Dydh da dhy'hwi.

Fatel yw genes?

Last week when discussing the Zen of mutation we left it with a quote from hón shiróì izúmi 1598.

This text from the Cornish explorer John Trehorne Williams is little known, but a truly sacred text is Pascon Agan Arluth.

This was written about 1400, but we do not know the author.

Pascon Agan Arluth is a poem and the first stanza is:

Tas ha Mab ha'n Spyrys Sans,

Hwi a bys a leun golon,

Re wrontyo dhywgh gras ha hwans

Dhe woslowes y Bashyon;

Ha dhymmo gras ha skians

Dh'y dherivas par lavarow,

May fo dhe Dhuw dh'y wordhyans,

Ha selwyans dhe'n enevow.

Seven-syllable lines – do you know how hard it is to write seven-syllable line poetry?

Well Shakespeare couldn't manage it.

He had a go with the witches in Macbeth, but only managed gibberish.

The person who wrote Pascon Agan Arluth not only does this but uses an ABABACAC rhyme scheme. Wow!

And Pascon Agan Arluth does this for an incredible 259 stanzas.

The sad thing is that if this was written in English it would be some kind of national treasure (and by national I mean British) – but hey-ho pup-tra nag yw Sowsnek, ny dal oy yn Breten Veur a hedhyw.

So what's this got to do with the Zen of mutation? Well 'ave a geek at this:

Del ve 2-3 del veu "as was", "b" has been mutated (soft) to "v".

Dre geryte 38-2 dre jeryta "through charity", "ch" has been mutated (soft) to "j".

Ze thu 1-7 dhe Dhuw "to God", "d" has been mutated (soft) to "dh".

Ze worthyans 1-7 dh'y wordhyans "to his worshipping", "g" has been mutated (soft) to "w".

Levn golon 1-2 leun golon "whole heartedly", "k" has been mutated (soft) to "g".

Suel a vynno 2-1 seul a vynno "let all who wants", "m" has been mutated (soft) to "v".

Y basconn 1-4 y Bashyon "His passion", "p" has been mutated (soft) to "b".

And finally for soft mutation:

Y das 9-1 y Das "his father", "t" has been mutated (soft) to "d".

Pascon Agan Arluth should be a sacred text to all kernewegoryon not because it is literature of the highest standard or because it is a Christian devotional work but because the person who wrote this was farther along the path of mutation than most.

"Heaven and earth and mutation are of the same root." From hón shiróì izúmi 1598.

Oll an gwella.

Duw genowgh hwi.

For Kernewek classes, pellgower: 01872 323497; e-bost: cornishlanguage @cornwall.gov.uk

ha gwiasva: www.magakernow.org.uk