PASCON AGAN ARLUTH




PASSHYON AGAN ARLOEDH



1/6 & 8 par lavarow....dhe'n enevow.  Hooper, following Nance, emended
these lines to:

Dh'y dheryvas par del won,

May fo dhe Dhew dh'y wordhyans, 

Ha sylwans dhe Grystonyon.                      

to preserve the ab ab ab ab rhyme scheme. This is also printed in the
Pennaod edition, but, following a suggestion from Wella Brown, I am
keeping to the MS, though 1/6 now has eight syllables. The rhyme scheme
is now ab ab ac ac, similar to verse 44 which Nance also queried.

1/4 & 2/2 Dhe woslowes....; Goslowes.... Two examples of this verb used
with a direct object. Usually it is followed by orth [G.M.C. §153(3);
G.M.C.(2) §152(4)].

1/6	par lavarow.  par is the French word for `by' rather than the
Cornish word meaning `equal'; cf. 45/4.

1/7	The repeated dhe suggests an imitation of the Latin predicative
dative construction.

2/2	Goslowes. See Language Notes, page 13, 3rd singular imperative.

2/7	festys.  The Unified versions have fastys in agreement  with fastis
in the MS but the a  regularly changes to  e  by vowel affection [G.M.C.
§194; G.M.C.(2) §189]. This now assonances better with helghys and
rebekys. The Unified spelling rebukys is also normal in K.K. but the  e 
of the MS is retained for the sake of the rhyme.

      				






	




3	It is very difficult to translate this verse literally.

3/2	dhyghtyas. I have taken Dyw in line 1, An Mab in line 3, and an
Spyrys Sans in line 5 as being joint subjects of this verb.

3/4	gemert  in the MS has an Old Cornish preterite ending (Hooper). The
normal -as ending brings in an extra syllable, making the apostrophe
necessary.

3/6-7	may feu gwrys godhav paynys. Literally, `by which a suffering of
torture was done.' Maybe it should be understood as may feu gwrys
(dhodho) godhav paynys  =  `by which he was made to suffer torture.'

4/2	Dhedha  =  `for themselves.'

4/2	o kellys.  Best translated as `which had been lost.' See Language
Notes, page 12.  

5/1	meur gerensa.  meur meaning `great' comes directly before the noun
and causes mutation  [G.M.C. §54(2a); G.M.C.(2) §57(2a)].

5/4	pan dhiyskynnas.  The mutation is missed in the MS and Unified
versions.

5/6	O desevys.  Best translated as `who had been deceived'. See Language
Notes, page 12. desevijs (MS) is taken by Stokes, Hooper and Pennaod as
the p.p. of disevel = ``to cause to fall''. However I can find no other
verb of the -el type with a p.p. in -ijs (MS) which usually corresponds
with verbal nouns in -ya,  having a p.p. in -ys or -yes. I am therefore
accepting a suggestion from Nicholas Williams that the verb is desevya =
``to deceive'' which does not appear in G.M. or Nance but is in Tregear
and is given in the mini-dictionary in ``Cornish Today''.










6/2	honan. See Spelling Notes, page 15.

6/5	gewsis. The preceding particle  a  is omitted, presumably to fit the
metre. There seems no reason why the mutation which should result should
not be observed and I have therefore emended the  kewsys  which is found
in the MS. 

6/6-7	aval....Avel.  Is a pun intended so that 6/7 could seem to mean
`You will be made the apple of God('s eye)' when read aloud?

6/6	ty kemmer tamm. Read as ty kemmer, tan by Hooper and Pennaod. Stokes
take it as tamm.

6/8	nyn io mam (MS) I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in reading as
mann. Stokes translates mam as ``good'' following Keigwin

8/4	....dell veu kemmerys.  I have taken this as a noun clause being the
object of lavarav. See Language Notes, page 11.

8/1/3/5/7 pur; -or; veur; leur.  These rhymes seem suspect although the
first three are spelled -ur in the MS. Ken George suggests they are not
intended to rhyme, but this makes the verse rather irregular.







                                                   

			



			


9/4	may fe prenys.  Emended from the present subjunctive of MS. See
Language Notes, page 10.

10/3	besis. Emended from normal besyas to conform with the MS and for
the sake of the rhyme.

10/7	rag denses. Hooper has `out of manhood'. Wella Brown suggests
`because of His mortal nature' and takes rag as causal [G.M.C. §155(2a);
G.M.C.(2) §154(2a)].

10/8	awell. Given as ewl in G.M. with note that awell is an earlier
form. It is kept here as two syllables are needed.









12	Murdoch points out that this verse corresponds closely with P.C.
65-72 where Jesus addresses the first four lines to Satan and the last
four to the disciples though Jesus should have been alone with Satan.
Murdoch suggests that this `moral summary' was taken from the poem and
thus used awkwardly in the play, proving the poem was written before the
play, but see v. 17 note. 

12/4	dhiworth.  Presumably understood as a-dhiworth, hence the mutation;
cf. 29/6.

12/4	dremas.  Usually translates as `goodman' or `saint.'  Hooper has
`supremely-good'.   	

12/6/7	gweles....maga dell wra ....  See Language Notes on dell etc.,
pages 15-16.

	The rhyme pattern of the lines in verse 12 ending in unstressed  -a,
-a(n)s, -, -es,  and ke suggests these rhyme together as neutral vowels.
Vywnans (12/2) is spelt vewnas in Hooper's Unified and I have followed a
suggestion by Ken George to write vywna's to indicate the frequent
omission of  n  in such words and to improve the rhyme with dremas. 

		       

14/5	Rag own yth omdhisevys.  G.M.C.(2) §274(10) gives this line as rag
own yth omdhisaves as an example of a subordinate clause introduced by
y. I have taken the verb to be an imperfect indicative which should be
spelled as shown according to G.M.C. (2) §191 which also agrees with the
MS. I am grateful to Nicholas Williams for pointing out that the note
which appeared in previous prints was incorrect.

 










16/2	unn menydh.  I am following Hooper in taking the unn as a simple
indefinite article. None of the Gospel accounts refers to a certain
mountain. See  Language Notes, page 10.

17/3-8	Crysten Fudge points out the similarity of these lines to P.C.
139-44, saying it is not known which came first, but see v. 12 note.

17/6	veth  in the MS is omitted in the Unified versions. Its inclusion
represents an extra syllable, unless tewolgow is pronounced tew'lgow as
in later Cornish.

	

17/7	lezys (MS).  Read by Hooper and Pennaod as lehes = `diminished'.
Lezys occurs many times in the MS where it is read as ledhys  =
`killed'.  

    	









18/1	sperys (MS). I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in taking this as
serrys. Stokes translates trylyas sperys as ``lost heart''.

18/2	dyller. It seems necessary to translate this rather colourless word
in sympathy with the context; cf. 77/5.

18/2	teythi. All the dictionaries give this as a noun though it appears
to be used here as an adjective

18/5	may fens parys.  Emended from the present subjunctive of the MS.
See Language Notes, page 10.

19/2	sherewneth. The meaning of roguery given in G.M. seems hardly
strong enough to fit the context here and in 52/8. wickedness, malice,
as given in Nance seem better.

19/5	uvel.  The spelling vuell in the MS supports the unexpected absence
of h in the K.K. spelling.







			




21/2	otri/outray.  The Unified versions have gans otry though both Nance
and G.M have outray, The G.M. authentication code gives it as a
neologism not attested so maybe it is regarded there as a different
word. However, I have followed this meaning (outrage) in the
translation. If ganso tri  (`three with him') is the meaning intended by
the writer, it must imply a diabolical equivalent of the Holy Trinity.
Otri rhymes with dri whilst outray rhymes, according to the K.K.
spelling, with bray but Nicholas Williams (§3.5) asserts that final
stressed -i tended to diphthongise to an ey or ay sound making it
possible for outray/dri/bray/joy to rhyme together. It is not entirely
clear how the joy fits in but it seems to me more likely that this all
embracing diphthong tended to be a neutral one, that is shwa plus yod,
something like the French word oeil bordering on oy. 

21	Based, presumably on 1 Pe 5 v.8: `....your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.' (A.V.)

23/5	gevys. The MS supports the K.K. amendment from gyvys in Unified,
which assumes a double vowel affection, from  a  to  e  and then  e  to 
i.

The even numbered lines of 22 and 23 seem to rhyme with neutral vowels
spelled -a or -e in K.K. though -e is used throughout in the MS.
However, Ken George is doubtful whether they are neutral vowels.
Nicholas Williams (§7.7) asserts that vowels in final unstresed
syllables are usually neutral







						




						Jn 10 v.39

						Jn 11 v.50-53

24/3	Hag a wodhaffo.  The subjunctive contrasts with indicative gar in
the first line though both depend on the same indefinite antecedent,
neb. Maybe the suffering is portrayed as doubtful or less than
essential, but the loving as vital.

24/8	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13, 3rd singular imperative.

25/4	nagonan.  See Spelling Notes, page 19.

25/4	omlavar. This was thought to be a mistake for avlavar until it was
found again in the Tregear Homilies. (Nance writing in Old Cornwall,
Summer 1951)

25/8	honan.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

26/8	chungfyons (MS) Stokes and Nance insist that this is chungfyons not
chonsyons as is read by Hooper and Pennaod. Stokes suggests thugtyons
which would give dhyghtyons, = ``prepare''. I have followed Hooper and
Pennaod.




				              




27/5	An asyn ha dri.  Wella Brown points out that one would expect
...ha'y dri. G.M. gives asyn as masculine, from Latin asinus, but there
is also as fem. form asina in Latin. Nance gives the word as masculine
or feminine. warnedhi in 28/5 makes it clear that it is feminine in this
case. 

28/7	marghogeth.  See Spelling Notes, page 14.

29/6	dheragdo.  Understood as a-dheragdho, hence the mutation; cf. 12/4.

29/8	degys a veu.  The use of the particle  a  between a complement and
a part of the verb bos is abnormal; see Language Notes, page 10. Here it
is needed to make up the syllable count.









30/1	Y  helwis.  Impersonal imperfect:  `There was a calling.'  See
G.M.C. §181; G.M.C.(2) §179(1)

31/5	'vas. Permanently mutated from mas, presumably = a vas or dhe vas.
See G.M.C. §81(2note); G.M.C.(2) §83(2d)

31/6	may fe Yesus diswrys.  Both versions of the MS have fo. Hooper
reads fe which is more logical and which I have followed. See Language
Notes, page 10.

31/8	The Kernow MS has ....lys for the last word in the line and Pennaod
has (crehe)lys, but both Hooper and Pennaod read May fe an dre oll
tullys in their Unified versions and Hooper translates: `that all the
town was deluded.' Pennaod's (crehe)lys appears to be kryghyllys  = 
`jolted; shaken', as used in 184/7.

32/1	dres.  ``An imperfect rhyme.'' (Ken George).

32/3	rolla. Emended from rollo in the MS which uses the present
subjunctive for the imperfect. See Language Notes, page 10 

36/3	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13, 3rd singular imperative.

					






						




33/5	Hedra vens i ow plentya.  Taken as imperfect rather than present
subjunctive. See Language Notes, page 10. It is just possible that the
vons of the MS may be preterite but this seems most unlikely in this
construction with the present participle.   

34/2	I have followed Pennaod in putting this line in parentheses. It
seems the best way of fitting it in.

34/8	A, na wra namoy pegha,  following Hooper's emendation of the MS
version.

					      





	




36/4	A vos den rag y ranna.  Hooper and Pennaod take this as Awos den
rag y ranna and Hooper translates `in order to distribute it for man's
sake.' I am taking it as A vos rag y ranna den  =  `To be for a man
(someone) to share it,' or `(for it) to be shared.' See also References
to Cornish Simplified II; page 18.

37	David Balhatchet has drawn my attention to the close similarity
between this verse and P.C. 539-46, five of the eight lines being
identical. He particularly points out that P.C. has thorment instead of
the thermyn in line 3. None of the Gospel accounts has either word in
this context but termyn may be an echo of Jn 7 v.6 `My time is not yet
come: but your time is always ready' (A.V.). So, does this suggest that
the writer of the Poem `corrected' the P.C. version, proving it was
written later? On the other hand, see the note on verse 12.

37/2	War.  Hooper and Pennaod print worth but I see no reason to alter
the MS; cf. 132/2.

37/7	honan.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

38/3	Lemmyn.  See Spelling Notes, page 15. Both MS readings have the
word bracketed and in the Unified spelling lemen, so presumably it is
illegible in the MS itself.

38/6	Wor'tiwedh lader via.  Hooper takes this as a future in the past
and translates `To the end he would be a thief.' I take it as a true
pluperfect. Wella Brown agrees with this and suggests it implies `When
all is said and done, he had been a thief.' 






					

				      




39/2	hwi dhe ri. Hooper and Pennaod print why dhymm ry in their Unified
versions. The reason for the change is not apparent.

39/8	unn used as an indefinite article. See Language Notes, page 10.

39/8	pemont. This spelling is not in Nance but it is in both Unified
versions and also in G.M.	

40/7	akordya.  Hooper and Pennaod have double  c.  The MS, Nance, and
Old French forms have only one  c  though double  c  is restored in the
Modern French and English forms of the word as closer to the Latin form.

41/1-2	dell o tewlys...dell vynna.  These two comparative clauses
[G.M.C. §332; G.M.C.(2) §348] seem to comprise a sentence without a main
clause with a meaning as suggested in the translation. Hooper has: `By
Judas so it was planned to give up Jesus surely as he would.' Are there
other examples of a similar construction?

					







		



					      	Lk 22 v.22 	


42/6	onan.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

43/3	Pubonan.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

43/6	A'm skudell dybri a wra.  The Gospel accounts refer to `the dish'.
Evidently it was one common dish shared by all. I remember eating a
paella with Spanish friends in a similar manner on the beach at Valencia
some years ago. Clearly this Mediterranean custom was unknown to the
writers of the Passion Poem and the Passio Christi.

44/6	a vydh.	The insertion of  a  between a complement dispresys and a
part of bos is unusual; cf. 29/8. See Language Notes, page 10. 

44	The rhyme scheme in this verse has changed from ab ab ab ab to ab ab
ac ac; cf. verse 1. Hooper gives a note from Nance suggesting that it
has been `tampered with' and  that abesteleth probably rhymes with
yn-meth in line 4 although the MS spelling is abestely. 

      	










45/3	Hemm yw ow goes.  Strangely the MS omits the all-important ow but I
have followed Hooper and Pennaod in reinstating it in accordance with
Scripture and tradition. The  -a  of hema, which in any case is
irregular before yw, is dropped to fit the syllable count. Hooper and
Pennaod have printed hen instead of hem but I do not see any reason for
this.

45/4	par cheryta.  Stokes and Nance read par though Hooper and Pennaod
take this as pour in their Unified versions. Either French word could be
appropriate. See also References to C.S.II, p. 23.

45/5	bason.  The -on appears to be meant to rhyme with wynn, presumably
as a neutral vowel.  This suggests that the  y  of wynn could be neutral
which is a little difficult to imagine, though there is no trouble with
the -on of bason. This verse now rhymes ab ab cd cd; see the
Versification Note on page 30.

46/1	Ena. Hooper and Pennaod follow the MS and read Henna but `then'
makes more sense than `that' in the context; cf. 103/1.







						P.C. 887-910



48/2	yn unn fistena.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

48/5	re dheuva.  Perfect of dos; see G.M.C. §204(2); G.M.C.(2) §206.

48/6	kellys. Read and translated as kefys by Hooper. Pennaod reads
kellys which I have followed.

48/7	kechys.  Read (or misprinted) jychys by Pennaod and Hooper but
corrected by Hooper to kychys on an errata sheet.

49/1	Kyn fallons. 

49/8	kyn fiv. Hooper and Pennaod follow the MS with kyn fallens and kyn
fen, but these are examples of the imperfect subjunctive being used
where the context calls for a present; see Language Notes, page 10. 

50	Obscure, though apparently based on Lk 22 v.35 ``and He said unto
them, `When I sent you without purse and scrip and shoes, lacked ye 
anything?' and they said, `Nothing.'''  (A.V.).










51/3/4	gwerthes; prenes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular
imperative. The K.K. third person singular imperative in -es improves
the rhyme with porres in 51/1 but notice the MS spelling gwyrzyns.
Pernas, on the other hand is only example in this poem that supports the
``restoration'' of -es as a 3s. imperative as mentioned in G.M.C. (2)
§183(3) 

52/3	dhyssiplys. This is the G.M. spelling. Presumably the sc spelling
of the MS could indicate the sound  ss.  G.M. recognises dyskybel
(-blon) and dyssipel (-plys)  as the latter occurs in Tregear's
Homilies. Evidently it also occurs here. 

52/7	Na vydhowgh.  Hooper and Pennaod print vedheugh in spite of the
vezough of the MS. Hooper takes this as a subjunctive in a negative
final clause, `lest you be tempted.' It seems better to take it as a
present/future indicative tense to form a consecutive clause, `and so
you will not be tempted.'  See G.M.C. §334; G.M.C.(2) §350

53/5	unn lamm.  Unn is used as an indefinite article. See Language
Notes, page 10.

53/7	hwath.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod against the yn weth of
the MS which creates an excess syllable. 

						










54/3	rag ef a wozya yn feyn (MS).  Hooper has `for He was able to,
strongly.' I have taken  feyn as  fin as in 54/5 and `perfect(ly)' seems
appropriate in both cases; cf. 57/3 where yn fen is yn ven in the MS.

54/4	Dhenses. Hooper and Pennaod read this as Dhywses (zewsys) =
``Divinity''.

54/4	ny vynna henna.  Normally mynnes is an auxiliary verb followed by a
verb-noun. See Language Notes, page 13. 

54/6	pub vr an trylya zeza (MS).  Hooper and Pennaod have turned this to
Pub ur dhodho a'n trelya.

55/3	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

55/4	dell vo.  Emended from the imperfect subjunctive of the MS. See
Language Notes, page 10.

55/5	dhyssiplys.  See 52/3.

55/8	ny yllough zum comfortye (MS).  Read by Hooper and Pennaod as
ylleugh - imperfect. I do not see any difficulty in reading it as a
present tense, though vowel confusion  cannot  be ruled out.

56/3	dhiworth used with pysi  =  `to request from'; see G.M.C. §154(2);
G.M.C.(2) §153(2)

56/8	Ev a wodhya y ferwi.  Imperfect showing future in the past; see
G.M.C. §215(4); G.M.C.(2) §228(4)









57/8	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

	       







		




60/3/5	Dhenses....Dhywses.  These two contrast well positioned at the
ends of the lines.  

61/3	mars yw prys. Hooper points out that `if there is time' would be
mars eus prys. Presumably the meaning is `the hour is come' as in Mk 14
v41 and Mt 26 v.45.                     

61/6-8	dyskys fatell dhons....ha dell vydhav.  See Language Notes, pages
15-16.

61/8	hembrenkys.  The first  o  in the MS hombronkis is not recognised
by Nance or the G.M. so presumably it is an error or irregular. The
second  o  becomes  e  by vowel affection [G.M.C. §12(2c); G.M.C.(2)
§14-16]. The word now echoes hemmeres in the previous line and the two
words reinforce each other. Hooper and Pennaod have hembrynkys but this
assumes a double vowel affection; cf. 23/5. 

62/4	hembrenki. This is similar. The amendment of the second  o  to  e
improves the assonances. Hooper and Pennaod have hembrynky.

62/5	derivys.  I have taken this as a past participle, literally
`informed to the Jews as he was.' Hooper takes it as a preterite and
translates `To the Jews he declared that, as it was, he wished to hold
it.' This assumes the omission of particle  a  and the resultant
mutation.

					      







						     


						P.C.1081-86



63/2	'Leveris.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in replacing the
particle  y  at the beginning of the line with an apostrophe to correct
the syllable count.  Wella Brown points out that this particle is often
omitted.

64/1	prynsys.  Wella Brown points out that English words are not always
mutated.

64/6	Ny welens:  `They could not see.' See Language Notes, pages 14-15. 

65/6	Hag y amma.  Usually amma dhe as in 63/7. See G.M.C. §141(14a);
G.M.C.(2) §141(15a)

					      






		




66/5	....den, ha gour ha gwreg.  A good illustration of the fact that
the basic meaning of den is `human being' rather than `man' in the sense
of `male person'.

67/1	wovynnis.  The third singular preterite usually ends in  -as; see
G.M.C. §183; G.M.C.(2) §180. Nance gives it as the first of two
alternatives. Here,  -is  is better for the rhyme. Cf. also 69/1 where
the same ending occurs in the MS.

67/4	vynnowgh.  Used without the usual following verb-noun. See Language
Notes, page 13.

67/6	This line is quoted in C.S.II as an example of a conditional
sentence and I have followed this; see References to C.S.II, page 20.
Stokes and Hooper have `It is Jesus whom we would take,' but this would
be a gaffen ni. The literal meaning would be `if we (had) found Him,'
but Wella Brown suggests, more idiomatically, `if only we could find
Him.' This does not explain why there is an  s  at the end of the verb
in the MS, making it seem to be a third person, unless we should
understand `if they found Him (for) us,' but this seems unlikely.
Strictly speaking, the main clause should be Yesus via, but this
irregularity is common in the texts as in  Modern English, so that I
have translated it literally rather than `correcting' it.

68/2	gowsas.  This is from kows, not kewsel. Kows is more common in the
Poem and the ending -as is better for the rhyme in this case.

68/7	i nyns ens gwiw.  A striking example of a pronoun subject preceding
nyns for emphasis. I have followed Hooper in underlining `they'.

					       








70/7	May halla.  Hooper prints May hallas but this appears to be a
misprint as he translates `that he might, through great pains, die for
thy sake,' thus indicating a purpose rather than a result clause and
agreeing with the imperfect subjunctive as read by Pennaod.

71/7	pur lowen. Although Hooper translates `right gladly,' any such
sentiment seems incongruous. Nance and G.M..give `comfort' as a  meaning
of lowenhe, and with this support, I feel `very comfortably' is more
appropriate.

71/8	dell re bia.  See G.M.C. §265(6); G.M.C.(2) §279(8) and G.M.C.
§332; G.M.C.(2) §348(1).

			









72/1	Hooper and Pennaod have altered this to: Yn y woen dha gledha dro,
presumably to correct the rhyme.

72/6	Via.  Normal grammar requires a via, as Dewdhek lyjyon in 72/5 is a
preceding subject. The reverse occurs in 29/8 and 44/6 where particle  a
 is abnormally inserted. Evidently these irregularities are to correct
the syllable count.

72/8	pur barys.  Hooper takes this with Pysi ow Thas and translates
`should I wish for myself to pray to my Father, very readily.'

73	This verse is tricky to translate. Presumably the sense is that if
Jesus called for supernatural angelic help he would not fulfil Scripture
or the will of his Father.

73/1-2	ve neffre ny vean fethys (MS) Hooper takes the ve as part of bos,
but I feel it  more likely to be my with the  m  either misread or
mutated under the influence of the preceding  a,  and giving a negative
sentence with a stressed pronoun subject.  

73/4	The question mark is inserted in this line for the sake of clarity.
Grammatically it should be at the end of the sentence in 73/8.

74/2	Yn unn skolkya.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

74/6	paynia.  One would expect paynya as in G.M. or payna as in Nance
but this would leave the line a syllable short as both are only two
syllables. Maybe paynia resulted from the influence of French punir or
Latin punire/poenire, and it is spelt here with  y  to complete the
syllable count. Cf.  90/3 where the two syllable spelling is used.

			        









75/4	``c'ara for carghara: See Williams Lexicon, and Lhuyd, 1707
carhar'' (Hooper). Lhuyd actually prints karcar,  c  being his phonetic
symbol for gh. Williams suggests cara (MS) means ``to kiss'' and refers
to the kiss of Judas.

75/5	deuva.  Perfect of dos . See G.M.C. §204; G.M.C.(2) §206.

75/7	ny wonn ken.  I have taken ken as meaning `otherwise'. Hooper takes
it as `reason' and translates `I know not wherefore.' The words seems
little more than a line filler.

76/4	fastsens. Hooper and Pennaod read this as fastsons (pret.) and
Stokes translates ``they fastened''. I have taken it as a pluperfect
though it is not really appropriate in the context. Cf. also 132/8
(hwarsa)

76/6	heb wow.  This, again, is little more than a line filler. Hooper
has `indeed'. In translating it by `just' I am suggesting this may be
one way of expressing `just' in Cornish. It is a notoriously difficult
word to translate. 

76/8; 77/4  unn juster;  unn ownek. Unn used as an indefinite article.
See Language Notes, page 10.

77/5	dyller. As in 18/2 it seems necessary to interpret this rather
colourless word in accordance with the context. 

77/6	``sedhek:  if `stool' was meant, war and not orth would normally be
used'' (Hooper). The use of orth suggests that the sedhek was something
at which one sat, perhaps a barrier at which Peter was allowed to sit,
but away from the officers of the court.

77/7	orto ef y a sethas  (MS) As read by Stokes and Nance. The scribe
seems to have reversed the y and the a.    

77/8	May klywa.MS has present subjunctive for imperfect. See Language
Notes, page 10. 






					




78/3	mar vold.  Hooper takes this with re dhyssys, `Where are thy folk
so boldly thou hast taught?'

78/4	``MS na zons. Imperfect indicative, must be for dens unless a
variant based on 3rd singular de.'' (Hooper). I see no difficulty in
taking it as a present tense.

79/4	y's klywas. I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in inserting the
pronoun 's.

79/6	derivas. G.M.C.(2) §180(4b) gives derivis as third sing. preterite
but -as as in the MS rhymes better.

79/8 	yn unn hanas.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

80/1	Pandra a.  Normally pandr'a but the extra syllable is needed to
complete the line.

80/2	ha'm laghys. Hooper and Pennaod print a'm laghys but Pennaod
clearly reads the MS ham as ha'm in his Breton translation.

80/3	govynny (MS).  I read this as govynn e  =  `ask it'. Hooper and
Pennaod print gowyn y, corrected by Hooper on errata sheet to govyn y  =
 `ask them'. See G.M.C. §64(5); G.M.C.(2) §66(3a). 

80/5	na 'yll.	The MS has an extra syllable and I have followed Hooper in
eliding the particle  a  to correct this.

80/7	heb vileni. G.M. recognises bileni but not vileni. G.M.C. (2) §148
does not recognise mutation of bileni after heb so I have gone against
both and followed Hooper and Pennaod.

         






					    




82/3-4	Ha ny bleg.  I have followed Hooper in taking this as a second
clause depending on Mara in 82/2  `....and if that does not please
you....'  This reading calls for  na  in the MS to be emended to  ny 
(which Hooper and Pennaod have not done) and reading  yw  after the  Ha 
in 82/4.

		Possibly na bleg is a relative clause:  `and which does not please'. 
In this case, henna ha fals might be for ha henna fals  =  `that being
false,' or `because that is false' (cf. 86/8). The alternative
translation would be:

		`If I told a lie and (one) which does not please you because it is
false, you produce the evidence.'

82/6	synsi.  An example of a verb-noun being used as a finite verb in
conjunction with kewsis in 82/5 [G.M.C. §226; G.M.C.(2) §241]. It is
preceded by its object gwiryonedh and so has the object pronoun  y 
inserted before it; cf. Cornish Simplified, §176(a).

				       

      





					    




 

84/1	Unn venyn.  Unn used is as indefinite article. See Language Notes,
page 10.

84/1	'ynnias.  The long  i  makes this word three syllables so that the
MS and Unified versions have an excess syllable. For this reason the
particle  a  is elided.

84/8	aswonnis.  Hooper and Pennaod print aswonsys but this must be a
misprint. The verb is first person with emphasising pronoun my preceding
ny.

85/4	Galila.  Hooper and Pennaod mutate the G as is normal in the
Unified texts but I have followed the MS and G.M.C. §19(8); G.M.C.(2)
§23(3h). Also, Galila is more easily recognisable.

85/6	Maga town ti. As oaths are not normally described as `deep' I have
taken the liberty of translating town by `great'.

86/5	omdennas.  Hooper and Pennaod have altered this to aswonsys without
giving a reason. Omdennas agrees e.g. with Mt 26 v.75: `And he went out
and wept bitterly.' (A.V.).

86/7	ow nagha:  by denying.  Present participle used as gerund. See
Language Notes, page 13.

86/8	Hag ev gwarnys. This and similar phrases of attendant circumstances
 (G.M.C. §335; G.M.C.(2) §351) are a close parallel to Virgil, Aeneid,
Book II line 49: Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes  =   literally: `I fear
the Greeks and (them) bearing gifts', but usually translated, ` I fear
the Greeks even when they bear gifts.' I feel the Cornish has the same
concessive force here. (Virgil was a Gaul, i.e. a Celt, from Gallia
Cisalpina, now part of Northern Italy.) 

	       






						    




87/2	dorra.  Hooper points out that the imperfect subjunctive is used in
place of the indicative derri. 

87/6	Lemmyn.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

87/7-8	....pan dhannvonas Krist y to.... :  `....when Christ sent to say
that he was coming....', cf. Nance: danvon  =  `to send to say'; cf.
also 93/3. This usage is not mentioned in G.M. or G.M.C.(2).

87/8	Galila.  Cf . 85/4.

88/4	epskop.  I have retained the incongruous word `bishop' in the
translation. A medieval bishop was seen as much as a man of power as a
Christian leader; cf. the Bishop in Bewnans Meryasek and Archbishop
Turpin in La Chanson de Roland.

88/4	Kaifas.  The metre calls for this to be three syllables, Ka-i-fas,
so presumably the  i  will be long; cf. 93/1, 94/1 and 118/7 where the
name is two syllables as is more usual.  

88/5	Dredho. See References to Cornish Simplified II,  page 20.










90'3	payna. G.M. recognises paynya but not payna. Cf . 74/6. Maybe the
distincton should be paynia and paynya, rather than paynya and payna as
in Nance.

90/3	ha'y shyndya.  I have followed Hooper an Pennaod in inserting  'y 
which is missing in the MS.

90/5	Hooper and Pennaod have altered war in the MS to worth and omitted
the pronoun  i. I see no reason for this and have restored both.

92/4	re'th vlamyas. Both Hooper and Pennaod follow the MS with re'th
flamyas. I have used the special mutation after  th  recommended by
Wella Brown [G.M.C. §16; G.M.C.(2) §22] and accepted by Ken George.

92/6	mar kodhes.  An interesting example of godhvos in the sense of
`can' rather than `know'.









93/1 & 94/1  Kayfas. This is disyllabic in these two lines, so is
spelled with  y.  The name occurs several times in Passio Christi where
it is always two syllables; cf. 88/4 where it is three syllables.

93/6	gans am Kar;  `with my Father'.  am is not used in this way in
Revived Cornish. See G.M.C.§48(2); G.M.C.(2) §51(2). Hooper says
``Identical expression in Bodenar's letter, 1770,'' but the words there
are gen carra vee (Ellis, page 119).

93/7	Yn sur Dhyw. sur is an adjective preceding the noun and so causing
soft mutation. See Cornish Simplified, §6.

95/1  	A ow cows (MS)  Stokes seems to take the A as an interrogative
particle although it is not followed by a verb. A is amended to Oll by
hand in the Kernow copy of the MS which Mr. Hooper sent me and this is
how he reads it. Pennaod takes it as an interjection and reads A! ow
kows....  I have followed Pennaod. (In P.C. Caiaphas says ``Re'm fay''
at this point)	

95/4	Gwiw.  This word is one syllable as indicated by the syllable count
and the MS spelling. Or is it: Go-ev! Yw dhe vones ledhys!  =  `Woe to
him! He is to be slain!'? (cf. 43/7) Gwiw is spelled gyw in 68/7, MS.

					        







		




96 & 97	All the verbs in these two verses are in the imperfect tense.
Does this suggest that all this brutal activity was going on as a
background to the trial proper, or is it just to fit in with the verse
and rhyme pattern? The normal narrative preterite tense is resumed in 98
when Jesus is taken to Pilate.

96/4	kuzyll (MS). With this spelling the line has an excess syllable but
this is corrected by the more usual shorter form used in the Unified and
K.K. spellings. Maybe this suggests it was pronounced as one syllable
even though spelt as two.

97/7	tens.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in taking this as a past
tense even though the MS suggests a present.

98/4	may fe ledhys.  Present subjunctive used in the MS for imperfect.
See Language Notes, page 10.

98/5	'Lavarsons.  The normal verbal particle  y  is omitted; cf. 63/2.






				



						Jn 18 v.34 


 99/2	'Ynniowgh.  cf. 84/1.

 99/6	Ha hwi. Taken by Hooper as the imperative of mos  =  `Go you'; cf
G.M.C. §203(2); G.M.C.(2) §205. Pennaod omits it. I have taken it as
`and' or `also'.

 99/7	Both Hooper and Pennaod emend this line to: Yn medhans, `Yedhow ny
wra'. Presumably the  y  in the MS is taken as an abbreviation of Yedhow
(Jews). This is the spelling in the Ordinalia (See Spelling Notes, page
16) but in this Poem the name invariably starts with  E.  Taken
literally as a statement, the MS version:  ny a wra dampnye den lader
kyn fo, contradicts Jn 18 v.31 `It is not lawful for us to put any man
to death' (A.V.), so it seems likely to be an expression of disbelief
that Pilate should suggest an illegal procedure.

100/3	kyche (MS).  Both the Kernow and Pennaod MS transcripts have this
but Hooper and Pennaod both read rych which I have followed.

100/7	O'ta.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

101/1	kuv kolonn.   According to G.M.C. §81(4); G.M.C.(2) §83(4a) the k
of kolonn should soften after kuv, but the phrase is given complete
without mutation in Nance and G.M. so it must be an exception.

101/3	te a wozye (MS).  Hooper emends to Ty, a wodhyes and I have
followed this.

		










102/2	mesternges. (MS) Stokes reads this as mygternes (myghtenses) which
does correspond better with myghtern in 102/5 and 102/8. The usual word
for ``kingdom'' is gwlas or gwlaskor. I have followed Hooper and
Pennaod.

102/5	o'ta.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

103/1	Ena.  Hooper and Pennaod read Henna as in the MS; cf. 46/1.

103/2-3	Literally,  `the money he took to receive for the body of
Christ.'

104/1	a gowsas.  Although the MS has  gewsys, gowsas is better for the
rhyme and is the more usual of the two verbs in this Poem.

104/2	See Notes on the Manuscript, page 11.

104/4	ow kwertha:  `by selling'. See Language Notes, page 13.

 

104/7	``pa'n dyspresyas in full is pan y'n dyspresyas'' (Hooper).

104/8	``The imperfect is used for rhyme, and in 112/5'' (Hooper).  It
could also reinforce the statement by portraying the selling as an
ongoing background action subservient to the `greater sin' of despising
Jesus, which was its root cause.




					

					




105/8	....krev rag y synsi.  See Language Notes, page 11.

107/3	o'ta sy.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

107/4	dhampnya.  The MS, Hooper and Pennaod all miss this mutation.

107/6	Galila.  See 85/4 note.

	






						




108/1; 109/5.  Gansa = `from them'; Ganso = `from him'. See G.M.C.
§147(7); G.M.C.(2) §147(7).

108/2	Galila.  See 85/4 note.

109/5/6/7/8  mar kalla; a ve; Mar kalla; pan ve. These imperfect
subjunctives have the form of the present subjunctive in the MS. See
Language Notes, page 10.

109/6	whelth (MS).  Hooper points out that this is whethel (Unified
spelling) and prints whelth in his Unified version whilst Pennaod has
whethl. This is unpronounceable as one syllable as required by the
syllable count so I have followed Hooper with Hweldh, and retained the
metathesis.

109/8	pan ve klywys.  Imperfect subjunctive of bos translated by `had
been'. See Language Notes, pages 14 (confusion of present and imperfect
subjunctive) and page 12 (o  plus past participle).

110/2	orth.  The MS and both Unified versions have worth.









111/1	wovynnis.  The normal ending is -as but I have followed the MS and
Unified versions for the sake of the rhyme.

112/3	mayth esa. I have followed Hooper in taking this as `when he was',
which would correspond with the pluperfect lavarsa in 112/1. Wella Brown
suggests it should be `where he was`. The mayth does not have a proper
antecedent.

112/4	Kayfas.  See 93/1 note.

113/4	pur dhen len.  Hooper has `a most upright man', but the rather
unusual word order makes it clear that both pur and len are adjectives
qualifying den; cf. G.M.C. §81(4); G.M.C.(2) §83(4). Pur is not an
adverb modifying len. It is not entirely clear whether Herod is
referring to Jesus or to Pilate. Either would be consistent with Lk 23
vv. 12 and 15. The other Gospels do not mention the referral to Herod.

113/6	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.







			




114/3	gweska.  Hooper points out that the imperfect subjunctive is used
for the indicative. 

114/4	gewsi.  Hooper and Pennaod take this as a pluperfect gowssa.
However, the MS looks very much like an imperfect and I have taken it as
such to match skornya and gweska in the previous two lines, or possibly
with future in the past meaning. This does not appear to rhyme as well
as gowssa but it seems likely that any unstressed final syllable can
weaken to a neutral vowel, especially if it suits the verse for it to do
so.

114/7	kaffens.  Although Hooper and Pennaod follow the MS with caffons,
the narrative calls for an imperfect subjunctive. See Language Notes,
page 10, on confusion of the present  and imperfect subjunctive.

115/3	feth.  Hooper says this is an alternative form of fas. G.M. gives
a note under fas that fath is sometimes found in Middle Cornish, but it
seems better here to keep feth which occurs several times in this poem.

115/5	fast.  Pennaod misprints this as fas.

116/8	Prag stands as a noun meaning `reason'; see G.M.C. §72(10);
G.M.C.(2) §74(16). 

.






					   




117/7	moy es.  Although the  e  is elided in the MS it is necessary to
retain it for the syllable count.

118/7	Kayfas. Two syllables; cf. 88/4 where it is three syllables.

118/7	zy zey (MS). One of these is clearly superfluous as the syllable
count is exceeded. Maybe the scribe realised he had made an error but
did not fully correct it.

118/8	An unusual form of causal clause using gul + may + subjunctive;
cf. G.M.C.  §141(6);: ``rarely may with the subjunctive''; G.M.C.(2)
§141(7)

119/1	Kaifas.  Three syllables; see 88/4 note.







                    			




121/2	I have put in the brackets in the hope of adding some clarity to
this unusual word order.

122/7-8	A conditional sentence in the form of an indirect statement
after Yn hy holonn a worra in 122/6. The verb of the main clause, to is
imperfect indicative. See References to Cornish Simplified II, page 22,
and G.M.C. §328(6); G.M.C.(2) §344(7) The latter states that the verb in
the `if' clause may be indicative or subjunctive. The MS spelling laze
suggests ladha, which would be indicative, and this is what Hooper and
Pennaod have printed. C.S.II prints latha, which would be subjunctive,
and I have followed this. However, grammars prior to G.M.C. do not
insist that the final stem consonant should be devoiced in the
subjunctive so maybe ladha as printed by Hooper and Pennaod could also
be taken as subjunctive. 	

		










123/2	dell welsa. See Language Notes, page 11-16

123/5	meur dhremas. I have mutated dhremas following G.M.C. §54(2a);
G.M.C.(2) §57(2a), ``meur used as an adjective meaning `great'''. There
is no mutation in the MS, Hooper or Pennaod.

123/8	ha'th ladha. Hooper and Pennaod read a'th ladha and Hooper
translates: ``would come vengeance from thy slaying''.

124/1	Onan esa. See Language Notes, page 13 (Long forms of bos in
nominal sentences). 

124/6	War dhydh.  The MS, Hooper and Pennaod all miss this mutation.

125/5-6	Hooper and Pennaod give these two lines as: Lemmyn, myreugh, a'n
dus ma pynyl a vyth delyfrys. This, presumably, is to avoid the
difficulty of pe nyle in the MS. Nance suggests it is for pyneyl yua and
I have used an apostrophe to indicate this.

125/7	skila. ``Could be 3rd singular present  =  `is there a reason?'''
(Hooper). However, he translates: `Say there is a reason'. In the
context leverewgh skila seems to imply that a reason can be given for
releasing Christ but not Barabbas. Cf. use of Ty a wel  =  `You can
see'. See Language Notes, page 10.ooperHoo    

					         

					        







				




126/6	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

127/4	heb vileni. See 80/7 note.

127/7	I have followed the rather colourful Breton translation of
Pennaod: evel foll penn-da-benn although he places a query by it, as
this seems to fit better than Hooper's `altogether in ignorance'. Pilate
feels more and more that Jesus is foolish to the point of insanity (cf.
verse 120) and this is here brought to a climax. However, Wella Brown
suggests `in ignorance' means that Pilate would chastise Jesus even
though he was ignorant of any justification for the punishment.

128/2/6	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

128/2/6	yn krows gorrys; yn krows ledhys.  Both phrases mean
`crucified'. See Language Notes, page 11.







	




129/1	ze war breder (MS).  Hooper reads this as dhe war breder, and
translates: `at a kindly thought'. Pennaod reads dhywar breder and has
the cognate words in his Breton translation, which Ken George interprets
as `on the spur of the moment'. This does not really fit the context so
I have followed Hooper, taking the dhe as meaning `in accordance with'
[G.M.C. §141(9); G.M.C.(2) §141(10)], and war as `careful'.

129/4	Dhe.  Both Hooper and Pennaod have dha but it must be a misprint.

129/6	o'ta.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

129/6	Mab Den. It seems appropriate to take this in the biblical sense
of `Son of Man' rather than the usual Cornish sense of `human being', in
which sense G.M. recommends hyphenation. Hooper translates: `human and
God'. Nance gives an Map a Dhen for `the Son of Man' and indicates it to
be Late Cornish, but it is not given as such in Gendall's `A Students'
Dictionary of Modern Cornish' though mab den occurs twice in C.W. in the
sense of `human being'.

131/1	Yn skorjys.  This is the instrumental use of yn meaning `as whips'
or `for whips'. See G.M.C. §44; G.M.C.(2) §47(4).

131/1	prennyer esa. See Language Notes, page 13 (Long forms of bos in
nominal sentences).  

131/4	'mysk.  The Kernow version of  the MS gives yn mysk in full but
this creates an excess syllable so I have followed Hooper in eliding the
yn. 







					




132/2	y fons ow kronkya. The preterite of bos with the present
participle is unusual. See G.M.C. §228(1); G.M.C.(2) §243(2). Here, the
more usual esens would necessitate an extra syllable.

132/3	goeth.  G.M. gives goeth as `stream' and gwythi as `veins', both
developments of Old Cornish guid. Clearly `vein' is intended in this
context but I have followed the MS, Hooper and Pennaod and used goeth as
gwythi is too long. Nance gives goth as `vein' or `stream'. gwythi is
used in 183/7 with this same meaning

132/4.	y revya  The MS, Hooper and Pennaod all miss this mutation.

132/8	wharse (MS) This is the Stokes and Nance reading but it is taken
as wharfe (pret.)by Hooper and Pennaod. I have taken it as a pluperfect
but again, as in 74/4 (fastsens) the pluperfect is not really
appropriate.










135/1	A finna.  Hooper prints Afyna'n and Pennaod A fynna in their
Unified versions. I take it as the superlative of fin meaning,
literally, `from the finest top', i.e. `from the very top'. Hooper has
`From the (very) crown of His head'. Wella Brown suggests fin  =  `last'
as in dydh fin.

135/5	a-der.  Hooper and Pennaod both have ader. G.S. gave a-der OR adar
but G.M. gives only a-der. The MS dar needs an extra syllable to
complete the count.

135/7	Hooper and Pennaod have Del lever an Lyver dhyn, presumably to
correct the rhyme pattern. I have not used capitals for either lyver or
`book' as I am doubtful whether these words actually are in the Bible.

136/2	Hooper and Pennaod print A burpur rych o dyghtys. I have kept
dyghtys as against dyskis of the MS because Hooper says dy'sky would be
contrary to Scripture and tradition. However I am not convinced it can
be completely ruled out so I have added the alternative translation in
brackets.

136/2	purpur.  In ancient times, and probably here too, purple was a
deep crimson, not a mixture of blue and red as nowadays. The purple here
seems to echo the blood in the previous verse.

137/4	esya. Hooper corrects to jesya but esya is gesya  =  `to mock'
with soft mutation after  y.	

137/8	ranna. The current American usage of `to share' = `to impart
information' seems appropriate for translation here.

			                     






					




138/1	an keth welenn.  Although it is in the MS, Hooper and Pennaod omit
the mutation.

138/5	boksow lies. Normally lies precedes a singular noun; see G.M.C.(2)
§83(5e)

138/8	settys.  Hooper and Pennaod have syttys but this spelling is not
in Nance or G.M.

139/7	gorwith.  Ken George suggests this. Hooper and Pennaod print
gorquyth.

139/8	gwayt.  As read by Hooper and Pennaod, though the MS suggests
gwith with little difference in meaning. 

	dinatur.  Hooper translates literally `unnatural', in the older sense
of `without natural affection; monstrous; heinous' (Chambers). I feel
this is inappropriate for a modern translation and that `vilely
ungrateful' is a reasonable paraphrase. 

140/2	unn lowarth. unn used as an indefinite article. See Language
Notes, page 10.

140/3	This line is effective but ogas has to be taken as an adjective
and pell as an adverb to explain the use of  o  and esa in accordance
with G.M.C. §314(3); G.M.C.(2) §331(3) and §315(3a); G.M.C.(2) §332(3a).
See also 200/2.

140/6	This line supports the use of a-dro with articles of clothing
recommended on page 13 of Notes on Spoken Cornish by Rod Lyon and John
Pengilly, and also in A Students' Dictionary of Modern Cornish by
Richard Gendall. Edward Lhuyd gives the same usage on page 250 of his
Archaeologia Britannica published in 1707. 

140/6/8	Kweth esa;  esens a-dro.  See Language Notes, page 13 (Long
forms of bos in nominal sentences).

  






	




142/4	mernans (MS). ``Formerly thought to be merwens by Mordon.''
(Hooper). This would then mean `Let him die'.

142/6	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

142/8	dempnys.  I have assumed that the  a  of the MS will become  e  by
vowel affection. See G.M.C. §12 & 194/1; G.M.C.(2) §14-16 & 189 It now
rhymes or assonances better with elwis, desempis, and ledhys in the
preceding lines.

 

       	     










144/1	wovynnis, following MS, Hooper and Pennaod for the sake of the
rhyme. The normal ending is -as.

144/2	o'ta jy. See Spelling Notes, page 15.

144/6-7	Read as A ny wodhes bos ow maystri dhymmo?

144/8	Bo, following MS, Hooper and Pennaod. Possibly there is
intentional alliteration with bos in 144/7. Nance gives both po and bo
for `or'.

145/5	moy...yn ta. Nance gives this as `yet more' which makes Hooper's
`indeed' unnecessary.

146/4	Ny dheu. Hooper and Pennaod have Ny'th o for the ny ze of the MS
and Hooper translates `thou art not  getting'.

146/3/8	Sesar (MS). The  S  must be due to English or French influence.
The hard  c  sound of Latin words is usually preserved in Brythonic, cf.
Welsh Cesar and Cornish yskynna  =  `ascend'. 

146/5	in ny (MS) All editors except Stokes take this as mar ny and I
have followed this.

146/6	yn krows. See Language Notes, page 11.

 






					




147/2	gansa  =  `from them'. See G.M.C. §147(6); G.M.C.(2) §147/7.

148/1-2	Hwi a vynn...my dh'y ladha.  Mynnes is usually followed by orth
+ noun or pronoun without dhe. See G.M.C. §292(4); G.M.C.(2) §306(4).
Wella Brown suggests that Hwi a vynn my dh'y ladha puts Pilate further
away from the deed as a personal act.

148/4	na vedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

149/1	Pilat.  Hooper and Pennaod replace this by ef, presumably because
there is an excess syllable. But the name seems too important to omit at
this climactic point so I have put an apostrophe for the particle  a 
before wolghas.

149/3-8	The Blood Curse occurs only in Mt 27 v.25, `His blood be on us,
and on our children' (A.V.). The Poem adds Pilate's words, Rag a'y woes
venjans a dheu, and bedhes nevra from the Jewish crowd. The words of
Caiaphas in P.C. 2501-3 (Sandercock edition) are nearer to the
Scripture: 

				Mar te venjyans-vyth ragtho,

				warnan-ny ef re gotho

				ha war oll agan fleghes.

149/8	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

					    







	




151/2	A-berth yn krows.  See Language Notes, page 11.

152/6	huthewon (MS). On page 231 of his Archaeologia Britannica, Edward
Lhuyd comments that words beginning with a vowel are often prefixed with
 h, e.g. Dhen Hydhewon  =  `To the Jews'.

152/6	Notice the effective parallel with 151/6, although it is rather
forced into the syntax of the sentence.

152/8	Dredhi.  This appears to refer to aval in the previous line as
though it were feminine. It is marked masculine in Nance and G.M. Breton
aval is masculine. Welsh afal is given as masculine and feminine in the
Geiriadur Mawr.





(Alternative translation)

	The timbers were fetched for the cross to be prepared quickly. On it
Christ who was willing, would be placed for us and on the tree a fruit
would be borne that was sure to save us. It was the tree which bore the
fruit through which we were lost because Adam took the first bite of it.





153	This verse is one long sentence of `The House that Jack built' type,
a long concatenation of clauses. Two translations are offered, the first
as literal as possible in one sentence, and the second broken into three
sentences and therefore slightly less literal, but, hopefully, easier to
follow.

154/1	nyns o.  One would expect nyns esa, the long form of bos showing
possession, with an indefinite noun subject; see G.M.C. §237 G.M.C.(2)
§253(1). However, this would not fit the rhyme scheme and would create
an excess syllable.

154/2	yn krows  =  `crucified'. See Language Notes, page 11.

154/3	hwalsons (MS).  Hooper queries whether whylsons, `they did seek',
was intended.

155/2	Hooper and Pennaod have emended this line to Pur wyr, dhewhy
kentrow-vyth presumably so that the vyth immediately follows the noun to
which it refers, as is normal.

155/4	prenvydh.  Future of prena. See G.M.C. §195(2); G.M.C.(2)
§197(2f). 

155/7	vannaf. (MS) Nicholas Williams (§4.9) suggests this pronunciation
with a in the first syllable was considered as slightly substandard and
marked the smith as a manual worker. This verb is commonly spelt with  a
 in the stem in Bywnans Meryasek,

.			






		




156/4	own y vones ledhys.  own followed by an appositional genitive
without  a  is unusual. See G.M.C. §126(8d); G.M.C.(2) §126(8d). Perhaps
the  y  should be read as  a.  But cf. 174/8.    

                    

                                                    

156/7	yn fas  =  yn5  +  mas.    

156/8	synsi.  Hooper and Pennaod print synsys but this must be a
misprint.

157/5	Meur varth.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in omitting the  a
 in the MS as this would represent an extra syllable.

158/5	yn unn fistena.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

158/7/8	wodhvo; gwrello. The imperfect subjunctive appears to be used in
the MS for the present. See Language Notes, page 10.

					    

			







					  




159/5	Dewdroes. The use of the dual with troes is unusual in the texts.
Here it completes the syllable count and harmonises better with dhiwleuv
in the following line. But see also G.M.C. (1) §41 and G.M.C. (2) §45

160/1	an kentrow. I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in inserting the an
as it seems more appropriate and the line is a syllable short without
it.

160/6	piw ella dh'y doen  =  `who might go and carry it'. The
subjunctive expressing doubt in an indirect question implied by the
previous clause. See G.M.C. §328(5), G.M.C.(2) §344(5).

160/8	degi.  The imperfect showing future in the past. See G.M.C.
§215(4); G.M.C.(2) §228(4).

161/4	A-dro dhodho.  Cf. 140/6 note.

		    






					   




162/1	i a vynna.  Mynnes can imply the future only (see  Nance, page
273) or, in this case, the future in the past. 

162/2	Galvari. I have kept the mutation as in the MS as it is the only
time the name occurs in the poem.

163/1	dreus. Mutation after a noun preceded by dew. See G.M.C. §93;
G.M.C.(2) §96.

164/5	unn skochfordh.  unn used as indefinite article. See Language
Notes, page 10.

164/6	mar  =  `to see if'. See G.M.C. §328(5); G.M.C.(2) §344(5) .

			     






			




165/7	klamderis.  Retained for the sake of the rhyme; normally
klamderas. See G.M.C. §183, G.M.C.(2) §180

165/8	tethas (cothas) (MS) All my editors (even Stokes!) accept the
alternative reading of koedhas = ``fell'' and I have followed this. I
suggest, however, that teudhas = ``melted'' is not impossible. See psalm
68 v.8. It may be a metaphor to express Mary's horrendous distress.

166/5	dharn.  Hooper and Pennaod have improved the rhyme by reading ran
but I have kept with the MS.

167/3	Magdalenen.  The final  n  seems to be for the rhyme only. It
would be an accusative ending in Greek but I cannot find it elsewhere in
Cornish writings or in the Gospels.

167/6	dhierbynna.  G.M. has dyerbynna but this would leave the line a
syllable short. See also 174/1.






				




168/2	yn unn arma.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

168/5	meur.  Strictly this seems to apply to fleghes only, but Hooper
and Pennaod have, logically, taken it also with benynes and I have
followed this.

170/5	war anow.  I have followed Hooper in translating this as `openly'.

170/6/8	mara teu...fatell veu. Hooper and Pennaod print mara te...fatell
ve as in the MS and I take this to be the present of dos and the
preterite of bos. These forms fit the metre and rhyme scheme, but normal
grammar would require mara teu...fatell vydh or mara teffa...fatell via.
Hooper translates `in the dry and hateful tree, surely then how might it
be?' Cf. Lk 23 v.31 `For if they do these things in a green tree, what
shall be done in the dry?' (A.V.). Most modern versions have `wood'
which is nearer to the Greek and prenn can mean both.









171/7	Ha'n loes.  Hooper and Pennaod omit Ha'n as it brings in an extra
syllable, but the sentence seems to need it so I have kept it and elided
the  a  in kemmeras; cf. 3/4.

171/8	klamderas.  Cf. 165/7 note.

172/6	Yn anken.  Hooper and Pennaod take this as referring to Jesus. I
have taken it as referring to Mary, or, more literally, Mary's heart.

173/1	En golyas (MS).  Hooper and Pennaod take this as A'n goelyas  = 
`from the wakening' and treat a wodhevis in 173/2 as a relative instead
of main clause.

173/4	dres pub maner.  =  `exceedingly': See G.M.C. §144(3); G.M.C.(2)
§144/4.

173/7/8	Rag dhodho...Doen.  Nance (under rak/g) gives don rag dhodho  = 
`carry any further'. However, G.M.C. §155(1); G.M.C.(2) §154 takes rak
as a positional prepositon governing through dhe, and translates: `he
would not be able to carry the cross before him', but this does not fit
the context so well so I have followed Nance.

173/8	grows rag y wannder.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in
inserting the  y  to make up the syllable count. Maybe the gwander of
the MS should be read as y wander, as  g  and  y  are often similar in
MSS. Stokes reads grows as grow(y)s in the MS. The spelling growys is
unusual but does appear at 2/7 where it does not appear to occasion an
extra syllable.  

		







	




174/1	dierbynnas.  Cf. 167/6. Again,  a trisyllable would leave the line
a syllable short.

174/3	Gwas.  Hooper and Pennaod take this as the subject of leveris, but
it seems more likely that Simon is being addressed as Gwas and the verb
is impersonal imperfect, `One/They said'.  This also agrees with Stokes.

174/8	kavoes y ankow. Cf. the Welsh idiom cael ei ladd  =  `get his
killing', i.e. `be killed'. I have translated accordingly rather than
literally `getting his death' as does Hooper.

175/3	Ny wrens.  Hooper prints Ny rens and translates `They gave'. This
translation is adequate but the reading seems doubtful.

175/4	Lemmyn.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

175/6	Bova. Confusion of imperfect/present subjunctive. See Language
Notes, page 10.

175/8	an fals.  Adjective used as noun; cf. G.M.C. §88; G.M.C.(2) §90.

176/1	yn unn fistena.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

176/2	kyns.  The MS has ganso but this involves an additional syllable
and sets the question Piw ganso?  So I have followed Hooper.  

176/7	vee (MS).  Hooper prints ve and Pennaod prints ve-a. Both read as
a preterite tense, but the pluperfect via fits the rhyme scheme and the
sense better.

		










177/1	Unn venyn.  This seems to parallel the Unn den in 174/1 though the
man is biblical and the woman is not. See Notes on the Poem and its
Sources, page 33. Hooper omits `certain' in 177/1 though he has it in
174/1. I have included it in both verses for the sake of the
parallelism, though possibly the unn is a simple definite article in
both. See Language Notes, page 10.

177/2	Dell o.  See Language Notes, page 12.

177/5	Unn kweth.  See Language Notes, page 10.

177/6	A-dro dhodho.  See 140/6 note.

178/4	yn an grows.  y'n is normal but yn an is needed for the syllable
count.

178/5	Mayth ella. Confusion of present and imperfect subjunctive. See
Language Notes, page 10.

179/7	lazijs (MS). G.M. gives latthya with the meaning `to latch'. This
must be the same verb though the meaning is not very appropriate. The
ending -ijs (MS) for past participles corresponds with verbal nouns in
-ya having a p.p. in -ys or -yes in K.K. Here -ys seems better to rhyme
here with tekkys and gorris above.   	









180/3	Y fylli moy es troes-hys.  Hooper says this does not rhyme. It
would do if the  n  in the corresponding rhyming syllables were weakened
to the point of inaudibility as often seems to be the case with such
words. I have kept the MS version though Hooper and Pennaod follow
Nance's suggestion of a voy es troshes fallens.

180/4	hi na hedha. It is most unusual to find a subject pronoun
preceding na in a negative subordinate clause. Normally one would expect
na hedha hi but this would not rhyme. David Balhatchet suggests a full
stop at the end of 180/3, making 180/4 a separate sentence, by reading
ny instead of na.

182/2	may tensons hy (MS).  Hooper prints may's to correspond as an
infixed pronoun with the hy. I have taken the hy to be the plural
pronoun  i.      






					




183/5	a ylli.  I have followed Hooper in taking this as a consecutive
clause depending on mar vilen in 183/4. may hylli would be normal, see
G.M.C. §334; G.M.C.(2) §350. Perhaps the line should start a new
sentence leaving mar vilen without any clause depending on it. 

183/7	ha'y wythi.  I have assumed the  g  of the MS should read as  y 
following G.M.C. §51; G.M.C.(2) §54. Hooper has has gwythy which must be
a misprint and Pennaod has ha gwythy.

183/8	an krowsprenn.  I have followed Hooper. Pennaod omits the doubtful
an of the MS and prints esa-va to make up the syllable count.

184/2	festys.  Vowel affection [G.M.C. §194(1); G.M.C.(2) §189]. Hooper
has fasthes and Pennaod fastes.

185/2	yn krows.  See Language Notes, page 11.

185/6	'ga nisyta,  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in eliding the
first  a  of aga which creates an excess syllable.

185/7	my ny wonn.  Hooper says ``evidently a scribal error''. The line
is based, presumably, on Lk 23 v.34, ``Then said Jesus, `Father forgive
them; for they know not what they do.''' (A.V.). The change from `they'
to `I' is certainly strange, especially as the my ny wonn is so
emphatic. However, I have followed the MS rather than substitute ny
wodhons as Hooper and Pennaod have done, and tried to convey the
emphasis by adding `even' to the translation.

				







		




187/2	vewnans (MS).  I have followed (with Hooper and Pennaod) the
reading vernans. suggested by Stokes and Nance.

187/5-8	Hooper gives this note from Nance: ``A miracle story. Pilate
might write whatever he chose - it always read the same.''

187/8	hemma (MS).  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in omitting the
final  a  as it represents an excess syllable and is not normal when
followed by yw.

188/2	Henna.  In this case, although the final  a  is abnormal, it is
necessary to complete the syllable count.

188/3/5	bedhes. See Language Notes, page 13; 3rd singular imperative.

					       

	







				




189/2	fast.  Hooper suggests this might go with esa and refer to Jesus
rather than tekkys and the charge sheet.

190/3/4	marreg (MS).  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

190/4	ran nayse (MS).  I have taken this as rann 'nedha. Hooper and
Pennaod read ran may fe but this does not rhyme so well.

191/4	o'ta.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

	





					




192/7	mall.  Clearly used as an adjective though Nance and G.M. give
only as noun with the basic meaning of `haste' which does not make much
sense here. I have followed Hooper. Cf. Lk 23 v.41 `and we indeed
justly' (A.V.).

193/8	genama.  ``Probably colloquial: in other texts gene is common.''
(Hooper). I have presumed the K.K. spelling will be the same as the MS
and Unified.

					       






					  




195/1-2	War aga dewlin. See G.M.C. §50; G.M.C.(2) §53

195/2	pe rag (MS) I have followed Nance, Hooper and Pennaod in reading
this as dherag.

196/3-4	a'ga min Orth Yesus a omgamma. Literally: `twisted themselves in
their faces'. Wella Brown regards this as a use of  a  comparable with
G.M.C. §126(4); G.M.C.(2) §126(4)  The nearest example there is gwenys
veuv a'm troes = `I was stung in my foot.' Hooper and Pennaod print y
omgamma. Following the MS, I assume that the subject of omgamma is  i 
in 196/1 in a compound nominal sentence. Omgamma is given in G.M. and
G.M.C. §153(8); G.M.C.(2) §152(9) but not in Nance.

196/7-8	The present participle ow prena evidently qualifies dhodho,
probably in imitation of the Latin use of the dative present participle.
The literal sense is: `This was to him redeeming our sin a hard end.' I
found the following example of the Latin construction in Nunn. It is a
from a hymn by St. Bernard: Quam pius es petentibus, sed quid
invenientibus?: `How good thou art to those who seek, but what to those
who find?'  

197/2	A-berth yn krows.  See Language Notes, page 11.

197/3	o'ta. See Spelling Notes, page 15.

e. G.M. gives Davydh.

197/6	Cf. the Charter Fragment line 35: Y'n eur na y'th syns dhe vos
mestres = `Then he will acknowledge you to be mistress.'







		




198/3	vam (MS).  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in reading vaw which
is clearly intended.  M  and  W  are easily confused in MSS.

200/5	Tewolgow bras a veu gwrys.  `A great darkness was made' is not
natural English and I suspect the Cornish is a word-for-word translation
of the Latin factum est which literally means `was made' but can also
translate as `became' or `took place' and is very common in biblical
Latin, e.g. Verbum caro factum est: `The Word was made/became flesh.'
(Jn 1 v.14).

200/6	feth  =  `face'; cf. 115/3 note.

200/7	marthus. This appears to be plural through all the dictionaries
give it is sing.

				                     






						                                    




201/4	Eli, Eli. Mt 27 v.46 has Eli, Eli. Mk 15 v.34 has Eloi, Eloi. The
cry is not mentioned by Luke or John, but John 19 v. 28 quotes Jesus as
saying `I thirst.' (A.V.).

201/5	strirya. (MS) This was previously read as scrirya with the
presumed meaning ``to describe'' but the word is found several times as
styrrya in the Tregear Homiles clearly meaning ``to mean''. (Nance
writing in Old Cornwall Summer l951) 

201/6	prag y hys'sta vy? Hooper points out that this is colloquial for
prag y'm gys'ta vy? P.C. 2957 has prag y'm gyssys? as the cry of Jesus.

201/7	'ynnias.  I have elided the particle as the long  i  in ynnias
creates an excess syllable not allowed for in the MS or by Hooper of
Pennaod. May be a ynnyas?

202/5	Yn unn spong.  unn is necessary to make up the syllable count,
though shown only in the Kernow MS version and in brackets. It acts as
an indefinite article. See Spelling Notes, page 10.

202/7	yn hast,  accepting the emendment from fast made by Hooper and
Pennaod.

203/5	Hooper and Pennaod insert ha before drehevel and create an excess
syllable. Grammar requires ha, dhe or rag but I feel poetic licence
sanctions the omission.

203/7-8	I have followed Hooper's translation which allows a concessive
meaning to the Ha. Cf. 86/8 note.

203/8	Dhiworth. For A-dhiworth. See 12/4 note.







						




204/3	enev gwynn.  Hooper has `spotless soul'

204/4	yn lan. See G.M.C. §252; G.M.C.(2) §267. Normally yn causes fifth
state mutation which would leave glan unchanged. Here second state
mutation has occurred

205/2	Note the parallelism with 204/2, which may be the reason for the
na rather than ny as would be normal in a main clause.

205/5-6	Mar poessa...hi a'n grevya. A conditional sentence with an
imperfect subjunctive in both clauses. Cf. G.M.C. §328(3note). This note
is omitted in G.M.C.(2)

205/7	a wre an prenn.  Hooper has a wre a'n pren and translates `and
still worse it would be from the wood.'

205/7/8 a wre...mara'n gorra.  Wella Brown suggests that these two
imperfect indicative verbs in a conditional sentence imply
`whenever/every time'.

206/4	dell yw skrifys.  Hooper and Pennaod emend to yth yw skrifys and
treat the next four lines as direct speech. I take them as the main
statement following on from Y'n eur na, with dell redyn ni and dell yw
skrifys as parenthetical; cf. 209/2.

206/6/8	esa parys...o kevys. See G.M.C. §315(3e); G.M.C.(2) §332(3e). In
both these cases the subjects are indefinite (tylleryow and tyller) and
should therefore require the long form of bos as they are followed by
past participles. So, does the  o  imply that the place which Jesus
lacked was definite,  or is it just to fit the metre?

				

				

		







					


						Lk 24 v.46		



207/4	ny ylli.  Hooper and Pennaod have emended this to na ylli and
treated it as a subordinate clause dependent on the previous one. It
seems better to treat it as a main clause.

207/5	War-tu ha. The somewhat surprising alteration of wor'tu ha to
war-tu ha in G.M. is supported by the MS in this case.

207/8	It is difficult to convey the pathos of this line. I have borrowed
Hooper's translation on which I cannot improve.

208/2	Unn den. See Language Notes, page 10.

208/4	Keniver.  Followed by a singular noun; see G.M.C. §70(4);
G.M.C.(2) §72(4). 

208/4	marthusi is used as an adjective qualifying tra. Nance gives it in
its K.U. spelling, marthusy, as a plural noun, though G.M. gives the
form marthusyon as plural of marthus. 

209/2	dell yma skrifys. See G.M.C. §316 (del) G.M.C.(2) §332(6 dell).
Yma is used with a past participle when the subject is indefinite, but
here `what is written' seems pretty definite. Cf. 206/4 which has dell
yw skrifys. Maybe the yma, here, is just a line filler.

209/3	Dorgrys esa.  See Language Notes, page 13 (Long forms of bos in
nominal sentences).

	






		    

       



						


210/7	dhustunia.  The  i  needs to be long to make up the syllable count
and to assonance with ena and sita. It is marked long in Nance but
G.M.C. §188(6); G.M.C.(2) §23(4) and G.M. give it as short, with the
spelling dustunya. G.M. points out the permanent lenition from the Latin
testimonium. The MS spelling here zustynee shows that a secondary
lenition has now taken place. The final double ee suggests the long i of
dhustunia, as -ya is commonly used in the MS spelling for the ending
with the short i sound, as in K.K.. 

211/7	sogete (MS). Hooper and Pennaod have sojta which they take as
plural as required by the context, though Nance gives it as sing. G.M.
emends this to sojets. I have followed this though in previous prints I
have suggested soj'ta and I still prefer this. One syllable has to be
removed to fit the syllable count. The only other occurrence of the word
is in C.W. where it is used as an adjective and spelt as in English.

 

211/8	grevys. Both Hooper and Pennaod print grewys, presumably a
misprint.










213/2	evef (MS).  Normally Eva in O.M. and C.W. The strange spelling
here appears to be intended to rhyme with nef, ef, and creff but it
creates an excess syllable. Maybe it suggests that the final  f  in such
words was becoming inaudible. Hooper and Pennaod have Ef which I have
followed, changing it to the K.K. form.

213/4	geffo (MS).  The present subjunctive ending used for the
imperfect. See Language Notes, page 10.

214/1	Unn burjes. Unn used as indefinite article. See Language Notes,
page 10.

214/2	A Baramat follows the Kernow reading. Pennaod, following Stokes,
reads a haramat and gives  A Aramat in his Unified version. Hooper
prints Ab Aramat. P.C. 3099 has Josep Baramathya, and Josep Baramathia
in the preceding Latin stage directions. As Hooper's version suggests,
the  b  probably arose from ab Arimathaea (`from Arimathaea') in the
Latin gospel. 

214/8	hardh dh'y notya  =  `bold enough to...'. See Language Notes, page
11.

215/7	worhemmynnis.  Hooper and Pennaod have worhemmys, which is a
syllable short. The MS woromynnys, though a little strange, does have
the correct number of syllables, as do the normal K.U. and K.K.
spellings.

215/8	Mires ... mars o. See G.M.C. §328(5); G.M.C.(2) §344(6).







	

		




216/1	I am indebted to Hooper for his brilliant translation of this
line.

216/4	yn krows. See Language Notes, page 11.

216/4	ow kregi. Hooper and Pennaod omit the ow. It is difficult to see
why. 

216/5	war y feth.  Hooper and Pennaod emend to worth y feth. Maybe the
original writer used war to avoid repeating the worth in line 3. See
115/3 note on feth.

216/7	Y tesevsons. None of the meanings for desevos in Nance or G.M.
seems adequate here. Hooper has `presumed'. Perhaps `dared' might be
better as also in C.W. 630 quoted in Gendall's A Students' Dictionary of
Modern Cornish.  

216/8	Notice the parallel mention of the heart of Jesus here and in
217/8 and 218/8.

217/2	Unn marghek. Unn used as indefinite article. See Language Notes,
page 10.

 

217/2; 218/3  marghek.  See Spelling Notes, page 13.

217/8	golonn Yesus henwys. Hooper translates `the sacred heart of Jesus'
and Pennaod's Breton is similar. Presumably henwys is taken as a
transferred epithet, anticipating the modern devotion to the Sacred
Heart which dates from the eighteenth century. (Chambers) 

218/8	mayth eth e.  I have followed Hooper's and Pennaod's emendation.

	







					    




219/6/8 o goesys; o dyghtys.  See Language Notes, page 12.

220/5	ny welen yn fas.  See Language Notes, pages 14-15.

	

221/2/6	pan welas...dell dheveras  =  `when she saw how it poured'. See
Language Notes, pages 15-16.

221/6	dell dheveras.  The MS, Hooper and Pennaod all miss this mutation.

	

						







					      




222/5	a ranna.  Imperfect subjunctive used for conditional. See G.M.C.
§328(3) note. This note is omitted from G.M.C.(2).

222/6	tristans.  ``Used for the rhyme: elsewhere always trystyns.''
(Hooper). G.M. says tristyns is apparently a variant of tristans.

223/2/6	The metaphor seems to take the arrow-head as being `grief,
compassion, natural and human feeling,' and the tail `compassion secured
fast with love,' bearing in mind that it is the tail that keeps the
arrow straight. Maybe it is inspired by the `clothing' metaphors in the
Epistles, e.g. Colossians 3 v.12 & 14: Ytho, yn tus dewisys gans Dyw,
sans ha meurgerys, gwiskewgh tregeredh, kuvder, uvelder, klorder,
godhevyans ... ha dres oll an dillas ma, gwiskewgh kerensa, yw kolmenn a
gowlwra pub tra. (R.E.) The A.V. does not bring out the metaphor
clearly.

223/4	densa.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in emending from
denseth for the sake of the rhyme though the dictionaries do not
recognise this spelling in this sense.

224/1	yw ragleverys.  Cf. Lk 2 v.35, `Yea, a sword shall pierce through
thy soul also.' (A.V.) It must mean more than just `already mentioned'
as in Stokes and Hooper.

224/2	tynn. Omitted by Hooper and Pennaod, presumably because it is an
excess syllable.

224/8	droka loys (MS).  The MS spelling suggests the  g  of drog is
unvoiced in this context in spite of P.S.R.C. page 90. Perhaps it should
be spelt drok a loes in the  K.K. version. For this construction see
G.M.C. (1) §86. The separation of droka into drok a also seems suspect
as a similar construction exists in a one word form in Breton (Hardie
§28). I am grateful to Nicholas Williams for this reference.

						










225/1	dagrennow tri.  See G.M.C. §105(4), G.M.C.(2) §105(4).

225/3	Nyns o konfort. Hooper has `there was no comfort', but this
assumes the long form of  bos.

225/4	a wrello (MS).  Present subjunctive used for the imperfect. See
Language Notes, page 10.

225/8	anfeudh.  ``alternative form of anfus like feth and fas in
Ordinalia and 115/3.'' (Hooper). It is retained for the rhymes though
G.M. recognises only anfeus.

226/5	dherygdhi.  For a-dherygdhi.

227/2	yn krows. See Language Notes, page 11.

227/3	j'oue.	Hooper says ``French j'ai ouï `` ( = `I have heard') but it
seems more likely to be the present tense. The Old French verb ouïr: `to
hear' became oyer in legal Anglo-Norman of the fourteenth century
(Pope), which could give jou-e, pronounced as two syllables, as 1st
sing. present tense = `I hear'. This gives the correct syllable count
and the final unstressed and neutral e  fits the rhyme scheme. 

227/6	I have introduced a full stop after pymthek. Hooper takes the
following pur wir as adverbial and the whole verse as one long sentence.






	




228/6	A bederow. I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in reading the Ha of
the MS as  A followed by soft mutation. 

228/7	a woliow. The metathesis owleow in the MS looks like a scribal
error. Hooper and Pennaod print olyow but I cannot find any
justification for this form.

229/6	A wrug followed by may and the subjunctive; see G.M.C. §141(6);
G.M.C.(2) §141(7). The subjunctive has the form of the present in the MS
though the imperfect is needed here. See Language Notes, page 10.

  

229/7	hware.  G.M. points out that hware frequently rhymes with words
like tressa.

230/5	krowsprenn  follows Hooper's and Pennaod's emendation to make up
the syllable count.	

230/8	P'eur.  One would expect pan as this is not a question, direct or
indirect.

230 	has the rhyme scheme; a b b b a b a b instead of the usual
repetition of the a b pattern.







					




231/1	amma  is usually followed by dhe; cf. 65/6.

	(Verses 232 and 233 are discussed at some length by J.C. Zeuss in his
Grammatica Celtica as an example of poetica britannica. His version
differs from the MS I am using and, according to Stokes. comes from the
Davies Gilbert edition of 1826.)

232/1	a vynnas (MS).  Zeuss, Hooper and Pennaod all take this as a ewnas
but Stokes translates as ``whitened''.

232/2	Y arrow. G.M.C. (1) §41 and G.M.C. (2) §45 point out that the dual
is more usual than the plural for parts of the body.

  

232/3	del yn whas (MS).  Hooper and Pennaod read ef del vewas. Zeuss
says that whas means `custom' according to an old English translation
(Keigwin's?) but is otherwise unknown, and compares the word with Breton
boas with this meaning. He also inserts ve after del to make up the
syllable count. I have replaced this with  o  which seems more
appropriate, and followed Zeuss.

232/4	ystynnas pur deg.  Curiously Zeuss' Latin translation is detersit
pure (`washed cleanly'). It is hard to see how he gets this but it makes
more sense of the pur deg.

233/1	unn lowarth.  Unn used as an indefinite article. See Language
Notes, page 10. 	 

233/2	nyn io parys (MS).  I have followed Zeuss, Hooper and Pennaod in
emending this to bedh o parys, although Zeuss points out that two
English versions have `now' and `not'.

233/4	Nowydh parys.  Hooper and Pennaod read this as Noweth o,
presumably to avoid the excess syllable. Zeuss follows the MS.

233/4	nyns o usys.  See Language Notes, pages 16-17.    

233/5	yntredha.  Cf. 176/3.

233/7	Curiously again, Zeuss corrects this line to Hag a heys the
crowethe, wrongly comparing it with 25/5, ow crowethe, and saying the
metre is faulty. He seems to be under the impression that the initial  w
 resulting from mutation counts as a syllable.

  

							






					       




234/3	Ev nyns o hardh.  =  `He was not bold enough.' See Language Notes,
page 11.

234/4	own kavoes y ankow  =  `fear of being killed.' See 174/8 note.  

236/8	Bedha myghtern.  The habitual imperfect of bos showing the future
in the past, i.e. what was going to happen. Y fedha would be normal but
this would create an excess syllable.

		

			           






	




237/4	gavel.  Does this mean more than they could hold (pick up, carry)
or more than they could encircle with arms outstretched and hands
joined?

237/4	tredden.  ``Perhaps the words used for singers of `three men's
songs.' (Old Cornwall, April 1929, R.M.N.)'' (Hooper) It is in Nance but
not G.M.

237/8	``hy refers to Mary Magdalene: John XX. 1 (R.M.N.)'' (Hooper) I
see no reason for assuming this and have taken the hy as referring to
nos which is a feminine noun. 

238/5	Hooper and Pennaod read: Ma's yth ens parys dhe well, and Hooper
translates: `that unless they were better prepared.' He also gives a
note: ``or, Mar nyns ens: `if they were not'''. My reading depends on
gwel being feminine. Nance gives it as m. or f.  but G.M. as m. I take
it to mean that, after discussion, the Jews realise more fully what the
disappearance of the body of Jesus might entail. Wella Brown suggests:
Mayth ens i parys dhe well, = `so that they would be better prepared.'

238/8	y sevi.  A good example of the imperfect showing the future in the
past.

239/1	Yn unn stevya.  See G.M.C. §228(2). G.M.C.(2) §243(5)










240/2	A-dherag.  Hooper and Pennaod print Ha dherag.

240/4	y sevi.  	Future in the past; cf. 238/8.

242/8	Yn gwithens.                    ditto.

240/6	caffan ny (MS).  Imperfect subjunctive for present. See Language
Notes, page 10.

241/4	eskerens.  The  y  which precedes this word in the MS creates an
excess syllable and is confusing. What would `his enemies' mean? Whose
enemies? I am therefore assuming it is a scribal error and omitting it.
Hooper and Pennaod keep it but elide the first vowel of eskerens to
avoid the excess syllable. This does not explain to whom `his' refers. 	

241/7	yn unn fistena.  See G.M.C. §228(2). G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

241/8; 242/2  marghek. See Spelling Notes, page 15.

242/4	y'n dhiwen.  I feel my translation is an appropriate idiom. Hooper
has, more literally, `armed right up to the jaws.'

242/8	orth y eghenn.  See G.M.C. §153(5); G.M.C.(2) §152/6 A useful
phrase! 

					






					    




243/1	varghogyon.       See Spelling Notes, page 15. 

244/2; 245/1 marghek.  	     ditto.

243/5	Den apert.  Hooper and Pennaod read Dew apert, but it is the
humanity, not the divinity, of Jesus that is emphasised here. R.D.
follows with a long speech from Mary emphasising her human love and
grief for her son.

244/1	helergh.  In their translations, Hooper and Pennaod avoid saying
it was late, although Mt 28 v.1-4 indicates the soldiers were still
there when the women arrived and this also occurs in the York
Resurrection (Cawley).

244/3	feth.  Cf. 115/3 note.

245/6	Gallas.  Perfect of mos. See G.M.C. §203; G.M.C.(2) §205.

					      










246/1	Marghek.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.	

246/1	gowsas.  Cf. 247/1 ending in gewsis. These two verbs have the same
meaning and give the two verses parallel first lines, but fit in with
-as and -is rhymes respectively in their verses.

246/2	Go-ni.  I have followed Hooper and the Kernow MS. Pennaod follows
his own reading govy.

246/4	unn hun.  unn used as an indefinite article. See Language Notes,
page 10. 

246/7	treussyn. Hooper takes this as from troessa = ``to pack'' (truss).
However Stokes takes it as treusi = to cross and I have followed this as
it makes better sense. I am indebted to Keith Syed for drawing this to
my attention.

 

247/4	war anow.  Cf. 170/5.

248/1	yn unn fistena.   See G.M.C. §228(2); G.M.C.(2) §243(5).

248/3	Y'n dyskens.  Hooper and Pennaod read Y'n dustunsons  =  `They
testified to it.' It seems more likely to be the imperfect of dyski,
probably showing the future in the past, although dyski is normally
followed by dhe rather than a direct object.

248/8	na vo colenwys (MS).  The present subjunctive used for the
imperfect. See Language Notes, page 10.  







			




250/2; 251/1  varghogyon.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

250/3	lavarsans (MS) Read as lavarrens (imperf. subj.) by Stokes, Hooper
and Pennaod to form a purpose clause rather than a result cluse.

250/3	dolos. Hooper says ``Mordon suggested `to give out falsely' as
Latin dolose''. On this basis, presumably, it is included as such in GM
and Nance's dictionary. I wonder, however, whether it is not just a form
of dyllo = ``to publish'' which is how Stokes translates it.

250/7	hardh dhe.  See Language Notes, page 11.

250/8	Lemmyn.  See Spelling Notes, page 15.

251/5	krev ha bras.  Cf. 226/1. In each case the paynys krev ha bras are
contrasted with sharp relief from them in the following line, though in
the case of Mary the suffering actually occurred but was only feared in
the case of the soldiers.









252/3	cleyr (MS).  Hooper reads as clor and translates the phrase `meek
and mild'. I have followed Pennaod who reads cler though his Breton
translation sklaer (`bright') does not seem appropriate.	

252/4; 254/4  leverys. How could the writer so belittle a noble theme
with such trite line fillers!

254/2	powessens.  Presumably a pluperfect. Hooper reads as a simple past
tense.

254/5	Unn flogh. See Language Notes, page 10. 

254/6	i ny wodhyens.  Cf. 152/6.









 255/1	a gewsis dhedha.  kewsel orth or gans is more usual. Perhaps dhe
is used here because the angel is thought of as addressing the women
formally. Cf. gows orth in 257/8 where the disciples would converse with
Jesus informally. 

255/3	Nasara.  I have followed the spelling of Hooper and Pennaod, just
altering the  z  to s  for the K.K. spelling. The rhyming suggests the
last syllable is a neutral vowel.

255/5	gen le.  Similarly it appears that the le has a neutral vowel.
Maybe it should be spelt la as in dornla. It is a pity K.K. does not
have a unique symbol for the neutral vowel.

255/6	Den apert.  Cf. 243/5. Again Hooper and Pennaod emend this to Dew
apert. The Kernow MS. shows the den as contracted in the original MS.
but not in 243/5. This may introduce some doubt but `God' is almost
always du in the MS, not easily confused with den unless it is
contracted. The angel's words are quite similar in all four gospels but
they offer no help here.

256/4	Galila.  Cf. 85/4. The MS now has the mutation for the first time.
It seems more acceptable following dhe than  a  which is often the case.

256/5	kuv kolonn.  Cf. 101/1 and note.

256/8	Yn kig yn goes.  Cf. yn kig yn kneus, e.g. R.D. 199, which seems
to mean the same.

257/7	Bys Galila.  I have followed Hooper and Pennaod in omitting the yn
to fit the metre, though its omission is not normal after bys.





							

					       



258/1	Galila.  Cf. 256/4 note.

258/4	Den apert.  Cf. 255/6 note. Here the Kernow MS does not show
contraction. The mention of denses in the previous line also suggests
that den rather than Dyw is the    correct reading.

258/5	bayn.  Hooper reads bayns and translates `pains'. Pennaod reads
bayn but translates plural boaniou.

258/6	Ha trelys ens.  Hooper and Pennaod emend to trelys o, and refer
the verb to bayn in the previous line. I have taken the ens as referring
to the disciples who have come to Galilee. Cf. Lk 24 v. 52; `...and
returned to Jerusalem with great joy.' (A.V.). Admittedly, this was not
in Galilee but the idea could easily have been transferred. This makes a
literal translation awkward so I have repeated `joy' which I hope will
make it clearer.

However, Wella Brown is of the opinion that bayn(s) should be taken as
plural and ens referred to it to mean: `All his pains had passed him by
and were turned into great joy.'

259/1	Hooper emends this line to Del sevys Cryst a'y veth-ef with a note
saying that Nance suggested this as probably restoring the original, or
alternatively, Cryst del sevys a'y veth-ef. Pennaod prints the second
suggestion. I have kept to the MS. Although ev rhymes better with the  b
rhymes in the rest of the verse, the final syllables of all the lines
assonance together more or less, within the normal toleration limits of
the poem and add a certain gravitas to the final verse.