Morfudd's Oath

	Doing harm, a false offence,

	is better than ill-tempered churlish sulking.

	Morfudd would be fair with her love

4	in the end, hue of shining snow.

	She of courteous manner, bright as Luned,

	gave me her pledge

	by means of her ring-laden hand

8	and will of mind and arm,

	that she loves me, of noble descent,

	if the ape loves its foster-son.

	It's a worthy pledge if it be not forsworn,

12	happy will I be if it's true.

	I have never received such full favour,

	since I was [first] given a gift,

	as getting this from the generous one,

16	if it is really a flawless gift.

	It's no ornament, vain phrase,

	made of valley birch, no false toy;

	the goldwork of Mary's exalted Son

20	with His bare hand by the Lord's oil,

	a psalm from God, ensealed it

	as a holy treasure from His hand and His support,

	and it was a full measure and it will be enough

24	of a knot between each of us,

	and the one who breaks it

	will go deep and long into the fire.

	And I in turn gave to the shapely modest one

28	my [pledge] to my darling

	as a firm oath, in a transient place,

	in her hand, she of sun's colour,

	as I was given by free power

32	in the [baptismal] water the name Dafydd,

	sharp pang of desire, God's true desire,

	that I love her of the hue of hillside snow.

	The covenant was fortunate,

36	I know well, and it was God that made it.

	The girl gave with the shape of her hand

	a fistful, and blessed be it,

	a solemn oath, perfect and full of grace,

40	the essence of absolute truth,

	an oath to God with her right hand,

	that, indeed, is no false oath;

	a joyous growth in Indeg's hand,

44	a good oath across her fair hand.

	It will be a book of love in her hand,

	a legal authority by the summer.

	The oath that Morfudd Llwyd gave

48	was sanctified in cold water.