This is the original version of the poem Dadl y corff a'r enaid (Debate between the body and the soul) from the the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin (Black Book of Carmarthen). It is rendered as close as possible to the original using my font, Mabinogi Celtic which is free for anyone to download and install.
[Rhagarweiniad]
⮞aenad elui.
nelv o doui.
uaenad nan
o cists eﬓn didan.
c ei gueﬓnan
am. . glcﬓn uan.
gnue pego
i dan mo.
r gnue. edeﬓnauc
a ouc uoeauc.
c ei. ei. paup.
i can auaud.
elln e aeaud.
oee indaud.
Dﬓn dual faud.
euill coſpaud.
mu bid paaud.
ﬓn ebin idaud.
Bi glaf glefcaud.
Ban ana. gnaud
diodu. icaud.
[Yr Enaid]
⮙uae idin eid
pi doduid im bid.
⮣nid imaredi.
o druc digoni.
ed uﬓd ii.
uid. a. ei.
Dud d ieni.
d imui a llogli.
⮪ac d die.
d lauia. o. e.
a ſegi a raed
mli pi a e.
Dihafal d imei
d icar a edimei.
Cop diffid dieid.
gobuill. o. eneﬓd.
Coph ni glii
pa leuei gili.
Pa oeistse o ee.
in ues agel.
Pa oeistse o olud
in muill moll mud.
ac haueud.
ac diadaud.
acc n iuelud
mein a gaud.
c i oe oud
lu ein dud.
daon i aean
ig mein o ffuian.
Pi pinude can.
o ﬓ ageugan.
c ſ mo iuan
mal good aman.
ueleistse o gaan
a f reis ragian.
perceistse guene
o au elle.
i cheunostse pade
na pilgein na goſpe.
Pade pi raeaud.
gobuill o nebaud
namui rindaud.
Ralu istsedli
i ſei pade beuni.
ff ac nid oes.
ac nit reghis. e oe.
moe dinaue meei.
no prege eegil.
ndeld i gleuﬓ
guet na buosts ffil.
i peceistse creie
na lloc na llane.
id endeueistse ie
bei gouec igle.
i peceistse iurei
creaudi ne in llei
llauſ agiuiei
a odue a di aei.
⮙ae i pi imtei
genide in uei.
⮙ae i pi uuf
a di iuol.
pan douum e aad
oe bichan i anuad.
eu imauad
o lau kﬓueiad.
nu nin cred nﬓ nep.
o remitn ived.
[Y Corff]
eid id ﬓm gunci.
in agen di gei.
⮙ui guae uﬓne
pi deuostse im goe.
ac iof e. nac age.
na diue. na ecre.
⮣ ſei lauanad.
ban im ſesuﬓnad.
⮣ ſei creadu
pan im dodae a pu.
⮣eun. a. llaca.
pan im oed pa.
⮣eu pi daea.
nm daeei ala.
⮣eu guﬓn goucaf
llei nuc nom da.
⮣eun nul a mnﬓ
n eiau eoni.
⮣eun lode gui
a inep elui.
m uinaei e doui
im doda a deuni.
neid id im gunei.
[Yr Enaid]
ac imadneiu
ne. imaredun.
eugan ragaum.
ide icaa.
cinod ſene.
ceugan inale.
daduiein o be
gudi hi goe.
oeauc du a e.
di in deeu wue.
dadu a
a poploe anlan.
lluc a aian.
a llauſ lldan.
lleaud lle dinag.
na didif na diag.
id agde
eenaſ aere.
Dgeau. . i. ll.
ac drec. drem ieu.
Llu guiin guiio
eili egilion.
ll aall biion.
eili bodoion.
⮪dell diuedi.
ſ lei geii.
huﬓlan i gliui
im pared dieil.
In n nid aon
gan dull agimon.
⮲n mae meillon
a guli a iion.
⮲n mae eoion
in ei on.
⮞ein bid e goffalon
gan guledic gochoion.
⮲n mae ebestsil
am eenaſ uil.
⮲en mae ̲p ael
in clae ueistse.
Roiad bid beddrael.
nﬓd guael geeni.
cﬓn eginullem ne
eilie edi.
⮣ ſaul dmgua.
a llei dﬓmgobi.
c e guei dimgunelem ne.
dimbrodic di.
iſ drae uee
oe ue doui.
Follow these links for the Celtnet Poetry archive and the Black Book of Carmarthen information page.
The poem given above is transcribed directly from the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin (Black Book of Carmarthen), with reference to Blodeugerdd Barddas o'r Bedwaredd Ganrif ar Ddeg edited by Dafydd Johnston and to AHO Jarman's diplomatic edition of the text. Letters or words obviously missing from the text are enclosed in square brackets [ ] and letters or words that are either superfluous to the metre or which are erroniously copied in the original are indicated in italic text.
As well as being a treasure trove of ancient poetry the Llyfr Du also contains a number of marginalia, including drawings and notes. As such it is also a resource of Medieval imagery. I have reproduced some of these images and they are presented here. As you can see, this poem breaks off in the last line and the remainder of the poem is lost.