Tylwyth Teg poem

Fairy Trail Tour Label Navigation previous buttonNavigation next button
button link to welsh translation

Tylwyth Teg poem

To round off the trail of ancient Hiraethog fairy stories, here’s a poem written by Sarah Dolan.

The Tylwyth Teg

From inside the forest,
where daylight daren’t venture,
shadow of fairies
begin their adventure.

Dancing with sunbeams,
disturbing the trees,
scattering pollen,
rustling leaves.

Laughing at raindrops,
rolling in mud,
answering woodpeckers
tapping on wood.

Singing with robins,
playing cards with a crow,
building a fire
and waiting for snow.

Spying a mortal,
they take him in hand
with moral instruction
and lessons pre-planned…

Listen to wisdom
or all things will turn bad.
Please don’t be stubborn
and don’t look so sad.

Make friends out of strangers,
have respect for your peers,
be kind to your neighbours,
spread laughter not tears.

Listen to wisdom
or things will turn bad.
Watch out for the nettles
and keep to the path.

From inside the forest
where daylight takes fright
the shadows of fairies
return for the night.

Dancing with stardust
under the moon,
scattering shadows,
gathering gloom.

Tickling daffodils,
rolling in moss,
calling to owls
and making them cross.

Laughing at morning,
waking a fly,
painting a ladybird
waiting to die.

From inside the forest
we’ve bottled a dust
to share with the world
through the hands we can trust.

We’re not sure what’s in it,
it isn’t alive,
but we hope that its tale
will always survive.