Kyntaw geir

Kyntaw geir (IPA /'kəntau gəir/, named for its first line, 'kyntaw geir a dywedaw', 'the first speech I will utter') is a medieval Welsh englyn-poem. It is a relatively rare example of religious poetry in the englyn form.

In the assessment of Jenny Rowland, 'the narrator-persona displays very human foibles, including the attempt to deny them. This naturalism makes it tempting to view the poem as a personal lyric, but it is undoubtedly misleading. The slightly bumbling, overly sincere narrator of "Kintaw geir" has a shrewd observer of human nature behind him. The incredible impression of spontaneity also conceals art and very tight organization.' The poem opens with the pilgrim preparing himself for his journey and seeking God's protection, perhaps alluding to other journey prayers like the Old English Journey Charm. However, his preparations are disturbed by a sneeze, which seems clearly to have been viewed as a bad omen. In stanzas 4-7 he contemplates the journey to Rome before him and in 8-10 prepares his horse. However, he continues to worry about bad omens, revealing his inner anxiety. The poem closes in 11-13 with the narrator successfully focusing his thoughts on the religious purpose of his journey, with an appropriate escalation in the elaborateness of the verse, closing with a prayer of intercession.

As edited and translated by Jenny Rowland, the poem reads:

Kyntaw geir a dywedaw.
y bore ban kyuodaw.
croes crist in wissc ymdanaw.

Ar helv uy ren y guiscav hetiu.
un trev a glyuaw.
nid ew wy duu nis credaw.

Guiscaw ymdanaw in berth.
ny credaw coel canyd kerth
y gur am creuys e am nerth.

Y mae vimrid ar debed.
arowun ar mor wyned.
etyl butic bytaud ked.

Y mae vimrid ar kighor.
arowun myned. ar mor.
etyl butic bytaud ior.

Dyrcheuid bran y hasgell.
arowun myned. impell.
etyl butic bitaud guell.

Dyrcheuid bran y hadein.
arowun myned ruvein.
etil butic bytaud kein.

Ystarn de wineu fruin guin.
redech hiraethauc raun rin.
ren new. oet reid duu genhin.

Ystarn de wineu birr y blev.
ruit ygniw rygig. otew.
myn yd vo truin. yd uit trev.

Ystarn de wineu hir y neid.
ruit ygynyw rygig. woteid.
ny lut ar lev trev direid.

Trum kyduod daear. tev deil dris.
chuerv vuelin met melis.
ren new ruita de vy neges.

O eissillit guledic. A gueith wtic. wosprid.
a phedir pen pop ieith.
Sanffreid suyna de in imdeith.

Heul eirioled arouned argluit.
crist kely. colowin ked.
dywyccviff wym pechaud am gueithred.

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Wikipedia