Sosban Fach

Sosban Fach (Welsh for "Little Saucepan") is a traditional Welsh folk song. It is one of the best-known and most often sung songs in the Welsh language.

The song catalogues the troubles of a harassed housewife. The song is mostly associated with the rugby union club Llanelli RFC and, more recently, the Scarlets regional rugby side. The association derives from Llanelli's tin plating industry, which used to tin-plate steel saucepans and other kitchen utensils as a cheap supply to the British public. During the final years of Stradey Park, the former ground of Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets, the goalposts were adorned with Scarlet saucepans as a tribute to the town's history; the utensils have been transferred to the clubs' new ground, Parc y Scarlets. Also, the Scarlets' official magazine is titled Sosban.

This song is alluded to in the book Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It is also used as background music in The Goon Show episode The Mighty Wurlitzer, with one character telling another, "I've come to bring your saucepan back." The Welsh rock band Man during the 1970s sometimes brought the Gwalia Male Voice Choir on stage to sing the song during shows. In the Steptoe & Son episode The Lead Man Cometh Harold Steptoe says "Saucepan vach and all that" in an attempt to speak Welsh.

Lyrics

Welsh Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo, A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach. Mae'r baban yn y crud yn crio, A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach. Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân, Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr, A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach. Dai bach y sowldiwr, Dai bach y sowldiwr, Dai bach y sowldiwr, A gwt ei grys e mas. Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi gwella, A Dafydd y gwas yn ei fedd; Mae'r baban yn y crud wedi tyfu, A'r gath wedi huno mewn hedd. Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr A'r gath wedi huno mewn hedd. Dai bach y sowldiwr, Dai bach y sowldiwr, Dai bach y sowldiwr, A gwt ei grys e mas. Aeth hen Fari Jones i Ffair y Caerau I brynu set o lestri de; Ond mynd i'r ffos aeth Mari gyda'i llestri Trwy yfed gormod lawer iawn o 'de' Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr A'r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.

English (literal translation) Mary-Ann has hurt her finger, And David the servant is not well. The baby in the cradle is crying, And the cat has scratched little Johnny. A little saucepan is boiling on the fire, A big saucepan is boiling on the floor, And the cat has scratched little Johnny. Little Dai the soldier, Little Dai the soldier, Little Dai the soldier, And his shirt tail is hanging out. Mary-Ann's finger has got better, And David the servant is in his grave; The baby in the cradle has grown up, And the cat is 'asleep in peace'. A little saucepan is boiling on the fire, A big saucepan is boiling on the floor, And the cat is 'asleep in peace'. Little Dai the soldier, Little Dai the soldier, Little Dai the soldier, And his shirt tail is hanging out. Old Mary Jones went to the fair in Caerau, To buy a tea set; But Mary and her teacups ended up in a ditch, Through the consumption of rather too much "tea". A little saucepan is boiling on the fire, A big saucepan is boiling on the floor, And the cat is 'asleep in peace'.

When sung slowly, the melody can deceive non-speakers of Welsh into thinking the song is a hymn than rather than a folk song.

Variations

This song has been adopted by the fans of the rugby region, the Llanelli Scarlets. Many English variations can now be heard in the stands during rugby matches.

After Llanelli beat a touring New Zealand side in November 1972, a new English chorus could be heard:

Who beat the All Blacks,

Who beat the All Blacks,

Who beat the All Blacks

Good old Sosban fach.

Other variations include the following.

Who beat the Leicester Tigers?

Who beat the Leicester Tigers?

Good old Dafydd James

Dafydd James refers to a player who scored the winning points in that game, now the top try scorer in Heineken Cup history.

References

Calcifer from "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones sings this song to Sophie Hatter.

External links

Live performance here :

• http://www.sing4wales.com/saesneg/?page_id=10