Book of Taliesin: Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain

The great work of Welsh literature, translated in full for the first time in over 100 years by two of its country's foremost poets, is a mystery. Taliesin is a shapeshifter, seer, chronicler of battles, bridge between old Welsh mythologies and new Christian theology, and a legendary collective project spanning the centuries up to the compilation of The Book of Taliesin in 14th-century North Wales. Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams' accessible translation makes these outrageous, arrogant, stumbling, and joyful poems available to a new generation of readers.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 304 pages
\n Publication date: 03 September 2020
\n Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
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The great work of Welsh literature, translated in full for the first time in over 100 years by two of its country's foremost poets, has been brought to life in a remarkable way. Tennyson portrayed him, and wrote at least one poem under his name. Robert Graves was fascinated by what he saw as his work's connection to a lost world of deeply buried folkloric memory. He is a shapeshifter, a seer, a chronicler of battles fought, by sword and with magic, between the ancient kingdoms of the British Isles; a bridge between old Welsh mythologies and the new Christian theology; a 6th-century Brythonic bard; and a legendary collective project spanning the centuries up to the compilation of The Book of Taliesin in 14th-century North Wales. He is, above all, no single he.

The figure of Taliesin is a mystery. But of the variety and quality of the poems written under his sign, of their power as exemplars of the force of ecstatic poetic imagination, and of the fascinating window they offer us onto a strange and visionary world, there can be no question. In the first volume to gather all of the poems from The Book of Taliesin since 1915, Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams's accessible translation makes these outrageous, arrogant, stumbling, and joyful poems available to a new generation of readers.

The translators have done an incredible job of bringing these ancient poems to life, capturing the essence of Taliesin's language and spirit. They have also provided valuable context and commentary, helping readers to understand the historical and cultural significance of the poems.

This translation is a must-read for anyone who is interested in Welsh literature, history, or the power of poetry to transport us to other worlds. It is a testament to the enduring legacy of Taliesin and his incredible talent as a poet.

\n Weight: 228g\n
Dimension: 130 x 197 x 25 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780141396934\n \n