Mere mad-cap revellers, unwisely gay, On to Cattraeth march'd the warriors forth, Some singing strains hilarious as they laugh'd, Oh not a man had been alive of ye! No, by the flood! for while I mark'd your hordes, When he had better been your captived prize : * GWRVOLING. From his eastern throne the bright sun shone In Eiddin's hall, more loud than all, He call'd for wine and gustful mead, And dared to combat-('twas his wont,) To shelter him in peril's hour, The man of might in hall or fight, While chiefs with the glow of resentment were blushing, Mid death-shrieks of women,and dreadful blood-gushing; The brave son of Howgi was there in his pride, And the son of Ysperi the boldest defied; While Buddvan ab Bleiddvan a strong fortress stood, With shield on his shoulder, the hero he shone, Twas well for the ravens that Buddvan was brave, A feast on his foes to the ravens he gave; Yet, ere by the sons of the gen'rous forsook, Or full stately stream, void of fierceness of force. Oh the bards will applaud the bright deeds of the brave; G His fleet steed and harness are laved o'er with gore; The brave son of Bleiddvan exulteth no more. GWENABY. To him unknown the dastard's vice, The minstrels of renown resort, He shone in Cattraeth strife: CARADOC. Caradoc, like a young and ruddy boar, Great the advantage by his daring gain'd, RHYS. Rhys consumed the lowlands-annihilating ire ! Rhys consumed the lowlands with sword and blazing fire; Though blood was shed, and dwellings burnt, he ne'er obtained his end, He sought the fortress on the height, but fortress never gain'd. Unguarded at his utmost need, when lost his hopes that day, He failed to mount the tall and swift slight steed of shining grey; The shield upon his crupper-seat he failed in time to raise, The fatal shaft sped darkly forth-in death the hero lies. Thy mournful halls are lordless now, thou in the battle struck, Thy man is in the buttery, regaling on the buck; While thou art smarting in thy wounds—oh bright, newfallen star! Far, far from thee that serving-man-his helping hand, oh far! Wealth came to us in plenty from Bradwen's pits of brine, Wealth came to us in plenty, and gladd'ning was its shine; The spoiler came and cast a cloud upon our sunny day, Adonwy with his powers rush'd,and bore our wealth away. Oh dear to memory Caredig's name, And his was cheerfulness, ingenuous youth! His buckler, spangled with the glowing gold, In that high region of the good, above, Should this specimen of the new version of Aneurin's Gododin meet the approbation of the public, it will soon be published, and not otherwise. EDITOR. THE CONFERENCE BETWEEN GWYDD NO AND GWYN AB NUDD. From the Welsh of Gwyddno Garanhír. By Anthony Todd Thomson, Esq. THE five first verses, the twenty-first, twenty-second, and twentythird are very obscure; and therefore the translation is given as literally as possible. The originals of this, and the other poems of this ancient bard's, are to be found in a Manuscript, in the Hengwrt library, called Llyvr Du o Gaerfyrddin, "The Black Book of Caermarthen," the oldest Welsh MS now known. It is a quarto of 54 leaves, and contains poems composed by Merddin, Taliesin, Llywarch Hên, Gwyddno Garanhîr, and Elain. This singular MS is universally admitted by good judges to have been written in the |