"Sosban Fach" is a traditional Welsh folk song that has become one of the most famous Welsh songs of all time. You may have heard it sung at the start of a rugby game. A light-hearted and fun song, the title translates to "Little Saucepan" in English, and the song is often referred to by this name as well.
Sosban Fach Lyrics
Here are the lyrics for Sosban Fach. Keep reading if you want to see the English translation, as well as the phonetic translation. You can hear it being sung here.
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.
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Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr,
A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach.
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Dai bach y soldiwr,
Dai bach y soldiwr,
Dai bach y soldiwr,
A chwt ei grys e mas.
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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.
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Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr
A'r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.
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Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
A chwt ei grys e mas.
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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"
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Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr
A'r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.
Note: There is a phonetic translation at the end of this article if you want to learn how to pronounce the Welsh lyrics.
What is the Meaning of Sosban Fach?
Sosban Fach is often referred to as a "nonsense song", detailing the stresses of a housewife.
As you can learn from the English translation above, the song features several characters who have different problems in the home; Mary-Ann has injured her finger, Dafydd the servant is unwell, Johnny has been scratched by the cat, etc. Meanwhile, the housewife is trying to manage saucepans, one of which is boiling over and the other is on the floor!
In the time the song was popularised, the late 19th Century, it would have been commonplace for water to be boiled and dinner to be cooked by placing a saucepan on the fire. Perhaps the second pot is on the floor because there is too much going on.
The main message of Sosban Fach is to keep up your spirits, even when everything seems to be falling apart at home.
As mentioned earlier, the song was an adapted version of Rheolau yr Aelwyd by Mynyddog's.
Sosban Fach English Translation
The following is my own English translation of Soban Fach, which aims to be as accurate in meaning to the original as possible. It may start to become clear why this is often referred to as a "nonsense" song!
Mary-Ann's finger is hurt,
And Dafydd the servant is not healthy.
The baby in the cradle is crying,
And the cat has scratched little Johnny.
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A little saucepan is boiling on the fire,
A big saucepan is boiling on the floor,
And the cat has scratched little Johnny.
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Little Dai the soldier,
Little Dai the soldier,
Little Dai the soldier,
And his shirt tail is hanging out.
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Mary-Ann’s finger has got better,
And David the servant is in his grave;
The baby in the cradle has grown,
And the cat is slumbering in peace.
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A little saucepan is boiling on the fire,
A big saucepan is boiling on the floor,
And the cat is slumbering in peace’.
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Little Dai the soldier,
Little Dai the soldier,
Little Dai the soldier,
And his shirt tail is hanging out.
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A little saucepan is boiling on the fire,
A big saucepan is boiling on the floor,
And the cat has scratched little Johnny.
History of Sosban Fach
Sosban Fach is a Welsh folk song that has become a beloved symbol of Welsh culture and identity. The song is often sung at rugby matches, other sporting events, celebrations, and festivals. It's also become an unofficial anthem for Llanelli RFC so you are sure to hear it at one of their matches.
Sosban Fach originates from part of a song called Rheolau yr Aelwyd (or "Rules of the Hearth" in English) by Mynyddog, the pseudonym for Richard Davies, in 1873.
Mynyddog was a poet, singer and Eisteddfod conductor born in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, who took his bardic name, 'Mynyddog' (meaning "Mountainous") from Newydd Fynyddog, a hill near his home.
His lyrics became very popular, perhaps due to the everyday themes that they dealt with including the highs and lows of life and the goings-on of the home
The current version of Sosban Fach was adapted by Talog Williams, an accountant from Dowlais. He adapted Rheolau yr Aelwyd by Mynyddog and added four new verses.
The original verse that was adapted read as follows (translated into English):
When the hearth cools,
And the blood runs cold;
When the nose is almost frozen,
And the toes are freezing;
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When Catherine Ann is hurt,
And Dafydd the servant is not well,
And the baby is howling and crying,
And the cat has scratched little John.
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Put wood on the fire,
And sing a song,
To keep quarrels away from the fair hearth.
The bridge featuring 'Dai bach y sowldiwr' (or 'Dai Bach the solider' in English) was added around 1911, although there is uncertainty about its origin. The words for soldier and solderer are very similar in Welsh and English so some suggest the lyrics were misheard. 'Dai bach the solderer' would have been more in keeping with the pots-and-pans theme of the song.
The tune itself was written by the Reverend D.M. Davies
Sosban Fach Today
Sosban Fach has been sung by such big names as Bryn Terfel (watch here) and Cerys Matthews (watch here), and it is often sung at the beginning of a Llanelli RFC or Scarlets match.
Some suggest that the links between Llanelli's historical connections to the tin plating industry made the song an obvious choice. In Stradey Park, the former rugby stadium for Llanelli RFC, saucepans were placed on the top of the goalposts as a homage to the song as you can see below.
Sosban Fach Phonetic Translation
As promised, below is a phonetic version of Sosban Fach to help non-Welsh speakers with the pronunciation of the lyrics.
As a Welsh teacher, it can be quite painful to my sensibilities to write phonetic translations as each English speaker is likely to interpret the sounds I write differently.
For the purposes of the translation below:
- A capitalised CH is the sound in the Scottish word "loCH"
- A capitalised LL is the sound you'll hear if you look up "how to pronounce LL in Welsh". There is no English equivalent.
- A capitalised R will denote a rolled "r", as in Spanish.
My birs Merry-Ann wedi bree-vo
Ah Dah-vith uh gwars thim uhn ee-aCH,
MyRe ba-ban uhn uh kreed uhn kree-o,
Ahr garth wedi scram-o Johnny bahCH.
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Sos-pan vahCH uhn beR-we aR uh tarn,
Sos-pan va-oor uhn beR-we aR uh LLa-oor,
AhR garth wedi sgram-o Johnny bahCH.
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Die bahCH uh soul-joor
Die bahCH uh soul-joor
Die bahCH uh soul-joor
Ah CHoot ei gRirs eh marss.
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My birs Merry-Ann wedi goo-eLLah,
Ah Dah-vith uh gwars uhn ei vairth,
MyRe ba-ban uhn uh kreed wedi tuh-vi,
AhR garth wedi hino meh-oon he-rth
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Sos-pan vahCH uhn beR-we aR uh tarn,
Sos-pan va-oor uhn beR-we aR uh LLa-oor,
AhR garth wedi hino meh-oon he-rth
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Die bahCH uh soul-joor
Die bahCH uh soul-joor
Die bahCH uh soul-joor
Ah CHoot ei gRirs eh marss.
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Sos-pan vahCH uhn beR-we aR uh tarn,
Sos-pan va-oor uhn beR-we aR uh LLa-oor,
AhR garth wedi sgram-o Johnny bahCH.
Published: 19 April 2023 · Last updated: 23 August 2023