Llyfr Taliesin (The Book of Taliesin)

Synonyms: Peniarth MS 2
Cym: The Book of Taliesin

The Llyfr Taliesin is one of the jewels of early Cymric literature and contains a collection of some of the earliest extant Cymric poetry. Many of these are attributed to Taliesin, a bard of the late sixth century and is best known for his praise poetry commemorating his patron, Urien of Rheged and Urien's son Owain. The volume is currently housed in the Llyfrgell Cenedlaethol Cymru (National Library of Wales) and is available in image-form from their Digital Mirror project.

It is a small volume, missing its original covers as well as the beginning of the first poem which, fortunately, is also contained in the Llyfr Coch Rhydderch. It contains 56 mostly-complete poems, and a fifty-seventh poem, of which only the words Darogan Katwal (thought to be Darogan Katwaladr [The Prophecy of Cadwaladr]) survive.

The manuscript appears to be the work of a single scribe writing during the first half of the fourteenth century. This makes it contemporary with the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch and, indeed, the scribe of the Llyfr Taliesin has been located to Morgannwg and J Gwenogvryn Evans believed that the same hand also worked on the Llyfr Gwyn.

Noting is truly known about the manuscript's origins and its early history, however, by the early seventeenth century the manuscript seems to have reached Radnorshire and was in the posession of Hugh Myles of Evenjobb before passing into the hands of his cousin, John Lewis of Llynwene. Based on a marginal note Dr John Davies of Mallwyd made a transcript of it between 1631 and 1634. Eventually it reached the famous library of Robert Vaughan (c. 1592-1667) at Hengwrt, near Dolgellau, Meirionydd. Then, as with all the other important manuscripts, when Robert Vaughan's great-great-great-great grandson, Sir Robert Williames Vaughan died in 1859 the Hengwrt library passed by bequest to William Watkin Edward Wynne (1801-80) of Peniarth near Tywyn, Meirionydd. Then entire Peniartth collection was purchased in 1904 by Sir John Williams for the proposed National Library of Wales and thus it reached its current home.

Apart from the 'Taliesin' poems the manuscript also contains works that reflect the kind of learning with which the poet became associated, deriving partly from Latin texts and partly from native Cymric tradition these are obviously the work of a learned scribe from an ecclesiastical background. It is this manuscript which preserves the texts of famous poems such as 'Armes Prydein Fawr', 'Preiddeu Annwfn' (which refers to Arthur and his warriors' ill-fated expedition to the netherworld) as well as elegies to Cunedda and Dylan eil Dôn, as well as the earliest mention in any western vernacular of the feats of Hercules and Alexander.

The book's value comes from the fact that it contains some of the oldest poems in the Cymric language. Though many of the poems are later medieval additions, there are praise poems contained in the volume, most especially those dealing with Urien of Rheged that may well be the work of the late sixth century bard Taliesin himself. However, the title of the volume is a late addition, for it was only known by this name from the seventeenth century onwards (not all the poems contained therein can be attributed to Taliesin or deal with Taliesinic lore and tradition).

The order of the poems in the manuscript being as follows [remember to downlaod and install my Mabinogi Celtic font before viewing the original Cymraeg Canol {middle Cymric} text otherwise the special characters won't appear]:


Cymraeg Canol	Cymraeg Cyfoes	English
Prif Cyuarch Taliessin	Cyfarch Cyntaf Taliesin	Taliesin's First Address
Marwnat y vil veib	Marwnad y Mil Feibion	Elegy of the Thousand Suns
Buarth beird	Corlan y Beirdd	The Fold of the Bards
Aduwyneu Taliessin	Gogoneddau Taliesin	The Glorious things of Taliesin
Deus duw delwat	Duw, duw greawdwr	God, god creator
Arymes Prydein Vawr	Proffwydoliaeth Fawr Prydain	The Geat Prophecy of Britain
Angar cyfandawt	Tarth Mesur Cyfyng	The Fog of Constrained Metre
Kat Godeu	Brwydyr y Coed	Battle of the Trees
Mab gyfreu taliessin	Canu Ieuenctid Taliesin	The Childhood Verse of Taliesin
Daronwy	Daronwy	Daronwy
Kadau Gwallawg^[*]	Brwydrau Gwallawg	The Battles of Gwallawg
Glaswawt Taliessin	Dymuniad Ieuenctid Taliesin	The youthful wish of Taliesin
Kadeir Taliesin	Cadair Taliessin	The Chair of Taliesin
Kerd am veib Llyr	Cerdd am Feibion Llŷr	A Verse on the children of Llŷr
Kadeir Teyrnon	Cadair Teyrnon	The Chair of Teyrnon
Kadeir Kerituen	Cadair Cerridwen	The Chair of Cerridwen
Kanu y Gwynt	Cân y Gwynt	The Song of the Wind
Kanu y Gwynt	Cân y Gwynt	The Song of the Wind
Kanu y med	Cân y Medd	The Song of Mead
Kanu y Cwrwf	Cân y Cwrw	The Song of Ale
[Ed]mic Dinbych	Moliant Dinbych	In Praise of Tenby
Plaeu yr Reifft	Plâu yr Aifft	The Plagues of Egypt
Trawsganu kynon garwyn m. broch^[*]	Gogangerdd Cynon Garwyn mab Broch	Satire on Cynon Garwyn son of Broch
Lath moessen	Llath Moses	The Staff of Moses
Canu y meirch	Cân i'r Meirch	A Song to the Steeds
Y Gofiesswys byt	Y Byd Dyfeisiol	The Contrived World
Llwyric Alexsandyr	Durwisg Alegsandr	Alexander's Coat of Mail
Anryvedodau Alexander	Rhyfeddocau Alegsandr	Alexander's Wonders
Llath Moessen	Llath Moses	The Staff of Moses
Preideu Anwvyn	Ysbail Annwfn	The Spoils of Annwfn
Gweith Gwenystrad^[*]	Brwydr Gwenystrad	The Battle of Wensleydale
Nith Oes Cystedlyd^[*]	Nid oes Cyn Gystal	You Are the Best
Urien eg gorffwys^[*]	Urien yng Ngorffwys	Urien at Rest
Bei lleas Urien^[*]	Beth Pe Lladdwyd Urien?	What if Urien were Slain?
Gweith argoet llwyfein^[*]	Brwydr Argoed Llwyfan	The Battle of Argoed Llwyfan
Ardwyre reget^[*]	Cyfodwch Reged!	Rheged Arise!
Yspeil taliessin^[*]	Ysbail Taliesin	The Spoils of Taliesin
Cadau gwallawc^[*]	Brwydrau Gwallawg	The Battles of Gwallawg
Dadolwch Uryen^[*]	Cymodiad Urien	The Conciliation of Urien
Marwnat Erof	Marwnad Ercwlff	The Elegy of Herakles
Marwnat madawc	Marwnad Madog	The Elegy of Madog
Marwnat corroi ap dayry	Marwnad Cú Roí mab Dáiri	The Elegy of Cú Roí son of Dáiri
Marwnat dylan eil ton	Marwnad Dylai eil Dôn	The Elegy of Dylan descendant of Dôn
Marwnat owein [ap uryen]^[*]	Marwnad Owain [mab Urien]	The Elegy of Owain [son of Urien]
Marwnat aedon	Marwnad Aeddon	The Elegy of Aeddon
Marwnat Cuneda	Marwnad Cunedda	The Elegy of Cunedda
Arymes Prydein Bychan	Proffwydoliaeth Fechan Brydein	The Leser Prophecy of Britain
Marwnat Uthyr pen	Marwnad Uthur Pendragon	The Elegy of Uthur Pendragon
Kein gyfedwch	Cain Gyfeddach	A Beautiful Carousal
Ry dyrchaffwy duw	Er Gorfoledd Duw	The Exultation of God
Trindawt tragywyd	Tragwyddol Drindod	The Eternal Trinity
Gwawt lud y mawr	Moliant Lludd Fawr	In Praise of Lludd the Greater
Ywir dymbi romani kar	Ym wir, i mi, cyfaill Rhufeinig	Truly, to me a Roman friend
Ymarwar llud bychan	Ymddiddan Lludd Fychan	The Dialogue of Lludd the Lesser
Kanu y byt mawr	Canu y Byd Mawr	Verse of the Greater World
Kanu y byt bychan	Canu y Byd Bychan	Verse of the Lesser World
Darogan katwaladr	Darogan Cadwaladr	The Prophecy of Cadwaladr

^[*] These praise and battle poems are all generally believed to be the work of the historical poet, Taliesin, partly based on subject matter and partly on the archaic nature of the language and meter employed in them.

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