Page:Le Morte d'Arthur - Volume 1.djvu/26

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xxiv
Preface

Tri vgeint canhwr a seui arymur.
oed anhawd ymadrawd ae gwylyadur.
tri lloneit prytwen yd aeth gan arthur.
namyn seith ny dyrreith o gaer golud.

I merit not the laurel of the ruler of letters—
Beyond the Glass Fort they had not seen Arthur’s valour.
Three score hundreds stood on the wall:
Hard it was found to converse with their sentinel.
Three freights of Prydwen (were they that) went with Arthur,
Seven alone did they return from Caer Goludd.

Ny obrynaf y lawyr llaes eu kylchwy.
ny wdant wy py dyd peridyd pwy.
py awr ymeindyd y ganet cwy.
Pwy gwnaeth arnyt aeth doleu defwy.
Ny wdant wy yr ych brych bras ypenrwy.
Seith vgein kygwng yny aerwy.
A phan aetham ni gan arthur aurydol gofwy.
namyn seith ny dyrreith o gaer vandwy.

I merit not the laurel of them of the long shields (?):
They know not which is the ruler’s day (or) who (he is),
At what hour of early day he was born (or) where (?),
Who made…went not…
They know not the Speckled Ox with the stout halter,
With seven score joints in his collar.
When we went with Arthur, anxious visit,
Seven alone did we return from Caer Vanddwy.

Ny obrynafy lawyr llaes eu gohen
ny wdant py dyd peridyd pen.
Py awr ymeindyd y ganet perchen.
Py vil a gatwant aryant y pen.
pan aetham ni gan arthur afyrdwl gynhen
namyn seith ny dyrreith a gaer ochren.

I merit not the laurel of those of long…
They know not which is the day of the ruler (and) chief,
At what hour of early day was born the owner,
(Or) what myriad guards the silver of the head.
When we went with Arthur, anxious contest,
Seven alone did we return from Caer Ochren.

Of the eight castles or strongholds mentioned in this poem not a single one has been identified with any real place, and the Isle of the Active Door belongs probably to the same sort of geography as Annwvyn or Hades, and Uffern or Hell. The poem evidently deals with expeditions conducted by Arthur