A simple bilingual poem for children
Y Ddraig Fach – The Little Dragon
Read a short original Welsh poem about a friendly red dragon, follow it with the English version and press the button to hear the English poem spoken aloud.
Y Ddraig Fach
yn byw ar y bryn.
Mae'n hedfan dros y coed
pan fo'r haul yn gwenu.
Mae'n chwifio at y defaid
ac yn rhuo, “Helô!”
Yna mae'n mynd adref
i gysgu'n dawel bach.
The Little Dragon
lives high on the hill.
She flies over the trees
when the sun is smiling.
She waves to the sheep
and roars, “Hello!”
Then she goes home
to sleep quietly.
Press “Read English Poem” to hear the English version.
Simple Welsh words from the poem
About this bilingual Welsh poem
Y Ddraig Fach is an original short poem written for young children who are beginning to notice Welsh words. The sentences are deliberately simple. The dragon performs familiar actions: she lives on a hill, flies over trees, waves to sheep, says hello and returns home to sleep.
The English version follows the meaning naturally rather than forcing every Welsh line into an artificial rhyme. This makes the two versions easier to compare. Children can point to repeated ideas—dragon, hill, trees, sun, sheep and sleep—without needing to understand Welsh grammar first.
The red dragon provides an instantly recognisable Welsh theme, but the poem stays gentle. There are no battles, frightening flames or threatening scenes. It is suitable for a calm read-aloud, an introduction to bilingual poetry or a short Welsh-themed activity at home, nursery or primary school.
How to read the poem with a child
- Read the English version once so the child understands the small story.
- Look at the SVG picture and ask the child to find the dragon, hill, trees, sun and sheep.
- Read the Welsh version slowly without demanding that the child repeat every line.
- Choose two easy words, such as draig and coch, and say them together.
- Press the English speech button and point to each line as it is read.
- Finish by asking the child to draw where the little dragon sleeps.
A simple follow-up activity
Draw the dragon's journey
Fold a sheet of paper into four boxes. In the first box, draw the dragon on the hill. In the second, draw her flying over the trees. In the third, draw her waving to the sheep. In the fourth, draw her sleeping at home.
Add one Welsh word beneath each picture: bryn, coed, defaid and cysgu. The child does not need to write the whole poem.
A bilingual Welsh alphabet book for young children
My First Welsh Alphabet Adventure
Families who enjoy this little poem may also like a bilingual alphabet book for practising more Welsh words together. The book is available to buy through Amazon UK.
View the Book on Amazon UKExternal shopping link. Price, availability and delivery information can change; check the retailer before ordering.
Why introduce children to bilingual poems?
A very short bilingual poem lets children meet another language without making the activity feel like a test. The picture establishes meaning, the English version supplies reassurance and the Welsh version offers new sounds and spellings. A child can enjoy the dragon before remembering a single vocabulary item.
Repeated reading gradually makes the printed Welsh less unfamiliar. Children begin to recognise that draig fach goch describes the little red dragon and that cysgu appears when she goes to sleep. That recognition is a useful early step even when the child is not yet producing complete Welsh sentences.
Shared poems also create room for movement. Children can stretch their arms like wings, wave to imaginary sheep, make one friendly roar and curl up to sleep. Combining words, pictures and actions makes a small poem memorable without turning it into a formal lesson.
Explore more Welsh activities
Frequently asked questions
Is this Welsh poem original?
Yes. Y Ddraig Fach was created as a simple bilingual children's poem for Prydain.co.uk.
What age is the poem for?
It is best suited to approximately ages 3–7 as a shared read-aloud, although older beginners can also use it for simple vocabulary practice.
Why is the spoken version only in English?
English browser voices are widely available. Automatically reading Welsh with the wrong voice could model inaccurate pronunciation, so the Welsh text remains visible without synthetic speech.
Does the English version translate every word literally?
It follows the meaning closely but uses natural English phrasing. Poetry translations do not always need identical word order.
Can teachers use the poem?
Teachers may display and read this webpage with their class. The poem and illustration should not be republished as a separate commercial resource.
