Y ddarn fuddugol yn nghystadleuaeth Gadair Cymdeithas Madog, Cwrs Cymraeg Ar Y Paith, 2002 gan Canolbarthwr (Cheryl Mitchell)

Y Paith

Daeth Cymru a phobloedd eraill i'r paith yng Ngogledd a De America i sefydlu cymunedau i adeiladu ffermydd, ond mae'r gair paith yn dynodi dau beth gwahanol. Ond mae tebygrwydd hefyd.

Mae'r paith ym Mhatagonia yn sych ac yn wastad fel yr anialwch yng ngorllewin y Taleithiau. Does dim llawer o goed yn y Wladfa; dim ond ger Afon Camwy. Yng nghanolbarth Gogledd America, mae'r paith yn llai gwastad ac yn fwy cyfoethog. Mae mwy o laswellt, coed a bryniau oherwydd yr afonydd.

A dweud y gwir mae'r ddau fath o baith yn eithaf tebyg o ran tir, tywydd, pobl, a hanes. Yn y ddau fath o baith, gwelir awyr fawr, golygfeydd agored a digon o le, i symud trwyddo. Does dim llawer o bobl na thraffig ar y ffyrdd. Mae'r tir agored yn achosi, unigrwydd a chyfle i synfyfyrio.

Yn y ddau fath o baith mae gwyntoedd cryf sy'n chwythu'n feunyddiol. Weithiau mae stormydd enbyd. Yn yr haf mae hi'n boeth iawn ac yn y gaeaf mae hi'n oer iawn. Yn y gwanwyn a hydref mae'n eithaf braf.

Oherwydd y tir a'r tywydd mae rhaid i'r bobl weithio'n galed i dyfu cnydau a sefydlu ffermydd. Yn yr haf mae hi'n anodd cael digon o ddwr. Mae'n bosib i ffermwr fethu ac roedd rhaid i rai symud i ffwrdd. Ond mae anhawster yn magu cryfder a chymeriad personol ac yn dod â phobl at ei gilydd. Datblygodd cymunedau clos un y pentrefi. Mae pawb yn wynebu yr yn anawsterau. Mae'r bobl am gael cyfiawnder a chware teg hefyd.

Yn yr hanes fe ddatblygodd cymeriadau cryf fel Tomi Davies a John Daniel Evans yn y Wladfa a John Brown a John L. Lewis yng nghanolbarth y Taleithiau. Roedd rhaid i bobl ddod yn gryf, yn hyblyg a chreadigol i allu wneud yr anialwch yn ffrwythlon. I gloi, dyw'r bobl ddim yn gyfoethog o ran arian, ond maen nhw'n gyfoethog yn fewnol.

Canolbarthwr

The Prairies / The Pampas

The Welsh and other peoples came to the prairie in North and South America to establish communities to build farms, but the word "paith" denotes two different things. But there are also similarities.

The "paith" ("pampas") in Patagonia is dry and flat as a desert in the Western States. There isn't a lot of wood in Yr Wladfa; only near the Camwy River. In mid North America, the "paith" ("prairie") is less flat and richer. There are more grass, trees and hills because of the rivers.

To tell the truth, the two types of "paith" are quite similar as to land, weather, people and history. In both types of "paith", great sky, open scenes are seen with plenty of room to move through. There isn't a lot of people or traffic on the roads. The open land causes loneliness and an opportunity to muse.

In both types of "paith" there are strong winds that blow daily. Sometimes there are huge storms. In the summer, it's very hot and in the winter, it's very cold. In the spring and autumn, it's quite nice.

Because of the land and the weather, people must work hard to grow crops and establish farms. In the summer, it's difficult to get enough water. It's possible for a farmer to fail and some had to move away. But the difficulty developed strength and personal character and brought people together. Close communities developed in the villages. Everyone faced the difficulties. The people wanted to have justice and fair play too.

In history there developed strong characters like Tomi Davies and John Daviel Evans in the Wladfa and John Brown and John L. Lewis in the Central States. People had to become strong, flexible and creative to be able to make the desert fruitful. To close, the people aren't rich as to money, but they are rich inside.

Cheryl Mitchell
Cyfieithiad gan / Translation by John Otley