This bilingual edition of Menna Elfyn's later poetry includes all her work from Cell Angel (1996) and Blind Man's Kiss / Cusan Dyn Dall (2001) as well as the first English translations of Perffaith Nam (2005) and a selection of new poems. The Welsh originals have facing English translations by Elin ap Hywel, Joseph Clancy, Gillian Clarke, Tony Conran, Nigel Jenkins and Robert Minhinnick.

Cyfrol ddwyieithog o weithiau diweddara' Menna Elfyn yn cynnwys ei holl waith Cell Angel (1996) a Blind Man's Kiss / Cusan Dyn Dall (2001) ynghyd â chyfieithiad Saesneg cyntaf Perffaith Nam (2005) a detholiad o gerddi eraill. Y mae i'r testunnau Cymraeg gyfieithiadau Saesneg cyfatebol gan Elin ap Hywel, Joseph Clancy, Gillian Clarke, Tony Conran, Nigel Jenkins a Robert Minhinnick.

English review follows

Mae’n anodd weithiau teimlo’n agos at fardd cerddi rhydd. Proses oddrychol iawn yw eu hysgrifennu, ac mae ystyr a chyfeiriad pob llinell yn amhosib i’w rhagweld. Dyna hefyd yw eu hapêl, wrth gwrs, o’u cymharu â synau disgybledig cynghanedd, neu rythm ling-di-long cerddi sy’n odli.

Dylai, felly, fod mwy o bellter rhwng y bardd a’r darllenwr pan gaiff y cerddi eu cyfieithu i iaith arall, yn enwedig gan feirdd llwyddiannus, gyda’u steil a’u persbectif eu hunain. Ond ar ôl darllen cyfrol ddwyieithog newydd Menna Elfyn o’i gwaith mwya’ diweddar – sy’n gynnwys cerddi newydd sbon – dwi’n synnu mor gynhwysfawr a chyflawn yw'r portread ohoni.

O fewn ychydig dros 100 o gerddi – yn y Gymraeg ar y dudalen chwith, a’r cyfieithiad Saesneg gyferbyn – ceir darlun trylwyr o’r bardd poblogaidd hwn. Ei phlentyndod, er enghraifft, fel merch i weinidog ('Y Cymun Bychan'), ei harwyr llenyddol a gwleidyddol (cerddi coffa am Gwyn A. Williams, Gwynfor Evans, Richard de Zoysa), cariad (fy hoff gerdd ganddi – 'Gwely Dwbwl'), mamolaeth ('Botwm i’r Botwm Bol') a henaint ('Mwlsod').
Ond y pleser mwya’ yn y cerddi ydy’r sylwadau treiddgar ar faterion cyfoes a byd-eang – trafferthion carcharorion ifanc ('Cell Angel'), sefyllfa ôl-ryfel Fietnam ('Papurau Reis'), a phynciau llosg fel llawdriniaeth gosmetig ('Bronnau Ffug'), clefyd AIDS ('Pomgranadau') a newid hinsawdd ('Iâ Cymru').

Does dim diffyg hiwmor yma chwaith – mae 'na gerddi ysgafn wedi’u hysbrydoli gan chwarae ar eiriau ('Geiriau Lluosog am Gariad'), neu gamddealltwriaethau syml ('Morfilod').

Mae gan Menna Elfyn empathi â phawb. Mae ei syniad hi o blentyndod yn sicr yn canu cloch i unrhyw un sy’n cofio’r cyffro o fod y cyntaf i weld y môr, ac mae sawl cerdd am fygythiad marwolaeth sydd yn taro deg, ‘Mynd yn Dywyll’, er enghraifft,, heb fod yn rhy morbid.

Pob clod hefyd i’r cyfieithwyr i gyd, sydd yn gadael eu hol heb foddi llais y bardd gwreiddiol – mae Elin ap Hywel, er enghraifft, yn sgwennu yn fwy sgyrsiol fel arfer, ond yn ofalus i fynegi'r un ystyr.

Mewn ffordd, mae’r teitl Perffaith Nam yn gweddu i’r cerddi i gyd – modd di-drefn ond priodol o fynegi’r sbectrwm o bynciau sydd ar feddwl y bardd.

Catrin Rogers

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It can be hard to feel an absolute understanding of a poet when reading free verse. After all, it is by definition a subjective form of writing, free-flowing and impossible to predict. Therein lies their appeal, of course, as opposed to the more rigid sounds of strict metre, or the sing-song rhythm of rhyming verse.

It should follow, then, that a translated poem places further distance between the poet and the reader, especially if the translator is him or herself a successful poet in his or her own right. But in reading Menna Elfyn’s new bilingual anthology of poetry – which includes new works – I’m struck by the detailed and comprehensive portrait of her it provides.

In little more than 100 poems – the originals in Welsh on the left-hand page, and the translation on the right – you get to know Elfyn very closely, from her childhood as the daughter of a minister ('The Small Communion'), her literary and political heroes (in poems dedicated to Gwyn A. Williams, Gwynfor Evans, and Richard de Zoysa), her love affairs (my favourite is 'Double Bed'), motherhood ('Belly Button Song') and impending old-age ('Mules'). Perhaps even more enjoyable are the poet’s many incisive observations on current affairs, both local and global. These range from the plight of young offenders in borstal ('Cell Angel'), post-war Vietnam ('Rice Papers'), and hot topics such as cosmetic surgery ('Falsies'), AIDS ('Pomegranates') and climate change ('Welsh Ice').

There is no lack of humour in Elfyn’s work – some poems have been inspired by a play on words ('Ten Words For Love and Longing'), or a simple misunderstanding ('Whales').

Her empathy with everyone is noteworthy. She offers in these works a cradle-to-grave tour of the seven ages of man; for example, a child’s obsession with being the first to see the sea. There are several touching poems on the subject of death, such as ‘Going Dim’, which are all but morbid.

The translators themselves deserve credit for putting their own stamp on the poems while writing very faithful and sympathetic new versions. Elin ap Hywel’s translations, for instance, are a little more colloquial than the originals, but always carry the same sense and tone.

In a way, the title Perfect Blemish suits these poems perfectly – a sprawling but appropriate way of expressing the broad spectrum of subjects close to the poet’s heart.

Catrin Rogers

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