Poets From Wales

"I was with the Lord In the manger of the ass. I upheld Moses Through the water of Jordan."

"While I am watching over you, no great need will overcome you. be mindful of the name of the Trinity And none shall overcome you."

"Elphin of noble generosity, Do not sorrow at your catch. Though I am weak on the floor of my basket, There are wonders on my tongue."

"While I was held prisoner, sweet inspiration educated me and laws were imparted to me in a speech which had no words..."

"Although I am small, I am skilful. From the sea and the mountain, From the river's depth God gives His gifts to the blessed."

"Fair Elphin, dry your cheeks! Such sorrow does not become you, Although you consider yourself cheated Excessive sorrow gains nothing, Nor will doubting God's miracles."

"You must not grieve so heavily. Better are good than evil omens. though I am weak and small, Spumed with Dylan's wave, I shall be better for you Than three hundred shares of salmon."

"I have fled in the shape of a raven of prophetic speech, in the shape of a satirizing fox, in the shape of a sure swift, in the shape of a squirrel vainly hiding. I have fled in the shape of a red deer, in the shape of iron in a fierce fire, in the shape of a sword sowing death and disaster, in the shape of a bull, relentlessly struggling."

"I was at the Cross With Mary Magdalene. I received the muse From Ceridwen's cauldron."

"To my deprivation, to my sorrow, sinew was brave. The world would not be if not for my offspring. I am a bard to be praised. The unskilful May he be possessed by the ravens and eagle and bird of wrath."

"I shared my shelter, a ninth share in Arthur's valour. I broke a hundred forts. I slew a hundred stewards. I bestowed a hundred mantles. I cut off a hundred heads. I gave to an old chief very great swords of protection."

"Abiding in heaven was he, my desire, Against the eagle, against the fear of the unskilful. I am a bard, and I am a harper, I am a piper, and I am a crowder. Of seven score musicians the very great enchanter."

"Eagle of the land, extensive thy glance. I would have requested an active courser Of vigorous trot, the price of the spoil of Taliesin. One is the violent course on the bottom and the summit, One is the gift of a baron to a lord. One is the herd of stags in their fight. One is the wolf not covetous of broom, One is the country where a son is born, And of one form and one sound is the battle-place of warriors."

"The value of my cry great will be its advantage to degrees. The chief of men, shield of warriors. The extensive booty of the ashen shaft is my fair Awen. A shield before a prince, bright his smile, Heroic, aspiring, the most heroic is Urien"

"Am I not with hosts making a din? I would not cease, between two hosts, without gore. Am I not he that is called Gorlassar? My belt was a rainbow to my foe."

"May the countenance of Prydain be bright for my guidance. Sovereign of heaven, let my messages not be rejected."

"I have been a sow, I have been a buck, I have been a sage, I have been a snout, I have been a horn, I have been a wild sow, I have been a shout in battle. I have been a torrent on the slope, I have been a wave on the extended shore. I have been the light sprinkling of a deluge, I have been a cat with a speckled head on three trees. I have been a circumference, I have been a head. A goat on an elder-tree. I have been a crane well filled, a sight to behold. Very ardent the animals of Morial, They kept a good stock. Of what is below the air, say the hateful men, Too many do not live, of those that know me."

"Thrice three protections, Returning to the old places, With a steed used to the field."

"In manliness he will greet my trouble, Should I be bled, I should evidently get better; Truly I saw no one before, who saw not in me Every indisposition, he will cultivate his business."

"It broke out with matchless fury. The rapid vehement fire. Him we praise above the earth, Fire, the fiery meteor of the dawn. Above the high gale, Higher than every cloud. Great his animal."

"Sure-hoofed is my steed in the day of battle: The high sprigs of alder are on thy hand: Bran by the branch thou bearest Has Amathaon the good prevailed."

"The dawn smiles, repelling gloom, At the dawn with violence, At every meet season, At the meet season of his turnings, At the four stages of his course, I will extol him that judges violence, Of the strong din, deep his wrath. I am not a man, cowardly, gray, A scum near the wattle."

"I saw a feeding about a lion for plants, I saw leaves of luxuriant growth. I saw a branch with equal blossoms. Did I not see a prince? most liberal his customs, I saw the ruler of Cathraeth beyond the plains Be my oak the gleaming spirit of the Cymry."

"Fair Elphin, cease your lament! Swearing profits no-one. It is not evil to hope Nor does any man see what supports him, Not an empty treasure is the prayer of Cynllo, Nor does God break his promise."

"I was instructor To the whole universe. I shall be until the judgement On the face of the Earth."

"I have been a course, I have been an eagle. I have been a coracle in the seas: I have been compliant in the banquet. I have been a drop in a shower; I have been a sword in the grasp of the hand I have been a shield in battle. I have been a string in a harp, Disguised for nine years, in water, in foam. I have been sponge in the fire, I have been wood in the covert"

"I have been in a multitude of shapes, Before I assumed a consistent form. I have been a sword, narrow, variegated, I will believe when it is apparent. I have been a tear in the air, I have been the dullest of stars. I have been a word among letters, I have been a book in the origin. I have been the light of lanterns, A year and a half. I have been a continuing bridge, Over three score river mouths."

"There was a calling on the Creator, Upon Christ for causes, Until when the Eternal Should deliver those whom he had made. The Lord answered them, Through language and elements: Take the forms of the principal trees, Arranging yourselves in battle array, And restraining the public."

"Ye have committed wickedness Against the Creator. A hundred thousand angels Are to me witnesses, Who came to conduct me After my hanging, When hanging cruelly, Myself to deliver me In heaven there was trembling When I had been hung. When I cried out Eli!"

"Ruler of heaven, Ruler of every people! We knew not, O Christ! that it was thou. If we had known thee, Christ, we should have refrained from thee."

"Do not the brave know The greatness of their progeny? A country present will meet thee, And while it may possibly be yours, Three hundred thousand years save one, A short hour of the day of everlasting life."

"When the trees were enchanted, In the expectation of not being trees, The trees uttered their voices From strings of harmony, The disputes ceased. Let us cut short heavy days, A female restrained the din. She came forth altogether lovely. The head of the line, the head was a female. The advantage of a sleepless cow Would not make us give way. The blood of men up to our thighs, The greatest of importunate mental exertions Sported in the world. And one has ended From considering the deluge, And Christ crucified And the day of judgement near at hand."

"Do not thy passions counteract What thy lips utter? Thy going in thy course into valleys, Dark without lights. And mine were his words. And mine were his languages."

"Songs and minstrels. And the hymns of angels, Will raise from the graves, They will entreat from the beginning. They will entreat together publicly, On so great a destiny. Those whom the sea has destroyed Will make a great shout, At the time when cometh He, that will separate them."

"I have not been without battle. Bitter affliction was frequent Between me and my cousins. Frequent trials fell Between me and my fellow-countrymen. There was frequent contention Between me and the wretched."

"The love-diffusing [Lord] will separate us. The land of worldly weather, A wind will melt the trees: There will pass away every tranquillity When the mountains are burnt. There will be again inhabitants With horns before kings; The mighty One will send them, Sea, and land, and lake. There will be again a trembling terror, And a moving of the earth, And above every field, And ashes the rocks will be; With violent exertion, concealment, And burning of lake."

"Kings will shudder [that] day, Woe awaits them! When the recompenser shall appear, Let the heaven appear below. A ruddy wind will be brought Out to the cinder, Until the world is as desolate As when created."

"A wave do ye displace, A shield do ye extend To the travelling woe, And violent exertion through grief. And inflaming through fury Between heaven and earth."

"Those that placed me on the cross I knew when young. That drove me on the tree, My head hung down. Stretched were my two feet, So sad their destiny. Stretched with extreme pain The bones of my feet. Stretched were my two arms, Their burden will not be. Stretched were my two shoulders, So diligently it was done. Stretched were the nails, Within my heart. Stretched was the spiking, Between my two eyes. Thick are the holes Of the crown of thorns in my head. The lance was struck And my side was pierced. It will be struck to you also, As your right hand (struck me). To you there will be no forgiveness, For piercing me with spears. And the Ruler we knew not When thou wert hung."

"The heath was victorious, keeping off on all sides. The common people were charmed, During time proceeding of the men. The oak, quickly moving, Before him, tremble heaven and earth. A valiant door-keeper against an enemy, his name is considered. The blue-bells combined, And caused a consternation. In rejecting, were rejected, Others, that were perforated"

"Pleasant, the word that utters the Trinity; Also pleasant, extreme penance for sin. Pleasant, the summer of pleasantness; Communion with the Lord, in the day of judgment."

"And what is pleasant to me is no worse. And the paternal horn by mead-nourished payment. Pleasant, the directing of fish in the pond; Also pleasant, calling about to play."

"O God, the God of formation, Ruler, strengthener of blood. Christ Jesus, that guards. Princes loud-proclaiming go their course For a decaying acquisition."

"Pleasant, a steed in a leather halter; Also pleasant, alliance with a king. Pleasant, the hero that destroys not the yielding; Also pleasant, the splendid Cymraec language."

"Pleasant to bring back the divisions of a parish; Also pleasant to us the time of paradise. Pleasant, the moon, a luminary in the heavens; Also pleasant where there is a good rememberer."

"Pleasant, summer, and slow long day; Also pleasant to pass out of chastisement Pleasant, the blossoms on the tops of the pear-trees; Also pleasant, friendship with the Creator."

"Pleasant, the heath when it is green; Also pleasant, the salt marsh for cattle. Pleasant, the time when calves draw milk; Also pleasant, foamy horsemanship."

"The praising thy mercy. There hath not been here; O supreme Ruler; There hath not been; there will not be, One so good as the Lord. There hath not been born in the day of the people Any one equal to God. And no one will acknowledge Any one equal to him. Above heaven, below heaven, There is no Ruler but he. Above sea, below sea, He created us."

"Pleasant, berries in the time of harvest; Also pleasant, wheat upon the stalk. Pleasant the sun moving in the firmament; Also pleasant the retaliators of outcries."

"A pleasant virtue, extreme penance to an extreme course; Also pleasant, when God is delivering me. Pleasant, the carousal that hinders not mental exertion; Also pleasant, to drink together about horns."