JOWAN CHY AN HORDH
JOHN OF CHYANNOR
As told by Nicholas Boson (1624-1708)
Nicholas Boson is thought to have written this story in the 1660's. A phonetic transcription by early linguist Edward Lhuyd was published in 1707. Here is Ian Jackson's version of the story in a spelling based on Standard Cornish but adapted to be more faithful to Lhuyd's text than any previous version in revived Cornish. Here too is a downloadable pdf that allows you to compare easily, paragraph by paragraph, a number of different versions of the story: Lhuyd's original in his own phonetic notation; Robert Nance's edition in Unified Cornish; John Page's edition in Unified Cornish; the edition by Nicholas Williams in Standard Cornish; and a new teaching edition in regular Standard Cornish by Ian Jackson.
Click or tap here for Lluyd's text on-line
John of Chyannor: versions to compare
I’n termyn eus passyes th’era trigys in Selevan den ha benyn in teller cries Chy an Hor’.
Ha an whel a codhas scant; ha medh an den dha y wreg, “Me a vedn mos dha whilas whel dha ’ul, ha why ell dendyl gàs bôwna’s obma.”
Cubmyas teg ev a kemeras, ha pell dha ëst ev a travalyas, ha wàr an dyweth e rug dhos dha chy tiak, ha rug whilas ena whel dha wil.
“Pana whel a’llosty gwil?” medh an tiak.
“Pùb whel oll,” a’medh Jowan. Ena ’njy a vargynnyas rag try pens an vledhen gober.
Ha pà th’era dyweth an vledhen, y vêster a dhysqwedhas dhodho an try pens.
“Mir, Jowan,” medh y vêster. “Obma dha gober. Bès mar menta ry dhèm arta, me a dhesca dhis ken poynt a skians.”
“Dr’ew hedna?” medh Jowan.
“Nâ,” medh y vêster. “Ry dhèm, ha me a vedn laveral dhis.”
“Kemerew’ dhan,” medh Jowan.
Nena medh y vêster: “Kemmer with na wre’ gara an vorr goth rag an vorr nowyth.”
Nena anjy a vargynnyas rag bledhen moy, rag pecar gober. Ha pà th’era dyweth an vledhen, y vêster a dhros an dry pens.
“Mir, Jowan,” medh y vêster. “Obma dha gober. Bès mar menta ry dhèm arta, me a dhesca dhis ken poynt a skians.”
“Pandr’ew hedna?” medh Jowan.
“Nâ,” medh y vêster. “Ry dhèm, ha me vedn lavarel dhis.”
“Kemerew’ dhan,” medh Jowan.
Nena medh y vêster: “Kebmer with na wre’ ôstya in chy lebma vo den coth demedhys dha benyn yonk.”
Ena ’njy a vargydnyas rag bledhen moy. Ha pà th’era dyweth an vledhen, y vêster dhros an try pens.
“Mir, Jowan,” medh y vêster. “Obma dha gober. Bès mar menta ry dhèm arta, me a dhesca dhis an gwelha poynt a skians oll.”
“Pandr’ew hedna?” medh Jowan.
“Nâ,” medh y vêster. “Ry dhèm, ha me a lavar dhis.”
“Kemerew’ dhan,” medh Jowan.
Nena medh y vêster: “Bedhys gweskys dywwe’th kyn gweskel unwe’th, rag hedna yw an gwelha poynt a skians oll.”
Lebmyn Jowan, e na venja servya na velha, bès e venja mos tua dha y wreg.
“Na,” medh y vêster, “rew’ mos hedhyw ha ma gwreg vy o’pobas mettyn; ha hy ra gwil tesen ragos, dhe dhos dre dha dha wreg.”
Ha anjy a worras an naw pens i’n desen. Ha pà ruga Jowan kemeres y cubmyas, “Obma,” medh y vêster, “ma tesen ragos dha dhon dre, dha dha wreg. Ha p’o ty ha dha wreg an moyha lowen warbar’h, nena g’rew’ terhy an desen, na hens!”
Cubmyas teg e kemeras, ha tua ha tre e travalyas; ha wàr an dyweth e rug dhos dha Gûn Sèn Eler. Ha ena ev a vetyas gèn try verchant a Tre Rin, tus pluw, tos dre mes a’n Fer Caresk.
“Hâ, Jowan!” a’medh anjy. “Duw genen ny. Lowen on ny dh’agas gweles why. Py le a veu’ty mar bell?”
A’medh Jowan, “Me a veu servya, ha lebmyn th’eram mos dre dha ow wreg.”
“Hâ!” medh anjy. “Ews bar’ha ny, ha welcùm ty a vëdh!”
Anjy a kemeras an vorr nowyth, ha Jowan a gwithas an vorr goth.
Ha mos ryb keow Chy Wûn, ha nag o an varchants gyllys pell dhort Jowan, bès ladorn a glenas ort anjy. Ha anjy a dhalathas dha wil cry. Ha gans an cry a rug an varchants gwil, Jowan a grias awedh. “Ladorn, ladorn!” Ha gans an cry a rug Jowan gwil, an ladron a forsâkyas an verchants. Ha pà rug anjy dhos dha Varhaj Yow, ena anjy a vetyas arta.
“Hâ, Jowan!” a’medh anjy. “Senjys on ny dha why. Na via rago’why, ny a via tus oll dyswrës. Deus bar’ha ny, ha welcùm ty a vëdh!”
Ha pà rug anjy dhos dha’n chy lebma gôt’fia anjy ôstya, a’medh Jowan, “Me dal gweles an ost a’n chy.”
“An ost a’n chy?” a’medh anjy. “Pan tra venta gwil gèn an ost a’n chy? Obma ma gàn ôstes ny ha yonk ew hy! Mar menta gweles an ost a’n chy, kê dha’n gegyn, ha ena ty a’n cav.”
Ha pà rug e dhos dha’n gegyn, ena e welas an ost a’n chy, ha den coth o e, ha gwadn, o’trailya an ber. Ha a’medh Jowan,“Obma na vadna’vy ô’tya, bès i’n nessa chy.”
“Na whath!” medh anjy. “Gwres cona abar’ha ny, ha welcùm ty a vëdh!”
Lebmyn an hôstes a’n chy, hy a gùnsulyas gèn neb unn vana’h a era i’n tre, ha dha destria an den coth i’n gwely in termyn an nos, ha rest a’njy o’repôsya, ha gorra an fowt wàr an verchants. Ha pà th’era Jowan i’n gwely, th’era toll in tâl an chy, ha ev a welas golow. Ha e savas a’màn a’mes y wely. Ha ev a gosowas. Ha e glôwas an mana’h laveral, ha trailyes y geyn dha an toll: “Martesen,” a’medh ev, “ma nebonen i’n nessa chy, a wrug gweles agan hager-oberow.” Ha gans hedna an gwadn-gerty gans ’y follat a dhestrias an den coth i’n gwely.
Ha gans hedna Jowan gans y golhan, trohas (der an toll) mes a keyn gon an mana’h pîss pòr rownd.
Ha nessa mettyn an gwadn-gerty, hy a dhalathas dha wil cry tèr veu ’y thermas hy destries. Ha rag na era den na flo’h i’n chy bès an verchants, anjy dhal creg ragta. Ena anjy a via kemerys, ha dha an clogh-prednyer ’njy a veu lêdyes. Ha wàr an dyweth Jowan a dheuth wàr aga fydn.
“Hâ, Jowan!” medh anjy. “Ma cales lùck dha ny! Ma agan ost ny destries newher ha ny dal creg racto!”
“Why oll? Meur a whel a’n jù’tycyow!” a’medh Jowan. “Gor tèr o an dhes-reg! Hy mana’ rug an bad-ober!”
“Pywa?” y’medh anjy. “Pyw a rug an bad-ober?”
“Pyw a wrug an bad-ober?!” medh Jowan. “Mar ny’s medra’ dheffa prevy pyw a rug an bad-ober … my a vedn creg racto!”
“Laverow’ dhana,” medh anjy.
“Newher,” medh Jowan, “pà th’era’vy itta ow gwely, my a welas golow, ha my savas a’màn, ha th’era toll in tâl an chy. Ha neb unn mana’h a trailyas y geyn warbydn an toll. ‘Martesen,’ medh ev, ‘ma nebonen i’n nessa chy a ell gweles agan hager-oberow.’ Ha gans hedna gèn ow holhan me trahas pîss (der an toll) mes keyn gon an mana’, pîss pòr rownd. Ha rag gul ow geryow-ma dha vos prevys, obma ma an pîss et ow focket dha vos gwelys.”
Ha gans hedna an varchants a veu fries, ha an venyn ha’n mana’h a veu kemerys ha cregys.
Nena anjy a dheuth warbar’h mes dha Varhaj Yow. Ha wàr an dyweth ’njy rug dos dha Coos Kernwhyly in Beryan. Nena th’era vorr dyber’h; ha an varchants a venja arta dha Jowan mos dre bar’ha ’njy. Bès rag an termyn e na venja, mès e venja mos dre dha y wreg.
Ha pà th’o ev gyllys dhort an varchants ev a dhylâjas an termyn, m’alha va prev era y wreg gwitha compes et y gever, era pò nag era. Ha pà rug e dos dha’n daras, ev a venja clôwes den aral i’n gwely. Ev a wasca y dorn wàr y dagyer dha dhestria an dhew. Bès e brederas tèr godha dhodho bos avîsyes dywwe’th kyn gweskal unwe’th. Ha ev a dheuth a’mes arta. Ha nena e gnakyas.
“Pywa eus ena, in bar’ Duw?” a’medh hy.
“Th’era’vy obma,” medh Jowan.
“Re Faria, pyw a glôw’vy?” medh hy. “Mars o’why Jowan, dew’ chy.”
“Doroy an golow dhana,” medh Jowan.
Nena hy a dhoroas an golow. Ha pà rug Jowan dos chy, medh ev, “Pà rug avy dos dha’n daras, me a venja clôwes den aral i’n gwely.”
“Hâ, Jowan,” medh hy. “Pà rugo’why mos kerr, th’era’vy gyllys try mis gèn lho’h, ha lebmyn ma dha ny meppyk wheg i’n gwely, dhe Dhuw re bo gorseha’s!”
Medh Jowan, “Me a vedn laveral dhys. Ow vêster ha ow vêstres ros dhèm tesen ha laveras dhèm, pàn vo my ha’m g’reg an moyha lowen warbar’h, dha terry an desen, ha na hens. Ha lebmyn ma câss dha ny rag bos lowen.”
Nena ’njy a dorhas an desen, ha th’era naw pens i’n desen. Ha an mona anjy a gavas; ha’n bara ’njy a dhabras; ha na veu udn froth na myken na tra wàr an norvës.
Ha andella ma dyweth me daralla dhodhans.