Praises to God: Selections from the Welsh “Black Book of Carmarthen,” Part 2 of 2

Let us continue with Sections 10-13 from “The Black Book of Carmarthen,” translated into English in “The Four Ancient Books of Wales” by William F. Skene.

“I will extol Thee, the Trinity in the mysterious One, Who is One and Three, a Unity of one energy, Of the same essence and attributes, one God to be praised. I will praise Thee, great Father, whose mighty works are great; To praise Thee is just; to praise Thee is incumbent on me, The produce of poetry is the right of Eloi. Hail, glorious Christ! Father, and Son, and Spirit! Lord, God, Adonai!

I will extol God, who is both One and Two, Who is Three without any error, without its being easily doubted; Who made fruit, and rill and every gushing stream; God is His name, being two Divine Ones to be comprehended; God is His name, being three Divine Ones in His energy; God is His name, being One; the God of Paul and Anhun.

I will extol One, who is both Two and One. Who is, besides, Three, who is God Himself, Who made Mars and Luna, and male and female, And ordained that the shallow and the abyss should not be of equal depth; Who made heat and cold, and sun and moon […].”

“In the name of the Lord, mine to adore, whose praise is great. I will praise the great Ruler, whose blessing is great on an alms-deed; The God that defends us, the God that made us, the God that will deliver us, The God of our hope, blessed, perfect, and pure is His true happiness. God owns us; God is above, the Triune King, God has been felt a support to us in affliction […]. May the blessed Ruler make us free against the day of doom, […] And happily receive us into Paradise from the burden of sin, And give us salvation, for the sake of His agony and five wounds, Terrible anguish!

God delivered us when He assumed flesh. Man would have been lost, had He not ransomed him, according to His glorious ordinance. From the bloody Cross came redemption to the whole world. Christ the mighty Shepherd, His merits will never fail.”

“The love-diffusing Lord of Heaven, the Creator, take thou to praise Him, That thou may reach the fair and happy region, Happy, pleasant, free, and greatly deserving praise. […]”