David of the White Rock

According to tradition, the Bard David lived in a house called Y Garreg Wen (The White Rock) in a remote situation in North Wales. He was commonly called by his Christian name followed by the name of his house, a common custom in Wales, and one which survives to the present day.Like many other Welsh Bards, David was also a harpist, and is reputed to have had his harp continually at his side. On his death-bed, he is supposed to have asked that his harp be once more placed in his hands in order that he might play just one more tune.The melody he played was afterwards called by his name Dafydd Y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock), and this same melody was performed on a single Welsh harp at his funeral, as was his dying wish.The Welsh words were subsequently added by Ceiriog Hughes in the nineteenth century. Words and melody are now inseparably linked, and are together widely known and regarded as one of the most popular of Welsh Traditional Songs.Richard Bowen (1963)