Is your laboratory environment something like this?



Sosban Fach (meaning ‘Little Saucepan’) is a popular Welsh song which recounts the troubles of a harassed housewife. It is particularly associated with the Llanelli Rugby Union Football Club, deriving from Llanelli’s tin plating industry, which used to tin-plate steel saucepans and other kitchen utensils to supply to the British public.

I found myself singing it during harassed moments in the laboratory, at first, simply because I like the song, but I came to realize how appropriate, with a bit of interpretation, it was in a laboratory context.

Original

Laboratory Application

Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo,

Mary-Ann has hurt her finger,

A typical laboratory accident.

A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach.

And David the servant / farm boy is not well.

The junior technician (as so often) is off sick.

Mae’r baban yn y crud yn crio,

The baby in the cradle is crying,

The first-year PhD student is demanding help

A’r gath wedi scrapo Joni bach.

And the cat has scratched little Johnny

The second-year was not taking proper safety measures when dealing with laboratory animals.

Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,

A little saucepan is boiling on the fire,

A supervised reaction on the lab bench.

Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr,

A big saucepan is boiling (over?) on the floor,

An unsupervised reaction, in an unsuitable place for want of bench space, has got out of control and given rise to a massive spillage.

A’r gath wedi scrapo Joni bach.

And the cat has scratched little Johnny.

As above

Cytgan (Refrain)

Dai bach y sowldiwr, ×3
A gwt ei grys e mas.

Little Dai the soldier, ×3
And his shirt tail is hanging out.

Can one ever get a lab coat that really fits?

Second verse

Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi gwella,

Mary-Ann’s finger has got better,

The student has been to the First Aid room, and treated appropriately.

A Dafydd y gwas yn ei fedd;

And David the servant is in his grave;

The junior technician has not (we hope) died, but he has left, and will not be replaced due to funding cuts.

Mae’r baban yn y crud wedi tyfu,

The baby in the cradle has grown a bit

The first-year is now more self-sufficient (for the time being).

A’r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.

And the cat is ‘asleep in peace’.

The laboratory animal in question has been sedated / put down.

(I have one question.  Does the original mean that the cat is simply sleeping, or is it a case of R.I.P. Pussy?)

Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân

As above

Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr

As above

A’r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.

As above


Here’s a rendition that seems to have been inspired (a little) by Kraftwerk.




There are, of course, many other YouTube versions of this magnificent song.