,
two whose words were a fiery fable,
smoking words on a far flung plain
and Camwy talking back again;
two coming through a storm of girls
through the dustclouds in their curls,
through the cities, setting free
the one thunderclap in every three,
two blind men who heard another
echo of a distant thunder:

To Bod Iwan a fair wind came
through the winter leaves aflame,
and on the canal a faith does flow
from the summer spring below;
a myrtle grove, a forest glade,
and rising smoke like a siren’s shade,
a lamb on a cross, and wine tonight,
in Gaiman there’s a fading light:
today tomorrow, death and birth,
in Bod Iwan there’s the earth.

Gaiman, Patagonia
November 1998

Mae duwiau ym Mod Iwan,
duwiau’r gair, brodyr y gân,
yn dduwiau traed ar ddaear,
duwiau gwyllt, eneidiau gwâr:
Gerallt, sydd yn dallt y daith
yn ôl i Fadryn eilwaith;
ac Edmwnd, Edmwnd a âyr
fod twrw’n sân a synnwyr;
y dâr mawr, yr adar mân –
maen nhw yng nghwmni Ieuan:

Bu dau wrth fwrdd Bod Iwan,
dau a’u hiaith yn llwch ar dân,
mwg o iaith ar y paith pell
a Chamwy yn ei chymell;
dau yn dod drwy’r genod i gyd,
drwy’r afon fudur hefyd;
drwy’r dinasoedd, cyhoeddi
bod twrw un ym mhob tri;
dau yn sôn, fel dynion dall,
am dwrw cwmwd arall:

Daw awel i Fod Iwan
drwy’r dail, a’r hendre ar dân,
a daw’r ffos a dâr y ffydd
drwy fywydau’r hafodydd,
llwyn o fyrtwydd a llannerch,
a mwg fel gwahoddiad merch,
rhagor o win, oen ar groes,
mae’n nos yn Gaiman eisoes.
Heddiw’n ddoe, yn ddiwahân
mae daear ym Mod Iwan.

Dyffryn Camwy
Tachwedd 1998