Edmund Prys facts for kids
Edmund Prys (born 1542 or 1543, died 1623) was a Welsh clergyman and a talented poet. He is most famous for translating the Psalms into Welsh songs. These songs were collected in his book called Salmau Cân, which means 'Songs of Psalms'. His work helped people sing the Psalms in Welsh during church services.
Contents
Life of Edmund Prys
Edmund Prys was born in Llanrwst, Denbighshire, in 1542 or 1543. His father was Siôn ap Rhys and his mother was Siân. He was related to William Salesbury, who helped translate the Bible. This connection might have influenced him early on.
Education and Career
On March 16, 1565, Edmund Prys went to St. John's College, Cambridge. There, he studied alongside William Morgan, who later translated the Bible into Welsh. Prys earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1568. He then got his master's degree (M.A.) in 1571 and became a Fellow at the college in 1570.
Prys held several important church positions. In 1573, he became the rector of Festiniog. He also became the rector of Ludlow in 1576. Later that year, he was made the archdeacon of Merioneth. An archdeacon is a senior church official. In 1580, he took on another rectory in Llanenddwyn. Finally, in 1602, he became a canon cursal at St Asaph Cathedral.
Family Life and Death
Edmund Prys was married twice. His first wife was Elin. They had two sons, John and Robert, and a daughter named Jane. His second wife was Gwen, who was his first wife's cousin. With Gwen, he had three more sons: Ffoulk, Morgan, and Edmund.
Edmund Prys passed away in 1623. He was buried in Maentwrog church. There is a special memorial at St John's College Chapel, Cambridge. It honors both Edmund Prys and William Morgan, remembering their time as students there.
Works and Poetry
Edmund Prys was a skilled poet who wrote in the traditional Welsh style. He was very active in the poetry scene of his time. He even took part in poetic "duels," where poets would exchange witty, sometimes satiric, verses. He had these poetic battles with other famous poets like Tomos Prys and Siôn Phylip. One of his most famous poetic duels was with Wiliam Cynwal, which included many poems.
Salmau Cân
Prys's most important work is his translation of the Psalms into Welsh. This collection, called Salmau Cân, was special because it was written in a simpler style. This made the Psalms easy for everyone to sing in church. Many editions of Salmau Cân were published, often included with copies of the Welsh Bible.
In 1621, Prys's full translation of the Psalms was added to a new version of the Welsh Book of Common Prayer. He chose not to use the very strict traditional Welsh poetic forms for this work. This was so that more people could use and enjoy his translations. One of his Psalm translations, Psalm 23, was even translated into English. It became a very popular hymn called "The King of Love My Shepherd Is".
Helping with the Welsh Bible
Edmund Prys also played a role in a very important project. Dr. William Morgan mentioned Prys as one of three people who helped him. They assisted Morgan in preparing his famous translation of the Welsh Bible, which was published in 1588. This shows how respected Prys was for his knowledge of Welsh and his writing skills.
Images for kids
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Memorial to William Morgan and Edmwnd Prys, St John's College Chapel, Cambridge
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Memorial window in St Twrog's Church, Maentwrog. Prys is pictured on the right, with the caption Psalmist of Wales
