LII. Book of Aneurin II.

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LII.

BOOK OF ANEURIN II.

HERE BEGINNETH THE GORCHAN OF TUDVWLCH.

THEY assemble in arms, the ranks are formed, tumult approaches;
In front are the warlike, in front the noble, in front the good;
While the trenches are full of motion, around are heard the curved horns, and are seen the curved falchions;
To the praise of the king with the host whose presence is devastation.
I saw dark gore arising on the stalks of plants, on the clasp of the fetter,
On the bunches, on the sovereign, on the bush, and the spear:
And ruddy was the sea-beach; and on the sea-beach, and in Ewionydd
And Gwynheidyd splendid excess prevailed.
The crowd made a firm stay before the ceremony, like the checking of excess.
10 Uplifted were the shields around the front of the aged when the excess prevailed.
A wolf in his lifetime was Bleiddiad, unrestrained in his bravery.
Active were the glittering shafts with the aspect of a serpent, from the radiance of serpents.
Wounded thou art, commander of rulers, and delight of females.
Thou lovedst partly to live: I wish thou livedst, O thou of victorious energy! p. 411
Unjustly oppressed bull (of conflict), I deplore thy death, thou who wert fond of the tumult!
In the face of the sea, in the front rank of men, around the pit of battle
Bran combats in Cynwyd.
A wave burst forth which afflicted the world.
He refused to the tribes of the country, and for the benefit of the infantry,
20 Four multitudes, four military troops of the world.
The shields were in splinters, and the blade in the hair of one from the square,
The man who poured the expressed mead out of the blue horns,
A man of quality, surrounded with purple, the stay or armies.
It was the performance of Tudvwlch of severe aspect, whose standard was of the colour of the blood of grapes.
By reason of mead free drunk, a multitude went over the boundary.
In the action at the goal, for the preservation of law.
Cynan, the energetic chief from Mona, acted justly as regards the higher orders.
Tudvwlch and Cyvwlch made breaches in the heights of Caers;
With Mynyddawg disastrous did their wassails prove.
30 A year of longing for the men of Catraeth is cherished by me;--
Their steel blades, their mead, their vehemence, and their fetters.
They assemble in arms, the ranks are formed; do I not hear the tumult?

AND SO IT ENDETH.