Takla Makan - Y Garreg Wen

YouTube via bellerob | February 02, 2011 |
Tony Allgood of Oakley Sound
"Takla Makan is the artist name of Tony Allgood.
Tony has been producing music for three decades. His main influences are Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream. However, over the years inspiration has come from many sources including the late 80s rave scene, classical works and film soundtracks. This mix and match of musical genres has come together in a style that is distinctly Tony's and won him considerable acclaim from listeners and EM critics all over the world.
He has produced five albums and the last four are available as CD-Rs from the artist's website. For a long time Takla Makan had problems finding a home on a commercial label. Many have been approached but the difficulty in tying his music down to a particular genre has scared all too many of them. Even so, Tony has been selling CD-Rs direct to the public for many years. Nowadays his music is alo available through synthmusic direct.
"Y garreg wen"is from Tony's brilliant album "1632". ( 2003 )
http://www.oakleysound.com/music.htm
http://www.oakleysound.com/

Dafydd y Garreg Wen is a traditional Welsh air and folk song.
David Owen, the famous blind harper and composer, lived near Porthmadog in Caernarfonshire, Wales in the first half of the 18th century, who was known locally as Dafydd y Garreg Wen, (English: David of the White Rock). The epithet Y Garreg Wen (English: The White Rock) was the name of the farm near Morfa Bychan in which he lived.
Tradition has it that as Owen lay on his death bed, he called for his harp and composed the haunting air. He died at the age of 29 and was buried at St Cynhaearn's Church near Porthmadog.[1]
The words were added nearly a hundred years later in by the poet John Ceiriog Hughes.

lyrics in Welsh:
'Cariwch', medd Dafydd, 'fy nhelyn i mi,
Ceisiaf cyn marw roi tôn arni hi.
Codwch fy nwylo i gyraedd y tant;
Duw a'ch bendithio fy ngweddw a'm plant!'
'Neithiwr mi glywais lais angel fel hyn:
"Dafydd, tyrd adref, a chwarae trwy'r glyn!"
Delyn fy mebyd, ffarwel i dy dant!
Duw a'ch bendithio fy ngweddw a'm plant!'

English translation:
'Bring me my harp', was David's sad sigh,
'I would play one more tune before I die.
Help me, dear wife, put the hands to the strings,
I wish my loved ones the blessing God brings.'
'Last night an angel called with heaven's breath:
"David, play, and come through the gates of death!"
Farewell, faithful harp, farewell to your strings,
I wish my loved ones the blessing God brings.'"