ER

IN

Coffadwriaeth Barchus

Respectful Rememberance

AM

FOR

Y rhai a gyfarfyddasant a'u diwedd mewn modd
hynod druenus, yn

The ones who met their end in such
sad circumstances, at

Nglofa y Garnant, 'Pwll Perkins,'

Garnant Colliery, 'Perkins Pit'

CWMAMMAN,

DYDD MERCHER, IONAWR YR 16eg. 1884.
Oddeutu Pedwar o'r gloch y Boreu.

Wednesday, January the 16th. 1884.
At around Four o clock in the Morning.

Yr oedd y Gwaith yn dechrau yn gynt nag arferol y
boreu hwn, er gadael yn gynar i fyned i hebrwng
gweddillion marwol anwyl briod un o'r gweithwyr, i dy
ei hir gartref. Cymerodd y ddamwain le trwy i'r gadwyn
dori pan oedd y Cage megys yn cychwyn i lawr, a hyrdd-
iwyd y deg i arall fyd ar amrantiad.
Eu henwau, &c., David Roberts, Brynamman, yn 37
ml. oed, priod a phump o blant. Thomas Bevan, Cwm-
amman, yn 33 ml. oed, priod a thri o blant. William
Lake, Cross Inn, yn 30 ml. oed, priod a thri o blant,
Thomas Michael, Cwmamman, yn 26 ml. oed, priod.
John Evan Jones, Cwmamman, yn 31 ml. oed, sengl.
John D. James, Cwmamman, yn 22 ml. oed, sengl.
Evan Roberts, Brynamman, yn 16 ml. oed, Thomas
Roberts, Brynamman, yn 14 ml. oed, dau frawd. Daniel
Williams, Cwmamman, yn 14 ml. oed. Edward Morgan
Brynamman, yn 14 ml. oed.

The work started earlier than usual
this morning, in order to leave early to attend and pay their respects
at the funeral of the dear wife of one of their fellow workers.
The accident happened as the chain
lowering the cage of miners broke at the beginning of it's descent,
hurtling the ten to the other world in the blink of an eye.
Their names, David Roberts, Brynamman, 37
yrs. old, married with five children. Thomas Bevan,
Cwmamman, 33 yrs. old, married with three children. William
Lake, Cross Inn, 30 yrs. old, married with three children,
Thomas Michael, Cwmamman, 26 yrs. old, married.
John Evan Jones, Cwmamman, 31 yrs. old, single.
John D. James, Cwmamman, 22 yrs. old, single.
Evan Roberts, Brynamman, 16 yrs. old, Thomas
Roberts, Brynamman, 14 yrs. old, two brothers. Daniel
Williams, Cwmamman, 14 yrs. old. Edward Morgan
Brynamman, 14 yrs. old.

2

Mor amrywiol ydyw'r llwybrau sydd gan angau i dori lawr,
Ac mor gyson ei ergydion, nid yw'n gorphwys mynud awr;
Cryf a gwan, tylawd, cyfoethog, sy'n gyfochrog gydag ef,
Ac mae'n llywodraethu'n helaeth drwy bob talaeth dan y Nef.

So varied are the paths that death has to cut us down,
And so constant his blows, he doesn't rest any minute of the hour;
Strong and weak, poor, wealthy, all are equal to him,
And he rules so extensively through every province under Heaven.

Y mae pawb o'r dynol deulu rhagddo'n crynu yn mhob gwlad,
Ac nid ydyw ar y goreu ond hen elyn llawn o frad;
Mae ar droion a'i ergydion yn fwy trwm debygem ni,
Pan gymera ein cyd-ddynion wrth y canoedd gyda'r lli.

Every one of the human race shiver in every country,
He is not even at his best, only an enemy full of betrayal;
His devious ways and his blows are heavier, so we think,
When he takes our fellow beings by the hundreds with the flood.

Fe hir gofir yn y Garnant am ei drachwant, trwm y tro,
Pan y torodd lawr yn greulon ddeg o ddewrion feib y glo,
Hwy fel arfer, yn ddibryder, aent mewn hoender at eu gwaith,
Heb un meddwl mai mhen tridiau, b'asent yn eu gwely llaith.

Long will be the memory in Garnant of his lust, heavy through the valley,
When he cruelly struck down ten of the brave sons of the coal,
They as usual, without fear, went with vigour to their work,
Without a thought that in a trice, they would be in their dark tomb.

Anhawdd edrych ar y darlun, heb i'r deigryn dreiglo i ffwrdd-
Gwel'd y tad ac un o'r bychain yn y boreu wrth y bwrdd.-
Yno'n gwledda ac ymgomio, a chusanu 'n ddi-ben-draw.
Bron anghofiai'r tad i gychwyn rhwng cusanu ag ysgwyd llaw.

It is so difficult to imagine, without shedding a tear -
The sight of the father and one of his little ones at the breakfast table.-
Eating and discussing, with loving kisses.
The father almost forgetting to start off between kisses and hand shakes.

Gwel'd y fam a'i baban eilwaith yn yr hwyr ar drothwy'r drws,
Gan adgoffa i'r un bychan, "Dada'n dod" fy mhlentyn tlws,
Ac ar ol i'r tad ddychwelyd yno 'roedd digrifwch llawn,
Y rhai bach yn dyweyd 'storiau nes bron dotio'r tad a'u dawn.

Seeing the mother and her baby on the doorstep in the evening,
Reminding her little one, "Dada's coming" my pretty one,
After the father's return there was much hilarity,
How lovely to hear the little ones telling their stories, almost confusing the father with the telling.

Math o Senedd fach yw'r aelwyd, -Prif-weinidog ydyw'r tad,
Y rhai bychain yw'r aelodau, a'r fam yn fwyn frenines fad,
Mor ddyddorol ydyw gwrando y rhai bach yn dadleu'u rhan.
Tra mae'r tad fel blin bendefig, a llon fryd yn helpi'r gwan.

The hearth is similar to a parliament, - the father it's Prime-minister,
The little ones ar the members, the mother like a gentle queen,
How interesting it is to listen to the little ones discourse,
Whilst the father's like a benign nobleman, full of intentions to help his dependants.

3

Ond ar ganol dydd eu bywyd, ymddangosodd cwmwl du,
Ac fe gladdwyd haul eu gobaith, t'w'llwch bellach sydd bob tu;
Eto, draw, tu draw i'r cwmwl y mae'r haul o hyd yn bod,
Dim ond dysgwyl a gweddio, daw'n fwy golau nac erioed.

But in midlife, there appeared a dark cloud,
And all their plans and hopes disappeared, darkness surrounds;
Yet, over, over their dark cloud the sun is still there,
Only hope and pray, that it will become bright for them again.

"Tad 'ramddifaid," ffyddlon ydyw, ymddiriedwch ynddo'n llwyr,
Pan fydd arnoch chwi yr eisiau, sicr iawn Efe a'i gwyr;
"Barnwr Gweddwon," bendigedig addewidion ydynt oll,
Ond ei gofio yn y meichiau, 'daiff 'run o'ch cwynion byth ar goll.

"Father of the orphans," is always faithful, trust implicitly in him,
When you are needful, sure enough He will know;
"Judge of Widows," holy promises are them all,
Only remind him of your burdens, not one will be overlooked.

Cnwi rieni sy'n galaru am eich meibion sy'n y bedd,
Cofiwch am y boreu codi, a'r gobaith cwrdd yn ngwlad yr hedd;
Darfodedig ydyw pethau goreu'r ddaear gwelwch hyn,
Buan iawn y rhaid i ninau hefyd groesi drwy y glyn.

A crowd of parents are lamenting for their sons in their graves,
Remembering the last morning that they rose, and full of hope of meeting in paradise;
Transient are the best of earthly things,
Very soon we also will have to cross the vale of shadows.

By mawr ofni'n "Ngwaith J. Thomas" er ys deg o flwyddi'n ol.
Pan oedd dwfr y gwaith uchaf, megys brenin ar ei 'stol;
Llawer canwaith gwelwyd gwyllti gan y glowyr pan i lawr,
Ac yn rhedeg i archwilio "lefel William Gelly-fawr."

There was a lot of fear in "J. Thomas's Works" for the last fair few years.
When the waters in the upper work waited like a menacing king on his throne;
Many a time the miners panicked when underground,
Running to examine "William Gelly-fawr's level."

Yn ddiareb 'r oedd y geiriau, -'O! fe'u boddir oll rhyw ddydd,
Ac o herwydd ofnau felly, pawb drwy'r Cwm a'u bron oedd brudd.
Ond ar fyr y dwr a godwyd, a'r awyr-gylch ddaeth yn glir,
Nes i bawb i deimlo'n ddiddan yn Nghwmamman amser hir.

Proverbial were the words, Oh! everyone will drown one day,
And because such fears were nurtured, it cast a great shadow over the valley.
Suddenly the waters abated and the atmosphere was clear,
Now all felt safer and more content in Cwmamman for many a year.

Ond yr unfed-ddydd-ar-bymtheg, yn y flwyddyn '84,
Rhwygodd angau ein calonau, megys llong yn rhwygo'r mor,
Torodd angau rai o'n ffryndiau'n nghanol dyddiau, o'r fath loes,
reill megys blodau'n gweni bron ar gychwyn gyrfa oes.

But on the 16th day in the year of '84,
Death tore at our hearts, like a ship ploughing through the sea,
Death struck many of our friends in the middle of their life, Oh what pain,
the others like sunny flowers cut down at the beginning of their life.

4

Do fe dorodd swn y ddamwain megys taran llawn o wae
Edyn cwmwl tywyll tristwch fel am danom yn amgau;
Ar y trydan teithia'r newydd drwy holl gyrau'r deyrnas hon.
Sain y Garnant ar bob tafod a'i drychineb yn mhob bron.

Yes the news of the accident struck like a thunderbolt of woe
The web of the dark cloud encompassed all with sadness;
The wires of communication carried the woeful news throughout the kingdom.
The name Garnant on every tongue and the pain of the disaster in every breast.

Boreu'r ddamwain yn y garnant! Ah! nid boreu ond nos ddu,
Nid oes dim on caddug heddyw yn teyrnasu ar bob tu:
Yn pentyru tuag yno canoedd sydd a chalon drwm,
Mae ysbrydion braw a galar yn eu llethu megys plwm.

The morning of the disaster in Garnant! Ah! not morning but the darkest night,
Nothing but a dark mist today looms all around,
Great crowds amass all with heavy hearts,
The spirit of fear and sorrow oppresses them like leaden weights.

O Olygfa brudd ddifrifol -plant yn gwaeddu am eu tad.
Gwragedd am eu gwyr gofalus, mamau am eu bechgyn mad;
Clywed ochain y perth'nasau dyr ein calon fel yn ddwy,
Wyla'r adsain yn y creigiau fel pe yn eu hateb hwy.

Oh what a sad terrible scene - children lamenting for their father,
Wives for their careful providers, mothers for their dear sons;
Hearing the sighs of the relatives their hearts as though broken in two,
The sounds of grieving echo in the surrounding stones.

Amgylchynu bywyd glowr mae peryglon o bob rhyw,
Gellir dweud ei fod mewn ystyr yn ei fedd o hyd yn byw;
Mae ysbrydion erch ddamweiniau yn ei gylchu ar bob tu,
Tan a dwfr a chwympiadau yn ymosod arno sy'.

The life of a miner is surrounded with every kind of danger,
It can be said that he toils daily in his own tomb;
The horrible memories of former disasters surround him,
Fire and water and roof falls prey on his mind.

Nid yw'r mawrion yn cydnabod gwerth y glowr yn y byd-
Gwr ag mae olwynion masnach yn ddyledus iddo i gyd;
Er mewn perygl a chaledi bychan dal roir am ei waith.
Parch ac urddas sydd yn aros bywyd glowr heb yn faith.

The owners do not recognise the true value of the miner -
To him the successful wheels of commerce are the products of his labour;
Although toiling in hardship and danger a pittance is his reward.
Respect and dignity should be his just deserts.

Heddwch mwy i lwch meirw yn mhriddellau oer y glyn,
A bendithion yn gafodydd fo i'r pedair gweddw hyn;
Boed i'r unarddeg amddifaid ddisgwyl wrth eu tad sydd fry,
A byw'n ufudd mwy i'w mamau, hyn a'u dyga i barch a bri.

Peace to their remains in their cold graves,
And a shower of blessings on the four widows;
May the eleven orphans look to the father on high,
And live exemplary lives, obedient to their mothers to warrant respect and honour.