Y Gododin: A Poem of the Battle of Cattraeth Part 15

XC.

The garment of Tinogad, {196b} which was of divers colours, Made of the speckled skins of young wolves, His jerks and starts and juggling motion, I fain would lampoon, they were lampooned by his eight slaves. {196c} When thy father went out to hunt, With his pole upon his shoulder, and his provisions in his hand, He would call to his dogs that were of equal size, Catch it, catch it-seize it, seize it-bring it, bring it; He would kill a fish in his coracle, Even as a princely lion in his fury {197a} kills his prey; When thy father climbed up the mountain, He brought back the head {197b} of a roebuck, {197c} the head of a wild boar, the head of a stag, The head of a grey moor hen from the hill, The head of a fish from the falls of the Derwent; {197d} As many as thy father could reach with his flesh piercer, Of wild boars, lions, and foxes, {197e} It was certain death to them all, {197f} unless they proved too nimble.

XCI.

Were he to narrow {198a} my dominions through extortion, {198b} The arrival of no enemy would prove to me more formidable. {198c} The man has not been nursed who could be more festive in the hall Than he, or steadier in the field of battle.

On the ford of Penclwyd {198d} Pennant were his steeds; Far spread was his fame, compact was his armour; And ere the long gra.s.s covered him beneath the sod, He, the only son of Morarch, {198e} poured out the horns of mead.

XCII.

I saw the array from the highland of Adoen, Carrying the sacrifice to the omen fire; {199a} I saw the two, {199b} who from their station quickly and heavily fell; By the commands of Nwython, greatly were they afflicted.

I saw the warriors, who had made the great breach, approaching with the dawn, {199c} And the head of Dyvnwal Vrych by ravens devoured.

XCIII.

G.o.dodin, in respect of thee will I demand, {199d} In the presence {199e} of a hundred that are named {199f} with deeds of valour, And of Gwarthan the son of Dwywau, {200a} of gallant bravery, Let Tre Essyd be ours in one entire dale. {200b} Since the stabbing of the delight of the bulwark of battle, Since Aneurin was under ground, {200c} My voice has not been divorced from G.o.dodin.

XCIV.

Echo speaks of the formidable {200d} and dragon-like {200e} weapons, And of the fair game, {200f} which was played in front of the unclaimed course of G.o.dodin.

Profusely did he bring a supply {200g} of wine into the tents, for the benefit of the natives, {200h} In the season of the storm, as long as it trickled from the vessels, And the army, a well nourished host, continued to drop in.

A splendid troop of warriors, successful against a hundred men, Is led from Dindovydd in Dyvneint. {201a} Before Doleu {201b} in battle, worn out were the shields, and battered the helmets.

XCV.

He brought ruin upon every fair region, {201c} And a fettering valour he displayed; The front of his shield was pierced; Caso Hir, arrayed in pomp, {201d} Protected Rhuvoniawg.

A second time were they wounded, {201e} and crushed By his warlike steeds, and gore-stained were their coffins. {201f} Always immoveable, always liberal of aid, Would be his gallant n.o.bles, when roused to anger.

Severe in the conflict, with blades he slaughtered; And agonising news from the war he brought, Which he wove into a hundred songs for the calends of January.

Adan {202a} the son of Urvei there did pierce, Adan pierced the haughty boar, Even he who was like Urien, {202b} a maid, and a hero.

And as the youth was thus endowed with the properties of a king, Lord of Gwynedd, and of the blood of Cilydd, {202c} he proved our deliverer; Ere the turf was laid upon the face of the generous dead, Wisely did he seek the field, with praise and high sounding fame: The grave of Gorthyn Hir {202d} is seen {202e} from the highlands of Rhuvoniawg.

XCVI.

On account of the piercing of the skilful and most learned man, {203a} On account of the fair corpse, which fell prostrate upon the ground, Thrice six officers judged the atrocious deed {203b} at the hour of mattins, And Morien lifted up again his ancient lance, And, roaring, stretched out {203c} death Towards the warriors, the Gwyddyl, {203d} and the Prydyn; {203e} Whilst towards the lovely, slender, blood-stained body of Gwen, Sighed Gwenabwy, the only son of Gwen.

XCVII.

On account of the afflicting {203f} of the skilful and most learned man Grievously and deeply, when he fell prostrate upon the ground, The banner was pompously {204a} unfurled, and borne by a man in the flank; {204b} A tumultuous scene was beheld {204c} in Eiddin, and on the battle field.

The grasp of his hand performed deeds of valour Upon the Cynt, {204d} the Gwyddyl, and the Prydyn.

He who meddles with the mane of a wolf, without a club In his hand, will have it gorgeously emblazoned on his robe.

Fain would I sing,-"would that Morien had not died."

I sigh for Gwenabwy, the son of Gwen. {204e}

Footnotes:

{0a} Perhaps Cawlwyd is a compound of Caw Clwyd, that is, the Clyde of Caw.

{0b} Inst.i.tutional Triads.

{0c} Ibid.

{0d} Myvyrian Archaiology, vol. i. page 60.

{0e} Bardic Triads.

{0f} Bardic Triads.

{0g} Triad 48, third series.

{0h} Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 308.

{0i} Ib. p. 403.

{0j} Ib. p. 504.

{0k} Gwilym Tew flourished A.D. 13401470, and Rhys Nanmor, A.D.

14401480.

{0l} In this eText the extensive alternate readings, mentioned in this pa.s.sage, are not given. There are so many that it becomes impossible to read the Welsh text because of the continual footnotes.

{1a} Tacit. Julii Agric. vita, cap. xiv.