Anniversary of passing of Welsh nationalist, poet and pacifist Waldo Williams

Waldo Williams (30 September 1904 – 20 May 1971) was born in Haverfordwest (Welsh: Hwlffordd). He was one of the leading Welsh-language poets of the 20th century, a Christian pacifist, anti-war campaigner, and Welsh nationalist. He used his bardic name Goronwy. His early childhood was spent in Mynachlog-ddu, where his father was the head teacher of the primary school.

Waldo Williams studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and trained and worked as a teacher. In 1941 he married Linda Llewellyn, but she died in 1943. He never remarried and described the two short years of marriage with Linda Llewellyn as 'fy mlynyddoedd mawr' - 'my great years.' He remained a committed pacifist and was a conscientious objector on these grounds in the Second World War. During the Korean War (1950–1953) he refused to pay his income tax on pacifist grounds, as a protest against the war and forced military conscription. He was imprisoned twice in the early 1960s as a result of his refusal to pay tax. 

Waldo was a fervent patriot and in favour of Wales obtaining the right to decide her own future as a nation. He once stood as a Plaid Cymru candidate in the 1959 election and regularly attended Plaid Cymru conferences. In the late 1960s, Waldo taught Welsh to children aged 10–11 at a school in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Abergwaunat, Sir Benfro). He died in 1971 and was laid to rest at Blaenconin Chapel burial ground in Llandissilio.

Cofio

Un funud fach cyn elo’r haul o’r wybren,

Un funud fwyn cyn delo’r hwyr i’w hynt,

I gofio am y pethau anghofiedig

Ar goll yn awr yn llwch yr amser gynt.

Fel ewyn ton a dyr ar draethell unig,

Fel cân y gwynt lle nid oes glust a glyw,

Mì wn eu bod yn galw’n ofer arnom –

Hen bethau anghofiedig dynol ryw.

Camp a chelfyddyd y cenhedloedd cynnar,

Aneddau bychain a neuaddau mawr,

Y chwedlau cain a chwalwyd ers canrifoedd

Y duwiau na ŵyr neb amdanynt ‘nawr.

A geiriau bach hen ieithoedd diflanedig,

Hoyw yng ngenau dynion oeddynt hwy,

A thlws i’r clust ym mharabl plant bychaìn,

Ond tafod neb ni eilw arnynt mwy.

O, genedlaethau dirifedi daear,

A’u breuddwyd dwyfol a’u dwyfoldeb brau,

A erys ond tawelwch i’r calonnau

Fu gynt yn llawenychu a thristáu?

Mynych ym mrig yr hwyr, a mi yn unig,

Daw hiraeth am eich ‘nabod chwi bob un;

A oes a’ch deil o hyd mewn Cof a Chalon,

Hen bethau anghofiedig teulu dyn?