You’ll receive praise, Curig,^{1 Curig⁠ A saint associated primarily with Llangurig and Capel Curig, but who is named here probably because of his association, along with his mother, Ilid, with the church of Llanilid near Pen-coed, in line with the fact that a number of the saints of Morgannwg are named later on in the poem.} on account of a true
and pure man, where he bends coins.^{2 lle plyco arian⁠ The word plyco is in fact a form of the verb plygu ‘to bend’, not plycio ‘to pluck’, with the usual provection of the consonant in the stem of a subjunctive verb, see GMW 128. Pilgrims used to bend coins before offering them to a church, see Finucane 1977: 94–5; cf. CawrdafHRh ll. 25–6.}⁠
Consider, lest he be vilified
– generous saint, you’re his patron saint –
5Curig, never was there anyone bearing a crown^{3 dwyn coron⁠ See GPC Ar Lein s.v. coron 2 ‘crown, crown-piece’, namely the coin; cf. l. 2n, l. 54n halbert a choron; GRhB 29.5. Note also another example of this combination of words by Guto’r Glyn in a poem of praise for Dafydd Mathau of Llandaff, see GG.net 17.41–2 Fal na bydd na blaen na bôn, / Addwyn ceirw, heb ddwyn coron ‘[you have sons] of such a kind that no one of them will fail to bear a crown, the stags are splendid’. In Guto’s poem, the words dwyn coron seem to serve as a metaphor for ‘growing antlers’, implying that Dafydd’s sons were young men on the rise. Another possibility is that the poet believed that his patron’s abilities as a warrior were no less than a king’s.}⁠
who was better than him with the weight of hand and staff.^{4 pwys llaw a ffon⁠ Literally ‘weight of hand and staff’. Cf. IGP 46.45–6 Rhoi pwys y ffon ar honno / Ar hyd ei phen – bu rhaid ffo ‘he laid the weight of the staff on her / over her head – she had to flee’. The poet is praising his patron’s physical abilities.}⁠

The anguish of Einon and Gronwy
and Owain,^{5 Ll. 7–8. The identity of ⁠Einion a Gronwy / Ac Owain⁠ can only be guessed at. Were they members of his family, possibly his brothers or sons?} what greater cry ever?
Bemoaning in a poem of praise [one commensurate with] true Cynwrig
10and Cadrod,^{6 Ll. 9–10. It is unclear who ⁠Cynwrig … / A Chadrod⁠ were. The fact that Cadrod is an uncommon name suggests that these two were, unlike the men mentioned above, two figures of some renown. If so, however, they are not sufficiently well-known today. The identity of ⁠Cynwrig⁠ can only be guessed at, and the only well-known Cadrod is Cadrod Calchfynydd, a son-in-law to Brychan Brycheiniog, see GRhGE 23–4n. Nothing is known of Cadrod that could explain this reference, but it is likely that both he and Cynwrig were known as men of honour who could be compared to the patron, were he to live longer.} if he should live

A man’s hand – they knew him from afar –
a hand that held a spear in London once,
his fist and bow, a fistful,
body of Amlyn,^{7 Amlyn⁠ One of the protagonists of Kedymdeithyas Amlyn ac Amic⁠, a story found in the Red Book of Hergest that was based on a Latin text, Vita Sanctorum Amici et Amelii⁠. Both Amlyn and his companion, Amig, were known for their close friendship, and both died together in battle, see KAA2⁠.} would be at the front,
15marvellous existence, and taking the food and wine^{8 dwyn bwyd a gwin⁠ If dwyn means ‘carrying’ here, it would seem that the patron had served the royal family (that is, by ‘carrying food and wine’), probably at the palace of Sheen, see l. 18n. The poet’s reference to the patron bearing arms in ll. 11–14 (cf. ll. 51–6) suggests that he also served as a soldier and therefore may have been a Yeoman of the Guard, see the introductory note. On the other hand, dwyn can be understood as ‘taking’, with the implication that the patron had feasted with Beirdd breiniol bwrdd y brenin ‘the privileged poets of the king’s table’, possibly as he was a poet himself or, maybe, a harpist, if not both, see ll. 57–8n.}⁠
of the privileged poets of the king’s table.
When the fire of Sheen^{9 tân y Sin⁠ A fire destroyed the old palace of Sheen in London on 23 December 1497. Henry VII soon began to build a majestic new palace on the site on the banks of the river Thames at Richmond. It was derelict by the 17c. Further, see Thurley 1993: 27–32.} reached the point
where it had gone – it was fortunate^{10 ffortenus⁠ The earliest example of a variant form of the adjective ffortunus ‘fortunate’, not noted in GPC Ar Lein s.v.} –
he placed the king and queen^{11 Ll. 19–20. Henry VII (1457–1509) and Elizabeth of York (1466–1503).}⁠
20safely in the tower^{12 [y] tŵr⁠ Possibly the Tower of London, but note that the main stone tower of the palace of Sheen survived the fire of 1497, see l. 18n tân y Sin⁠; Thurley 1993: 28–9.} away from the spell of heat.

When God’s vengeance falls on the deathly one,^{13 y pen melyn⁠ Literally ‘the yellow head’, not likely the patron’s, but rather a reference to the devil, see GPC Ar Lein s.v. melyn (b) ‘of a hideous yellow colour (esp. of death personified), deadly, implacable, unpleasant’; ll. 21–8n. For other early examples not noted in GPC, see GIRh 9.48; CYSDT 16.37, 18.57n; and, possibly, GPB 11.1.}⁠
what is man’s worth?
Tormenting a man with no colour or shape,
a deformity like an injury for five years.^{14 Ll. 23‒4. It is also possible to interpret bai as a verb: ‘This would be the tormenting of a man / with no colour or shape like an injury for five years.’}⁠
25God made a saint of Anthony,^{15 Antwn⁠ A saint of Egypt and one of Christianity’s most renowned hermits, see ll. 21–8n.}⁠
he’ll make a saint on account of this man’s breast!^{16 Fe wna sant o fynwes hwn⁠ The word mynwes may mean ‘soul’ here, but there are no examples in this sense before 1574 in GPC Ar Lein s.v. mynwes (c). The poet is probably saying that the pain in his patron’s breast will purify him.}⁠
If the night were short, it’s endless,^{17 Bei ber fai’r nos, ni dderfydd⁠ A cynghanedd lusg gysylltben (see CD 174–5) in which the poet unusually uses the feminine form of the adjective ber.}⁠
if it were [just] a bout, the day is not short.^{18 Ll. 21–8. These ll. should probably be understood in light of the reference to Anthony in l. 25, a saint and hermit renowned for having been tempted in the desert by the devil in the form of demons and wild animals. One of the most well-known tales describes how he fought with demons in a cave and was almost dead when his followers dragged his body away. When he came to, he returned defiantly to the cave to fight with the demons a second time, but before they could attack him the light of God shone upon them and they fled. Anthony realized that God had saved him, and the saint asked him why he had not helped him sooner. God explained that he was pleased to see Anthony courageously fighting the demons and that he would therefore make the saint’s name known across the world. In ll. 21–2, it seems that the poet is depicting man’s helplessness, like Anthony’s, in the face of the eternal battle between God and the devil, by linking the suffering of man with the suffering of the patron in ll. 23–8. Ll. 27‒8 are very obsure, but may describe the suffering of the patron, for whom both the night and the day are long and tiresome. Another interpretation is possible with different punctuation: ‘If the night that never ends were but short, / if the day were a spell that was not brief.’}⁠

The painted Man of Chester,^{19 Gŵr lliwiog o Gaerlleon⁠ The image of Christ in the form of rood at the church of St John in Chester, the most famous rood in medieval Wales. It was decorated with gold and precious stones, and possibly some silver too, see Lewis 2005b: 20.}⁠
30a spear having been thrust through his breast on high,^{20 Gwedy rhoi fry gwayw drwy’i fron⁠ On the soldier who pierced Christ’s side after he died on the cross, see John 19.31–7.}⁠
there’s an image which is celebrated far and wide
in Pen-rhys^{21 Ll. 31–2. The poet is referring to an image of Mary that was believed to have been found in an oak tree near Mary’s well at Pen-rhys, located on a ridge between the valleys of Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach. For Rhisiart ap Rhys’s poem of praise for Mary of Pen-rhys, see GRhB poem 5.} for the tall and slender man;^{22 [y] meinwr hir⁠ This may refer to Christ, following the rather isolated couplet about the rood of Chester in ll. 29–30, but it more likely refers to the patron.}⁠
Cadog^{23 Catwg⁠ The patron saint of Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan. Rhisiart ap Rhys composed two poems of praise for the saint, see CadogRhRh1 and MWPSS poem 24. It seems that ⁠Catwg⁠ was the form of the saint’s name that was used in south-east Wales, see ibid. 327.} clearly provided
a cure^{24 feddeginaeth⁠ A mutated variant form, possibly, of meddyginiaeth, not noted in GPC Ar Lein s.v.} for hundreds of men,
35Teilo^{25 Teilo⁠ A saint associated primarily with Llandeilo Fawr in the Tywi valley, but he is likely named here in connection with his dedication, along with two other saints, at Llandaff.} in every whitewashed house,^{26 tŷ aelwyn⁠ Namely a whitewashed church.}⁠
Tyfodwg^{27 Tyfodwg⁠ A saint commemorated at Ystradyfodwg, a parish in the Rhondda Fawr valley, and at Llandyfodwg to the west of Tonyrefail, namely Glynogwr today, where there is a church dedicated to him.} for a blessed hermit;^{28 meudwy gwyn⁠ Perhaps a description of any devout Christian, but also possibly a reference to the patron.}⁠
next, eager Saint Baruc,^{29 Nesaf, barod Sain Barwg⁠ St Baruc is commemorated in the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, but the church of Bedwas, which stood on the pilgrim route from Llantarnam abbey to Pen-rhys, is also dedicated to the saint; Gray 1996: 23. Some of the alliterative consonants in this line are in the incorrect order.}⁠
he doesn’t suffer violent, evil pain;^{30 Ni ddeily ar draws ddolur drwg⁠ See GPC Ar Lein s.v. daliaf and the combination dal ar (iii) ‘to observe, mark, give heed to, attend to, notice, consider, regard’ (the first noted example belongs to 1547). The meaning is extended in the edition, whereby the poet states that Baruc does not ‘suffer’ violence. Furthermore, [t]raws ‘evil’ is understood as an adjective describing [d]olur ‘pain’.}⁠
both Derfel^{31 Derfel⁠ A saint associated primarily with Llandderfel in Meirionnydd, but the poet probably refers to him here both as the patron saint of the lost church of Llandderfel near Cwm-brân and, with a view to praising the patron of the poem, as a renowned warrior, cf. l. 39n below. The lost church was on the pilgrim route from Llantarnam abbey to Pen-rhys, see Gray 1996: 21.} with a vigorous body in metal armour^{32 durfael⁠ Namely dur + mael ‘metal armour’. The combination is not noted in GPC Ar Lein, but see s.v. mael⁠3; cf. GLMorg 14.5–6 Bedd Maelgwn Gwynedd neu Gynan – durfael, / Bedd Derfel neu Frychan⁠ ‘the grave of Maelgwn Gwynedd or Cynan in metal armour, the grave of Derfel or Brychan’; GSC 17.28 Durfael pawl onn Derfel plaid ‘the metal armour [and] ash spear of a host’s Derfel’.}⁠
40and Ellteyrn.^{33 Elltëyrn⁠ A seemingly unique reference to the patron saint of Llanilltern (or Capel Llanilltern) in Morgannwg, near Pen-tyrch on the outskirts of Cardiff; WATU 132.}⁠

Going without a gift, an awful business,
meditating on God again.^{34 Ll. 41–2. The meaning is obscure. The first part, myned heb rodd ‘going without a gift’, may refer to the ailing patron, whose prayers to the saints named above have not yet been answered. It seems that gormodd gwaith ‘excessive deed’ refers to this predicament, cf. the same combination of words in DG.net 159.19 to describe Judas’s betrayal of Christ. The solution, according to the poet, is to keep on meditating on God, and this may be why the poet refers to two other saints in ll. 50 and 51 (see the notes).}⁠
I’m a man under^{35 i dan⁠ Namely o dan ‘under’, see the combination in GPC Ar Lein s.v. i⁠4.} heaven,
following a man, he was noble.
45Speaking over wine and mead about a man
who died is my vain sport,^{36 f’oferedd⁠ The use of oferfardd and oferwr to mean poets in general may have modified the generally negative meaning of oferedd ‘vanity, vainglory’, see GPC Ar Lein s.v.}⁠
a man whose muse was great,
a man and a saint, near Y Groes Wen.^{37 y Groes Wen⁠ There are at least three places called Groes Wen in Morgannwg, and all three were located on pilgrim routes to Pen-rhys. One was in Margam, on the route through Llangynwyd to Pen-rhys, and is commemorated today in the names of two streets near junctions 39 and 40 on the M4. Another more well-known Groes Wen is located to the west of Caerffili, on the pilgrim route from Llantarnam abbey to Pen-rhys, see Gray 1996: 26. A third stood on the route from Llandaff to Pen-rhys, near Radyr (A. Cook, personal correspondence and Twixt Chain and Gorge www.radyr.org.uk 47–50, 79–80, 84, 99 (map)). There may well be others. The only Groes Wen located near a patron house associated with Rhisiart ap Rhys is the Groes Wen near Radyr, not far from the home of the Mathau (Matthew) family. Rhisiart referred to cweryl Cing Harri⁠ ‘King Henry’s quarrel’ in a poem of praise for Syr Wiliam Mathau ap Tomas Mathau, a grandson of Dafydd Mathau, one of Guto’r Glyn’s patrons, who was knighted on the field of Bosworth, see GRhB 28.14; GG.net poem 17. However, there is no other reason to believe he was associated with this poem. The use of the definite article here points to ⁠Groes Wen⁠ being a place name, but it may also be a more general reference to the holy cross, cf. BeunoRhGE l. 39; GLl 1.17; GLMorg 30.52. Further, see ll. 43–8n. 38 Ll. 43–8. The verb rhôi ‘he’d give’ in l. 50 doubtless refers to the patron, which strongly suggests that Rhisiart ap Rhys is also referring to his patron in these ll. as a nobleman whom he follows faithfully and describes as a sant ‘saint’, cf. ll. 25–6. However, the same person is referred to as a man a fu farw ‘who died’ in l. 46, even though the patron was obviously alive. Was this simply some strange exaggeration, or had the poet wrongly claimed (cf. l. 46n) that his patron was dead?}⁠
Fair girl,^{39 merch wen⁠ Namely Sanwyr, see l. 50n.} there’s gold and wax
50which he’d give to Sanwyr^{40 Sanwyr⁠ A seemingly unique reference to the patron saint of Llansanwyr (Llansannor) in Morgannwg, north of Cowbridge; WATU 139.} in exchange for being blessed;
Ceinwyr^{41 Ceinwyr⁠ Another seemingly unique reference, this time to the patron saint of Llangeinwyr (Llangeinor) in Morgannwg, north of Bridgend; WATU 126.} is intending
to cure^{42 Ll. 51–2. It is difficult to account for the mutation to [g]wellhau, except by the loss of the preposition i from the beginning of the line, or possibly by reversing the custom of resisting mutation at the beginning of the second line of a couplet (further, see TC 196). As for the combination gwellhau pwynt ‘to cure a condition’, cf. DE 30 yr vn ym a ran amwynt / a all am hyn wellav ymhwynt ‘the one who causes me ill health can also cure my condition’.} and restore his condition,
one short of arm in the little corner of the breast,^{43 Breichfyr yng nghwr bach y fron⁠ Probably a description of the patron’s injury. Was his arm in a sling? Or does breichfyr refer to a feature of the weapon that caused the patron’s injury, following the reference to a halbert, which has a small hook as well as a prominent blade, in the next line? The word bach is understood as an adjective, but is could also refer to some part of the torso, such as the armpit, see GPC Ar Lein s.v. bach⁠2 (a) ‘hook’, (b) ‘hinge’, (c) ‘nook, angle’; cf. ll. 57–8n. Some of the alliterative consonants in this line are in the incorrect order, and the first main accent in falls on yng (for similar examples of placing a main accent on prepositions and other minor words in the work of Rhisiart ap Rhys, see l. 36; CadogRhRh1 l. 64; GRhB 28.20, 44, 53, 29.26, 29; further, see CD 266–8).}⁠
painful treachery^{44 brad chwerw⁠ The -d becomes voiceless under the influence of ch-, cf. CD 211–2.} of a halberd and crown.^{45 halbert a choron⁠ The word halbert is a form of halbard, see OED Online s.v. halberd ‘A military weapon, especially in use during the 15th and 16th centuries; a kind of combination of spear and battle-axe, consisting of a sharp-edged blade ending in a point, and a spear-head, mounted on a handle five to seven feet long.’ The patron may have been a member of Henry VII’s guard (see the introductory notes), whose use of halberds was well-known, see Hewerdine 2012: 54–5, 57–8. The meaning of coron is not so evident. In l. 5 the same word is used with the meaning ‘crown’ (namely a coin, see the note), but in this l. it may signify the ‘crown’ of a king. Both halberds and crowns were heraldic symbols, but there are no relevant combinations in DWH iii. On the other hand, the poet may be referring to the patron’s ‘crown’, namely his head, or possibly a bandage wrapped around it, if he had indeed injured it, see l. 55 Os ei dâl sy â dolur ‘if his brow is painful’; GPC Ar Lein s.v. coron 1 (a), (c).}⁠
55If his brow shows suffering,^{46 Os ei dâl sy â dolur⁠ It seems that the patron’s forehead was often furrowed in pain. Note also the belief that on Judgement Day there would be a list on everyone’s forehead noting their deeds and the state of their soul, see Rowlands 1956‒7.}⁠
it couldn’t be done by any trivial man with his steel.
Uncomfortable it is to pick up a harp,
bitter is a harpstring, and love for a man.^{47 Ll. 57–8. The poet may be describing his own inability to play the harp because his patron was ill, in line with the poets’ custom of sharing their patrons’ suffering. On the other hand, the poet may in fact be referring to his patron having trouble playing the harp, if he had suffered an injury to his arm. There are many examples of patrons who took an active interest in both the poetic craft and its musical accompaniment, and cf. ll. 15–16, where the patron is said to have enjoyed bwyd a gwin / Beirdd breiniol bwrdd y brenin ‘the food and the wine of the king’s table’s privileged poets’; l. 47 Gŵr fu yn gryf ei awen ‘a man whose muse was great’.}⁠
The weapon of this age’s Achilles^{48 Ni chêl arf Achelarwy⁠ Possibly a cynghanedd drychben, but the poet may have ignored the voiced f here and, if so, this may be a cynghanedd lusg, see CD 155–6, 199–200. On Achilles, Greek hero of the Trojan war, see OCD 1213. On the form, see G 435 s.v. ⁠Echel⁠⁠1.}⁠
60cannot conceal a greater misfortune;^{49 grysyn⁠ A variant form of gresyn, see GPC Ar Lein s.v. ‘wretchedness; pain, grief, misfortune, calamity’; cf. Llst 164, 192 ⁠Rosser pam nad oedd ryssynn / amdy gorff roi amdo gwynn ‘Roser, wasn’t it [literally: why would it not be] a calamity to wrap your body in a white shroud?’ (cf. GRhB 24.21). 50 Ll. 59–60. References to the patron’s injured arm and hand (see l. 53n) suggest that the arf ‘weapon’ referred to here is the shield of Achilles, which is described in detail in the Iliad. It is unmentioned in Ystoria Dared, but it may have been known to the poet by way of a well-known version Latin of the legend, Ilias Latina, see Rhŷs and Evans 1890: 1–39; Miles 2011: 107‒9.}⁠
never was there anyone fairer in English fur,
nor will there be if he recovers from his pain.

Fe gei’r clod, Curig, ar gyfrif gŵr diffuant
a glân, lle plyga geiniogau.
Ystyria, rhag iddo gael ei ddifenwi
– sant teg, ti yw ei fabsant –
5Curig, ni bu neb a chanddo goron
yn well nag ef gyda phwysau llaw a ffon.

Poenau Einon a Gronwy
ac Owain, pa lef fwy erioed?
Llefain mewn cerdd fawl [am un cymesur â] Chynwrig glân
10a Chadrod, pe câi fyw.

Llaw dyn – roeddynt yn ei adnabod o bell –
llaw’n cario gwaywffon yn Llundain gynt,
ei ddwrn a’i fwa, llond dwrn,
corff Amlyn, a geid ar y blaen,
15byd gwych, a chymryd bwyd a gwin
beirdd breintiedig bwrdd y brenin.
Pan gyrhaeddodd y pen draw
lle roedd tân Sheen wedi mynd – roedd hynny’n ffodus –
rhoddodd y brenin a’r frenhines
20yn y tŵr yn ddiogel rhag yr ysbaid o wres.

Pan ddaw dial Duw ar yr un marwol,
pa werth yw dyn?
Poenydio gŵr heb liw na ffurf,
nam fel anaf am bum mlynedd.
25Fe wnaeth Duw sant o Antwn,
fe wna sant ar gyfrif mynwes y gŵr hwn!
Os byr fyddai’r nos, nid yw’n darfod,
pe bai [ond] rhyw bwl, nid byr mo’r dydd.

Y Gŵr wedi ei liwio o Gaer
30ar ôl i waywffon gael ei gwthio drwy ei fron fry,
mae delw ym Mhen-rhys y datgenir ymhell amdano
ar gyfer y gŵr main a thal;
Cadog yn amlwg a wnaeth
foddion i gannoedd o wŷr,
35Teilo ym mhob tŷ gwyngalchog,
Tyfodwg ar gyfer meudwy bendigaid;
nesaf, Sant Barwg ewyllysgar,
nid yw’n goddef dolur treisgar, drwg;
Derfel â chorff bywiog mewn arfwisg ddur
40ac Ellteyrn ill dau.

Mynd heb rodd, anfadwaith eithafol,
myfyrio ar Dduw eilwaith.
Dyn wyf o dan y nefoedd,
dilyn gŵr, bonheddig oedd.
45Sôn dros win a medd am ŵr
a fu farw yw fy ffolineb,
gŵr a fu’n gryf ei awen,
gŵr a sant, wrth y Groes Wen.
Merch deg, mae aur a chwyr
50a roddai i Sanwyr yn gyfnewid am fendithio;
mae Ceinwyr yn bwriadu
gwella ac adfer ei gyflwr,
un byr ei fraich yng nghornel fach y fron,
brad poenus halbard a choron.
55Os yw ei dalcen yn arddangos dolur,
nid dyn dibwys a wnâi hynny â’i ddur.
Chwithig yw’r afael ar delyn,
chwerw yw tant a chariad dyn.
Ni chela arf Achiles o’r oes hon
60fyth anffawd fwy;
ni bu neb harddach mewn ffwr o Loegr,
[ac] ni bydd os bydd yn iach o’i boen.