This is the original version of the Seithenin poem Seithenin 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 poem represents one of the oldest written versions of the drowning of Cantre'r Gwaelod legend (also known as the Drowning of Gwyddneu's realm).

Bodi Maes Gytneu (Seihennin)

⮩eihenhın ſa﬒e allan
c edrẏchuir﬒e varanres mo
maes guine﬑ ẏoeſt
⮑oed emen﬒irei﬒ ﬍ mo﬑i
ae hell﬍gaut gu﬍ch cvı
finau enessir mo teui‧
⮑oe﬒ emendicei﬒ ﬍ vacheih‧
e‧ golligaut gu﬍di gueih
finaun eneſtir mo diffeih
⮔iaſpa﬒ vererid ﬍ ar vann caer.
﬉i﬒ ar duu ﬍ ﬒odir‧
gnau﬒ gu﬍di ra﬉a rangc ﬉ir
⮔iasspa﬒ mereri﬒‧ ﬍ ar van aer hetiv
﬉i﬒ ar duu ﬍ da﬒oluc﬉‧
gnau﬒ gu﬍di ra﬉a ai regut﬉‧
⮔iaſpa﬒ mereri﬒ am gahuı ﬉eno‧
c nım ﬉au gollui‧
[uaut]‧ [ueti]‧ ra﬉a ramgui.
Diaſpad mererid ﬍ ar ginev adir
adaul duv ae goe﬑‧
gnau﬒ gu﬍di gomo eiſſev‧
Dıaſpad mereri﬒‧ m ﬍m﬉ell ﬉eno
﬍ ur﬉ u﬍ iſtauell
gnau﬒ gu﬍di ra﬉a rangc pell.
⮑e ſei﬉en﬉in ſyn﬉uir aun
Rug aer enedir a glan‧
mo maur﬉idic a inra‧



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.