Primary chief bard am I to Elphin

And my original country is the region of the Summer Stars

Idno and Heinin called me Merddin

At length every king will call me Taliesin

I was with my Lord in the highest sphere

On the fall of Lucifer into the depth of hell

I have borne a banner before Alexander

I know the names of the stars from north to south

I have been in the Galaxy at the throne of the Distributor

I was in Canaan when Absalom was slain

I conveyed Awen to the level of the vale of Hebron

I was in the court of Dtn before the birth of Gwydion

I was instructor to Eli and Enoch

I have been winged by the genius of the splendid crozier

I have been loquacious prior to being gifted with speech

I was at the place of the crucifixion of the merciful son of God

I have been three periods in the prison of Arianrhod

I have been the chief director of the work of the tower of Nimrod

I am a wonder whose origin is not known

I have been in Asia with Noah in the Ark

I have witnessed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

I have been in India when Roma what built

I am now come here to the remnant of Troia

I have been with my Lord in the manger of the ass

I strengthened Moses through the water of Jordan

I have been in the firmament with Mary Magdalene

I have obtained the muse from the Cauldron of Cerridwen

I have been bard of the harp to Lleon of Lochlin

I have been on the White Hill, in the court of Cynvelyn

For a day and a year in stocks and fetters

I have suffered hunger for the Son of the Virgin

I have been fostered in the land of the Deity

I have been teacher to all intelligences

I am able to instruct the whole universe

I shall be until the day of doom on the face of the earth

And it is not known whether my body is flesh or fish

Then I was for nine months

In the womb of the hag Cerridwen

I was originally little Gwion

And at length I am Taliesin

The Song of Taliesin

I have been

From the beginning

I have seen

All manner of things

My voice has been heard

Upraised in song

In the halls of kings

In the palaces of princes

In the houses of the people

In the groves of the Druid

And I have sung

Let all men believe it

Before the Chair of the Soveriegn

Arthur the Blessed

Who drove all before him

Who stood at the gate of Annwn

With sword in hand

And brought forth the Hallows

The four holy objects

For the blessing of the land

I have stood on the wall

Of the turning fortress

I have dwelt three times

In the womb of the Goddess

Bard am I

Taliesin the singer

I have spoken with Merlin

In the habitations of glass

I have drunk of the awen

From the Cauldron of Inspiration

Nine nights and days

In the womb of Cerridwen

From that day

I have travelled the wide world

I have stood upon the walls

Of Troya the golden

I have watched over battles

In the forefront of the host

I have stood in the place

Where the Son of Man was laid

I have spoken to Magi

In the groves of Avaron

I have walked all roads

Between Eryri and Emneaus

I have heard the words

Of the wisest of the wise

I have sung to princes

In the halls of Byzantium

I have chanted my words

Before the Lord of Hosts

Who I was

Remains unkown

In time men shall call me

Merlin and Jokannan

Three times imprisoned

In the Place of the Goddess

I still am enclosed

In the circle of the world

In the pattern of creation

I seek my source

In the tremendous force

Of the Holy Word

In the dreaming choirs

Of the might abbey

In the halls of Lordship

And the halls of Death

I adore the splendour

And the majesty of Fortune

In the region of the Summer

Stars

I find my beginning

In the Circle of Abred

I observe my end

Until that moment

In the turning spheres

I continue my story

Until called to cease

My time will remain

In the thoughts of all

Until I enter the region

Where I make my home

Taliesin's Creed

In the rock, alive

I would be hewn from it

Like a dream of stone

Like Merlin, my brother

In the hidden place

A feather in bright air

I drift in memory'sdisguise

Shadowy as sunlight shaped by

sea

Half in, half out

I am reborn

I am in the stone

I am in the wood

I am in the sun

I am in the dancing

I am in all things

This is my freedom

This is my strength

This is my journeying

This my discovery

This my self!

Poetry

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