This is the Original Version of the poem Prif Gyfarch Taliesin (Taliesin's First Address) from the the Llyfr Taliesin (Book of Taliesin). 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 oldest of the surviving poems attributed to the bard, Taliesin.

Prif gyvarch taliessin

[[*]Prif gyuarch gehiyd pan ryleat
p﬑y kynt ae tywy ae goleuat
neu adaf pan bu pa dyd y creat
neu y dan tyllket pyyr y seuvat
a uo lleiou nys myn pwyat
est qui peccator am niuereit
co a﬘ut gwlat nefwy plwyf offeureit
boeu eb nid el
o ganont teir pel
eingvl gall wydel
gwnaont eu ryuel
pan da﬑ nos a dyd
pan uyd ﬑yd eryr
pann yw tywyll nos
pan y gwyd llinos
mor pan dyuev﬑yd
c﬑d a nys g﬑elyd.
yſit teir ffynna﬑n
y mynyd hi a wn
yſit gaer gartha﬑n
a dann donn ei gawn
Goith gyfarchawr.
p﬑y yw en﬑ y potha﬑
pwy bu peigl a﬑
y uab meir m﬑ynua﬑
pa ueſur m﬑y naf
a oruc adaf
pwy veſſur uffern
p﬑y tewet y enn
pwy et y geneu
p﬑y meint ei meinheu
neu ulaen g﬑yd ffali﬑m
py eltwng ni orgr﬑m.
neu pet anat uon
yſyd yn eu bon
neu leu a g﬑ydyon
a wnant geluydyon
neu a wdant l yfyyon
pa wnant
pan daw nos a iant
pan byd y dinant
c﬑d a nos rac dyd
pan daw naſ welyd.
⮤ater noſter ambulo
gentis tonans in adiuuando —
sibilein ſignum
rogantes fotum
am g﬑i﬑ g﬑i﬑ am g﬑myd
am geiſant deu gelfyd
m kaer keuidan kernidyd
ry ty un eirch pecto dauyd
yd mikynant
ys ei kant
ym kaff﬑ynt yn dirdan
kymry yg griduan
poua tor eneit
rac ll﬑yth ei ſyffleit
kymry prif diryeit
vann ry goll b﬑yeit —
g﬑aed hir uch eneit.
aſg﬑yar honneit
dydoent g﬑arth uo
g﬑yd ueirch dy aruo
eingyl ygh y gro
gwelatto arwydon
gwynyeith ar saeſon
denidus ny ſyon
or﬑ynai uuſſon
bydhaur penn seiron
rac ffichit lewon
marini brython
ry daroganon
a medi heon
am hafren auon
ady ffady kenn a maſſ﬑y
ffis amala ffur fi sel
dyr wedi truiet ir amoed
creawdy oo hai
huai gentil diofrenn gospe
codigrui cota gosgod maur
conu a menudur
ueibion gan wy keluydon
gan uath neu gan gofannon]

gan ievy﬒ gan eleſtron
ry ganhym﬒eih a ch﬑yſſon
bl﬑y﬒vn yg aer ofanhon
﬑yf hen ﬑yf newy﬒ ﬑yf gwion
﬑yf ll﬑yr ﬑yf synh﬑yr einon
Dygofi ﬒yheu vyhon
g﬑y﬒yl yl﬒i uerogyon
me﬒u me﬒﬑on
﬑yf bar﬒ ny rifafi eillon
﬑yf sy﬑ llyw ﬑yf sy﬑ amryſſon
Syhei arahei. rahei nyſ me﬒ei
Si ffra﬒yr yny fra﬒ri
poſ beir﬒en bonrein a ﬒yfei
a ﬒euhon ach me﬒leſri
 ganhon gam var﬒oni
 geiſſon gyfar﬑s nyſ ﬒eubi
Heb gyfreih heb reih heb ro﬒i
⮐ g﬑e﬒y hynny ﬒igoni
barhuy aby ﬒yuyſci
nac eruyn i he﬒﬑ch wrh vvi
en nef rymawyr ﬒y we﬒i
rac y gres vym gwreſ ﬒y voli
i rex gle am gogyfarch yn geluy﬒
A weleiſ ﬒ris foriſ
﬒arogan ﬒﬑fyn ﬒rū
bu﬒yan uffern
hic nemo in per pgeno.
Ef ﬒illyg﬑yſ yh﬑yf
﬒rīs uiruū
aeh na﬑ ynnull﬑ys
eſiſ iſe eſ
c chyn buaſwn aſunſei
arnaf b﬑yf ﬒erwyn y ﬒u﬑ ﬒iheu
 chyn mynh﬑yf ﬒erwyn creu.
 chyn ﬒el ewynnri﬑ ar vyg geneu
 chyn vyg hyfalle ar y llaheu pen
poe ym henei y ﬒agyfe﬒eu
⮐ bei﬒ om ﬒ywei llyhyr llyfreu
yſu﬒ ﬒ygyn g﬑e﬒y g﬑ely agheu
⮐r sa﬑l a giglueu vym bar﬒ gyfreu
ry pyn﬑yn wla nef a ﬒ef goeu.



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 Taliesin (Book of Taliesin), 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.