Cerdd Tafod Arall | Music of Another Tongue: Introducing a cynghanedd-inspired album of poetry
Cynghanedd is a poetic device in the Welsh language where a variety of systems including rhyme and alliteration, or corresponding consonants are utilised to create poems which, at its best, can be as musical as they are meaningful. Although of ancient origins (with examples in the poems of Taliesin in the 6th century), it is a tradition that continues to thrive; a language within the Welsh language that delights and frustrates those who practice it.
Hanan challenged herself and six poets, Nick Makoha, Grug Muse, Hammad Rind, clare potter, Ciara Ní É and Gabrielle Bates, to learn about and use Cynghanedd in their work. Following an online crash course on cynghanedd and Welsh verse delivered by Mererid Hopwood and Eurig Salisbury, the poets composed a piece inspired by what they have learned about this ‘sophisticated system of sound patterning’.
Hanan says:
“I don’t drink alcohol and so Shloer or ‘Nosecco’ is the closest I’m ever going to get to tasting champagne. This is the nearest equation I can make to the way in which I experience cynghanedd. Coined by Wales’ first National Poet, Gwyneth Lewis, the ‘extreme sport of poetry’, cynghanedd means ‘harmony’, as much as one word can be translated into another. And it is an awareness of this chasm of difference between languages that unlocks a deeper respect for the tradition of complex rhyme scheme and consonantal sounds. Welsh is a language of stresses, which is one of the key tools to understanding cynghanedd. The ‘stress’ of English language words are not so blatant. So, if you are an English speaker like me, getting comfortable with noticing the stress of a word is one of the first obstacle courses you encounter when training for this extreme sport.
Historically, bards would be apprenticed for nine years before they were considered competent enough to employ cynghanedd in their poetry. Nowadays the rules governing cynghanedd are still revered yet allowances have been made to enable a wider spectrum of engagement.
Mererid Hopwood is an incredibly generous poet. She is Professor of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth University, the current Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, and I am lucky enough to count her as one of my mentors. A few years ago I was gifted her phenomenal book Singing in Chains, an English speakers’ introduction to cynghanedd, which truly blew my mind. From this seed of inspiration grew the Cerdd Tafod Arall / Music of another Tongue project. I enlisted six poets, each known for their experimental use of language, and together we attended an online crash course on cynghanedd and Welsh verse delivered by Mererid Hopwood and Eurig Salisbury, Creative Writing Lecturer and accomplished cynghanedd poet.
Over the course of a few months, each of the included poets were to compose a piece inspired by what we have learned.
When defining cynghanedd the New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics 1993 edition states: “In the detail and complexity of its patterning, cynghanedd is the most sophisticated system of poetic sound-patterning practiced [sic] in any poetry in the world”.
So we had our work cut out for us!”
On Tuesday 4 March, Cerdd Tafod Arall was featured on Poetry Off the Shelf, an American podcast produced by the Poetry Foundation. Hosted by Helena de Groot, the podcast features conversations with poets about a wide range of topics, including language, dreams, love, loss, identity, and the creative process. The Cerdd Tafod Arall feature included an extended interview with Hanan where she discussed her background, work and her inspiration for this project, as well as discussions and readings with Nick Makoha, Hammad Rind, and Ciara Ní É.
The album, which features readings by each poet of their original work, as well as an introduction by Hanan Issa, can be found on Cerdd Tafod Arall.
Cerdd Tafod Arall | Music of Another Tongue was delivered and funded by Literature Wales with support from the Learned Society of Wales.