Taliesin Quotes

Welsh bard

Taliesin (or Taliessin; c. 534 – c. 599) is the earliest poet in any Brittonic language whose work has survived. Although he probably composed in Cumbric, since the songs most surely attributed to him are praise poems to Urien Rheged, a warrior monarch of the Old North, these poems survive in Middle Welsh in the so-called Book of Taliesin, written down around the 13th century, along with about forty more of more dubious attribution. His name means "Radiant Brow" (tal iesin in Welsh). The book was translated by Robert Williams and published in The Four Ancient Books of Wales (1858) by W. F. Skene. These translations are notoriously unreliable, but few better have since appeared, due to the obscurity and compression of the verse.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Showing quotes in randomized order to avoid selection bias. Click Popular for most popular quotes.

Monks throng like a kennel of pups from disputing with the masters who instruct them whether the run of the wind is one, or one the ocean's waters or one the spark of fire - an illimitable clamour.

Monks mass like a pack of wolves from disputing with the masters who instruct them - They know not when deep dark and dawn divorce nor who sends the wind, nor who moves it, where it disappears to, what land it strikes.

I am not meet for petty men, slack their habit: They know not, they, on what day who was made, what hour of the fine day was born to whom, who made him who went not to the dale of Tefwy. They know not, they, the great Speckled Ox in headgear with seven-score links in its collar-chain. And when we went with Arthur, a sorry visit, Save for seven none came up from Fort Divine Height.

Twelve thousand in the convention Believed through the voice of John. They worship, they deserve a portion, In heaven they will not be angry.

Seven scores, seven scores, seven hundreds of saints, And seven thousands and seven ten scores, November a number implored, Though martyrs good they came.

Do not thy passions counteract What thy lips utter? Thy going in thy course into valleys, Dark without lights. And mine were his words. And mine were his languages.

Fair Elphin, cease your lament! Swearing profits no-one. It is not evil to hope Nor does any man see what supports him, Not an empty treasure is the prayer of Cynllo, Nor does God break his promise.

Pleasant, liquors of the mead-brewer to the multitude; Also pleasant, a songster generous, amiable. Pleasant, the open field to cuckoos and the nightingale; Also pleasant when the weather is serene.

Eagle of the land, extensive thy glance. I would have requested an active courser Of vigorous trot, the price of the spoil of Taliesin. One is the violent course on the bottom and the summit, One is the gift of a baron to a lord. One is the herd of stags in their fight. One is the wolf not covetous of broom, One is the country where a son is born, And of one form and one sound is the battle-place of warriors.

Taliesin Quotes

Try QuoteGPT