Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards

Taliesin, who in one of his poems gives an honorable testimony to the fame of Aneurin^f, was, like him, called Chief of Bards original: "Penbeirdd", or King of Bards. He lived during the reign and enjoyed the favor of Maelgwn Gwynedd, King of Britain. As an infant, he was found abandoned in a weir A fish trap or dam built across a river. which Gwyddno Garanir, the minor king of Cantre'r Gwaelod, had granted as a source of income to his son, Prince Elphin. Elphin, though possessing many likable qualities, was financially reckless; having little success with the fish trap, he became dissatisfied and gloomy. At this moment, Taliesin was found by the prince's fishermen, and by the prince's command, he was carefully raised and well educated. At the appropriate age, the accomplished Bard was introduced by his princely patron to the court of his father, Gwyddno. On that occasion, he presented a poem called The History of Taliesin original: "Hanes Taliesin", and at the same time another to the prince called The Consolation of Elphin^g original: "Dybuddiant Elphin", which the Bard addresses to him from the perspective of an abandoned infant. Taliesin lived to repay the kindness of his benefactor: through the magic of his poetry, he rescued him from Teganwy Castle (where he was imprisoned by his uncle Maelgwn for some misconduct) and afterward granted him immortal fame through his verses.

Taliesin was the master or poetry teacher of Myrddin ap Morfryn Merlin. He expanded British poetic theory with five new meters and has left behind in his poems remnants that shed new light on the history, knowledge, and customs of the ancient Britons and their Druids, much of whose mystical learning he absorbed.

The poem I have chosen as an example of Taliesin’s style is his description of the battle of Argoed Llwyfain, fought around the year 548. It was fought by Goddeu, a king of North Britain, and Urien Rheged, King of Cumbria, against Fflamddwyn, a Saxon general (supposed to be Ida, King of Northumberland). I am grateful to the kind nature and lasting talent of Mr. Whitehead for the following faithful and spirited poetic version of this valuable ancient work—

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^f Taliesin, in his poem called The Gift of Urien original: "Anrheg Urien", has the following two lines:

"I know the fame of the inspired genius Aneurin of the Flowing Verse, original: "A wnn ni enw Aneurin Gwawdrydd awenydd"
And I am Taliesin, whose home is by the shore of Lake Geirionydd." original: "A minnau Daliesin o lan Llyn Geirionydd"

^g See this poem published and translated in Evans’s collection.
^h This is the last of the ten great battles of Urien Rheged, celebrated by Taliesin in poems that still exist. See Thomas Carte’s History of England, pages 211 and 213. There is much valuable information regarding the Ancient Britons in that history.
ⁱ A part of Cumbria, the country of Prince Llywarch the Old original: "Llywarch Hên", from which he was driven by the Saxons.
^k Some place on the borders of Northumberland.
^l Owen ap Urien served as his father’s general.
^m Cenau led the forces of his father Coel Godhebog (king of a northern region called Goddeu, probably inhabited by the Votadini tribe mentioned by the Roman geographer Ptolemy) to assist Urien Rheged. Owen son of Urien and Cenau son of Coel were among King Arthur’s Knights. See Lewis’s History of Britain, page 201.