Aneirin

Aneirin always fascinated me. A legendary Bard, he was a peer of Taliesin, and the author of Y Gododdin- an epic, mysterious poem that still sparks debate. Of the two, Aneirin is closer to me.

I am the son of the heathered hills,

The rolling waves and the distant skies,

I am the son of the mists and winds,

The cliffs and rivers, the moss and pines.

I am the one who sang in the wild,

Of battles and hearts on the chainmail sleeves,

I am the one who never took sides,

In halls where they drank, and on bloody fields.

I am the son of the land that is gone,

The shadow and legend, the distant shore,

I am the song that is all dead and done,

The key to the gilded and rotten doors.

I am the son of the eagles in flight

The sunrise and sunset, that are no more.

I am the one of unrivalled might

That's all but forgotten, unsung, forlorn.

I am the bard of the flaming verse,

Of sword and the pain, and of battle cries,

I am the prince of the scathing words

Of guilt and blame, and honor that died.

I am the one who came once before,

Who loved and ached, yet desired to live

I am the voice from grim days of yore,

All pain and longing, and never free.

I am Aneirin, the golden one,

Prince of bards and the bard of kings,

I am Aneirin, the broken one,

Who has no solace or hope to give.

I am Aneirin- so raise a glass,

And pour the mead to set me free,

I am Aneirin- in one swift glance

I shall be gone - so just let me be.

**

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Again, blood flooding the battlefield.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Carrion crows circling my head.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

No escape could there be.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

I saw men fall and never rise.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Banners torn and blood stained.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Men I once knew, are no more.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

The battle rages on for hours on end.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

The end was nigh and it never came.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Longing for home was great.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

The voices came alive and died.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Skies shattered, light was no more.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

The once who came, never returned.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Thrice blessed, ninefold cursed.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

I saw them fall and sang no more.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Nothing to hold onto, no hope at all.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

All songs faded, great silence fell.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Blessings counted before the fall.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Too long, too soon, too heavy and dark.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Gone forever, gone not for long.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Left to rot by the gods of war.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Faith was lost, no desire to live.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Every night since it ended there.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

No light, no hope, nothing left.

Save my soul, I've dreamt of Catraeth.

Still alive, yet I'm calling death.

***

I remember Catraeth,

Where many were slain.

They rode off to battle

For victory they rode,

All they gained

Was death.

I remember Catraeth:

Where the field once was,

Blood flows.

Blood drips from broken spears

Helmets are crushed,

Shields shattered.

I remember Catraeth:

Where the mighty fell,

No flower would bloom.

Blood washes the tears away,

And swords are powerless

Where death triumphs.

I remember Catraeth.

The billowing cloaks,

The battle cries,

All gone.

All but four fell that day

And I was among them.

I remember Catraeth:

Pain raging free,

Anger driving men

To the point of hatred,

Driving them mad,

Dividing them.

I remember Catraeth:

From limb to limb

Torn and wounded,

Ripped and unwept,

Unsung lie the men

Whose fate was sealed.

I remember Catraeth:

Carrion crows

Circling the field,

Drunk with the blood

Of noble and brave,

Slain and forgotten.

I remember Catraeth,

Where one by one

Fell both horses and men,

And the enemy cried

With tears of our blood

Pouring like rain.

I remember Catraeth,

Where my song did die,

Where the death rejoiced

Where the life ran dry,

And the memory rang,

Like a mourning bell.

I remember Catraeth,

For I saw it all

And it chilled my blood

Leaving me alive.

I saw men of might

Falling to their knees.

I remember Catraeth,

Pools of blood

Like the darkest wine

Of the ancient halls,

Like the waters deep

That lull souls to rest.

I remember Cathraeth,

For I was there.

Where the warriors fell,

Like the sheaves of corn

Where it all began

Just to die at morn.

I remember Catraeth.

Aneirin am I,

And my song shall be

Song of blood and pain,

And my song of woe

Shall therein remain.