Cyfri'r Geifr

I learnt this song while studying Welsh on the Welsh Language Summer School at the University of Wales, Lampeter in June 2007. It usually starts fairly slowly then gets faster and faster, apart the first part. Another name for it is Oes gafr eto? (Is there still a goat?). It's a popular test piece at choral competitions.

Cyfri'r Geifr

Oes gafr eto?
Oes heb ei godro,
Ar y creigiau geirwon
mae'r hen afr yn crwydro.

Gafr wen, wen, wen,
Ie finwen, finwen, finwen,
Foel gynffonwen, foel gynffonwen
Ystlys wen a chynffon,
Wen, wen, wen.

Counting goats

Is there another goat?
There is, one that hasn't been milked
On the craggy rocks
the old goat is wandering

A white, white, white goat
Yes, a white lip, a white lip, a white lip
a bald white tail, a bald white tail
a white flank and tail, white-white-white

Repeat the first part, then the second part substituting different colours for wen (white): ddu (black), goch (red), las (blue), and repeat the second part with each of the colours. So you start with white, then black and white, then red, black and white, etc, getting faster each time.

A recording of this song:

This song can also be heard on the following album:

Links

Words and tune for this song
http://www.sing4wales.com/saesneg/?page_id=16
http://caneuongwerin.co.uk/cyfri'rgeifr.html

Various versions of this song
http://ingeb.org/songs/whereist.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyfri'r_Geifr

Other songs in Welsh | Songs in other languages

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