This is the original version of the poem Gereint fab Erbin (Gereint son of Erbin) 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.

⮙erein Fil’ erbi.

⮧ac gereint gelin ﬌ſtut.
﬍ gueleiſ e meirc﬉ can crimru.
 gid﬍ gaur gar﬑ achlu.

⮧ac gereint gelin di﬉a﬒.
gueleiſ e meirch crimru o a﬒.
 gu﬍di gaur garu pu﬍lla﬒.

⮧ac gerein gelﬓn omes.
gueleiſ meirc﬉ can eu crs.
 gu﬍﬒i gaur gar﬑ ac﬉les.

n llogbor﬉ ﬍ gueleiſ e ﬋i﬉ein.
a geloaur m﬑﬍ no mein.
a guir ru rac ru﬉ir gerein.

n llogbor﬉ ﬍ gueleiſ e gimina﬒.
guir igri﬒ a guae﬒ am ia﬒.
rac gereint ﬋aur mab ﬍ a﬒.

n llogpo﬉ gueleiſ e gooe﬑.
a guir n﬍ gilﬓnt rac g﬑ae﬑.
ac ﬍﬋e﬒ g﬋i o gu﬍﬒ir gloe.

n llogpo﬉ ﬍ gueleiſ e are﬋
guir. a gu﬍ar in dﬓne﬋.
a g﬋﬍﬒i gaur gar﬑ ane﬋.

n llogpo﬉ ﬍ gueleiſ e. ﬍ ar﬉ur
guir ﬒eur ﬍m﬍nﬓn a dur.
ameraudur ll﬍iaudir llaur.

n llogpo﬉ ﬍ llaſ ﬍ gerein.
guir. ﬒eur o o﬒ir dinein.
a c﬉in rille﬉i﬒ ﬋e. lla﬍ein.

⮣e re rerein ﬒an ﬋ortui﬒ gerein
gar﬉irion graun guenith.
uﬓon ru﬉ir eririon bli﬉.

⮣e re reren ﬒an ﬋ouﬓ﬒ gerein.
gar﬉irio graun ae b﬋.
uion ru﬉ir eriron ﬒﬋.

⮣e re rerein ﬒an morcui﬒ gereﬓn.
garhirion graun boloc﬉.
uion ru﬉ir eriron coc﬉.

⮣e re rerein ﬒an moui﬒ gereﬓn
gar﬉irion graun e﬉in.
uion ru﬉ir eririon g﬑i.

⮣e re rerein dan ﬋oui﬒ gerein.
gar﬉irion gra ﬉i.
uruf goei﬉ ar diffei﬉ m﬍ni.

Oe re rereﬓn. dan ﬋oui﬒ gerein
gar﬉irion gran anc﬉﬑an.
Blaur blaen eu raun ﬓn arian.

⮣e re rerein ﬒an mouﬓ﬒. gerein.
gar﬉irion. graun a﬒aſ.
uion ru﬉ir er﬍rion glas.

⮣e re rereﬓn ﬒an moui﬒ gerein.
gar﬉irion graun eu bu﬍﬒.
uion ru﬉ir eririon ll﬑i﬒.

⮑an ane﬒ gerein oe agoe﬒ pir﬉ ne.
roei criſt a arc﬉e﬒
pri﬒ mirein pr﬍﬒ein ogone﬒.




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.