Stevens sang mostly in his native language. His one English-language album is 1970's Outlander. Meic composes most of the lyrics and music on his albums. He is a gifted guitarist, and can perform as a soloist as well as with his band. Although he has fallen short of international fame, it was not musical talent that let him down but personal circumstances. He was signed to Warner Brothers, but does not seem to have done much recording for WB. Today he is respected among Welsh musicians and has several Welsh CDs available from the Sain label in Caernarfon. His early Welsh songs, such as Tryweryn (a Welsh village flooded to provide water for Liverpool) and Merch o'r Ffatri Wlan ("Girl from the wool factory"), are considered classics.
Stevens can still sometimes be found occasionally singing in certain pubs/hotels in Aberystwyth until the late hours. He can also be seen performing regularly throughout Wales and England at major festivals, eisteddfodau, pubs, theatres etc. He performs periodically in France, mainly Brittany where he is very popular.
Tryweryn
Meic Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mae rhosyn ger y drws yn dlws
Ond nid yw'r blodau'n tyfu nawr
Mewn tŷ o dan y cregiau mawr
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Mae'r dŵr uchben fy nhy yn ddu
Ond nid yw'r blodau'n tyfu nawr
Mewn tŷ o dan y cregiau mawr
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Wel mae'r blodau'n tyfu nawr
A mae'r dail yn cwympo i lawr
Mae'r bobl wedi mynd
Mae'r blodau ar y llawr
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
The lyrics to Meic Stevens's song Tryweryn paint a somber picture of a once-beautiful garden now turned dry and lifeless due to the construction of a dam in the Welsh village of Capel Celyn. The opening verses describe the beauty of the garden, with its vibrant flowers and a lovely rosebush by the door. However, the lyrics then take a turn as they describe the state of the garden after the dam's construction. The flowers no longer grow, as they are trapped in a house under a big rock, and the water that used to flow is now sleeping in Tryweryn. This image of "sleeping water" evokes a sense of loss and death, as if the water has been put to rest.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that this is not just a lament for a garden but also for the village itself. The singer describes how the water above his house is black, and the fish in the lake are gone. The people have all left, and the flowers are now on the ground. The chorus repeats the refrain of "Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn," which translates to "cold water sleeping in Tryweryn," further emphasizing the sense of loss and death that pervades the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Mae'r blodau yn yr ardd yn hardd
The flowers in the garden are beautiful.
Mae rhosyn ger y drws yn dlws
The rose by the door is lovely.
Ond nid yw'r blodau'n tyfu nawr
But the flowers aren't growing now.
Mewn tŷ o dan y cregiau mawr
In a house under the big rocks.
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Cold water sleeping in Tryweryn.
Mae'r dŵr uchben fy nhy yn ddu
The water above my house is black.
Mae'r pysgod yn y llyn yn wyn
The fish in the lake are white.
Wel mae'r blodau'n tyfu nawr
Well the flowers are growing now.
A mae'r dail yn cwympo i lawr
And the leaves are falling down.
Mae'r bobl wedi mynd
The people have gone.
Mae'r blodau ar y llawr
The flowers are on the ground.
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Cold water sleeping in Tryweryn.
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Cold water sleeping in Tryweryn.
Dŵr oer sy'n cysgu yn Nhryweryn
Cold water sleeping in Tryweryn.
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@angelajones9129
Love you Meic
@penderyn8794
Enya even did a song about Tryweryn "dan ddwr"
@KTMSparky
Lovely version
@stephencooke6521
<3
@rhysjones8953
Rhys
@BlatteSvartskallsson
Mae’r blodau yn yr ardd yn hardd
mae rhosyn ger y drws yn dlws
ond nid yw’r blodau’n tyfu nawr
mewn pridd o dan y creigiau mawr
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
mae’r dwr uwchben fy nhy yn ddu
mae’r pysgod yn y llyn yn wyn
ond nid ywor blodau’n tyfu nawr
mewn ty o dan y creigiau mawr
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
mae’r blodau’n tyfu’n hardd
mae’r dail yn cwympo i lawr
mae’r bobl wedi mynd
mae’r blodau ar y llawr
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
dwr oer sy’n cysgu yn nhryweryn
@tombartram6842
Essential part o unrhyw Welshie student gig yn yr hen ddyddiau.