"A tongue with the eloquence of Aneurin of splendid song." {0i}


And Sevnyn 1320-1378 asserts that


"The praise of Aneurin is proclaimed by thousands." {0j}


Such is the language in which the mediaeval Bards were accustomed to talk of
the author of the Gododin.

The basis of the present translation is a MS. on vellum apparently of about
the year 1200. In that MS. the lines are all written out to the margin,
without any regard to the measure. Capital letters are never introduced but
at the beginning of paragraphs, where they are ornamented and coloured
alternately red and green. At page 20 Gwilym Tew and Rhys Nanmor {0k} are
mentioned as the owners of the Book, but the names are written in a hand, and
with letters more modern than the MS. It at one time belonged to Mr. Jones
the Historian of Brecknockshire, and came latterly into the possession of the
late Rev. T. Price, with whose Executrix, Mrs. E. Powell of Abergavenny, it
now remains. The author of the Celtic Researches took a transcript of it,
which he communicated to the Rev. W. J. Rees, of Cascob, who had previously
copied the said transcript by the permission of the Rev. E. Davies. Mr.
Rees's copy was afterwards collated by Dr. Meyer with Mr. Davies's
transcript, and the only inaccuracy which had crept in was by him carefully
corrected. Dr. Meyer again transcribed Mr. Rees's copy for the use of the
present work, and that version in its turn has been collated by Mr. Rees,
during the progress of the work through the press, with the transcript in his
possession. To these two gentlemen the translator is under deep obligations.