Gwenc'hlañ is a legendary bard Breton of the sixth century. Gwenc'hlañ would be the subject and the author of a gwerz called Diougan Gwenc'hlan (Gwenc'hlan's prophecy). In this text, the bard is imprisoned and has his eyes gouged out for refusing to convert to Christianity. He sings that he is not afraid to die and elaborates a prophecy where he will be avenged.
The Song of Gwenc'hlan
I
1. The sun sinks into the ocean,
On my doorstep, you can hear my song.
2. I was young and sang then;
I'm old, but still singing.
3. Singing by day, singing by night,
I sing and my heart is bruised.
4. Head down, full of affliction:
My grief is not without reason.
5. It is certainly not that I am afraid;
And I await death without fear.
6. I am certainly not afraid;
I've lived long enough.
7. You seek and do not find me;
Without looking, you will find me.
8. No matter what happens to me,
For what must be will be.
9. Dying three times is our lot
Before our eternal rest.
II
10. Out of the woods the old boar
Limped out, injured foot.
11. From his open mouth the blood
Flows and its hair is all white.
12. Around him his wild boar
Growl, because they are all very hungry.
13. The sea horse that I see,
The shore trembles with fear.
14. Like shiny white snow,
He wears silver horns on his forehead.
15. You can see the water bubbling under him
In the thundering fire of his nostrils.
16. Other horses he comes as much
That there is grass at the edge of a pond.
17. – Sea horse, hit him then
In the head! Strike and hold on!
18. Bare feet slip in the blood.
Hit hard, hit constantly!
19. The blood rises like a stream!
Strike again, you have to!
20. The blood rises to the knee!
Like a lake it extends everywhere!
21. Hit harder! And hit well!
You will rest tomorrow.
22. Hit him, storm horse,
Hit it hard! Headshot! –
III
23. In my sleeping cold grave,
I heard the eagle in the night
24. Make the call to the eaglets
And to all the birds of the sky.
25. He said in his harsh song:
– Take flight, quickly!
26. Rotten flesh of sheep, dogs
Not worth the flesh of a Christian! –
27. – Old Sea Crow, O, tell me,
In your claws, what are you holding there?
28. The Head of the Exalted Chief
Which must be snatched away
29. His two red eyes, because long ago
To yourself this is what he did.
30. – And you fox, come and tell me:
What are you holding in your mouth?
31. – It is his sly heart that I hold;
A heart as false as mine.
32. He had meditated on your death
And inflicted your sad fate on you.
33. – Tell me, toad, why you sleep,
Ambushed close to his mouth?
34. – I must stay here
To grab his mind on the fly.
35. Remain in me my whole life,
This will be the punishment
36. Of his crime against the poet
Between Port Blanc and Roche Verte. -«
