Poetry Wales 52.2

Mae'r gaeaf wrth y drws, ac yn ei law mae'r rhifyn diweddaraf o gylchgrawn llenyddol Poetry Wales. Ac mae'n rhifyn trwchus rhag yr oerfel, yn llawn cerddi o bob math a llu o erthyglau diddorol.

Yn eu plith y tro hwn ceir dwy erthygl – y naill gan Llŷr Gwyn Lewis a'r llall gan Grug Muse – sy'n taflu llygad craff ar y sin farddol Gymraeg heddiw. Mae llawer o'r hyn sydd gan y ddau i'w ddweud yn cydganu â phynciau trafod dau bodlediad Clera ar gyfer mis Hydref a mis Tachwedd. Mae'n amlwg fod rhywfaint o fogailsyllu'n dda i enaid unrhyw sin o bryd i'w gilydd.

Mae hen ddigon o destunau trafod yn y ddwy erthygl i lenwi cyfres o bodlediau – i weld y darlun yn llawn, pryna'r rhifyn! Yn y cyfamser, dyma daflu dau ddyfyniad i'r tir gwyllt, ac aros i weld a ddaw unrhyw un i frathu. Y cyntaf o erthygl Llŷr:

We are very fortunate that in Wales and in the Welsh language, poetry is still regarded as a form of popular and public entertainment, and not as an elite activity catering for a select audience. But we must ensure that alongside this worthy and invaluable activity, more is done to innovate and to push boundaries in poetry, to experiment with form, diction, content and viewpoint.

Ac o erthygl Grug, wrth drafod prinder cymharol y merched ar y sin:

Ymhlith y toreth o gerddi sydd yn y rhifyn hwn, ceir dwy gerdd gan Sampurna Chattarji, bardd o Mumbái a chyfaill da iawn a ddaeth ar ymweliad i Aberystwyth ym mis Medi eleni. Ysbrydolwyd y gerdd gyntaf gan un o'r pethau gorau i'w gwneud yn Aber – yfed yn ei thafardai lu! – ac mae'r ail yn ymdrin ag un o leoliadau mwyaf eiconig y dref – glan y môr a'r harbwr. Dyna wych fod Aber wedi ysgogi cerddi newydd gan un o feirdd gorau India! Am gerdd gen i am ymweliad â dinas Sampurna, clicia fan hyn.

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The latest issue of Poetry Wales has arrived, full of new poems and interesting articles, packed tight against the cold just in time for winter. It includes two articles that evaluate the Welsh-language poetry scene today. On the face of it, things have never been better, but all is not as it seems – or so say Llŷr Gwyn Lewis and Grug Muse. Short excerpts from both articles are shown above, provocative observations that chime with much that has been said in two issues of the Clera podcast for October and November. Introspection must be good for any scene from time to time.

​The abundence of poems in the current issue include two by Sampurna Chattarji, a poet based in Mumbai and very good friend who visited Aberystwyth back in September. The first poem was inspired by a mini pub crawl from Scholars to Downies Vaults to the Llew Du – just the two of us drinking in abandoned bars out of season – and the second by a trip to Aber's iconic seafront and harbour. To read about a poem of mine in a previous edition of Poetry Wales that was inspired by a visit to Sampurna's home city, click here.