When two brothers will be two Idases for land,
From their claim will be cherished a lasting feud.

XXIV. Listen, O little pig! to me it is of no purpose

To hear the voice of water-birds, whose scream is
tumultuous,

Thin is the hair of my head, my covering is not warm;
The dales are my barn, my corn is not plenteous;
My summer collection affords me no relief,
Before parting from God, incessant was my passion.
And I will predict, before the end of the world,
Women without shame, and men without manliness.

xxv. Listen, O little pig! a trembling pig!

Thin is my covering, for me there is no repose,

Since the battle of Ardderyd it will not concern me,
Though the sky were to fall, and sea to overflow.

And I will predict that after Henri

Such and such a king in troublesome times.

When there shall be a bridge on the Taw, and another

on the Tywi,

There will be an end of war in it.

LXVIII.

RED BOOK OF HERGEST XX.

Text, vol. ii. p. 294. Notes, vol. ii. p. 451.

HE fleet of Mona, the seat of misfortune,

Prevents bloodshed, with the noise of oars around her.
A greater influx will be into the Conwy on account of

distress,

The men of the eagle of Eryri having fallen.

Without ardour they were in the time of heat before becoming silent,

Cymry without energy against injustice.

The dragon of prediction is the son of Henri ;

For a year was he desired before the assembling of hosts, Wolf of the mighty, mighty his retainers :

10 The retinue of the world will for a time be a sign from the Invisible.

The country will be constant to the ruler of Normandi,

The bane of Prydein, there will be anxious concern because

of his birth,

With a constancy like the revolving of a wheel.

Chief of bards of every region, as to thy ancient claims I will address thee by signs.

How often dost thou communicate with the youthful hero, The heroic youth, amiable in society?

Supremely high will be the voice of fame on the blue

sea,

When the youths of Brythyon come to their privilege; 20 And Owein will be the ruler of the kingdom,

A ruddy man in the ruddy scene, the joy of Gwynedd,
Of brave ancestors, the progeny of Mervyn, the bulwark
of sovereignty.

A crowned young hero, on the point of effecting deliver

ance.

Known to God is my wish.

That the Allmyn should commence their flight with a bloody fate,

And with destruction so precipitate, so violent, so terrible! Extremely offensive is every naked truth, be it certain That distracted men have come contending about towns. A heap of ruddy carcases by the peaceless blade has been deserved; and certainly such is the case. 30 Every record, every juncture, every man, and every triumph,

Christ has conferred upon me the advantage of knowing.

The Lloegrians are unfit in the conflict of blades,
An enervated rabble to contend in battle.

LXIX.

RED BOOK OF HERGEST XIX.

Text, vol. ii. p. 294. Notes, vol. ii. p. 451.

SOON will it happen that kindred by nature will be in
the shout of war,

Soon will happen many a cut from the tournament ;
Soon will come between Saxons a recoil

From mutual wounding, irreverent burying and
ministering;

Soon will the men of Manaw come to obtain praise,
And the North they will certainly make without peace.
Soon will be in Prydein anxiety and want,

And around Lloegyr they will loudly complain;
For the falling of the son of Henri they will be amazed ;
10 So great in the dispersion will be the trepidation!
Scattered over seas, a number of legions they will chase

away.

Tumult will be on the borders, arrogance they will not

respect.

And I will predict that they will energetically shout;

The innocent like the guilty, they will hew down.
With great ambition the navy of Lloegyr they will attack;
Barbarous hosts, plunder they will seek ;

With open violence they will reduce towers,
And strongholds they will make weak.

In front of the host of the tournament,

20 For the contention of one day a myriad will fall ; On the seas they will openly cause destruction. As for me, I will predict that children will not multiply,

And it is not I that conceal that they will not be dispersed. age of repose the Creator will cause to be, and their extinction;

An

The Brythyon will scatter them, chief they will be.
Tribulation will ensue from the anger of relatives,
And the Saxons will be joyful when they see it.
The omen promises to shorten it while they will be.

LXX.

RED BOOK OF HERGEST XXI.

Text, vol. ii. p. 296. Notes, vol. ii. p. 451.

I.

HRIST JESUS! who art in complete possession of light,

The strength of the feeble Christian in the gloom;

Christ, the mysterious One! in order to produce seriousness
May utterance be given to my bardic lay;

May my bards, when they chant, be attended to;
May my bardic word from the golden chair be kept;
May my poem above books be read.

As a canon by him who chants the Paternoster.
Believe in God, and God will not reject thee;

10 Believe! from his court no vanity will affect thee;
Believe that He suffered on a Friday,

And that He arose to overcome a host.

From the mutual sullenness of royal chiefs a tumult shall

be heard;

By virtue of unity, the compact of Rosser,

May the Saxons hasten away before distress!

On the borders a standing army will be complained of.
Unprofitable Maelenydd will be molested,

Lawless, with rights, without a Caer.

20 Around the land of Mael a long battle will be heard; Around the banks of Gwyran there will be a gory scene; Around Buallt eager will be the tumult at the close of day, Beards in flight from mortal cowardice.

Around Aber Cammarch may be greeted

The chief, the joy of his retinue.

Then will the poet be free from anxiety,

From celebrating the completion of splendid actions, From the primitive language, penance, and paternosters, From the value of respect when thou art addressed. 30 Ask of the Supreme Being, from the depth of adoration, Of adoration, success from above the light

To the steel against Lloegyr which corrupts the paternoster,
To his friends, his flag, and his standard.

A man from concealment, prompt, brave, and wrathful,
Will appear, to command a multitude;

He will cause terror at the commencement,

And easily break the boundary on a Friday,

Friday believe it is no falshood.

:

The Saxons will retreat from his oppression over the country. 40 About Aber Cammarch there will be ignominy,

Excessive tumult, shouting, blades, and men in battle-array.
And a splendid banner, it is no error,

And a dragon causing the death of a leader:
Lloegrians will be uttering doleful lamentations,
And men in the dire shout bewailing their brains.

A man over Lloegyr which corrupts religion,
Will come to command his army;

He will cause a happy beginning.

For a long time, as regards the land, he will disappear, 50 The hero of a disturbed country.

There will be a mutual sharpening of blades, a mutual

havoc concerning baptism.