(no subject)

[yrieithydd]

It seemed appropriate that I should come across the part of Geoffrey of Monmouth about St Alban today!

In diebus eius orta est Diocleciani impeatoris persecutio qua fere deleta est christianitas in insula que a tempore Lucii regis integra et intemerat permanserat. Superuenerate Maximianus Herculius, princeps milicie predicti tyranni, cuius imperio omnes subuerse sunt ecclesie et cuncte sacre scripture que inueniri pterant in mediis foris exuste atque electi sacerdotes cum fidelibus sibi subditis trucidati ita ut agmine dense certatim ad amena celorum regna quasi ad propriam sedem festinarent. Magnificauit igitur misericordiam suam nobis Deus qui gratuito munere persecutionis tempore ne penitus crass atre noctis caligine populus Britonum offuscaretur clarissimas lampades sanctorum martyrum ei accendit. Quorum nunc sepulture et passionum loca non minimum diuine karitatis ardorem intuentium mentibus incutterent, si non lugubri babarorum diuocio ciuibus adempta fuissent. Inter ceteros utriusque sexus summa magnanimitate in acie Christi perstantes passus est Albanus Uerolamius, Iulius quoque et Aaron Urbis Legionis cuies. Quorum Albanus karitatis gratia feruens confessorem suum Amphibalum a persecutoribus insectatum et iamiamque comprehendendum primum in domo suo occuluit et deinde mutatis uestibus sese discrimini mortis obtuli, imitans in hoc Christum animam suam pro oubis ponentem. Ceteri autem duo inaudita membrorum discerptione lacerati ad egregias Ierusalem portas absque cunctamine cum martyrii tropheo conuolauerunt.
(HRB V.5 or 77)

Or from Brut Dingestow (a 13th century Welsh version of HRB)
Ac yna y kyuodes creulonder dioclecianus amhera6dyr ruuein tr6y yr h6nn y dile6yt cristonogyaeth o enys prydein. yr honn a gynnhalyessit yndi yn gyfan yr yn oes lles uab coel y brenhyn kyntaf a gymerassei gret a bedyd yndi. Canys maxen tywyssa6c ymladeu yr amhera6dyr creula6n h6nn6. A doeth yr enys a llu ma6r gantha6. Ac o arch a gorchymyn yr amhera6dyr y diuaa6d yr egl6ysseu. Ac y llosges. ac 6ynt ac a all6ys y gaffael o lyfreu yr ysgrythur glan. ac y gyt a hynny y merthyr6yt etholedigyon efferyeit a christonogyon fydla6n oed u6yd darystygedic udunt. a dan wed uab du6. mal y kerdynt yn uydinoed y teyrnas n(a)ef. Ac yna y damllewych6ys mab duw y trugared. ar na mynnei uot kenedyl y brytannyeit yn llychy[...] llychwin o tywyllwch pechodeu. namyn goleuhau onadunt ehunein egluraf lampeu gleinyon uerthyri udunt. Ac yr a6rhon y mae bedeu y rei hynny ac eu hesgyrn ac eu creireu yn y lleoed y merthyr6yt yn guneuthur dirua6r wyrtheu a digriu6ch. a didan6ch yr neb a edrych arnadunt pei na bei g6ynuanus ac 6ylouus y gristonogyon clybot ry wneuthur o estra6n genedyl paganyeit ar fydla6n gristonogyon. Ac eu pria6t genedyl ehunein. Ac ymplith y bonhedigyon bobloed uerthyri. or guyr ar guraged y diodeu6ys seint alban o 6erolan. ac y gyt ac ef Julius ac aaron o gaer llionon ar 6ysc. Ac yna y kymyrth seint alban. Amphibalus a oedyd a6r pob a6r yn y d6yn oe uerthyru. ac y cudy6ys yn y ty ehun. A guedy na thygyei hynny. A gymyrth y wisc amdana6 ehunan. Ac yd ymrodes ym merthyrolyaeth trosta6 gan euelychu crist argl6yd y g6r a ymrodes ehun dros y deueit. Ac odyna y deu wr ereill tr6y agklywedic poeneu ar eu corfforoed. A ellygwyt y wlat nef tr6y u(r)erthyrolyaeth.

And the library is now shutting for it's 1 and a quarter hour lunch hour so translations may appear later.

Comments

[angelofthenorth.livejournal.com]

Any chance of reading it in a language I might understand? (French or English??)

I don't want to chance my latin.

[curig.livejournal.com]

Between the Welsh and the Latin I can get bits here and there but it's far too much like hard work...

(Remember, curig is blah)

[yrieithydd.livejournal.com]

Sum hæðen casere wæ gehaten Dioclitianvs, se wæs to casere gecoren þeahðe he cwealmbære, æfter Cristes acennednysse twam hund gearum and syx and hundeahtatigum ofer ealne middaneard; and he rixode twentigy geara, reðe cwellere, swa þæt he acwealde and acwellan het ealle ða Cristenan þe he ofaxian mihte and forbærnde cyrcan and berypte ða unscæððigan; and þeas arleasa ehtnyss unablinnendlice eode ofer ealne middaneard ealles tyn gear oðþæt heo to Engla lande each swylce becom, and þær fela acwealde ða þe on Criste gelyfdon. An dæra wæs Albanus se æþela martyr, se ðe on þære ehtnysse each wearð acweald for Cristes geleafan, swa swa we cyðaþ her. On þam dagum becom seo cwealmbære ehtnyss to Engla lande fram ðam arleasan casere, and þa cwellaras cepton ðæra Cristenra gehwær mid ormetre wodnysse. þa ætwand him an preost, se arn digollice to Albanus huse and ðær ætlutode his laðum ehterum, and Albanus hine underfeng þeahðe he gefullod nære. þ began se preost swa swa he God lufode his gebedu singan and swyðe fæstan, and dæges und nihtes his Drihten herian and betwux ðam secgan ðone soðan geleafan þam arwurþan Albane, oþþæt he gelyfde on ðone soð God and wiðsoc þam hæðenscype and weard soþlice Cristen and swyðe geleaffull. þa wunode se presot ðam arwurðan were, oðþæt se ealdorman ðe ehte ða Cristenan hine ðr geaxode an dhine ardlic het to gefeccen mid fullum graman.
...

(Ælfric's account of Alban's martyrdom or at least its beginning)

(Well you asked for it in English!

[angelofthenorth.livejournal.com]

That's fine, not a problem.

Between that and the latin it makes sense

[angelofthenorth.livejournal.com]

Are you predestined always to be 'blah'?

[yrieithydd.livejournal.com]

That's impressive as the Old English is not (unlike the Middle Welsh) a translation of the Latin. In fact the Old English is older! The Latin is 1130s and the Welsh in a 13th century manuscript. Ælfric is much earlier but I'm no good on Old English dates!

[yrieithydd.livejournal.com]

The following might be better. It's the Welsh with modernised spellings and verbal endings. I suspect it is somewhat random but it is late!

Ac yna cyfododd creulonder Dioclecianus ymherodr Rhufain trwy yr hwn y dileuwyd cristonogiaeth o Ynys Prydain, yr hon a gynhaliessid ynddi yn gyfan ers oes Lles fab Coel y brenhyn kyntaf a gymerassai gred a bedydd ynddi. Canys Maxen tywysog ymladdau yr amherodyr creulon hwnnw. A doeth i'r enys a llu mawr ganddo. Ac o arch a gorchymyn yr amherodyr y difaodd yr eglwysi. Ac y llosgodd ac hwy a allwys y gaffael o lyfreu yr ysgrythur glan ac y gyd a hynny y merthyrwyd etholedigion offeriaid a christonogion ffyddlon oed ufydd darystyngedig iddynt a dan wedd fab Duw mal y cerddynt yn fyddinoedd i deyrnas nef. Ac yna y damllewychodd Mab Duw y trugaredd ar na mynnei fod cenedl y britanniaid yn llychwin o dywyllwch pechodau namyn goleuhau ohonynt eu hunain egluraf lampeu gleinion ferthyri iddynt. Ac yr awr hon y mae beddau y rei hynny ac eu hesgyrn ac eu creiriau yn y lleoed y merthyrwyd yn gwneuthur dirfawr wyrthiau a digrifwch. a diddanwch i'r neb a edrych arnant pei na bei gwynfanus ac wylofus i gristonogion glywed ry wneuthur o estron genedl paganiaid ar ffyddlon gristonogion ac eu priod genedl eu hunain. Ac ymhlith y bonheddigion bobloedd ferthyri o'r gwyr a'r gwragedd y diodefodd Saint Alban o Verolan ac y gyd ag ef Julius ac Aaron o Caerllion ar Wysc. Ac yna y cymerodd Saint Alban Amphibalus a oedd awr pob awr yn cael ei ddwyn o'i ferthyru. ac y cuddiodd yn ei dy ei hun. A gwedy na thygiai hynny. Cymerodd ei wisg amdano ei hunan. Ac yd ymrododd i ferthyroliaeth trosto gan efelychu Crist Arglwyd y gwr a ymrododd ei hun dros ei ddefaid. Ac oddi yna i ddau wr eraill trwy anghlywedig poenau ar eu corfforoedd. A ellyngwyd y wlad nef trwy ferthyroliaeth.

[angelofthenorth.livejournal.com]

Well, I just parsed the two, and kind of got somewhere with it...