Lisa Lân

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Lisa
'Lisa Lân' is one of the best-known Welsh folk songs, which has many variants. The Journal of the Welsh Folk Song Society published in 1909 five versions that had been recorded, and performers continue to ring the changes with the melody and the lyrics. The song has been collected in major and monir forms, and also mixolidian (major with flattened 7th) and doric (minor with sharpened 6th) modes. The third version in the 1909 article is in E flat mixolidian mode.

Melody

Lyrics

Here are five commonly sung verses, which I've tweaked a little to give more variety. 
1. Bûm yn dy garu lawer gwaith,		I have loved you many times,
Do, lawer awr mewn mwynder maith;	Yes, many an hour in prolonged tenderness;
Bûm yn dy gusanu, Lisa gêl,		I have kissed you, mysterious Lisa,
Yr oedd dy gwmni'n well na'r mêl.	And your company was better than honey.

2. Fy nghangen lân, fy nghowlad glyd,	My pure bough, my warm embrace,
Tydi yw'r lanaf yn y byd,		You are the purest in the world,
Tydi sy'n peri poen a chri,		You cause pain and anguish,
A thi sy'n dwyn fy mywyd i.		And it is you who steals my life.

3. Pan fyddai'n rhodio gyda'r dydd	When I stroll during the day
Fy nghalon fach sy'n mynd yn brudd;	My little heart becomes sad;
Wrth glywed cân yr adar mân		On hearing the song of the little birds
Daw hiraeth mawr am Lisa lân.		I feel great longing for fair Lisa.

4. Pan fyddai'n rhodio gyda'r hwyr	When I stroll at nightfall
Fy nghalon fach a dôdd fel cwyr;	My little heart melts like wax;
Wrth glywed sŵn y tannau mân		On hearing the sound of the little strings
Daw hiraeth mawr am Lisa lân.		I feel great longing for fair Lisa.

5. Lisa, a ddoi di i'm danfon i		Lisa will you escort me
I roi fy nghorff mewn daear ddu?	To place my body in black earth?
Gobeithio doi di, f'annwyl ffrind,	I hope you will come, my dear friend,
Hyd lan y bedd, lle rwyf yn mynd.	To the graveside where I am going.

Some common variations are to use 'chur' (ache) instead of 'chri' (cry of pain) in Verse 2, and 'fyddwy' rather than 'fyddai' in Verses 3 and 4: the former is a literary form of the subjunctive of the verb 'bod' (to be). Here are two further verses which are sometimes used. Some, at least, of all the verses come from the 'Hen Benillion' (old stanzas of Welsh verse). 

a. Pan fyddai'n rhodio yn yr ardd	When I stroll in the garden	
Ym mysg y blodau sydd yn hardd,		Among the flowers that are beautiful,
Yn torri'r mwyn friallu mân,		Breaking the tender primroses fine,
Daw hiraeth mawr am Lisa lân.		I feel great longing for fair Lisa.

b. Pan fyddai mewn llawenydd llon,	When I am in merry joy,
Fe fydd poenau dan fy mron;		There will be pains under my breast;
Wrth glywed sŵn y tannau mân		Hearing the sound of the fine strings
Daw hiraeth mawr am Lisa Lân.		I feel great longing for fair Lisa.

Recordings

Notes for Welsh learners

  1. "Bûm" is the first person singular of the lieterary past or preterite tense of the verb 'bod' (to be), so means 'I was'.
  2. "Tydi" is an emphatic form of 'ti' (familiar form of 'you')

Vocabulary

  1. Cowlad   embrace, formed from the old word 'cofl' (lap or bosom)
  2. Peri   to cause
  3. Prudd   sad, thoughtful
  4. Cwyr   wax (m, cwyrau)

Duet

Here is a version with the five verses given at the start ot this page, set in C mixolidian, and with a bass part I've added to make a duet of it. Duet Back to List of Songs