This is the original version of the Arthurian poem Pa Gur yw y Porthawr (What Man is the Gate-keeper?) 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. This is one of the earliest surviving Arthurian poems.

⮤a gur ẏ ẏ pohaur

⮤a gur ẏ ẏ pohaur
⮙leuluﬓd gauaeluaur‧
⮤a gur ae goui‧
ahur‧ a cheﬓ gui‧
⮤a im﬒a genhﬓ﬒‧
⮙uﬓr goev ﬓm bﬓd‧
ẏm ẏ ﬒oﬓ‧
onẏſ guaredﬓ‧
ﬖﬓ ae guar[e]dﬓ‧
a hﬓ ae guelﬓ‧
Vẏhneﬓn eleﬓ‧
 ſſﬓvẏon ell ﬓ‧
ﬖabon am mẏ﬒ron‧
gauaſ uhﬓr pendragon‧
ẏſcein‧ mab‧ ⮑anon‧
 guﬓ godẏbﬓon‧
⮣et ﬓn vẏ gueﬓſſon
ﬓn amuﬓ ev devo.
ﬖanaﬓdan ab llẏr‧
oe duﬓſ ẏ cuſﬓl‧
euſtuc manauﬓ﬒
eﬓſ ull o rẏuﬓ﬒‧
 mabon am mell﬒‧
⮴agleﬓ guae﬒ ar guell﬒.
c anguas edeinauc‧
a lluch‧ llauẏnnauc‧
⮣eﬓn dﬓffreﬓdauc
ar eﬓdﬓn cẏminauc‧
rgluﬓ ae llocheﬓ
mẏneﬓ ẏmﬓẏgeﬓ‧
eﬓ ae heﬓrﬓoleﬓ‧
rae llaheﬓ pop rﬓ‧
⮤an colle﬒ ellﬓ‧
caffa﬒ cuellﬓ‧
ſ eﬓroleﬓ eﬓ
hﬓ﬒ rae ẏmẏnheﬓ‧
rthur oe﬒ huaheﬓ‧
ẏ guae﬒ gouereﬓ‧
I neua aarnach
ﬓn ﬓmla e a gurach
 a guan pen palach‧
ﬓn ao﬒ev‧ dﬓſſehach‧
ẏm mini eﬓdﬓ
amuc‧ a‧ chﬓnbﬓn‧
⮤op can ﬓ﬒ cuﬓﬓn‧
ﬓ﬒ cvrn‧ pop can‧
rac beduﬓr bedrẏdan‧
r raehev rẏruﬓ﬒‧
ﬓn amvﬓ a garvluﬓ﬒‧
⮣et guẏchﬓr ẏ annuẏ﬒‧
o cleẏ ac ẏſcuﬓd‧
⮣e guage braga﬒
vrh‧ eﬓ ﬓg a﬒‧
⮣e cleẏ ﬓgha﬒‧
oe lav dﬓguﬓſtla﬒‧
⮣e cleẏ ﬓgha﬒.
oe lav dﬓguﬓſtla﬒‧
⮣e hẏneﬓ guaſtad
ar lleg ar lles gula﬒.
⮑eduﬓr‧ a ⮑rﬓdlav‧
au can guarandau‧
chuechan ẏ eﬓhau‧
a aleﬓ ẏ oﬓnav.
⮙ueﬓſſon am buẏint
oe guell ban uﬓtﬓnt‧
ac ﬓev emeﬓs‧
gueleﬓſ e‧ eﬓ a uﬓſ‧
⮤reﬓev gohoﬓſ‧
oe gu hﬓr ﬓn enis‧
⮣e rum ẏ dﬓal.
oeoſt ẏ cẏnﬓal‧
Pan ẏueﬓ o ual
ẏueﬓ uh pe﬒ua‧
ẏg a﬒ pan ﬒elheﬓ‧
vh can ﬓ﬒ lacheﬓ.
ẏ beﬓ duv ac dﬓgonheﬓ‧
⮣et dﬓheﬓ aghev eﬓ‧
eﬓ guﬓ a llahev‧
dﬓgonﬓn e a﬒ev‧
ﬓn gloes glaſ veev‧
Ẏguaha ẏſtaﬓngu‧
eﬓ a guan nav guion‧
eﬓ ﬓ a aeh von
ẏ dﬓleﬓn lleuon‧
ẏ ﬓſcui﬒ oe mẏnu﬒
ebﬓ cah paluc‧
⮤an gogﬓueﬓrch u﬒.
⮤uẏ guyan cah paluc‧
au ugein ﬓnlluc‧
a cuẏeﬓ ﬓn ẏ buẏ﬒.
au ugeﬓn ﬓnran‧
‧...

[Yma terfynir y ddalen]



Follow these links for the modern Welsh version of the poem and the English translation of the poem.




The poem given above are 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.