The is a type of Welsh folk poem or song consisting of a four-line stanza arranged according to a specific pattern and rhyme scheme. It has lines of 7, 7, 8, 7 syllables with an accentual iambic rhythm, such that lines 1, 2, and 4 each have three accents, while line 3 has four accents. Lines 1, 2, and 4 rhyme together with an unaccented rhyme, while line 3, with an accented rhyme, rhymes with any syllable in the middle of line 4.

The is particularly associated with the Glamorgan () region in South Wales. It is sometimes known as for that reason.

Examples

The following is believed to date from before 1820 from pre-industrial Tredegar:

Line three of the poem also has , a traditional Welsh poetic pattern of internal rhyme and alliteration.

Another references the town of Caerphilly, about 7 miles north of Cardiff. The Piccadilly Inn is a historic local pub located on Piccadilly Square, Caerphilly:

Another mentions the town of Aberdare, near Merthyr Tydful in Glamorgan:.

The following was quoted by a writer in 1754., s.v. . The rhythm of line 3 is slightly syncopated but it still has the usual four accents. In a whisky mill, the "pillows" are the bearings which carry the rollers, and the "bridge" is the frame holding the machinery together; but they are here used metaphorically.

History and Cultural Significance The is believed to have been one of the metres of the (itinerant poets/minstrels) in the Middle Ages. The earliest surviving examples date back to the 16th century. It became a highly popular metre sung all across Wales, but it is uniquely characteristic of the folk poetry tradition of Glamorgan, with examples tied to the Mari Lwyd custom and other folk traditions. However, it is less often heard as a folk poem in Glamorgan today, since the number of Welsh speakers in the region is now only 12% or less.See List of Welsh areas by percentage of Welsh-speakers; Vale of Glamorgan 2021 census; Rhondda Cynon Taf 2021 census.

Quotations in the dictionary show that the was formerly accompanied by the harp ( (1608) or (18th-19th century)., s.v. . It could also be sung by a ploughman to encourage the oxen.See Greg Lynn, External Links below.

The origin of the name ("three parts" or "three limbs") is obscure. One 18th-century scholar argued that the poem is so called because it has three parts, namely line 1, line 2, and then lines 3 and 4 together as a long line of 15 syllables. However, in one of the traditional folk tunes to which it is sung, line 1 is sung separately, then lines 2 and 3 together, then line 4 separately, with a short snatch of music between each part.See External Links below, .

Form and rhyme scheme

In form and rhyme scheme the popular is very similar to the more formal Welsh poetic stanza known as the . One difference is that the has 7 syllables in every line.

The is also similar in structure to the limerick, in that the beats of the are 3 + 3 + 4 + 3, with the main rhyme in the first, second, and final line. However, in the limerick the rhythm is anapaestic rather than iambic, and also in the limerick the 3rd line is divided into two separate parts, each with its own rhyme, making it 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 3 beats..Abercrombie, David (1965), Studies in Phonetics and Linguistics, Oxford University Press: Chapter 3 "A Phonetician's View of Verse Structure". Both the limerick and the are popular in Wales today, and each has its own section as part of the Welsh poetry competition in the National Eisteddfod.Englyn and limerick competition.Triban competition.

The rhyme scheme, in which the last syllable of the penultimate line rhymes with a syllable in the middle of the last line, is found in a number of metres in formal Welsh poetry, such as , and . (For these metres see Traditional Welsh poetic metres.)

Triban and Plaid Cymru Using another meaning of ("peak, summit"),See s.v. . the name is also the name of the former Plaid Cymru logo because it contains three peaks (), which are three triangles in the colours of Wales representing the Welsh mountains. This logo was used from 1933 to 2006, when the party decided to adopt a new official logo of a yellow Welsh poppy. The name is still used, however, for the party's donation scheme.Party of Wales Triban.

Bibliography Jones, Tegwyn (1976). .

References

External links Greg Lynn explains about the (in Welsh) and sings some of them. (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol website.) Tribannau Morgannwg, sung to music by ("The South Walians"), a South Wales folk music group.