Welcome to the blogspot of Melbourne writer, Elizabeth Jane

Welcome to the blogspot of Melbourne writer, Elizabeth Jane

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Cwrs Haf - Prifysgol Aberystwyth

Ar y dechrau o Cwrs Haf, ro'n i'n meddwl baswn i'n ysgrifennu bob dydd - at the beginning of Summer School I thought I would blog every day. Pam lai? Ro'n i'n meddwl. Bydd llawer o amser sbar gyda fi - why not? I thought. I'll have plenty of spare time.

Wel, wrth gwrs, ro'n i'n anghywir - well, of course, I was wrong. Ar ôl y dosbarthiau, a'r gweithgareddau, a gwaith cartref, a cheisio i siarad Cymraeg trwy'r dydd, ro'n i'n rhy wedi blino i feddwl - after the classes and the activities and trying to speak Welsh through the day, I was too tired to think.

Ond, heddiw, eisteddfod bach gyda ni - but today, we had a small eisteddfod. Roedd bob dosbarth yn gofyn i paratoi rhywbeth i rhannu gyda'r eraill - each class was asked to prepare something simple to share with the others. Roedd grwp pellach - fy nosbarth - yn trio i ddewis rhywbeth gwahanol - the intermediate group - my group - were trying to choose something different. Ro'n i'n moyn bod y gorau wrth gwrs - we wanted to be the best, of course. Pan ro'n i'n cael paned o de, awgrymais i: 'beth am ganu Waltzing Matilda yn Gymraeg?' - When we were having a cup of tea, I suggested: 'what about singing Waltzing Matilda in Welsh?'

'Syniad da! meddai pawb - good idea,' everyone said. 'Wyt ti'n gwybod y geirfa? - Do you know the words?'

Yn ffodus, roedd fy ffrind Dai Tren yn gallu anfon y geirfa - fortunately, my friend Dai Train was able to send the words. Ac roedd actor gyda ni yn dosbarth - and there was an actor in the class. Roedd Aubrey wedi actio fel y Swagman pan ro'n i'n canu'r gan - Aubrey acted as the swagman while we sang the song. Roedd hi'n bendigedig i ganu gan Awstralian yn Gymraeg - it was very special to sing an Australian song in Welsh. Y modd perffaith i fi i baratoi am y daith hir adref - the perfect way to prepare for the long journey home.

Dyma, y araith fyr dw i wedi gwneud i esbonio Walso Matilda ac y geirfa o'r gan - here is the short speech I made to explain Waltzing Matilda and the lyrics of the song.

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Heddiw, dyn ni'n mynd i ganu gan Awstralian. Dw i'n siwr bydd llawer o bobl wedi clywed y gan yn Saesneg ond, dyma, heddiw, am y trof cyntaf, mae grwp tri yn mynd i ganu Walso Matilda yn Gymraeg. 

Ond cyn i ni ddechrau, hoffwn i'n dweud wrthoch chi dipyn bach am y gan. Roedd hi'n ysgrifennu yn y bedwaredd canrif ar bymtheg gan Andrew Barton Patterson. Ei enw e barddoniol oedd Banjo - Banjo Patterson.

Mae'r gan yn dweud stori - stori am swagman. Doedd y swagman ddim yn byw yn y un lle. Roedd rhaid iddo fe symud o gwmpas yr wlad ffeindio gwaith. Ar ei gefyn roedd e'n gorfod cario ei wely ac ei ddillad. Bob nos, basai e'n gwersylla ma's dan y sêr. Weithiau, ar ddiweth y dydd, roedd llawer o arian  gydfa fe i brynu bwyd a de a siwgr. Ond weithiau, ffeindodd e ddim digon o waith. Felly, roedd eisau bwyd arno fe. Mae hynny yn y lle bydd y stori yn dechrau.

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Today, we are going to sing an Australian song. I am sure many people will have heard the song in English but, here, today, for the first time, group three are going to sing the song in Welsh.

Before we start, I would like to tell you a little about the song. It was written in the nineteenth century by Andrew Barton Patterson. His bardic name was Banjo - Banjo Patterson.

The song tells a story - a story about a swagman. The swagman wasn't living in one place. He had to move about the country to find work. On his back, he was forced to carry his bed and his clothes. Every night, he would camp out beneath the stars. Sometimes, at the end of the day, he would have plenty of money to buy food and tea and sugar. But sometimes, he didn't find enough work. Then he was hungry. That is where the story will begin.

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Fyddwn ni ddim dweud am pa mor hir gwariais i ysgrifennu'r ariath fyr - we won't talk about how long I spent writing that short speech - neu pa mor nerfus ro'n i'n teimlo  - or how nervous I was feeling - neu llawer drafiau ro'n i'n wneud - or how many drafts I made. Achos, dw i wedi gorffen un mis o ysgol iaith dwys - I have finished a month of intensive language school.

 Dyma yw nos am falchder - this is a night for pride.






Sunday, August 12, 2012

Back safe in Aberystwyth

A lovely walk. It only took a couple of hours.

Walking from Borth to Aberystwyth

It's 2:55 GMT. I've made a bit of a spur of the moment decision to walk from Borth to Aberystwyth along the coastal path. The views are stunning.

But if i don't update this in about five hours, assume the worst.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Gwaith Cartref

Am gwaith cartref, roedd rhaid i ni ysgrifennu cerdyn post disgriffio gwyliau ofnadwy - for homework, we had to write a post card describing an awful holiday. Achos, gofynodd llawer o bobl: sut yw'r tywyth yn Awstralia? Because lots of  people ask: how is the weather in Australia? Ro'n i'n meddwl fy mod i'n gosod y record yn syth - I thought I'd better set the record straight.

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Annwyl Mam a Thad,

Cyrhaeddais i  Cairns ddydd Iau diwetha - I arrived in Cairns last Thursday. Roedd y gwesty yn gyfforddus ar y ddechrau - the hotel was comfortable in the beginning. Ond dyw hi ddim wedi stopio bwrw glaw am chwech diwrnod - but it hasn't stopped raining for six days. Tymor gwlyb yw e! It's the wet season. Ond siaradon nhw ddim am hynny yn y dudalen ymwelwyr. But they didn't say that in the tourist brochure. Mae'r dŵr llifogydd yn codi o gwmpas y gwesty ac mae'r trydan wedi torri ac mae'r staff cyfeillgar wedi gadael - the flood water is rising around the hotel and the electricity has broken and the friendly staff have left. Dw i'n sefyll ar y to gwesty gyda y llyfaint 'cane' a gweithi am help - I am standing on the hotel roof with the cane toads and shouting for help. Ond does neb yn gallu fy ngweld i neu fy nghlywed fi - but no one can see me or hear me. Dw i'n rhwymo y cerdyn post hon i'r simnai - I am binding this post card to the chimney. Os, dw i ddim yn dod yn ôl, rhowch fy nhgasliad stampiau i Oxfam - if I don't come back, give my stamp collection to Oxfam.

Eich mab cariadus chi Siôn - your loving son, John.

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Dyma ni - there we are. Dw i'n siwr wedi gwneud llawer o camgymeriad - I'm sure to have made lots of mistakes. Ond mwynheus i ysgrifennu'r carden post yn fawr iawn - but I enjoyed writing the post card very much.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

ychdig o luniau - a few pictures

Ychdig o bobl wedi gofyn am luniau - a few people have asked for pictures. 

Felly, heddiw, pan ro'n i'n cerdedd o'r brifysgol i'r dref, tynnais i ychdig o luniau - therefore, today, when I walked from the university to the town, I took a few pictures. 

Dychmygu, dyn ni'n cerdedd i gyd - imagine we are walking together



Dw i'n mynd i ddosbarth yn y adeliad yma - I go to class in this building




Mae'r brifysgol ydy lan y bryn uwchben y dref - the university is on a hill above the town



Mae llawer o blodau yn y Haf - there are lots of flowers in the summer


Siop y pethe - a Welsh Language book shop







Dyma 'r olwg o'r castell - here's the view from the castle. 








Treehouse, ydy y caffi organic - Tree house, is the organic cafe. Dw i'n prynu fy mara spelt i yma - I buy my spelt bread here. 



Adeliadau llywodreath - government buildings


Dyma y olwg o'r fynwent - here's the view from the cemetery 



Beth ydych chi'n meddwl - what do you think? Aberystwyth ydy dref hyfryd - Aberystwyth is a lovely town.

Dw i'n sicr byddwch chi'n cytuno - I'm sure you will agree.