To the Rood at Carmarthen
Strong sacrifice is the strength (not in oppressors' battle
but in gentle [yet] powerful miracle),
highly-praised renowned holy relic, pure its vigour,
4 of the four-pointed rood from white Caer.
Since I am song's steward I will make a declamation of praise
to the comely glorious radiant image,
where the tide's surging course is a mighty clamour,
8 sparkling circumference of Caer with rows of battlements.
It was very full of blessing without means of war or clamour
or tumult of shining battle,
. . . bright white-washed fortress
12 where the salt sea fills the rushing Tywi.
..............................................................
because of the bright rood,
whitewashed stone ....... fervent in battle,
16 smooth are the many-planked battlements of the host around
Caer.
Shining living image of Lord's lineage of tender course ....
..................... bright
where the full-surging tide comes
20 which reaches Caer, before ebbing beyond the battlefield.
............................................ unwarlike teaching
in honour
of the shining bright golden living image,
brilliant speech ....... gentle,
24 ............................... Caer.
It is full of blessing, faultless steward, in me
with ....................
the blessed gentle pillar is finely decorated,
28 good tidings of Caer's fair sacred house.
................................... Christ is the craftsman of
the cross
of clear strong bright fruitful miracle,
Creator ..............................
32 [a holy relic] which came to the fine town of Caer.
This rood, a bright Bible-book with decorated cover ....
............................................ craftsman
golden image, thorough gentle speech,
36 honour of the lovely house of Caer.
......................................... a hundred innocent
armies
where there are nine resounding waves,
..........................................
40 water which flows over meadows to Caer.
The wild tide brought .........................
in praise of the bright image,
the sombre temple of the English, swift-surging water,
44 .................................................. Caer.
Good was the course, thorough gentle speech, .........
...........................
great manifest grace, unblemished, renowned,
48 bringing a jewel which we loved to Caer.
A devout and much desired confession is the coming
amongst the English of a Saxon town
..........................................
52 well-renowned holy relic, of a rood from heaven.
To its bright privilege ..............................
....... bringing firmly-linked song,
Caer is its house, mighty fortified town,
56 .......................................
.......................................
.......................................
.......................................
60 .......................................
Cross of the glorious suffering of Christ the joyous Lord,
no ruler like Him was ever raised,
pure, Bastion, Emperor of peace,
64 mighty splendid relic of the passion of heaven's sweet
Lord.
God the Father brought to Caer the good image, of intricate
metre,
it is made a key of miracles;
I will bring (sweetest gift of pure words)
68 two clear songs to my perfect holy relic.
This rood made the blind, in all truth, who cannot see,
like the far-sighted fledged hawk;
a sign that none shall be (faith in the mighty Lord)
72 happy without the strength of Mary's great Son.
And the poor dim cripple, praiseworthy light,
withered dead, God's second word,
in sight of all, fair word of song,
76 it made a sturdy strider in a procession at a fair.
By its solemn miracle and its grace the deaf will hear
clearly without hindrance;
and it will bring the dead to life
80 in all their vigour, hope of great word.
Beloved holy relic of God's pure word, radiant image
whose mighty miracle is clear and wise,
all grades of men know, good axe carving,
84 the best journey for the Man who grows them.
A visit .............. supplication of the rood
at the clear fortress white-washed the colour of snow,
after forgiveness, privilege by letter,
88 of the poetical psalms of Solomon's fine temple.
I will praise, I will worship on my knees, ...........
................. with tired tongue,
a multitude praise, famed pouring of wine,
92 the great image at Myrddin's splendid abode.
I will open, I will place, plea on bended knee, my mind
in supreme judgements,
to adore the image of most beneficial virtue,
96 ...............................................
.................................................
............. abode of myrrh and wine,
completely blessed learning,
100 fine is the golden wise pillar of Caer Fyrddin.
................................................. to Caer,
and it is Jesus's sign,
a clear, bright, bubbling song,
104 .................proud living image.
.................................................language,
authors of song will hear it,
the lord of the golden face of the earth will hear
108 fitting praise to the good living image.
Englishmen made from afar an elegant gilded cloak
.................................................
a laymen's frost-coloured [?] fortress of unfailing strength,
112 English manner, for the bright living image.
[The rood?] of firm privilege which came to Caer,
famed in the Bible heard by all people,
splendid Lord-ruler, gilded cloak,
116 brought the dead back to life.
............the golden image powerful in language came
with great wounds without scars
proud pillar ......................,
120 to mighty Caerfyrddin, journey of great grace.
.................. powerful language to a great fort,
poetic language is no vain song;
making ......................
124 a blessed select journey.
............................. twenty thousand
praise their long-lasting grace;
I will ensure that I do not spoil poetic language,
128 meritworthy praise of the beneficial journey.
............................ miracle-Usalem
was established as a Sovereign,
beside the grave of Christ .....
132 ....... stout coloured wall.
....................... splendid declamation of Myrddin
who sang poetry which circulates in every language,
where there is ................................
136 ....... the shining living image, of great and lasting
honour.
.................................................
.................................
................................far and long
140 to those who desire a journey.
Merciful God, He loves us, He does not chastise us, our
payment,
for a cruel flow of blood which is passionately praised;
honoured Oak who bravely redeemed us,
144 Defender of heaven who gives us security.
There came to Caer, strong place of the tumult of mighty
sea-surges,
in the form in which He redeemed us,
sweet renown, it provided learning for us,
148 an image from heaven, Maker of security.
Protect a portion of my psalm, do not cast down the signs of
poetic inspiration,
great true rood which redeemed me,
bloody wounds coloured you,
152 I beseech, for the Lord God's sake, your security.
Expense of a drop of the Lord's blood, the glorious Christ
arranged
for the bright rood which saves us from chastisement,
lineage in metre, violent expression,
156 a town which is a second heaven, kindly security.
The living rood is radiant within the city of Caer
kingdom's beloved image,
place of English festival, pale rich crowd,
160 current of fresh water and bright blue tide.
House and site received complete profit on account of the golden
image
with the dignity of a jewel;
where water surges ............ deep course,
164 valley floor of the great shining surface of the smooth blue
sea.
Caer is a place of rushing waters, a place not unpleasant to go
to
for the sake of the image of the heavenly house,
................................ Judas,
168 where many fair blue torrents surge.
I will undertake a most urgent journey, wise lineage, to see
the fair bright (rood) of the light of grace,
........................... current above a river-bed,
172 the paths of Caer and the bright mantle of the blue tide.
There is around the house of the rood at fair Caer (?)
with its shining battlements and long slope
..................
tender strong blessing of a city bound by stone,
176 a fine wall and ............ blue sea.
I will give surety to my mighty Lord by means of lineage to the
rood
on the clear ............ of its servant (?),
splendid fearless song, deep and rich,
180 like the number of pebbles on a blue shore.