Death & Dying

The Death-Song of Erof (Book of Taliessin XL)

by Taliesin fl. late 6th century

Translated by Robert Williams (1868) · From Book of Taliessin

Death & Dying

Were changed the elements
Like night into day,
When came the gloriously-free,
Erewlf chief of baptism.
Erewlf said,
That he valued not death.
Shield of the Mordei
Upon him it broke.
Erewlf the arranger,
Determined, frantic.
Four columns of equal length;
Ruddy, gold along them.
The columns of Erewlf
Will not dare a threatening,
A threatening will not dare.
The heat of the sun did not leave him.
No one went to heaven
Until went he,
Erewlf the wall-piercer.
May the sand be my covering,
May the Trinity grant me
Mercy on the day of judgment,
In unity without want.

✦ ✦ ✦

Skene no. III (group A: Poems Referring to Early Traditions). Ascribed to Taliesin by tradition.

MLA

Taliesin. “The Death-Song of Erof (Book of Taliessin XL).” Translated by Robert Williams. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/taliesin/2/.

Chicago

Taliesin. “The Death-Song of Erof (Book of Taliessin XL).” Translated by Robert Williams. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/taliesin/2/.

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