Four Gospels translated into Pembrokeshire Welsh dialect

A new translation of the four Gospels into the distinct Welsh dialect of north Pembrokeshire has been officially launched at a major Welsh cultural event. The project was undertaken by the late Rev. Lyn Lewis Dafis, a theologian and former vicar who served as the Welsh Language Officer for the Diocese of St David’s. Drawing from the New Welsh Bible, Rev. Dafis completed the translation around the year 2000, aiming to make the scriptures more accessible and culturally relevant to speakers of the local dialect.

Although the work remained unpublished during his lifetime, Rev. Dafis’s family granted permission for the text to be released online under the title Y Beder Ifengyl yn iaith Sir Benfro. Following this digital release, the Bible Society commissioned an audio edition of the translation in 2026. The initiative reflects Rev. Dafis’s lifelong commitment to the Gospel and his academic interest in preserving regional linguistic variations.