Rhown ein goleu gwan i'n gilydd
Ar hyd y nos.”
Arthur’s mind roughly translated the words from long ago memory. He had learned Welsh from his dearly departed grandmother, a daughter of Wales herself, and to hear it sang thus in her native language brought him comfort. His mind turned to Edward Jones’ English translation of the song, though not entirely accurate in its authenticity, it had a beauty all its own.
“Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.
While the moon her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night
O'er they spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night.
Love, to thee my thoughts are turning
All through the night
All for thee my heart is yearning,
All through the night.
Though sad fate our lives may sever
Parting will not last forever,
There's a hope that leaves me never,
All through the night.”
When the last notes of the song had faded into the night, Arthur sighed in nostalgia and moved on down the street. Sometime later, he found himself humming the last bars of the song quietly to himself.“Though sad fate our lives may sever, Parting will not last forever, There's a hope that leaves me never, All through the night.”Given the events of the night, he felt that the song’s parting message was quite apropos. “If hope is all that I have that remains o’ she and I, then tae hope I will cling.”
* * *
The Earl of Dustshore had sent word to Henry Wallace’s colleagues in London, that the invited tea had been changed to a supper in the professor’s memory. Everyone that they had met at the British Museum the day before had responded that they would be delighted to attend, with several of them bringing others within the academic world who had known and liked the professor. Cleo’s mind was a tumultuous tidal wave of emotion as she prepared for the evening’s festivities.
