| TAMARA | TAMARA | ||
| Pol Hodge | trans. Pol Hodge (from Cornish) | ||
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Cornwall, Devon - one Celtic land, everyone's speech was British because it was a bit before Cornish. So instead of waffling about, let us go to the south of the land, on the cliffs, there is a cave. This was the home of two spirits with a great hatred for lights, daylight was banned for them. But this earth spirit and his wife had a daughter young and fine and she had a name so sweet. Tamara was her name She was not like her parents, she liked the daylight. In the golden young light of a morning, her hair shone as brilliant as the gold of the gorse flower. She spent all of the day travelling along a road over hill to play on the Bodmin Moor. She liked the blue sky and being amongst the big rock-piles - everything open and all the space. But also on that moor there were two awfully strong giants wrestling one against the other. The first giant was named Taw. He was very big but still only a boy with his head in the rain clouds. And also there was Tavi who loved to wrestle endlessly. The giants were so strong and big. Tamara walked to the moor. Two big, strong youths saw her and with that they stopped. "Oh! In God's name. And who's she?" asked the giant Tavi with the two lads watching her. Says giant Taw "And who are you?" "My name is Tamara" she says without fear of them. She continued "And who are you two?" "I am Taw" - "I'm Tavi", simultaneously shouted the giants. Taw spoke to her these words "I am the strongest in all Cornwall, there's not a single man stronger in the land." His friend interrupted "Perhaps true," Tavi said, "I'm the more handsome of us." Tamara answered thither, "Without a single doubt Taw, you are stronger, and you Tavi, are the more handsome." She had given a promise to her father to leave and be home before night, and so she says "I must go. "Goodbye, see you both." With the coming of the sunset, they shouted, "Well, goodbye." The next day she was early searching for her two friends. and they were there of course. She played through the day , with her new found friends amongst the carns and in the bushes. But with the finish of each day, there was an end to the play. To go home before night was her intention. And on wet and sunny days, the three, to the moor, raced to play together lovingly. The years were passed, Tamara was a grown woman and she was beautiful as well! Their desires became stronger. She didn't choose between them but she liked the affection. One day came to them a time of destiny for our three. The red sun had set. Maid's promise was broken, A long time ago - a finished day. Her furious father came. Taw loved Tamara but arguing for him might have been useless. And he ran away. Taw, with great fear, hid himself behind big granite carns in order to watch the daughter and her father. The father says, "Where are you? Ah! You must come with me." But daughter says "I do not want to. I'm not a baby - I am a woman. And I don't want to leave now. I am old enough to know the time." With red face, he didn't answer. He thought terrible thoughts. Then her father said... "By magic and the druid's power, Maid will be a river of water. Change the women in her immaturity!" Awful words, but special, turned the so unlucky daughter to a tiny pool, to a trickle, to a small, swift silent stream, to a noisy brook and to a river, to the River Tamar before us. Starting in Stratton County, Highlands of North Cornwall, isolated place of Cornwall with an astounding border. Suddenly the father was filled with reget. Tavi the giant was grief stricken, makes a request for compassion. Sadly, Tavi the giant said, "I don't want to continue without her. I have lost love. Change me like her, our mingled waters thither. We will race to the sea. "By magic and the druid's power, river of water the giant will be. Turn this man in his maturity!" His body was dissolved to water and there was a flood big enough to make a river - the giant gone. Devonshire source, not in Cornwall, but Tavi went to a confluence with her to race southwards. Because his daughter was lost to him, father with heart heavy and broken, went home never again to be seen. But this myth is without an ending: Taw the giant hid himself. He grieved for his love. Through the autumn, also a long winter, without love or a true freind, Taw wandered about the land. Until one night at the end of the day, he came across a witch on a hill, and she had power like a druid. Says the giant to the ancient mistress, "Hag, can you with your strength, help me? What I want is very difficult." This sad man was interrupted, "And I know what you want, to be water and go with Tamara. "Well, if you want to have what you want you must pay a bag of silver or be so sad all your life." "And now," Taw replied, "Between us there will be a bit of business. Here is the money - the bargain is made." "By the power of every druid, change this giant in his immaturity. A Devon river the giant will be." Firstly, feet were a pool of rain, then more water than the boy, then a river - Taw was gone. In Devonshire - she put him, his sad waters stuck and never to mingle with Tamara. Taw is far away on his own, but Tavi with wide Tamar, together a rivermouth of salt tears. The Kingdom of Dumnoni was split and Devon lost to the English, By the Tamar - we are kept. On our bank there is Saltash, Launceston, Lyner, Gunnislake, Torpoint and St. Ann's Chapel. On the other bank there is Welltown with Dunerton and Liftondown, Milton Abbot, Plymouth, Blanchdown. Tamar waters with the Tavey were/are/will be our definition for ever and ever. Amen. |
Copyright © Pol Hodge 1996 - publ. Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek Fentenwynn