The following is the text (and translation) of a poem taken from the fourteenth-century Llyfr Taliesin (Book of Taliesin) which makes intriguing mention of Arthur who apparently leads warriors on a raid of the Welsh "otherworld": Annwn. Hauntingly beautiful, it is nevertheless quite obscure in its language as well as its references, and recent consensus is that the poem is less about Arthur than it is about Taliesin and his bardic prowess. Some of you may have already come upon a faulty translation of this poem in Robert Graves' The White Goddess, which omits the last two stanzas about monks. Students will wish to consult more recent translations and interpretations. See especially Roger Sherman Loomis, Marged Haycock, John Koch, and my own published remarks about this poem and its difficulties. Loomis's analysis is helpful for its examination of some of the obscure Arthurian references in the first four stanzas only; Haycock's analysis offers detailed linguistic work. My task on this page is to do only a little bit of both, but to refer you to these and other studies. The dictionaries I and others have used go by these abbreviations: GM, GPC, and G. Text and translation below:

I   

1. Golychaf wledic       pendeuic gwlat ri.	1. I praise the Lord,       Prince of the realm, King.
2. [r]y ledas ypennaeth       dros traeth mundi.	2. His sovereignty has extended       across the world's tract.
3. bu kyweir       karchar gweir       ygkaer sidi.	3. Equipped was      the prison of Gweir       in the Mound Fortress,
4. trwy ebostol pwyll       aphryderi.	4. throughout the account(?) of       Pwyll and Pryderi.
5. Neb kyn noc ef       nyt aeth idi.	5. No one before him       went into it,
6. yr gadwyn trom las       kywirwas ae ketwi.	6. into the heavy blue/gray chain;       a faithful servant it held.
7. Arac preideu annwfyn       tost yt geni.	7. And before the spoils of Annwfyn       bitterly he sang.
8. Ac yt urawt      parahawt       ynbardwedi.	8. And until Judgment      shall last       our bardic invocation.
9. Tri lloneit prytwen       yd aetham ni idi.	9. Three fullnesses of Prydwen       we went into it.
10. nam seith      ny dyrreith       ogaer sidi.	10. Except seven      none rose up       from the Fortress of the Mound.

II   

11. Neut wyf glot geinmyn     cerd ochlywir.	11. I am honored in praise.     Song was heard
12. ygkaer pedryuan      pedyr ychwelyt.	12. in the Four-Peaked Fortress,      four its revolutions.
13. yg kenneir     or peir      pan leferit.	13. My poetry,     from the cauldron     it was uttered.
14. Oanadyl naw morwyn     gochyneuit.	14. From the breath of nine maidens     it was kindled.
15. Neu peir pen annwfyn     pwy y vynut.	15. The cauldron of the chief of Annwfyn:     what is its fashion?
16. gwrym am yoror     amererit.	16. A dark ridge around its border     and pearls.
17. Ny beirw bwyt llwfyr     ny rytyghit.	17. It does not boil the food of a coward;     it has not been destined.
18. cledyf lluch lleawc     idaw rydyrchit.	18. The flashing sword of Lleawch     has been lifted to it.
19. Ac yn llaw leminawc     yd edewit.	19. And in the hand of Lleminawc     it was left.
20. Arac drws porth vffern     llugyrn lloscit.	20. And before the door of hell     lamps burned.
21. Aphan aetham ni gan arthur     trafferth lechrit	21. And when we went with Arthur,     brilliant difficulty,
22. namyn seith     ny dyrreith     o gaer vedwit.	22. except seven     none rose up     from the Fortress of Mead-Drunkenness.

III   

23. Neut wyf glot geinmyn       kerd glywanawr.	23. I am honored in praise;       song is heard
24. ygkaer pedryfan      ynys pybyrdor	24. in the Fortress of Four-Peaks,       isle of the strong door.
25. echwyd amuchyd      kymyscetor	25. Flowing water and jet      are mingled.
26. gwin gloyw eugwirawt      rac eu gorgord.	26. Sparkling wine their liquor     before their retinue.
27. Tri lloneit prytwen      yd aetham ni ar vor.	27. Three fullnesses of Prydwen     we went on the sea.
28. namyn seith     ny dyrreith      ogaer rigor.	28. Except seven none rose up     from the Fortress of Hardness.

IV   

29. Ny obrynafi lawyr     llen llywyadur	29. I merit not the Lord's      little men of letters.
30. tra chaer wydyr ny welsynt     wrhyt arthur.	30. Beyond the Glass Fortress they did not see      the valor of Arthur.
31. Tri vgeint canhwr     aseui ar y mur.	31. Six thousand men     stood upon the wall.
32. oed anhawd     ymadrawd     aegwylyadur	32. It was difficult     to speak     with their sentinel.
33. tri lloneit prytwen     yd aeth gan arthur.	33. Three fullnesses of Prydwen     went with Arthur.
34. namyn seith     ny dyrreith     ogaer golud.	34. Except seven     none rose up     from the Fortress of Guts (Hindrance?).

V   

35. Ny obrynaf y lawyr     llaes eu kylchwy	35. I do not merit little men,     slack their shield straps.
36. ny wdant wy pydyd     peridyd pwy.	36. They do not know which day     who was created (or: created whom?);
37. py awr ymeindyd     y ganet cwy.	37. what hour of midday (?)     Cwy was born.
38. Pwy gwnaeth     arnyt aeth     doleu defwy.	38. Who made him     who did not go     (to the) meadows of Defwy?
39. ny wdant wy yrych brych      bras y penrwy.	39. They do not know the brindled ox,     thick his headband.
40. Seith vgein kygwng     yny aerwy.	40. Seven score links     on his collar.
41. Aphan aetham ni gan arthur     auyrdwl gofwy.	41. And when we went with Arthur,     dolorous visit,
42. namyn seith     ny dyrreith     o gaer vandwy.	42. except seven     none rose up     from the fortress of God's Peak.

VI   

43. Ny obrynafy lawyr     llaes eu gohen.	43. I do not merit little men,     slack their will.
44. ny wdant pydyd     peridyd pen.	44. They do not know which day     the chief was created,
45. Py awr ymeindyd     y ganet perchen.	45. what hour of the midday     the owner was born,
46. Py vil agatwant     aryant ypen.	46. what animal they keep, silver its head.
47. Pan aetham ni gan arthur     afyrdwl gynhen.	47. When we went with Arthur,     sorrowful strife,
48. namyn seith     ny dyrreith     o gaer ochren.	48. except seven     none rose up      from the Fortress of Enclosedness.

VII   

49. Myneich dychnut     val cunin cor.	49. Monks howl      like a choir of dogs
50. o gyfranc udyd     ae gwidanhor.	50. from an encounter with lords     who know:
51. Ae vn hynt gwynt     ae vn dwfyr mor.	51. is there one course of wind?     is there one course of water?
52. Ae vn vfel tan     twrwf diachor.	52. is there one spark of fire     of fierce tumult?

VIII   

53. Myneych dychnut     val bleidawr.	53. Monks pack together     like young wolves
54. o gyfranc udyd     ae gwidyanhawr.	54. from an encounter with lords     who know.
55. ny wdant pan yscar     deweint agwawr.	55. They do not know when midnight     and dawn divide.
56. neu wynt pwy hynt     pwy yrynnawd.	56. Nor wind, what its course,     what its onrush,
57. py va diua     py tir aplawd.	57. what place it ravages,     what region it strikes.
58. bet sant     yn diuant     abet allawr.	58. The grave of the saint     is hidden     (or: lost, vanishing, in the Otherworld),     both grave and ground (or: champion).
59. Golychaf y wledic     pendefic mawr.	59. I praise the Lord,     great prince,
60. na bwyf trist     crist am gwadawl.	60. that I be not sad;     Christ endows me.