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The Praise of Urien

Dadolwch Uryen, sometimes translated as 'The Satisfaction of Urien', describes the reunion of Taliesin with his most beloved patron, Urien, after an imagined separation. The word dadolwch, a derivative of W. golwch 'praise' (which also appears in diolch 'thanks'), was used in the later Middle Ages to refer to a poem sung by a bard in order to regain the favour of his patron and its basic meaning today is 'appeasement' or 'reconciliation'. Here, however, there is little to suggest a loss of favour and the poem merely seems to be expressing the bard's loyalty to his generous patron.

Lleuuyd echassaf,  mi nyw dirmygaf
Uryen a gyrchaf,  idaw yt ganaf
Pan del vy gwaessaf,  kynnwys a gaffaf
A'r parth goreuhaf  y dan eilassaf
Nyt mawr ym dawr  byth gweheleith a welaf
Nyt af attadunt,  ganthunt ny bydaf
Ny chyrchaf i Gogled  armei teyrned
Kyn pei am lawered  y gwnelwn gynghwystled
Nyt reit ym hoffed,  Uryen ny gomed
Lloyfenyd tired,  ys meu eu reufed
Ys meu y gwyled,  ys meu y llared
Ys meu y delideu  ae gorefrasseu
Med o vualeu,  a da dieisseu
Gan teyrn goreu,  haelaf rygigleu
Teyrned pob ieith  yt oll yd ynt geith
Ragot yt gwynir,  ys dir dy oleith
Kyt ef mynasswn  gweyhelu henwn
Nyt oed well a gerwn  kyn ys gwybydwn
Weithon y gwelaf  y meint a gaffaf
Many y Duw uchaf  nys dioferaf
Dy teyrn veibon,  haelaf dynedon
Wy kanan eu hyscyrron  yn tired eu galon
Most valiant chief,  I will not slight him
Uryen I will seek,  to him I will sing
When my warrant comes,  welcome shall I receive
And the best place  under the chieftain
I care not much what  [bidding I get]
I will not go to them,  I will not be with them
I will repair to the North   at the beck of the princes
Though it were for much  that I gave a pledge
I need not reckon it,  Uryen will not refuse me
The lands of Llwyfenydd,  mine is their wealth
Mine is their courtesy,  mine is their bounteousness
Mine are their feasts  and their luxuries
Mead out of horns and good things without stint
From the best prince,  the most generous I have heard of
The princes of all nations  are all thrall to thee
In thy advance there is wailing,  thou must be evaded
Though I had wished it ...
There was none I love better  before I knew him
Now that I see  how much I obtain
I will no more foreswear him  than the most high God
Thy princely sons,  most generous men
Get their booty  in the lands of their foes.

~ J. Morris-Jones (1918) Taliesin