Reply to William Gwavas
Original
Miz Ebral Pempas Dydh, sitack canz ha Deg.
Kar ve,
Me ri marci dh’eu rag goz Neudhou vorth an kenzan Den Kernuak, Sera ve reg lavar dhe’m Gomar mab Japhet, mab Noah ve (vo) an Den reg clapia kernuak (en) Termen an Tur Babel ve (vo) Derevalz, ha rag hedna ni el guelas, ha adzhan an tavaz kernuak dha boz tavaz koth ha truadh (triuadh) eu dha boz kellez, boz oun dha ve na vedn an Tavaz ma beska boz kavas arta en uz ni, na Bounaz heb diuadh
- Ma goz screfa compaz, Den fir o vi
- Ha skienz lyk en Tavaz Pou gen ni.
- Na re’au gouas koler, rag screfa vaze
- Gen ol an kolan ve, ma ve goz Guas.
- Dhuan Boson
An Tiz Germo(kriez Stynnorian) Dh’ens Tiz mescieok; Reb oun Deu, ha an Bez, na ell’am lavar idn gear da vorth’an. Rag an termen ma, Deu boz genn’o. JB.
Transliteration
Mis Ebrel, an pempes dydh, seytek kans ha deg.
Kar vy,
My a ro merci dhewgh rag'as nowodhow orth an kensa den Kernowek. Ow sira vy a wrug leverel dhemm Gomer mab Jafet, mab Noy an den a wrug klappya Kernowek en termyn [may] feu an Tour Babel derevys, ha rag hedna ni a ell gweles hag ajon an tavas Kernowek dhe vos tavas koth, ha truedh yw y vos kellys. Bus [ma] own dhe'vy na vedn an tavas ma [nevra] bos kevys arta e'gan oos nei, na bewa heb diwedh.
- Yma agas skrifa kompes, den fur a vy
- Ha skians luck en tavas agan pow ni.
- Na wrewgh kawas koler rag skrifa vas:
- Gen oll an kolon vy, yma vy agas gwas.
- Jowan Boson
Tus Germogh (kries stenoryon) yth yns tus vuskok; heb own Duw ha'n bes, na ellam leverel udn ger da ortans. Rag an termyn ma, Duw bos genowgh. JB.
Translation
My kinsman,
I give you thanks for your news about the first Cornish man. My father told me that the man who spoke Cornish at the time the Tower of Babel was built was Gomer, son of Japhet, son of Noah, and therefore we can see and recognise that the Cornish language is an old language, and it is a pity it might be lost. But I fear this language will never be found again in our time, nor live forever.
- Your writing is correct, my wise man
- And enough knowledge in the language of our country.
- Do not get angry for good writing:
- With all my heart, I am your servant.
- John Boson
As for the people of Germoe (called tinners), they are madmen, without fear of God and the Earth; I cannot say one good word about them. For the time being, may God be with you. JB.
Links
Further reading
Nicholas Williams, Desky Kernowek, page 191
Notes
- PBE notes that before Lhuyd's time, and even after it, academic thinking regarding the Celts "floundered in numerous legends", such as being descended from Trojans who fled to Britain after the fall of Troy, or descended from the Phoenicians, or a lost tribe of Israel, or ancient Egyptians. A more popular theory was that they were the descendants of Noah and Japhet. The only widely read history of Wales until the 19th Century was the 1716 Drych y Prif Oesoedd, in which the author, Theophilus Evans, traced the origin of the British Celts to the Tower of Babel and Welsh to Gomer, the grandson of Noah. Lhuyd was not a subscriber to this view, arguing that the Gaels and Britons were branches of the ancient Continental Celts.
References
- Gwavas Collection, apparently J. Boson’s hand
- The Cornish Language and Its Literature, Peter Berresford Ellis, 1974. p97, 101
