C Y M R A E G

Iolo's work

Dagrau yr Awen

Dagrau yr Awen neu Farwnad Lewis Hopcin Fardd, o Landyfodwg ym Morganwg (Pont-y-Fon, 1772)

Lewis Hopkin (1707/8-1771) of Llandyfodwg died in 1771. He was a craftsman and Nonconformist who was also well-versed in Welsh and English literature. According to G. J. Williams, he was the ablest and most important of a circle of contemporary Glamorgan poets who called themselves the 'Gramadegyddion' (Grammarians): Siôn Bradford, Edward Evan of Aberdare, Dafydd Hopcyn of Coety, Lewis Hopkin, Rhys Morgan of Pencraig-nedd, Dafydd Nicolas of Aberpergwm, Dafydd Thomas of Pandy'r Ystrad and, possibly, Wil Hopcyn of Llangynwyd. Siencyn Morgan invited Iolo to write an elegy for Lewis Hopkin in some englynion that he enclosed in a letter to Iolo: NLW 21390E, f. 17. Iolo's cywydd, published under his baptismal name, Edward Williams, expresses his despair on losing a mentor and testifies to the important role this circle of poets played in nurturing the talents of Iolo the young poet:

nodaist a'th lid annedwydd
yn awr, lew dirfawr, ein dydd,
yr un i ti yw'r annoeth
ac un a dawr geneu doeth,
gyrri gall yn fall iw fedd
a'r annoeth gwae ni'r unwedd,
hyll wibiwr, fal y lleban
y perchi'r Doeth a'i goeth gân
i'th afael pand gwael y gwedd
y daw pob byw'n y diwedd
yn gryf y rhoi flin grafangc
ar bob rhyw du yw dy wangc.
(NLW 13087E, pp. 333–4)



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