10A Bardic Hymn
Where hymnal preludes first entered Welsh
literature, it is not easy to say. There are
remainders still extant which go so far back as
the twelfth century. Naturally, these are tinged
with Catholic sentiment; but for the most part
the tinge is very slight, and scarcely hurts their
delicate simplicity. The following free translation
of a bardic hymn out of the Black Book of
Caermarthen will show the character of these
earlier compositions:
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In the Name of the Lord,
Be it mine Him to praise,
Who is great in praises:
Him as Ruler I adore,
For He hath increased the fruit
Of His charity.
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God hath guarded us,
God hath made us,
God will save us:
God is our Hope,
Worthy and perfect--
Fair is His destiny.
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We are ownèd of Him,
Who is in the heights
King of Trinity:
God was sorely tried,
When He was entering
Into affliction.
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God has come forth,
Though He was prisoned
In His gentleness
Sovereign most happy,
He shall make us free
For the day of doom.
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He shall bring us to the feast,
In His mildness
And His lowliness:
In His Paradise,
Holy shall we dwell
From sin's penalty.
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We have no health
But in His chastisement
And the five strokes:
Unsparing His grief was,
In human defence,
When He took our flesh.
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Unto God we were lost,
Except for the ransom
By a blameless decree:
From the blood-stained rood
Came salvation forth
To the wide universe:
Mighty Shepherd,
Never shall the merit
Of Christ decay.
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