The Book of Common Prayer in Welsh

The Church in Wales, for whom this Prayer Book served for several centuries, is the direct descendent of the original Christians in Wales. Like the Episcopal Church of Scotland, it is Anglican but not an established, or state Church. Unlike the Episcopal Church of Scotland, however, it was far more identified with and similar to the Church of England through most of the past 450 years.

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England was used as the Prayer Book in Wales up until 1966, when trial liturgies were introduced, followed by a Prayer Book specific to the Church in Wales in 1984. Revision is still ongoing, and a new Communion service was authorized in 2004, in English and in Welsh. Additionally, the Church in Wales has several other services online, both in English and in Welsh.

The text used here is two sources: a Welsh-only Book published in Oxford in 1896 for the Psalter and Ordinal, and a Welsh / English (parallel column) Prayer Book published in 1938 for everything else. Accordingly, the prayers for the reigning monarch and royal family refer to King George VI and his family (Queen Victoria in the Ordinal); this has not been updated. The 1938 book omits the Ordinal. Both of these books appear to be completely identical translations for those portions they have in common.

We also have an older all-Welsh Prayer Book from 1788 (see title page at left). Apparently the Welsh translation was updated in 1841, but cursory examination of the two texts indicates that very few changes were made, aside from changes in the titles of some services. The 1788 text appears in David Griffiths' Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer as 192:36; the 1896 text is 192:61; the 1938 text is 192:67. Google Books also has a Welsh / English Prayer Book online, published in 1823 by the Clarendon Press of Oxford (Griffiths 192:47). Note that this online version has lines cut off, pages out of order, etc.

Welsh contains three characters which are not part of the normal character set used in HTML. These three characters are printed below twice:

ŵ, ŷ, ỳ

If the two sets of characters above don't match, you won't be able to see these characters properly in the texts and may need to upgrade your browser.

Although I am of Welsh extraction, I know no Welsh, and, while the text has been spell-checked, it is likely that there will be some errors remaining. When these are found, please let me know and I will make the corrections. Understand also that this is an old translation, using the approximate Welsh equivalent of Elizabethan English. Accordingly, spelling and usage differences from Welsh as it is currently used can be expected.

Y Rhagymadrodd
The Preface

Trefn y Weddi Foreol.
Order for Morning Prayer

Trefn y Weddi Brydnhawnol.
Order for Evening Prayer

Credo Sant Athanasius
Creed of Saint Athanasius

Y Litani.
The Litany

Gweddiau a Dïolchiadau ar amryw achosion.
Prayers and Thanksgivings upon several Occasions

Gweinyddiad Bedydd y rhai a fo mewn Oedran addfedach.
Administration of Baptism to such as are of Riper Years

Y Catecism.
The Catechism

Trefn Conffirmasiwn.
Order for Confirmation

Ffurf Gweinyddiad Prïodas.
Form of Solemnization of Matrimony

Y Drefn i ymweled â’r Claf.
The Visitation of the Sick

Cymmun y Claf.
Communion of the Sick

Trefn Claddedigaeth y Marw.
Order for the Burial of the Dead

Dïolwch Gwragedd ar ol esgor Plant.
Thanksgiving of women after Child-birth

Y Comminasiwn, neu Gyhoeddiad Digofaint a Barnedigaethau Duw yn erbyn Pechaduriaid.
A Commination, or denouncing of God's anger and judgments against Sinners

Y Psallwyr, neu Psalmau Dafydd.
The Psalter, or Psalms of David
Psalmau 1-49; 50-101; 102-150

Ffurfiau o Weddi i'w harfer ar y Môr.
Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea

Ffurfiau o Weddi ar Gylchwyl dydd Dyfodiad y Brenhin i'r Orsedd.
Forms of Prayer for the Anniversary of the day of Accession of the Reigning Sovereign

Y XXXIX. Erthyglau Crefydd, a’u Taflen.
39 Articles of Religion, and Tables [of Kindred and Affinity]