Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
England: Vols. I–IV. 1876–79. | | | | Wales: Introductory | | Taliesin’s Prophecy | | Felicia Hemans (1793–1835) |
| | | | A prophecy of Taliesin relating to the ancient Britons is still extant and has been strikingly verified. It is to the following effect:—| | “Their God they shall worship, |
| Their language they shall retain, |
| Their land they shall lose, |
| Except wild Wales.” |
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A VOICE from time departed yet floats thy hills among, | |
| O Cambria! thus thy prophet bard, thy Taliesin, sung: | |
| “The path of unborn ages is traced upon my soul, | |
| The clouds which mantle things unseen away before me roll, | |
| A light the depths revealing hath o’er my spirit passed, | 5 |
| A rushing sound from days to be swells fitful in the blast, | |
| And tells me that forever shall live the lofty tongue | |
| To which the harp of Mona’s woods by freedom’s hand was strung. | |
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| “Green island of the mighty! I see thine ancient race | |
| Driven from their fathers’ realm to make the rocks their dwelling-place! | 10 |
| I see from Uthyr’s kingdom the sceptre pass away, | |
| And many a line of bards and chiefs and princely men decay. | |
| But long as Arvon’s mountains shall lift their sovereign forms, | |
| And wear the crown to which is given dominion o’er the storms, | |
| So long, their empire sharing, shall live the lofty tongue | 15 |
| To which the harp of Mona’s woods by freedom’s hand was strung!” | | | |
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