Y Gododdin: Difference between revisions

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(New page: '''Y Gododdin''' is the earliest known British poem, and is attributed to Aneirin in about 600 CE. The poem describes warriors feasting in a great hall before setting out to die in a h...)
 
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'''Y Gododdin''' is the earliest known British poem, and is attributed to [[Aneirin]] in about 600 CE. The poem describes warriors feasting in a great hall before setting out to die in a heroic battle against the Saxons from which none returned.
'''Y Gododdin''' is the earliest known British poem, and is attributed to [[Aneirin]] in about 600 CE. The poem describes warriors feasting in a great hall before setting out to die in a heroic battle against the Saxons from which none returned.
by William F. Skene
[1869]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, November 2002. John B. Hare, redactor
This is the 'Gododdin'. Aneurin composed it.
In the 1869 translation by William Skene, the first verse reads:
<blockquote>
:Of manly disposition was the youth,
:Valour had he in the tumult;
:Fleet thick-maned chargers
:Were under the thigh of the illustrious youth;
:A shield, light and broad,
:Was on the slender swift flank,
:A sword, blue and bright,
:Golden spurs, and ermine.
:It is not by me
:That hatred shall be shown to thee;
:I will do better towards thee,
:To celebrate thee in poetic eulogy.
:Sooner hadst thou gone to the bloody bier
:Than to the nuptial feast;
:Sooner hadst thou gone to be food for ravens
:Than to the conflict of spears;
:Thou beloved friend of Owain!
:Wrong it is that he should be under ravens.
:It is evident in what region
:The only son of Marro was killed.
</blockquote>

Revision as of 06:09, 14 September 2008

Y Gododdin is the earliest known British poem, and is attributed to Aneirin in about 600 CE. The poem describes warriors feasting in a great hall before setting out to die in a heroic battle against the Saxons from which none returned. by William F. Skene [1869]

Scanned at sacred-texts.com, November 2002. John B. Hare, redactor This is the 'Gododdin'. Aneurin composed it.

In the 1869 translation by William Skene, the first verse reads:

Of manly disposition was the youth,
Valour had he in the tumult;
Fleet thick-maned chargers
Were under the thigh of the illustrious youth;
A shield, light and broad,
Was on the slender swift flank,
A sword, blue and bright,
Golden spurs, and ermine.
It is not by me
That hatred shall be shown to thee;
I will do better towards thee,
To celebrate thee in poetic eulogy.
Sooner hadst thou gone to the bloody bier
Than to the nuptial feast;
Sooner hadst thou gone to be food for ravens
Than to the conflict of spears;
Thou beloved friend of Owain!
Wrong it is that he should be under ravens.
It is evident in what region
The only son of Marro was killed.